Waqf (Islamic endowment) is one of the most profound socio-economic legacies of Islamic civilization. Rooted in the principle of voluntary asset dedication for public benefit, waqf has served as a cornerstone for institutional development in Muslim societies for over a millennium. The legacy is to describe how the foundational principles of waqf have been transmitted and adapted across different socio-legal contexts, producing parallel institutions that, while locally distinct, share their functional values. This paper explores waqf as a legacy, a foundational social institution embedded in Islamic thought and practice that continues to influence contemporary legal, economic, and governance structures. The study traces waqf’s historical evolution, its interrelationship with the Islamic concept of qard al-hasan (benevolent loan), and its intersection with land management, social justice, and state-building across different cultural and geographical contexts. Drawing from historical, legal, and institutional analysis, the article demonstrates how waqf inspired the emergence of similar mechanisms in global and Western societies, such as trusts and endowments. Furthermore, the article discusses the challenges facing waqf today, including asset fragmentation, governance issues, and underutilization. It also explores waqf’s potential as a strategic instrument for inclusive development, especially in education, healthcare, and social welfare. The research concludes that the waqf institution, when revitalized with modern governance tools and aligned with sustainability principles, offers a resilient and ethical model for long-term socio-economic empowerment and wealth redistribution.
Tag: Articles
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The Legacy of Waqf: Foundation and Its Continuities
Waqf (Islamic endowment) is one of the most profound socio-economic legacies of Islamic civilization. Rooted in the principle of voluntary asset dedication for public benefit, waqf has served as a cornerstone for institutional development in Muslim societies for over a millennium. The legacy is to describe how the foundational principles of waqf have been transmitted and adapted across different socio-legal contexts, producing parallel institutions that, while locally distinct, share their functional values. This paper explores waqf as a legacy, a foundational social institution embedded in Islamic thought and practice that continues to influence contemporary legal, economic, and governance structures. The study traces waqf’s historical evolution, its interrelationship with the Islamic concept of qard al-hasan (benevolent loan), and its intersection with land management, social justice, and state-building across different cultural and geographical contexts. Drawing from historical, legal, and institutional analysis, the article demonstrates how waqf inspired the emergence of similar mechanisms in global and Western societies, such as trusts and endowments. Furthermore, the article discusses the challenges facing waqf today, including asset fragmentation, governance issues, and underutilization. It also explores waqf’s potential as a strategic instrument for inclusive development, especially in education, healthcare, and social welfare. The research concludes that the waqf institution, when revitalized with modern governance tools and aligned with sustainability principles, offers a resilient and ethical model for long-term socio-economic empowerment and wealth redistribution.
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Humanitarian and Beyond States Diplomacy: Society as an Emerging Global Actor
The evolution of global interaction in the 21st century reveals a widening gap between the complexity of contemporary crises and the capacity of traditional political diplomacy to address them. Geopolitical rivalries, institutional stagnation, and resource-extractive economic models have created a climate of diplomatic fatigue, where state-centered responses often fall short of delivering timely or humane solutions. Within this vacuum, civil society has emerged as a dynamic and influential actor capable of reshaping global engagement. Humanitarian organizations, volunteer networks, faith-based groups, and transnational advocacy coalitions now mobilize across borders to address urgent human needs, challenge injustices, and promote shared ethical norms. This paper conceptualizes “humanitarian and beyond-states diplomacy” as an alternative paradigm in which diplomatic influence is exercised not only through formal institutions but through societal initiative, moral persuasion, and collective action. It examines how civil society has moved from the periphery to the center of global affairs by negotiating humanitarian access, advocating for vulnerable populations, and generating new norms of solidarity and responsibility. Rather than operating within the limits of state sovereignty or economic interest, these actors draw legitimacy from empathy, global citizenship, and the moral urgency of human protection. The study argues that humanitarian diplomacy from below offers a transformative approach to international cooperation, one capable of renewing compassion, rebuilding trust, and addressing crises that have outpaced traditional diplomatic mechanisms. By analyzing this shift, the paper underscores the rising significance of society as an emerging global actor and highlights the potential of humanitarian engagement to redefine the future of diplomacy.
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Ahmad Dahlan and the Muhammadiyah Movement: Reform Ideas in a Cultural and Historical Context
» AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies
The paper aims to analyze the influence of Kiyai Haji Ahmad Dahlan (1868-1923) in inaugurating Islamic modernism in Indonesia by investigating his role and involvement in Muhammadiyah. The modern reform movement was inspired by profound moral and religious factors and its puritanical cause leading to the formation of Muhammadiyah in 18 November 1912. The objective of study is to reveal the underlying philosophy and framework that inspired the religious struggle of Muhammadiyah and the pioneering role of Ahmad Dahlan in organizing its modern ideal and social spirit. The study is based on qualitative framework in the form of literature survey that analyze technical and scientific data using empirical, descriptive and historical approaches. The finding shows that Ahmad Dahlan had bring decisive impact on Islamic modernism by bringing into perspective the tawhidic and puritanical aspect of Muhammadiyah that projected its modern and ethical tradition and consciousness. Its rising influence in modern context was driven by an extensive network of Muhammadiyah’s activist and missionaries that help to realize its dakwah aspiration that emphasized on moral and intellectual development and its meaningful and practical impact on society. It highlighted the social aspect that drive the cosmopolitan vision of Muhammadiyah and the strength of its organization, widely held as the largest and most organized and systematic Islamic movement in the world.
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Shariah Compliance Business Institutions (SCBI): A Research Agenda for the Real Sector
» Journal of Regional Development and Technology Initiatives
Shariah compliance has become a central theme in Islamic economic research, particularly through the development of Islamic financial institutions. Over the past four decades, extensive scholarly attention has been devoted to shariah governance, auditing, regulatory frameworks, and compliance mechanisms in Islamic banking, takaful, sukuk, and other financial services. While these contributions have significantly advanced the institutionalisation of shariah within the financial sector, they have also narrowed the conceptual scope of shariah compliance by predominantly associating it with financial institutions and procedural conformity. This contrasts with the rapid expansion of the Islamic economy into the real sector, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, logistics, agriculture, retail, digital enterprises, and small and medium-sized enterprises, where the concept of institution-wide shariah compliance remains theoretically underdeveloped. This conceptual paper argues that the next frontier of shariah compliance research lies beyond Islamic finance and requires the establishment of Shariah Compliance Business Institutions (SCBI) as a distinct research domain. Rather than viewing shariah compliance merely as certification, regulatory conformity, or periodic audit outcomes, the paper reconceptualises it as an organisational phenomenon through which shariah principles become institutionalised within governance, strategic decision-making, operations, organisational behaviour, and stakeholder relationships. This perspective shifts the unit of analysis from financial transactions and financial institutions to business organisations operating across the real sector. Drawing upon a narrative review and conceptual synthesis of the literature, the paper identifies the limitations of existing research, defines the concept of SCBI, and proposes a research agenda encompassing conceptualisation, theoretical development, institutionalisation, measurement, implementation, and organisational outcomes. Rather than presenting a completed theory, this paper establishes the intellectual foundation for SCBI as an emerging field of inquiry and provides a platform for future theoretical and empirical research within Islamic business, management, and organisational studies.
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Implementing the Merdeka Curriculum in Chemistry Learning Through Tutoring: A Qualitative Study at Madrasah Aliyah Darul Funun El Abbassiyyah
» Journal of Regional Development and Technology Initiatives
The implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum emphasizes differentiated learning that accommodates students’ diverse abilities, interests, and learning needs. In chemistry education, this approach is particularly important because students often experience difficulties in understanding abstract concepts that require strong conceptual reasoning. This study aims to examine the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in chemistry learning through a tutoring program at Madrasah Aliyah Darul Funun El Abbassiyyah. A descriptive qualitative research design was employed to provide an in-depth description of the implementation process. The study used the researcher as the primary research instrument, while data were collected through classroom observations and interviews. The collected data were analyzed descriptively by identifying and interpreting phenomena related to the implementation of tutoring in chemistry learning. The findings reveal that students possess diverse levels of academic ability, learning interests, and talents, requiring instructional approaches that extend beyond regular classroom teaching. The school implements an additional tutoring program outside regular instructional hours to provide more personalized guidance according to students’ characteristics and academic potential. Through this program, teachers are able to identify students’ competencies, monitor their conceptual understanding of chemistry, and facilitate the development of their interests and talents. The tutoring activities also support students’ preparation for academic competitions, including the National Science Olympiad (OSN) and the Madrasah Science Competition (KSM), where students have achieved notable accomplishments. These findings indicate that tutoring serves as an effective strategy for implementing the principles of the Merdeka Curriculum by supporting differentiated instruction and optimizing students’ academic development. The study concludes that integrating tutoring into chemistry learning provides meaningful opportunities for identifying and developing students’ competencies, interests, and talents, while strengthening the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in the Madrasah context.
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Exploring the Nexus between Islamic Household Management Principles and Home-Based Women Enterprises in Northern Nigeria
This study looks into how women-led home-based businesses in Northern Nigeria operate in regard to Islamic household management concepts. In particular, it looks at how female entrepreneurs incorporate important Islamic principles like ?adl (justice), i?tid?l/?isr?f avoidance (moderation), and barakah (blessing) into their household and microbusiness management. In many Northern Nigerian villages, women are increasingly working in small-scale jobs including food processing, crafts, and tailoring to help support their families. While Islamic teachings provide a thorough framework for striking a balance between economic endeavours and household responsibilities, little empirical study has examined how women who own micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) really implement these concepts in their dual roles. In Bauchi, Gombe, and Kaduna States, a purposive sample of twenty women running home-based MSMEs in a variety of trades participated in a qualitative multiple-case research. Semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and the examination of personal and professional documents were used to gather data. To find trends in the distribution of profits, time management, resource allocation, and social duties, thematic analysis was used. The results show that women entrepreneurs’ daily choices are greatly influenced by Islamic values. Participants established shared-storage practices in line with Islamic moderation, prioritized halal sourcing, and reduced waste through group purchases. Maintaining balance between work, religion, and childcare was made easier by planning work schedules around daily prayers. With a methodical allocation to home needs, business reinvestment, zakat responsibilities, and voluntary charity, profit distribution techniques also mirrored Islamic standards of fairness. The study comes to the conclusion that Islamic household management concepts offer a useful moral and practical framework that improves the long-term viability of women-owned businesses. In Northern Nigeria, strengthening these practices through women-focused support programs, faith-based business training, and community microfinance can further foster local economic development and family resilience.
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Industrial Maturity: Bridging Capability Development and Business Transformation
» Journal of Regional Development and Technology Initiatives
In today’s economic development, business transformation is a key characteristic of the process, as a result of the speed of technological change, digitalization, and the increasing globalisation of production systems. The manufacturing sector is under growing pressure to embrace new technological paradigms like advanced automation, data-driven production, and interconnected ecosystems. In this changing context, the term ‘industrial maturity’ has become important as a tool to analyse the development of industries from simple production systems to more complex, resilient and innovative systems. The concept of industrial maturity is still not well developed in the academic literature, especially in the explanation of the relationship between capability development and business transformation, despite its increased significance. This study revisits and conceptualizes industrial maturity by combining the concepts of capability theory, the resource-based view, and the literature on business model innovation to understand how technological resources and organizational capabilities can be the drivers of industrial transformation. The paper suggests a conceptual framework that presents industrial maturity as an evolutionary outcome of a combination of technology-driven resources, capability development, and business transformation. Technology-driven resources resemble the technological components of infrastructures, human resources, knowledge assets, and organization that facilitate industrial development. Capability accumulation is the ability of firms to implement, adapt, and deploy these resources effectively. Business transformation is the strategic reconfiguration of capabilities, assets, and business models in response to technological change. The proposed framework emphasizes that industrial maturity is not just a matter of technological adoption but a gradual evolution process that requires technological resource building, strategic adaptation, and ecosystem integration. More mature industries have more advanced technological capacities, adaptive business systems, and more robust innovation networks. This study brings a conceptual approach to the literature on industrial development and lays the groundwork for future empirical studies on business transformation in the digital economy.
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AI Integration in Nigeria’s Financial Sector: Challenges and Opportunities for Professional Development
» Journal of Regional Development and Technology Initiatives
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming banking, accounting, auditing, risk management, and customer service operations. In Nigeria, the integration of AI into the financial sector presents both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges. This study examines the implications of AI adoption for professional development among Nigerian finance practitioners. Based on the frameworks of technological diffusion and human capital development, the research investigates how AI-driven tools like machine learning, natural language processing, robotic process automation, and predictive analytics are influencing financial practices and the skills required of professionals. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining survey data from finance professionals in selected Nigerian banks and fintech firms with qualitative interviews with regulators, educators, and technology experts. In addition to highlighting important opportunities like increased productivity, fraud detection, financial inclusion, and better decision-making, the findings are anticipated to point out significant obstacles like job displacement, ethical dilemmas, regulatory gaps, and a lack of professional AI literacy. In order to create a workforce prepared for AI, the study emphasizes the necessity of ongoing professional development, curriculum change in finance and accounting education, and cooperative efforts between the government, business community, and professional associations. The study conclude that effective AI integration in Nigeria’s financial sector depends not only on the availability of technology but also on giving finance professionals the knowledge, moral compass, and flexible abilities they need to prosper in the age of digital transformation.
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Restoring Humanity Through Environmental Ethics: A Moral Solution to Human Negligence Towards Nature
Human greed, carelessness, and a lack of moral concern for other living things have undermined the vital connection that exists between humans and the environment. Pollution, deforestation, and careless garbage disposal are just a few examples of how far society has strayed from its moral obligation to protect the environment. The goal of this study is to investigate how moral and ethical principles can be applied to rectify environmentally harmful human attitudes. The study’s primary goal is to advance environmental ethics as a means of resurrecting human empathy and accountability for all living things. Using a qualitative approach, books, journal articles, passages from the Qur’an, and prophetic traditions emphasizing moral behaviour and earth stewardship were reviewed. Results show that environmental degradation is not just a physical problem but also a moral one brought on by ignorance, greed, and a lack of empathy. According to the study, people are more inclined to preserve and defend the environment when they see it through the prism of humanity and divine trust. Therefore, the work suggests that public awareness campaigns be used to support the inclusion of environmental ethics in moral and religious education at all levels. It suggests that people, educators, and religious organizations collaborate to create a culture of environmental responsibility and compassion for all living things, concluding that true humanity is reflected in genuine care for the environment.
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Transforming Education for a Sustainable Future: A Religious Ethical Perspective
Everyone agrees that education is essential to both personal advancement and society change. The objective of sustainable development is threatened in the twenty-first century by a number of interrelated issues that the world community must deal with, including inequality, ecological degradation, moral decay, and technological disruption. In order to create a sustainable future, this paper investigates how religion, as a source of ethical and spiritual knowledge, might revolutionize education. The study combines UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) goal with religious ethical frameworks using a qualitative and conceptual methodology. The results show that the moral underpinnings required to shift education towards sustainability are provided by faith-based values, such as stewardship, justice, compassion, and the pursuit of knowledge. The study focusses on case studies from indigenous, Christian, and Islamic traditions that effectively connect religious principles with social and environmental responsibility. In order to achieve the aims of global sustainability, it calls for greater cooperation between governments, faith-based organizations, and educators. It concludes that a spiritually orientated education fosters societal harmony and comprehensive human development.
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Waste Management in the Circular Economy Framework: A Study on Biomass and Compost Potential Production in Payakumbuh City
» Journal of Regional Development and Technology Initiatives
This study explores the potential of integrating waste management strategies with circular economy principles to enhance biomass and compost production in the greater Payakumbuh area. As regional urbanization and domestic waste levels continue to rise, there is an urgent need to shift from linear waste disposal systems toward resource-oriented waste valorization. This paper proposes a circular model that repositions organic household waste as a green input for local biomass energy and organic fertilizer production, thereby contributing to environmental sustainability, regional agricultural resilience, and green economic development. Drawing on interdisciplinary frameworks from circular economy theory, waste-to-resource models, and regional development planning, the study analyzes the feasibility of composting and anaerobic digestion as localized waste treatment technologies. It also examines governance challenges, infrastructure readiness, and community engagement in the region. The case of Payakumbuh, where agricultural productivity and urban waste generation are closely intertwined, illustrates both the opportunities and constraints of implementing circular economy strategies in smaller Indonesian urban centers. By conceptualizing a closed-loop system tailored to the socio-economic characteristics of Payakumbuh, this research provides a foundation for future empirical studies and policy interventions aimed at sustainable resource management and low-carbon regional transformation.