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Operationalizing Ushuliyah Principlesfor Ethical AI and Digital Legal Decision-Makingin Contemporary Islamic Law

Heni Dwi Wandira ID , Mowafg Abrahem Masuwd LY

Background: The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital platforms poses challenges for Islamic law in finance, fatwa formulation, and dispute resolution. Ushuliyah principles—al-Am, al-Khas, al-Amru, and an-Nahyu—offer a classical framework to guide Sharia-compliant AI implementation.

Methods: A systematic library review was conducted on 17 sources (peer-reviewed journals, classical fiqh texts, MUI and IIFA fatwas, 2022–2025), selected for relevance to AI, digital law, and Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah compliance.

Results: Al-Am and al-Khas provide general and context-specific rules for AI, ensuring Sharia-compliant outputs. Al-Amru and an-Nahyu guide commands and prohibitions. Illustrative applications include AI-assisted halal investment screening, predictive zakat distribution, and preliminary fatwa generation. Human oversight is essential to address ethical dilemmas and algorithmic bias.

Discussion: Applying Ushuliyah principles in AI governance demonstrates the operational relevance of classical jurisprudence. A hybrid model—AI efficiency plus scholarly discretion—supports ethical, Sharia-compliant digital decision-making.

Conclusion: Ushuliyah methodology offers a practical framework for ethical AI in Islamic digital law, balancing automation with human oversight and Maqāṣid-aligned outcomes.

Novelty: This study bridges classical jurisprudence and AI, providing actionable guidance for scholars, developers, and policymakers in contemporary Islamic legal contexts

Pages: 31-48
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Digitalization and Maqāṣid Al-Sharīʿah: Navigating Halal Lifestyle in Indonesia

Hisam Ahyani ID , Zakiyyu Muhammad NG

Background: Rapid digitalization has fundamentally transformed the global halal ecosystem by integrating digital technologies into halal certification, electronic commerce, Islamic finance, tourism, pharmaceuticals, education, and supply-chain management. In Indonesia, digital innovation has accelerated the development of a modern halal lifestyle by improving accessibility, efficiency, and market connectivity while simultaneously creating new governance challenges related to regulatory fragmentation, institutional coordination, consumer trust, digital literacy, and compliance with the objectives of Islamic law (Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah). Although previous studies have examined digital technologies or halal governance separately, limited research has integrated both perspectives within a comprehensive Islamic governance framework capable of explaining how technological innovation can simultaneously promote ethical governance and sustainable public welfare.

Methods: This study employed a qualitative doctrinal research design through a systematic literature review. Data were collected from peer-reviewed journal articles, legal regulations, policy documents, and authoritative publications concerning digitalization, halal governance, and Islamic law. The collected data were analyzed using thematic content analysis, comparative analysis, interpretive analysis, and source triangulation. Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah served as the principal analytical framework for evaluating how digital technologies contribute to transparency, accountability, consumer protection, institutional collaboration, and sustainable halal ecosystem development.

Results: The findings demonstrate that digital technologies—including halal e-commerce platforms, electronic halal certification, blockchain-enabled traceability, Internet of Things (IoT), and digital compliance systems—significantly improve transparency, accessibility, operational efficiency, and stakeholder participation within Indonesia's halal ecosystem. Nevertheless, their implementation remains constrained by fragmented regulations, inconsistent certification practices, technological disparities, limited digital literacy, insufficient interoperability, and weak institutional collaboration. To address these challenges, this study develops the Maqāṣid-Based Digital Halal Governance Framework (MDHGF) as a conceptual model integrating digital technologies, halal governance, stakeholder collaboration, and the five objectives of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah.

Discussion: The proposed framework demonstrates that effective digital halal governance requires collaborative engagement among government institutions, halal certification authorities, technology providers, business actors, academic institutions, and Muslim communities. By positioning Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah as the ethical and normative foundation of digital governance, the framework strengthens legal certainty, institutional accountability, consumer confidence, transparency, and public welfare while supporting sustainable digital transformation across the halal industry.

Conclusion: Sustainable digitalization of the halal ecosystem cannot be achieved solely through technological advancement. Instead, it requires adaptive governance, coherent regulations, institutional collaboration, and continuous integration of Islamic legal objectives into digital innovation to ensure that technological development contributes to justice, transparency, consumer protection, and long-term societal welfare.

Novelty: The novelty of this study lies in proposing the Maqāṣid-Based Digital Halal Governance Framework (MDHGF), which integrates digital technologies, stakeholder collaboration, halal governance, and the five objectives of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah into a unified conceptual model. This framework provides both a theoretical contribution to the literature on Islamic digital governance and practical guidance for policymakers, halal certification authorities, industry, and researchers in developing a resilient, ethical, and sustainable digital halal ecosystem in Indonesia and other Muslim-majority countries.

Pages: 16-34
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