<![CDATA[Background: Islamic financial literacy determines whether Muslims can understand, manage, and make financial decisions in line with Islamic principles. In Indonesia, the national survey still records a wide gap between Islamic financial literacy and the actual use of Islamic financial services, while local evidence on how literacy becomes everyday behaviour remains scarce. Research Gap: Previous studies have mostly measured Islamic financial literacy as product knowledge or intention and have rarely examined its implementation through the five objectives of maqasid al-shariah within a specific community. Novelty: This study treats Islamic financial literacy as a lived practice and maps it onto hifz al-din, hifz al-nafs, hifz al-'aql, hifz al-nasl, and hifz al-mal among Muslims in Bengkulu City. Method: A descriptive qualitative field study combining phenomenological and sociological approaches was conducted from February to March 2026. Informants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling and included community members, religious scholars, Islamic economics academics, and Islamic finance practitioners. Data from in-depth interviews, non-participant observation, and documentation were analysed with the Miles and Huberman interactive model. Results: Informants understood basic principles such as the prohibition of riba, profit sharing, and the role of Islamic financial institutions, but their understanding of murabahah, mudarabah, and ijarah contracts was limited. Some still used interest-based services because of convenience and limited information. Implementation was stronger in hifz al-din, hifz al-nafs, and hifz al-nasl than in hifz al-'aql and hifz al-mal. Conclusion: Islamic financial literacy in Bengkulu City has developed at the normative level but has not yet become consistent financial behaviour. Practical, community-based education and wider access to Islamic financial services are required.]]>
