Table A1.

Key concepts in the Islamic moral economy

ConceptDefinitionReference
Justice (adalah)The principle of fairness and equity in all dealings, ensuring rights and obligations are balanced and upheldDusuki and Abdullah (2007) 
Public interest (maslaha)The pursuit of actions and policies that promote the welfare and benefit of the communityKamali (2008) 
Balance (mizan)The concept of maintaining harmony and moderation in economic, social and environmental spheresMirakhor and Askari (2010) 
Harm (darar)The principle of avoiding harm to oneself and others in all transactions and activitiesEl-Gamal (2006) 
Tawhidi principleThe concept of the oneness of god, which underpins Unity, coherence and ethical conduct in all aspects of life and economicsAsutay (2012) 
AmanahThe concept of trustworthiness and stewardship, emphasizing that all resources are a trust from god and must be managed responsiblyDusuki and Abdullah (2007) 
IhsanThe principle of excellence and benevolence in all actions, going beyond mere compliance to achieve the highest ethical standardsAsutay (2012) 
TazkiyahThe concept of purification, both spiritual and material, aiming for holistic development and ethical conductMirakhor and Askari (2010) 
RububiyahThe principle of God’s lordship, emphasizing guidance, sustenance and nurturing of creation, which informs ethical economic behaviorAsutay (2007a, 2007b) 
Maqasid al-shari’ahThe higher objectives of Islamic law, which aim to preserve religion, life, intellect, lineage and propertyKamali (2008) 
Avoid interest (riba)The prohibition of interest to ensure fairness and prevent exploitation in financial transactionsCaporale and Helmi (2018) 
Uncertainty (gharar)The prohibition of excessive uncertainty and ambiguity in contracts to promote transparency and fairnessEl-Gamal (2006) 
Gambling (maysir)The prohibition of gambling and speculative activities to prevent harm and promote ethical financial practicesEl-Gamal (2006) 
Source(s): See last column for references

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