THE QUR’ANIC PARADIGM OF MUAMALAH: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PERMISSIBILITY, HALAL, JUSTICE, MASLAHAH, TA‘AWUN, AND DOCUMENTATION

Abstract

This article examines the paradigm of muamalah from a Qur’anic perspective by moving beyond a descriptive inventory of individual principles toward an integrated normative framework for commercial and social relations in Islam. The study is situated within Islamic Studies, particularly Qur’anic studies and fiqh muamalah. It employs qualitative library research using a thematic-interpretive approach. The primary sources comprise the Qur’an and selected classical and contemporary tafsir, while secondary sources include fiqh muamalah literature and recent peer-reviewed studies on Islamic economic ethics and contemporary transactions. The literature was selected purposively according to relevance to the Qur’anic verses and principles under examination, scholarly authority, and its usefulness for connecting textual interpretation with contemporary economic realities. The analysis identifies six interconnected principles: permissibility (ibahah), halal, justice (‘adl/qist), maslahah, mutual assistance (ta‘awun), and documentation (kitabah). The principal contribution of the study lies in its conceptual synthesis: these principles should not be understood as isolated rules. Rather, they constitute an integrated architecture of Qur’anic muamalah governance in which ibahah opens room for innovation, halal establishes substantive boundaries, justice regulates the distribution of rights and contractual conduct, maslahah provides ethical direction, ta‘awun supplies a social dimension, and documentation strengthens procedural accountability. The study further clarifies how thematic interpretation can connect Qur’anic norms with fiqh reasoning and contemporary transactional challenges, including digital commerce, fintech, and technology-mediated contracts. Accordingly, the article contributes to Islamic Studies by offering an integrated conceptual framework rather than merely restating separate legal principles.