Darulfunun Institute

Institute for Development, Research and Initiatives (IDRIS)

Tag: Islamic ethics

  • Islamic Ethics of Reconciliation and Conflict Transformation in Northern Nigeria: Reassessing Sulh, ‘Adl, and ‘Afw in Community-Based Peacebuilding

    » Perwakilan: Journal of Good Governance, Diplomacy, Customary Institutionalization and Social Networks

    Reconciliation is widely regarded as an important pathway to sustainable peace, yet community-based peacebuilding faces a persistent ethical challenge: how can relationships be restored without overlooking injustice or weakening accountability for wrongdoing? This article examines the Islamic ethical principles of ?ul? (reconciliation and negotiated settlement), ?adl (justice), and ?afw (forgiveness or pardon) and considers their relevance to community-based peacebuilding in Northern Nigeria. Drawing on Qur’anic and hadith analysis, Islamic legal scholarship, restorative justice, conflict transformation theory, and published studies of local peace initiatives, the article investigates the relationship between reconciliation, justice, forgiveness, and accountability. It adopts a qualitative, interpretive, documentary design and critically analyses relevant scriptural passages, scholarly literature, institutional reports, and documented peacebuilding cases. The analysis identifies three interrelated propositions. First, ?ul? provides a religiously meaningful framework for negotiation and relationship repair, but its ethical legitimacy depends on the fairness and voluntariness of the settlement. Second, ?adl establishes a normative boundary against reconciliation that conceals serious wrongdoing, excludes victims, or reproduces unequal power relations. Third, ?afw can support healing and reintegration, but it should not be treated as a universal obligation imposed on injured parties or as an automatic substitute for legal and social accountability. The article proposes a Justice-Accountable Reconciliation Framework that connects voluntary dialogue, truth acknowledgment, proportionate accountability, victim participation, reparative action, and sustained monitoring. Its contribution lies in bringing Islamic ethical reasoning into direct dialogue with contemporary conflict transformation scholarship while identifying practical safeguards for community mediation. The framework remains conceptual and requires validation through field interviews and comparative case studies in Northern Nigeria.

  • Islamic Ethical Formation and Youth Vulnerability in Northern Nigeria: Examining the Relationship Between Religious Socialisation, Economic Exclusion, and Community Belonging

    » Perwakilan: Journal of Good Governance, Diplomacy, Customary Institutionalization and Social Networks

    Islamic ethical formation plays an important role in shaping young people’s understanding of responsibility, lawful earning, solidarity, dignity, and community membership. In Northern Nigeria, however, these ethical commitments are negotiated within social environments characterised by uneven educational opportunities, economic insecurity, changing religious authority, and different forms of social exclusion. Existing discussions frequently examine Islamic moral education, youth unemployment, and violent extremism as separate issues, leaving insufficient attention to how young people themselves interpret religious teachings amid everyday economic and social pressures. This study examines the relationship between Islamic ethical formation, economic exclusion, and community belonging through a qualitative documentary and interpretive analysis of relevant scholarship, including ethnographic research on Qur’anic education in Northern Nigeria, studies of Islamic moral values among Nigerian youth, and recent research on religious education and violent conflict. The analysis identifies four interconnected themes: religious socialisation as a source of moral agency; economic exclusion as a challenge to dignity and responsible participation; community belonging as a potential source of support and recognition; and the importance of institutional credibility in shaping young people’s interpretations of religious teachings. The analysis suggests that Islamic ethical formation should not be understood as a simple protective or risk-producing factor. Its influence depends on how religious teachings are interpreted, how institutions practise the values they teach, and whether young people have meaningful opportunities to participate in social and economic life. The study contributes a proposed Ethical Formation–Inclusion–Belonging Framework for examining these relationships. It recommends participatory research involving young people, religious educators, families, and community organisations to test the framework empirically. The study does not claim that poverty or unemployment automatically leads to radicalisation; instead, it emphasises young people’s agency, the diversity of religious experiences, and the interaction between ethical commitments and structural conditions.

  • Moral Economy and Islamic Ethics: Re-examining Waqf in the Context of Modern Capitalism

    » Perwakilan: Journal of Good Governance, Diplomacy, Customary Institutionalization and Social Networks

    This study investigates the relevance, transformation, and potential revival of waqf (Islamic endowment) as a foundation for moral economy and Islamic ethics in the context of modern capitalism. While traditional Islamic moral economics focuses on equitable wealth distribution and social welfare, current capitalist institutions frequently favor profit maximization, financialization, and market efficiency. This study looks critically at how waqf has historically reduced socioeconomic gaps and how its ideas might be used in modern economic systems to alleviate poverty, social exclusion, and market failures. The paper proposes a normative framework for incorporating waqf into ethical economic strategies that reconcile moral imperatives with capitalist realities, based on doctrinal analysis of Islamic legal texts, a review of contemporary scholarship on moral economy theory, and case studies of modern waqf initiatives. The findings suggest that waqf can serve as a long-term tool for community investment, social safety nets, and value-based economic resilience if legal reform, governance innovation, and ethical institutional frameworks are achieved. The article concludes by advocating policy and institutional options for reviving waqf within global economic systems while maintaining Islamic ethical integrity and modern market efficiency.