Rebuilding Islamic Economics on New Foundations

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2015

Islamic economics is challenged in whether it can be called a discipline in the sense of having a clear subject-matter, methodology to appraise theories, a well-organised body of knowledge and systematic accumulation of knowledge. Islamic economics is still in the formative stage as a discipline, and many fundamental issues need to be addressed by the scientific community. This paper identifies several challenges to be answered by the Islamic economic scientific community in order to develop a discipline of Islamic economics. Embarking from the Islamic worldview that provides foundations in our understanding of economic phenomena, we must develop the conceptual foundations, conceptual scheme, key-terminologies, methodology to appraise and evaluate theory, and an Islamic ethics framework. The answer to those challenges will determine the scientific direction of Islamic economics, ensure a sustainable growth of knowledge and expedite the evolutional process of Islamic economics becoming a distinct discipline.

Journal of Critical Realism in Socio-Economics, 2023

All science is mirroring a Weltansicht, or worldview-that is, a comprehensive framework through which individuals or cultures interpret and understand the world around them. Worldviews not only provide a broader context for interpreting the data, but also influence research directions, methodological preferences, and final conclusions. Economics is no exception to this phenomenon. This modest essay aims to open up the epistemological foundations of modern economics to closer scrutiny with a view to pinpointing the tacit assumptions, cultural or other biases, and preconceived notions operating beneath the surface of economic theories, models, methods, and approaches. In addition, this essay also explores the controversial idea of Islamic economics which its exponents say recognizes the interdependence between economic outcomes and ethical choices, and take into account the importance of aligning economic activities with universally accepted human values.

2013

The paper aims at explaining the need for a starting point for developing an Islamic theory of economics. The paper emphasizes that what is needed is not a 'theory of Islamic economics' but an 'Islamic theory of economics'. It is not merely semantics. The paper explains what difference it makes in theorizing Islamic economics. The point emphasized in the paper is that it is the lack of strategic vision that is responsible for not reaching where we want to be. The paper describes various positions of Islamic economists and suggests that it is time we select one of them as the destination. The paper then goes into identifying a more realistic framework which can provide a basis for deriving principles of Islamic economic analysis. The paper suggests divorcing the framework derived from mathematics and physics (not linked to human social behavior in any aspect) and marrying it with biology and physiology -sciences dealing with study of life (unlike physics that studies life-less bodies). The paper discusses what difference it would make to use the framework borrowed from biology and physiology in analyzing human economic behavior.

This article critically analyzes the fundamental theories of Islamic economics and conventional economics, specifically focusing on the well-known theory of “infinite human demand, limited resources” within the context of Islamic thought. It explores how this theory, central to classical economic frameworks, is proven incorrect in light of Islamic economics, which posits that human needs are limited and resources are abundant when utilized ethically and sustainably. Through this examination, the article highlights the key differences between these two economic models, showing that Islamic economics provides a more holistic, ethical and balanced approach to managing economic activity, in contrast to the individualistic growth-driven nature of conventional economics. Additionally, it delves into the foundational aspects of Islamic economics such as the prohibition of interest (ribā), the institution of zakāt and the emphasis on charity, which underscore its commitment to justice, equity and social welfare.

journal of king Abdulaziz University Islamic Economics, 2019

Dialogue and intellectual trade between Islamic economics and conventional economics has been active and mutually beneficial for more than 40 years. I present some concrete examples of this in the current paper. I then assess recent calls for a complete break of Islamic economics with conventional economics, and find them clearly inconsistent with Islam’s actual approach to culture and institutions in preIslamic Arabia. The Islamic approach shuns blanket acceptance or rejection of any piece of human knowledge, and calls for detailed case by case assessment, then adoption, rejection, or acceptance after modification. The Islamic approach also insists on severability wherever possible, to salvage good parts from a bad whole. One particular argument for total break from conventional economics, is its assumption of selfishness of economic agents. I demonstrate that this is an overreaction by giving specific examples of Muslim jurist’s nuanced view of selfishness (or self-interest): when...

Journal of King Abdul Aziz University: Islamic Economics, 2021

Economics, as a distinct discipline started out as a branch of moral philosophy. Early in the 20 th century, logical positivists argued that science is the only source of knowledge, and values are not part of science. The desire to make humanities 'scientific' led to the creation of the 'social sciences', which claimed to be objective and value-free. In fact, values are inevitably involved in the study of human societies. Hence, when the social scientists could not remove them, they buried them into the foundations. In economics, 'rational' behavior was defined to be the pursuit of pleasure, without any explicit recognition or acknowledgement of the value judgment involved. Similarly, the scarcity foundations of modern economics also conceal many value judgements. In particular, secular morality at the heart of economics makes pursuit of pleasure and profits the goal of life for all rational human beings. Once we recognize the secular moral principles on which modern economics is built, the path to creating an Islamic alternative becomes clear. An Islamic society is built on the foundations of cooperation, generosity, and social responsibility, in stark contrast to the competition, greed, and individualism which are the basis of capitalist societies. Islam has a well-developed moral philosophy to deal with economic affairs, embodied in the science of fiqh (jurisprudence) as it has developed over the centuries. By rejecting the secular morality built into the foundations of modern economics, we can create a radical alternative based on the moral foundations of Islam. The modern world offers many new challenges; environments radically different from those faced by our elders. Thus, building a revolutionary Islamic economics requires ijtihad (diligent and creative research) to use the well-developed methodology of fiqh creatively to find new solutions to the deep and complex problems currently facing humanity and the planet.

iefpedia.com

After decades of its birth, Islamic economics has undoubtedly gaining its strength. However, it could not be regarded as yet, inevitably, as being a zero-defect discipline. Although the debate on Islamic economics seems to be almost rather settled, but a revisit to it is still indispensable. This is exactly what this paper intends to do. It attempts to revisit the mainstream Islamic economics and explore two unresolved concerns that are observed to have prevailed in it, so as efforts to overcome them could entail with a more proper development of the discipline. The two unresolved concerns are the untransformed structure of and the remaining of the conventional economics assumptions within the Islamic economics itself. This effort comes with awareness that these two unresolved concerns are not the only unresolved concerns still lingering around the Islamic economics. There are at least five more, viz. an absence of the redefinition of operating concepts, inaccurate ultimate aim, pseudo-Islamic operational mechanisms, erroneous research methodology, and knowledgepractice dichotomy of the Islamic economists themselves. However, due to space limitation, these five unresolved concerns will have to be dealt with elsewhere. The concentration of this paper therefore would only be on the untransformed structure and the remaining of the conventional economics assumptions of the mainstream Islamic economics.

Scholars journal of economics, business and management, 2021

Review Article Conventional economics despite its scientific approach and positive arguments failed to solved the current economic problems of the humanity. There are two reasons for such failure; one reason is the positivity of its nature which hinders it from playing active role in controlling human behavior. And the second reason is that its basic postulates by themselves are the causes of the creation of the economic problems. This state of the affairs, necessitate, a complete departure from the contemporary conventional wisdom, in search of solution, to an alternative framework. An Islamic framework of economic analysis could present a viable alternative in the context, due to its dynamic nature, combining both material and spiritual aspects of human economic behaviors. Therefore, this article attempts to provide some insights into the early efforts by Muslim scholars in development the science of Islamic economics. It also underscores the inadequacy of the conventional economics theory and its causes, and the need for formulation of Islamic theory of economics. Philosophical framework of Islamic economics along with some major axioms of Islamic ethics, shaping Islamic outlook on economics are also dealt with. The distinctive features of an Islamic framework for economic analysis are also delineated in this article. Using an analytical approach, the article concludes the urgency of the need for the articulation of a comprehensive Islamic framework for Islamization of economic, hence, solving the contemporary economic problems of the humanity.

journal of king Abdulaziz University Islamic Economics

This paper provides fresh deliberations on the method and substance of Islamic economics by relying on the structure and contents of Nienhaus (2013). Introspective arguments are furnished to soundly argue that Islamic economics is still a widely disregarded field; it is an integrated science; its normative dimension is not a deterrent element; ‘Islamic economics light’ studies are one inseparable part of the discipline; and Islamic economics is a political economy. On the aforementioned issues, we essentially make further elaborations on our Islamic economics definition, ‘Qur’ānic framework’, Islamic epistemology and Islamic criteria originating from our paper Mahyudi and Abdul Aziz (2017). The elaborations are extended to expound on their positive impact to the ‘Islamization of Knowledge’ agenda. We also utilize Bakar (2016) to reduce the observed tension between Sharīʿah scholars and Islamic economists that is triggered by issues surrounding legal form and economic reasoning of Is...

Economists have generally maintained a rigorous separation between positive and normative economics. In the Muslim world, however, concerted attempts have been made to relate moral conduct to economic institutions and practices. Demands for an alternative theory and practice of development to both modernization and Marxist theories had led to the rise of Islamic economics. But while Islamic economic thinking presents an ideal of development that is based on an Islamic philosophy of life, it is beset by a number of problems which make it difficult to be considered as an alternative to modernist discourse as far as empirical theory is concerned. As such. so-called Islamic economics cannot be considered as presenting a counter-modernist and alternative development theory. As an ethical theory of development Islam offers an alternative to modernization. dependency. and neo-Marxist theories. However.as an empirical theory. so called Islamic economic theory remains within the fold of Western modernist discourse in terms of its theoretical concerns and methodology. This chapter provides a theoretical critique and suggests an exemplar for a political economy approach for the Muslim world.