International Journal of Islamic Thought and Humanities

Talfiq in Islamic Jurisprudence: A Qur'anic and Hadith-Based Analysis of Prohibition, Permissibility, and Laypeople's Status

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Talfiq is a significant issue in uṣūl al-fiqh that continues to be debated due to its connection with the practice of combining opinions from various schools of law (madhāhib) in a single legal issue. Divergent scholarly views on the permissibility and prohibition of talfiq have implications for legal certainty, particularly for laypeople who are not bound to a specific madhhab. This research aims to analyze the evidence used by scholars who prohibit and permit talfiq, explain the position of laypeople in choosing jurisprudential opinions, and formulate the boundaries of talfiq application to remain aligned with Sharīʿah principles. The study employs a qualitative method with a library research approach through descriptive-comparative analysis of classical and contemporary uṣūl al-fiqh works, particularly the writings of Wahbah al-Zuhaylī, Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Shams al-Dīn al-Ramlī, Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī, and other supporting literature. The analytical techniques employed include taḥlīlī (analytical), muqāran (comparative), and istinbāṭ (legal deduction) methods to achieve a comprehensive synthesis of arguments. The findings reveal that the prohibition group bases their stance on the principle of maintaining evidentiary coherence, avoiding the emergence of new opinions not recognized by the mujtahids, and preventing the practice of tatabbuʿ al-rukhaṣ (excessively seeking legal leniencies). Conversely, the permissibility group asserts that talfiq can be applied as long as it does not contradict qaṭʿī (definitive) texts, does not produce a ruling unanimously deemed invalid by all schools, and is based on genuine need and public welfare (maṣlaḥah). This study concludes that laypeople are not absolutely obligated to adhere to a single madhhab; however, they are prohibited from combining opinions within a single legal sequence that produces a form of worship or transaction not recognized by any single mujtahid imam. Thus, talfiq can only be justified when it meets the methodological boundaries of uṣūl al-fiqh and remains oriented toward maqāṣid al-sharīʿah.

A Critical Analysis of Hadith Narratives on Widows' Remarriage: Ibn Hajar al-Haitami's Fatwa and Its Implications for Islamic Family Jurisprudence

Edi Massolihin, Ahmad Mukhlish Sirojuddin, Muh. Fatihuddin, Nur Hannan — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This research examines hadiths concerning the status of women who marry more than once, drawing on Ibn Hajar al-Haitami's fatwa in Al-Fatāwā al-Ḥadītsiyyah and its relevance to Islamic family jurisprudence. The study focuses on two main hadiths: the hadith about a woman being with her last husband (al-mar'atu li ākhiri azwājihā) and the hadith about the right to choose a spouse in the afterlife (takhyīr). This research uses a qualitative approach and library research, integrating hadith analysis, Islamic jurisprudence, and socio-religious studies. The primary source is Al-Fatāwā al-Ḥadītsiyyah and classical hadith collections, supported by contemporary scholarly literature. The findings show that the hadith "al-mar'atu li ākhiri azwājihā" lacks a single absolutely authentic chain of transmission, but is supported by several transmission pathways. Meanwhile, hadiths that appear contradictory to it are considered weak. Ibn Hajar al-Haitami understood these hadiths contextually and did not make them a determinative legal basis, instead reconciling different hadiths through the method of al-jam' wa at-tawfīq. These findings affirm the importance of an integrative approach in developing Islamic family jurisprudence oriented toward justice and public welfare.

Distributive Justice in the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI)’s Fatwa No. 2 of 2025 on Fair Taxation: Perspectives of Amartya Sen's Capability Theory and Islamic Fiscal Politics

Siti Khoirotul Ula — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) No. 2/MUNAS XI/MUI/2025, so-called MUI’s Fatwa No.2 of 2025 on Fair Taxation, is a religious response to public grievances over burdensome tax collection, such as the repeated increase of land and building tax. This article argues that the fatwa can be read as an instrument of distributive justice through two theoretical lenses: Amartya Sen's capability approach and Islamic fiscal politics (al-siyasah al-maliyah). Using normative-qualitative analysis of the fatwa text combined with a review of relevant academic literature, the study finds that several provisions of the fatwa align with Sen's notion of substantive freedom and a basic capability threshold, particularly through the ability-to-pay principle tied to the zakat -nisab, exemption of primary needs from taxation, and prohibition of repeated taxation on non-commercial dwellings. From the perspective of Islamic fiscal politics, the fatwa affirms tax as a subsidiary instrument permissible only after optimization of state wealth, and demands trustworthiness (amanah), transparency, and public benefit (maslahah 'ammah) in its management. The article concludes that the fatwa can be read as an attempt to connect classical fiqh norms with contemporary distributive justice discourse, although its reach depends on the state's willingness to adopt its recommendations into formal tax policy.

Psychosocial and Spiritual Experiences of Young People in Café-Based Dakwah at Ngopi Senja, Trenggalek

Ulung Titah Suharta, Elfi Mu'awanah, Muhammad Faishol Al Hamimy Hamim — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Café-based dakwah brings religious learning into an everyday youth setting, but an informal café should not be assumed to be universally inclusive or free of religious authority. Purpose: This study explores the essence and everyday relevance of the psychosocial and spiritual experiences of Ngopi Senja participants in Trenggalek, together with the boundaries and obstacles that shape participation. A qualitative phenomenological study involved five informants: three active participants, the committee chairperson, and a mentor who also serves as a speaker. Data were generated through in-depth interviews, eight documented participant-observation sessions during the formal field period, and documentation. The researcher was an insider member of the organizing committee; bracketing, triangulation, peer discussion, and member checking were used to limit confirmation bias. Peer belonging and social support emerged as the dominant psychosocial domain, accompanied by self-acceptance, emotion regulation, and religious coping. Participants valued the café’s informal atmosphere and dialogical discussion, yet openness remained conditional on café consumption, social and religious affinity, and the continuing authority of the speaker. Disagreement was possible but uncommon, and the study did not directly trace participants who stopped attending. The meaningfulness of café-based dakwah is produced through the interplay of informal space, relational support, guided religious dialogue, and participants’ own meaning-making; its inclusivity is therefore contextual rather than universal.

Responsible Educational Freedom in the Merdeka Curriculum: A Reconstruction of Ibn Sina’s Educational Philosophy

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Educational freedom is often associated with choice, autonomy, and reduced external control, yet these elements do not by themselves explain what makes freedom educationally meaningful. This study reconstructs Ibn Sina’s educational philosophy to develop Responsible Educational Freedom (REF) and uses the framework to examine the normative orientation of Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum. The study employs a conceptual-philosophical approach based on library research, drawing on Ibn Sina’s psychological and metaphysical works, critical scholarship, contemporary literature on educational autonomy, and current curriculum regulations. Source attribution is treated as an analytical concern, particularly the disputed attribution of al-Siyāsa. The reconstruction identifies four interrelated dimensions of REF: intellectual agency, cultivation of capacities, ethical self-governance and responsibility, and teleological-spiritual orientation. These dimensions distinguish the availability of choice from the developed capacity to exercise freedom through rational judgment, responsibility, and orientation toward meaningful human formation. Applied to the Merdeka Curriculum, REF provides a philosophical reading of flexibility, differentiation, independence, and critical reasoning without implying historical influence from Ibn Sina. The study contributes a source-sensitive framework for examining educational freedom beyond autonomy-centered interpretations. REF remains conceptual and requires empirical investigation before further development as a pedagogical model or measurement framework.

The Effect of Spiritual Intelligence and Intellectual Intelligence on the Moderate Attitudes of High School Students in South Sumatra

Sakti Cahyo Nugroho, M. Jadid Khadavi — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the partial and simultaneous effects of spiritual intelligence and intellectual intelligence on the moderate attitudes of students at SMAN 2 Mesuji Makmur, South Sumatra. The study employed a quantitative approach with an explanatory survey design. The sample consisted of 92 students selected through proportional random sampling. Data were collected using a five-point Likert questionnaire measuring spiritual intelligence (X₁), intellectual intelligence (X₂), and moderate attitude (Y). The instruments met the reported validity and reliability requirements. Data analysis comprised descriptive statistics, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression, partial t-tests, a simultaneous F-test, and the coefficient of determination using IBM SPSS Statistics. The results showed that spiritual intelligence had a positive and significant effect on moderate attitudes (B = 0.539; β = 0.505; t = 7.114; p < 0.001). Intellectual intelligence also had a positive and significant effect (B = 0.552; β = 0.510; t = 7.180; p < 0.001). Simultaneously, the two predictors significantly explained variation in moderate attitudes (F = 49.771; p < 0.001). The model produced R² = 0.528 and Adjusted R² = 0.517, indicating that 51.7% of the adjusted variance in moderate attitudes was explained by the two predictors. The findings indicate that spiritual and intellectual capacities should be developed in an integrated manner rather than treated as separate educational targets. The study contributes empirical evidence from a public senior high school and offers practical implications for learning designs that combine moral reflection, critical thinking, dialogue, digital literacy, and an inclusive school culture.

Development of the “Optimism Bridge” Game Based on Learned Optimism from an Islamic Educational Perspective: A Design and Validation Study

Ikhsan Prasetyo, Ira Suryani — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

21st-century Islamic education demands mastery of non-cognitive spiritual competencies, such as optimism (Husnuzan and Raja’), to mitigate adolescent mental health crises and academic anxiety (qalaq). Teologically anchored in QS. Az-Zumar: 53, QS. Al-Baqarah: 286, and QS. Al-Insyirah verses 5–6, optimism represents a mandatory spiritual-cognitive stance. However, school counseling and Islamic moral nurturing (Tarbiyah Akhlak) remain dominated by conventional, passive-verbalistic methods that trigger student boredom. This study aims to develop a block-based board game called Optimism Bridge to foster an optimistic attitude in Junior High School (SMP) students through an Islamic-integrated cognitive restructuring process.Using the Research and Development (R&D) method with the 4D model limited to the Develop stage, this study involved 20 grade IX-C students at SMP Negeri 42 Medan, two expert validators, and a field practitioner. Data collected via Likert and Guttman questionnaires were analyzed descriptively quantitatively. The results indicate that the media is highly feasible based on validation by media experts (84.00%) and material experts (94.70%), and is highly practical based on responses from counselors (97.50%) and students (84.00%).Philosophically, optimism in Islamic counseling is a cognitive-spiritual skill (Amal Qalbi) intervened through experiential activities. The findings confirm that integrating Seligman’s ABCDE Model and Islamic theological values (Raja’-Ikhtiar-Tawakal) into game mechanics effectively facilitates students’ disputation abilities (Mujahadah an-Nafs) against negative emotions and desperate thoughts (Waswas). Implications for a global audience, this study expands Islamic game-based learning by demonstrating that concrete visualization shifts the school counseling paradigm from passive-doctrinal to an emancipatory internalization of positive divine awareness.