Pemberdayaan Jasa Pijat Penyandang Tuna Netra Berbasis Nilai Syariah Melalui Pendampingan Komunitas Empowerment of Sharia-Based Massage Services for Visually Impaired Persons Through Community Assistance

Abstract

Visually impaired individuals who work as traditional massage therapists often face challenges related to professionalism, service standardization, and the integration of religious values into daily economic practices. This community engagement program developed a sharia-based empowerment model by strengthening literacy in Islamic contract law, internalizing Islamic professional ethics, and formulating a community-based Islamic service standard. A participatory approach was applied through an initial needs assessment, training on Islamic values and service contracts, mentoring in implementing service standards, and pre- and post-activity evaluations. The results indicate a substantial increase in participants’ average understanding from 53.6% to 94.6%, representing a 41-percentage-point improvement. Behavioral changes were also observed in the consistent agreement on service fees prior to treatment, adherence to sharia boundaries in service interactions, and more professional communication with clients. In addition, a collectively agreed Islamic massage service guideline was established, strengthening professional identity and social legitimacy. The empowerment model not only enhanced cognitive capacity but also reinforced awareness of values and professional dignity within an Islamic framework. The integration of sharia principles into informal service practices proved to be an effective, contextual, and sustainable strategy for inclusive economic empowerment.