Category: Research Article

» IC Journal of Education and Learning Development

Aim: This study examines how the objectives of divine revelation (Maqāṣid al-Waḥy) can provide a normative and ethical foundation for reorienting waqf from predominantly charitable provision toward a strategic mechanism for financing transformative education, scientific research, innovation, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It specifically explores the potential of integrating Maqāṣid al-Waḥy, waqf, and the SDGs to develop a sustainable and ethically grounded knowledge ecosystem. Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative integrative literature review and conceptual synthesis, drawing on Qur’anic principles, Prophetic traditions, classical Islamic scholarship on knowledge and waqf, contemporary literature on Islamic social finance, and international scholarship on sustainable education, research financing, innovation, and the SDGs. The literature is critically synthesized to identify conceptual linkages between revelation, knowledge development, waqf financing, and sustainable development. Results: The analysis demonstrates that Maqāṣid al-Waḥy provides an overarching epistemic and ethical orientation for the pursuit, preservation, dissemination, and application of beneficial knowledge, while waqf provides an institutionally sustainable mechanism for translating these objectives into long-term investment in education and research. On this basis, the study proposes the Maqāṣid al-Waḥy–Waqf Sustainable Knowledge Ecosystem (MW-SKE), which conceptually integrates revelation, knowledge production, waqf financing, educational transformation, scientific research, innovation, and sustainable development. The framework repositions waqf beyond conventional charitable provision toward strategic knowledge-financing infrastructure capable of supporting scholarships, research grants, academic institutions, innovation hubs, digital knowledge platforms, and interdisciplinary research. Conclusion/Novelty: The study concludes that integrating Maqāṣid al-Waḥy, waqf, and the SDGs offers a potentially transformative model for developing an inclusive, ethically grounded, resilient, and intergenerational knowledge economy. The principal novelty lies in extending Maqāṣid al-Waḥy into contemporary knowledge governance and connecting it systematically with waqf and sustainable development through the proposed MW-SKE framework. The framework provides a conceptual basis for policymakers, waqf institutions, universities, research organizations, and Islamic social finance practitioners to explore sustainable mechanisms for financing education, research, and innovation.

» IC Journal of Science, Technology and Society

The rapid digital transformation and proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping global retail landscapes, opening a new opportunities for efficiency, personal service, and value creation in the long run. Yet, this digital revolution in the retail sector poses significant challenges related to ethical purchasing, inclusive engagement, and sustainable financing for small and community-based businesses. In this context, Islamic social finance offers an alternative ethical blueprint to reconcile technology innovation with social equity and inclusive economic growth. This article explores innovative models of waqf (Islamic endowments) to cater the ethical demands of a sustainable and socially conscious digital retail ecosystem supported by AI and responsible business practices. The paper outline a new synergy between AI-enabled retail technologies, ethical retailing principles, and waqf-based financing schemes. Specifically, examine how AI applications such as predictive analytics, demand forecasting, digital marketplaces, and intelligent supply chain management could increase transparency, reduce waste, and enhance operational efficiencies in retail settings. When coupled with waqf-backed financing instruments, these innovations could provide lasting capital and infrastructural support to small retailers, social entrepreneurs, and low-income entrepreneurs that often lack access to mainstream funding. This article proposes a Waqf-AI Ethical Retail Framework, supported by theoretical foundations and cross-disciplinary evidence drawn from a growing corpus of real-world applications in fintech, Islamic philanthropy, and ethical retail ventures. It illustrates how digital waqf platforms, intelligent retail analytics powered by AI, and robust socially responsible governance structures could be coordinated to establish sustainable retail ecosystems that prioritize equity, inclusivity, and environmental sustainability. The research believes to contributes to the discourse on responsible digital transformation by highlighting the confluence of AI, ethical retail, and Islamic social finance. It draws attention to waqf’s transformative potential as an institution capable of driving innovation-based retail solutions while advancing the broader sustainable development agenda.

» AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

Divorce for Government Employees with Employment Agreements (PPPK) often faces controversy regarding the requirement for a superior’s permission letter, although this is not explicitly regulated in national legislation. This study aims to identify and analyze the existence of a superior’s permission letter for PPPK in divorce cases and to analyze judges’ perspectives on the application of this requirement at the Panyabungan Class II Religious Court. This study used qualitative methods with a field research approach. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with five judges (including Chief Justice Dr. Mirwan), court clerks, registration officers, and eighteen PPPK litigants. Secondary data were obtained from official documents such as Chief Justice’s Decrees, service brochures, case summaries, and related regulations. Data analysis was conducted using data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion-drawing techniques, while data validity was ensured through source triangulation. The results indicate that court policy requires a superior’s permission letter for PPPK at the registration stage as an administrative requirement. However, in court practice, the majority of judges do not consider this a barrier. Of the 18 PPPK cases from 2021 to September 11, 2025, only one case involved a judge actively requesting a permit. There is a sharp difference in the judges’ perspectives between the analogy with civil servants and the principle of public welfare versus the principle of legality and the protection of individual civil rights. Normatively, a permit for PPPK is merely an internal administrative policy that is not binding as a legal or formal requirement for litigation. This finding reveals a lack of synchronization between policy and practice, as well as potential legal uncertainty. The study recommends the establishment of clear and uniform national regulations to balance the orderliness of civil servant administration with the right of access to justice for PPPK.

» IC Journal of Education and Learning Development

Aim: This study evaluates the roles, strategies, and effectiveness of selected Muslim women’s organizations in promoting da’wah (Islamic propagation), education, and social welfare in Gombe State, Nigeria. Specifically, it examines the contributions of Women in Daʿwah, Nisa’us Sunnah fidda, awati ilallah, and the Sisters’ Forum of Gombe State University, with a view to understanding their contributions to religious awareness, educational development, humanitarian support, and community welfare. Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative research design using historical, descriptive, and empirical approaches. Data were collected through oral interviews with organization members and beneficiaries, documentary sources, and direct observation through participation in relevant seminars, schools, and conferences. These sources were examined to develop an in-depth understanding of the organizations’ activities, outreach strategies, contributions, and institutional challenges. Results: The findings indicate that the selected organizations have made significant contributions to da’wah, education, and social welfare across Gombe State. Their activities have expanded access to Islamic and formal education, provided humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations, particularly in remote and underserved communities, and increased religious awareness through da’wah and educational programmes. The organizations have also contributed to strengthening social relationships and inter-ethnic unity among Muslim women. However, their effectiveness is constrained by inadequate funding, limited institutional support, insufficient facilities, and low public visibility. Conclusion/Novelty: The study concludes that Muslim women’s organizations are important but insufficiently recognized actors in religious, educational, and socio-economic development in Gombe State. Their community-based approach enables them to reach populations and address needs that may remain inadequately served by formal institutions. The novelty of the study lies in its focused evaluation of women-led Muslim organizations as integrated agents of da’wah, education, and social welfare, thereby highlighting their potential contribution to sustainable community development. The study recommends stronger inter-organizational networking, partnerships with government and non-governmental organizations, vocational and economic empowerment programmes, policy advocacy, expanded scholarship opportunities for Muslim girls, and greater investment in health education and community dialogue.

» AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of critical thinking-based learning on the development of students’ critical reasoning skills in the learning of Hadith Arbain Nawawi at An Nur Islamic Boarding School, Banjarejo, Blora Regency. The study was motivated by the urgency of strengthening critical thinking skills in Islamic education amid contemporary educational challenges that require analytical, reflective, and argumentative competencies. This research employed a quantitative approach using a posttest-only control group design. The research sample consisted of 46 MTs-level students divided into an experimental class of 26 students and a control class of 20 students. Data collection was conducted through critical reasoning tests in the form of argumentative essays and HOTS-based case studies related to Hadith Arbain Nawawi materials. The data were analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk normality test, Levene homogeneity test, and independent sample t-test with a significance level of 0.05. The findings revealed that the hypothesis test obtained a significance value of < 0.001 with a t-value of 4.453. These findings indicate a significant difference in critical reasoning skills between the experimental and control classes. This study concludes that critical thinking-based learning is effective in developing students’ analytical, argumentative, and reflective reasoning skills in the learning of Hadith Arbain Nawawi within the Islamic boarding school environment.

» AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

This study aims to analyze the continuity and transformation of the Islamic boarding school (pesantren) education system through a historical study of Islamic education during the Abbasid Dynasty and to examine its relevance in the context of contemporary Islamic education. This study uses a qualitative approach with library research, integrating historical and analytical-critical approaches. Data were obtained from relevant primary and secondary literature, then analyzed using content analysis and interpretative techniques. The results show that the Abbasid education system has a fundamental role as the historical foundation of Islamic education, especially in the aspects of the integration of science, institutions, and intellectual traditions. In the context of Islamic boarding schools, there is continuity in aspects of learning methodology, scientific authority, and the use of classical texts, which are inherited through a process of adaptation and contextualization. On the other hand, Islamic boarding schools also experienced transformations in aspects of institutions, curriculum, and learning methods in response to the dynamics of modernity. The main findings of this study confirm that the relationship between continuity and transformation is dialectical, where both complement each other in forming a dynamic education system. The implications of this study demonstrate the importance of developing an integrative Islamic education model, balancing the preservation of tradition and innovation.

» IC Journal of Education and Learning Development

Aim: This paper examines the life, scholarship, and enduring legacies of the late Dr Muhammad Ibrahim Alkali, a prominent Nigerian scholar, mentor, and instructor, with particular attention to his intellectual contributions, institutional leadership, ethical vision, and impact on education and community development. The study aims to demonstrate how his commitment to academic excellence, ethical leadership, mentorship, and community service contributed to the development of human and institutional capacity within his immediate community and the wider Nigerian academic landscape. Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative historical and biographical approach, drawing on archival materials, Dr Alkali’s published works, and oral history interviews with his colleagues, family members, friends, and former students. These sources are critically examined to reconstruct his scholarly trajectory, intellectual vision, institutional contributions, and the values that shaped his lifelong engagement with education and community service. The study also situates his contributions within the broader post-independence development of higher education and intellectual culture in Nigeria. Results: The findings reveal that Dr Alkali’s impact extended beyond his academic publications to include mentorship, institutional leadership, ethical formation, and human-capital development. His commitment to academic excellence and ethical leadership contributed to tangible improvements within educational institutions, while the students, colleagues, and professionals he mentored became important carriers of his intellectual and moral influence. The study further demonstrates that his community impact was rooted in an integrated vision of scholarship, education, character formation, and social responsibility. Conclusion: The study concludes that Dr Muhammad Ibrahim Alkali’s enduring legacy lies not only in his scholarly output but also in the human capital he nurtured, the institutions he helped strengthen, and the ethical values he transmitted to successive generations. Its novelty lies in documenting and interpreting the interconnected intellectual, institutional, human-capital, and community dimensions of his legacy within the history of Nigerian scholarship. The study consequently highlights the importance of systematically documenting, archiving, and celebrating the contributions of indigenous Nigerian scholars whose intellectual and social legacies constitute an important but insufficiently preserved component of the country’s academic heritage.

» AL-IMAM: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies

This study aims to analyze legal protection for ex-wives due to default on post-divorce maintenance in Solok City using a local wisdom approach. The main issue raised is the weak execution of court decisions regarding iddah, mut’ah, and madliyah maintenance, and how Minangkabau customary mechanisms can address this gap. The research method used was qualitative field research. Data were collected through observation, review of decision documents, and in-depth interviews with ex-wives, Religious Court judges, and traditional leaders such as Ninik Mamak and Bundo Kanduang. The results indicate that the implementation of post-divorce maintenance in Solok City is not optimal. Many ex-wives do not file maintenance claims in order to expedite the divorce process, while existing decisions are often not executed by ex-husbands. Formal legal protection is available through instruments such as withholding of divorce certificates, but local wisdom-based protection through mediation by Ninik Mamak and the role of Bundo Kanduang has not been fully utilized. Key inhibiting factors include the ex-husband’s low economic status, lack of legal awareness, and limited asset evidence during court proceedings. Conversely, the strength of formal legal structures and the customary values of “Adat Basandi Syarak, Syarak Basandi Kitabullah” are key supporting factors in strengthening women’s rights after divorce in Solok City.