From Ritual to Community Learning: Islamic Educational Values and the Social Transformation of Mandi Safar in Gili Indah

Abstract

Mandi Safar is a coastal tradition maintained by communities in Gili Indah, North Lombok, where inherited beliefs, Islamic religious interpretation, and international tourism intersect. This qualitative descriptive study examines how the tradition has been reinterpreted as a setting for community-based Islamic education and what its changing practices may mean for participation and social relations. The study draws on field observations, interviews with religious, customary, and community leaders, and documentary records, including a 2025 account from the village head. The findings identify continuity in collective prayer and sea-bathing practices alongside expanded public organization, religious explanation, cultural performances, and tourism-facing activities. Six educational values are articulated in the documented practices: deliberation, environmental responsibility, mutual assistance, social solidarity, gratitude, and prayer for safety. Their pedagogical relevance lies in participation, observation, and communal reflection rather than demonstrably measured learning outcomes. The analysis also identifies a distinction between participation and empowerment: although women and young people are mentioned among participants, the available evidence does not establish equitable decision-making or welfare effects. The study contributes a bounded account of how coastal cultural practice may function as informal religious learning while highlighting the need for more inclusive, environmentally responsible, and empirically evaluated governance.