Beyond Formal Instruction: Family-Based Qur’anic Literacy as a Site of Informal Religious Governance in Rural Muslim Communities

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines family-based Qur’anic literacy practices as a form of informal religious governance within a rural Muslim community. Rather than focusing on formal religious instruction, the article explores how parental involvement, delegation to informal religious actors, and everyday household norms shape children’s engagement with Qur’anic reading.

Method: The research employed a qualitative field-based approach conducted in a rural Muslim village in Indonesia. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with parents and children, participant observation of daily religious practices, and documentation of community religious activities. The data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns of parental responsibility, modes of religious transmission, and mechanisms of informal regulation within the family setting.

Findings: The findings reveal that Qur’anic literacy within families is governed less by structured instruction and more by informal arrangements rooted in moral obligation and social expectations. While parents acknowledge religious responsibility, practical involvement is often limited due to occupational demands and reliance on external religious figures such as Qur’anic teachers. This delegation produces a fragmented model of religious governance in which authority, responsibility, and practice are dispersed rather than centrally coordinated within the household.

Significance: This study contributes to international religious studies by reframing family-based Qur’anic education as a site of informal religious governance rather than merely a pedagogical process. By highlighting how everyday religious practices are regulated through informal norms and delegated authority, the article offers a novel analytical lens for understanding lived religion in rural Muslim contexts. The findings extend discussions on religious governance beyond formal institutions and provide comparative insights for scholars examining faith transmission in non-institutional settings