Islamic Transaction Contracts: Principles, Practices, and Contemporary Challenges in Sharia Economic Systems
Keywords:
Islamic Transaction, Principles, Practices, Contemporary Challenges, Sharia EconomicAbstract
The rapid transformation of the global digital economy through fintech, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and smart contracts has influenced the development of Islamic economics while simultaneously creating opportunities and challenges in the implementation of Sharī‘ah-based transactional contracts. This study aims to analyze the fundamental principles of Islamic transactional contracts, examine their implementation within contemporary Islamic economic systems, identify the challenges of contracts in the digital era, and formulate a conceptual model of contracts based on maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah. This research employed a qualitative approach using library research methods through the analysis of classical and contemporary literature on fiqh muamalah, Islamic economics, digital finance, and Sharī‘ah governance. Data were collected through documentation techniques and systematic literature reviews, then analyzed using descriptive-analytical and critical approaches. The findings reveal that Islamic transactional contracts remain highly relevant as ethical and normative foundations within contemporary economic systems because they emphasize justice, transparency, trustworthiness, and the prohibition of exploitative economic practices. However, the implementation of contracts in modern financial institutions is still dominated by formalistic approaches and sale-based contracts, while digital technological developments have generated new legal and ethical complexities related to smart contracts, cryptocurrency, and digital transactions. This study also finds that the reconstruction of Islamic contracts requires an integrative approach that connects classical fiqh muamalah, digital economic innovation, ethical governance, and maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah. The novelty of this study lies in its integrative approach to reconstructing Islamic transactional contracts amid digital economic transformation without neglecting the ethical and social objectives of Sharī‘ah. This study contributes theoretically to the development of Islamic economic studies and practically to strengthening Sharī‘ah governance within digital financial systems.
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