Kawanua International Journal of Multicultural Studies

Implementation of the Concept of Islamic Economic Equilibrium in Tagangser Laok Village: Between Spiritual Aspects and Community Welfare

Desi Endang Maisuri — 2025-12-30

This research examines the implementation of tawazun (equilibrium) principles in Islamic economics in Tagangser Laok Village, Waru District, Pamekasan Regency, Indonesia, to understand how rural communities balance material prosperity with spiritual values in their daily economic activities. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with traders, farmers, religious leaders, and small business owners, along with participant observation and document analysis. Findings reveal that the community has internalized tawazun values as foundational to economic behavior, understanding equilibrium as balancing income-earning with religious obligations. A religious leader articulated: "Seeking sustenance must be halal, and one must not neglect worship; otherwise, life is considered unbalanced." This principle manifests concretely in economic practices: traders prioritize honesty despite reduced profits ("If one is honest, even though profit is small, sustenance is more blessed"), farmers practice mutual assistance during hardship ("If a neighbor is in difficulty, we help each other"), and systematic management of zakat and infaq redistributes wealth within the community. The implementation of tawazun generates dual outcomes: enhanced economic welfare through ethical trading and reciprocal support networks, and strengthened spiritual tranquility through alignment of economic activity with religious values. As one business owner reflected: "Income may not be large, but the heart is at peace; that is what we feel as prosperous." Economic relationships become more harmonious, and conflicts are minimized. This study demonstrates that Islamic economic principles can effectively serve as a foundation for equitable, sustainable rural development, offering insights for multicultural societies seeking value-based economic models that balance the material and spiritual dimensions of human welfare.

Systematic Literature Review: Gamification in Educational Media for Islamic Schools (2015-2025)

Fajerin Biabdillah — 2025-12-31

This systematic literature review synthesizes research on gamification in educational media for Islamic education conducted between 2015 and 2025. Using PRISMA guidelines, 32 peer-reviewed studies were selected from 112 records, comprising 14 quantitative studies (including 6 quasi-experimental and 2 controlled designs), 11 qualitative or design-based studies, and 7 review or mixed-method studies. Most research was conducted in Islamic primary and secondary schools, with limited evidence from Islamic higher-education institutions. Overall, the majority of studies report increased student engagement and learning motivation following the integration of gamification elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, levels, and interactive quizzes. Evidence on academic and religious learning outcomes is more mixed: several experimental studies show moderate improvements in test scores, Quranic literacy, or language learning, while others report no significant gains beyond motivation. Gamification implementations are largely mechanics-driven and commonly supported by instructional design models such as ADDIE, with few frameworks explicitly tailored to Islamic educational values. Recurring challenges include limited digital infrastructure, insufficient teacher training, curriculum alignment constraints, and concerns regarding cultural and religious appropriateness. The review concludes that gamification is effective for enhancing engagement in Islamic education, but its impact on learning outcomes remains context-dependent.

Executing Hadhanah Decisions in Indonesia’s Religious Courts: Islamic Legal Principles, Child Welfare, and Multicultural Challenges

Viorizza Suciani Putri — 2026-01-28

This article examines the execution of hadhanah (child custody) decisions in Indonesia’s Religious Courts, focusing on the interaction between Islamic legal principles, child welfare considerations, and multicultural social realities. Using a normative-qualitative approach, the study analyzes statutory regulations, judicial decisions, and relevant Islamic legal doctrines to identify challenges in implementing hadhanah rulings after divorce. The findings reveal that although Religious Courts consistently prioritize the principle of the best interests of the child, the execution of custody decisions often encounters obstacles, including parental resistance, socio-cultural norms, and limited enforcement mechanisms. Multicultural contexts—such as differing religious interpretations, family structures, and local customs—further complicate the effective realization of judicial decisions. The study argues that the gap between normative legal ideals and practical enforcement undermines child protection and legal certainty. It proposes strengthening judicial discretion, enhancing mediation mechanisms, and integrating child-centered and culturally sensitive approaches into hadhanah execution. This article contributes to the discourse on Islamic family law by highlighting the need for a more responsive and welfare-oriented framework in implementing custody decisions within Indonesia’s plural legal and social landscape

Islamic Legal Philosophy as a Framework for Legal Reform in Multicultural Societies

Nasruddin Yusuf — 2025-12-31

Studies on the philosophy of Islamic law often remain descriptive-normative and repetitive, offering limited guidance for reform in lived legal settings. In Indonesia's multicultural and legally plural society - where state law, Islamic norms, and local adat interact - this gap becomes more consequential, because reform must sustain religious legitimacy while remaining socially workable across diverse communities. This article argues that Islamic legal philosophy can function as a systematic paradigm for Islamic legal reform when articulated through three dimensions: first, an ontological dimension that frames Islamic law as rooted in revelation and enlivened by reason; second, an epistemological dimension that explains lawful discovery through istinbat and istitdal, including the use of maqasid al-shariah and maslahah to engage new issues; and third, an axiological dimension that orients reform toward justice, balance, and prosperity as public goods. With this framework, reform can be pursued methodically: grounded in revelation, methodologically valid, and responsive to contemporary multicultural realities. The article thus positions Islamic legal philosophy not as abstract discourse, but as a practical foundation for consistent and context-sensitive renewal.

Freedom of Contract and Certainty of Sharia Law in IMBT: Perspectives on Indonesian and Malaysian Legal Culture

Afrik Yunari — 2025-12-31

The development of Islamic financing through the Ijarah Muntahiyah Bittamlik (IMBT) contract shows fundamental differences in contract structure and regulatory approach between Indonesia and Malaysia, which have implications for the application of the principles of freedom of contract and certainty of Islamic law. The research gap is still evident in the lack of comparative studies linking the differences in the structure of the IMBT contract with legal culture, maqasid shariah, and judicial practices in Indonesia. This study aims to analyze and compare the application of the principles of freedom of contract and certainty of Islamic law in IMBT in Indonesia and Malaysia. The research method used is normative juridical with a comparative legal approach, through analysis of laws and regulations, fatwas of Islamic authorities, regulatory policies, and relevant court decisions. The research findings show that: (1) Indonesia emphasizes the formal separation of ijarah and tamlik contracts to maintain legal certainty and Islamic prudence; (2) Malaysia adopts an integrated wa'd- based contract structure with a substantive approach and is oriented towards maqasid shariah; and (3) these differences reflect variations in legal culture and sharia governance models in each country. The implications of this research emphasize the importance of harmonizing formal legal certainty and substantive interests in the development of IMBT contracts, in order to encourage sharia financing that is more adaptive, fair, and responsive to the dynamics of the Islamic financial industry.

Development of a Self-Directed Learning E-Module to Enhance Students' Critical Thinking in Islamic Cultural History

Dikriati Kamalasari — 2025-12-31

This study was motivated by the low level of students' critical thinking skills in Islamic Cultural History (ICH) learning at Madrasah Tsanawiyah, which is largely dominated by conventional, teacher-centered instructional practices. The study is theoretically grounded in constructivist learning theory and the concept of Self-Directed Learning (SDL), emphasizing learner autonomy, reflection, and responsibility. Within the context of Islamic education, critical thinking is also seen as an embodiment of ulul albab values, integrating reasoning, reflection, and moral awareness. The purpose of this study was to develop a Self-Directed Learning-based E-Module for Islamic Cultural History that is valid, practical, and effective in enhancing students' critical thinking skills, while contributing to inclusive and contextual learning. This research employed a Research and Development approach using the 4D model (Define, Design, Development, and Disseminate). The study was conducted with eighth-grade students at MTsN 2 Padang. Data were collected through observations, interviews, questionnaires, and critical thinking tests. The dissemination stage was implemented on a limited scale through digital distribution of the E-Module. The findings indicate that the developed E-Module demonstrates very high validity (94.11%), high practicality according to teachers (91%) and students (95.82%), and is effective in improving students' critical thinking skills, as shown by an average N-Gain score of 0.727 (high category). The novelty of this study lies in integrating Self-Directed Learning into Islamic Cultural History E-Modules to foster critical thinking and prepare students for constructive participation in Indonesia's multicultural society.

Integrating Islamic Law and Secular Norms: Tunisia's Code of Personal Status as a Model for Legal Pluralism in Muslim Societies

Yulrizal Yulrizal — 2025-12-31

This study analyzes the forms of integration between Islamic law and secular law in Tunisian family law, the legislative process, and state legal argumentation, and their implications for the character of family law as living law. Employing a comparative-historical approach and doctrinal analysis of the Code of Personal Status (CPS) 1956, its amendments, and the Tunisian Constitution of 2014 through thematic categorization and political-legal analysis. The integration manifests in four typologies—substantive, procedural, transformative, and substitutive—which reconstruct Maliki and Hanafi fiqh norms within a modern positive legal framework. The legislative process involves mobilizing political actors, employing dual legitimation strategies (theological-nationalist), and employing state ijtihad through talfiq, takhyir, and maqashid al-shariah. As living law, the CPS has achieved significant social acceptance and strong constitutional legitimacy despite facing resistance from Islamist groups post-2011. The integration of religious and secular law in Tunisia is not total secularization but rather a contextual synthesis that maintains religious legitimacy within the modern state's framework through continuous negotiation among state authority, religion, and social dynamics.

Pseudo-Consent in Indonesian Digital Commerce: Reframing Hurriyah at-Ta'aqud through Maqasid Systems Analysis

Jamaludin Hasan — 2025-12-31

Indonesian e-commerce and fintech increasingly rely on clickwrap terms that convert consent into a procedural “I Agree”, creating pseudo-consent and widening power and information asymmetries. This article reframes hurriyah at-ta'aqud (freedom of contract) by testing whether digital assent satisfies ridha, bayan (clarity), and ikhtiyar (voluntariness) in a plural, multicultural marketplace. Using juridical-normative research and document analysis of standard clauses from Shopee, Tokopedia, and GoPay, the study applies Jasser Auda’s Maqasid Shariah systems approach (cognition, wholeness, openness) to evaluate substantive validity beyond formal compliance. Findings show recurring exoneration clauses that shift system, data, and delivery risks to users, embedding jahalah and gharar and conflicting with la darar (no-harm) and hifz al-mal (protection of wealth). The paper proposes a two-layer validity model procedural legality and maqasid-based fairness supported by indicators for invalidating harmful clauses and redesigning notice-and-choice interfaces. It recommends integrating amanah and shiddiq as enforceable governance standards, strengthening consumer remedies and regulatory oversight in Indonesia’s digital commerce.

Negotiating Legal Pluralism: Customary Nobat Marriage and Islamic Law in Bayan, North Lombok

Zarkawi Zarkawi — 2025-12-31

This article analyzes the nobat (a Bayan customary marriage institution) marriage tradition practiced by the Sasak indigenous community in Andalan Village, Bayan (North Lombok), as a concrete site where customary norms, Islamic jurisprudence, and state regulation are continuously aligned to produce marital legitimacy. Using a qualitative socio-legal design, fieldwork in 2025 combined semi-structured interviews with five key actors (village authorities, a customary–religious leader, and recently married couples), direct observation of ritual stages, and review of relevant statutory and regional regulations. The findings show that nobat operates as a customary legal institution: it institutionalizes deliberation, deploys sajikrama (customary fine/compensation) as a restorative economic sanction, allows negotiated arrangements of guardianship when needed, and links communal validation to religious contracting and administrative registration in a sequential order. Rather than reflecting simple harmony between culture and religion, nobat illustrates dialogical legal pluralism in which authority and legality are co-produced through communal negotiation across overlapping normative orders. The study contributes to multicultural legal studies by demonstrating how indigenous institutions remain active agents in governing diversity and constructing justice within Indonesia’s layered legal landscape.