Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK) has launched PELITA Syariah, a guidebook designed to strengthen Islamic financial literacy through religious leaders and community networks while raising public awareness of financial scams and illegal financial activities (01/11).

The launch took place during the closing event of Syariah Financial Fair (SYAFIF) Goes to Makassar 2026 at Trans Studio Mall Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

The guidebook, officially titled Buku Panduan Literasi dan Referensi Dakwah Keuangan Syariah, provides educational materials for preachers, religious instructors and community leaders to help them explain financial management and the responsible use of Islamic financial products and services.

OJK Launches PELITA Syariah to Strengthen Islamic Financial Literacy

OJK Chairwoman Friderica Widyasari Dewi said PELITA Syariah is part of the authority's efforts to expand Islamic financial education through approaches that are relevant to people's daily lives, including religious lectures and sermons.

She explained that the initiative aims to protect communities from the risks associated with limited financial knowledge, particularly scams, fraud and illegal financial products.

"Essentially, this is about protecting our communities from a lack of knowledge that could put them at risk of various scams, fraud and illegal products, such as illegal online lending services and others," Friderica said.

She also emphasised that improving financial literacy must go hand in hand with expanding access to Islamic financial services. This is intended to help people understand financial products and services and use them according to their needs.

Indonesia's Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, welcomed the initiative in a speech delivered online. He said PELITA Syariah could provide religious outreach workers with a systematic and practical reference for delivering Islamic financial education.

"The PELITA Syariah book serves as a systematic and practical guide to help religious outreach workers engage with communities professionally and create meaningful impact. May this book bring widespread benefits, strengthen the quality of Islamic economic literacy, and become part of our collective efforts to build a prosperous, just and blessed society," Nasaruddin said.

Religious Leaders to Support Islamic Financial Education

OJK developed PELITA Syariah in collaboration with the Indonesian Association of Islamic Economists (IAEI), which contributed to preparing and writing the educational materials.

The National Sharia Council of the Indonesian Ulema Council (DSN-MUI) also participated in ensuring that the book's content complies with Islamic principles.

The guidebook contains Islamic financial education materials, including sermon scripts that preachers can use to explain Islamic financial concepts to their communities.

OJK is also encouraging cooperation with several organisations and government institutions to expand the guidebook's use. These include the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the National Committee for Islamic Economy and Finance (KNEKS), the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), the Indonesian Da'i Association (IKADI), and the Islamic Economic Society (MES).

DMI Secretary-General Rahmat Hidayat welcomed the initiative and expressed support for expanding Islamic financial education through mosque networks.

DMI plans to encourage preachers to regularly discuss Islamic economic and financial topics during sermons. The organisation aims to improve financial literacy and inclusion while strengthening the role of mosques in community economic empowerment.

Islamic Financial Literacy and Inclusion Show a Significant Gap

According to the 2026 National Survey of Financial Literacy and Inclusion (SNLIK), Indonesia's Islamic financial literacy index reached 43.07%, while its Islamic financial inclusion index stood at 13.24%.

The figures indicate a gap between public understanding of Islamic finance and the use of Islamic financial products and services, highlighting the need to expand financial inclusion.

To address this issue, OJK continues to strengthen public education through various approaches, including religious networks supported by PELITA Syariah.

The authority is also encouraging Islamic financial institutions to expand access to their services and introduce innovative products that meet community needs.

Friderica said improving financial literacy was important before expanding financial inclusion, as access without sufficient understanding could expose people to risks.

"The first priority is certainly to strengthen public Islamic financial literacy. This is very important because people should not participate in financial inclusion without financial literacy. That could be dangerous. The second priority is to open up access. Both are important," she said.

SYAFIF 2026 Records Rp230.94 Billion in Transactions

The launch of PELITA Syariah was one of the main activities at SYAFIF Goes to Makassar 2026, which took place from October 30 to November 1, 2026, at Trans Studio Mall Makassar.

The Makassar event was the final SYAFIF programme for 2026, following previous events in Banjarmasin and Aceh. OJK organised the programme with the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS), Islamic financial services providers, industry associations, and relevant government institutions.

During the three-day event, visitors could explore various Islamic financial products and services through 22 booths operated by Islamic financial services providers and two booths representing the Islamic ecosystem. The programme also featured educational activities and discussion sessions.

OJK reported that the overall SYAFIF Goes to Makassar programme recorded 10,598 newly opened accounts, with total fund-raising and fund-disbursement transactions reaching Rp230.94 billion.

The figures represent the combined results of pre-event activities held from October 19 to 29, 2026, and the main event from October 30 to November 1, 2026.

The Makassar programme also featured activities related to the Indonesia Islamic Finance Summit (IIFS) 2026, which served as a preliminary event ahead of a strategic forum on Islamic finance development involving national and international stakeholders.

LPS Vice Chairman Farid Azhar Nasution expressed support for OJK's efforts to improve Islamic financial literacy, saying that public understanding plays a role in strengthening confidence in the financial services sector.

"Trust must be earned. One way to achieve this is through good financial literacy," Farid said.

PHOTO: OJK

This article was created with AI assistance.

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