Sustainable Da'wah through Social Entrepreneurship: Transforming Islamic Philanthropy from Charity to Empowerment

Abstract

This study examines how social entrepreneurship can be conceptualized as an evolutionary model of sustainable da'wah by transforming Islamic philanthropy from charity-based assistance into empowerment-oriented development. Employing a normative-conceptual research design, the study uses a systematic literature review of scholarly works on da'wah bil-ḥāl, Islamic philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship published between 2000 and 2026. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and descriptive-critical analysis to synthesize the conceptual relationships among the three domains. The findings reveal that da'wah bil-ḥāl, Islamic philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship share a common orientation toward community empowerment while performing complementary functions: da'wah bil-ḥāl provides the normative foundation, Islamic philanthropy mobilizes social resources, and social entrepreneurship operationalizes sustainable value creation. Based on this synthesis, the study proposes a Sustainable Da'wah through Social Entrepreneurship framework linking Islamic values, philanthropic capital, entrepreneurial innovation, community empowerment, self-reliance, collective well-being, and falāḥ. The framework contributes to contemporary Islamic economics and Islamic social finance by offering a novel theoretical model that repositions Islamic philanthropy as a sustainable mechanism for long-term socio-economic transformation.