TSAQAFAH : Jurnal Peradaban Islam
Vol. 22 No. 1 (2026): Tsaqafah Jurnal Peradaban Islam

Al-Attas on Justice: Toward Islamic Patronage and Economic Sustainability

Nur Majdina (Universitas Darunnajah, Indonesia
Jl. Ciledug Raya No.01, RT.1/RW.3, Ulujami, Kec. Pesanggrahan, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12250Universitas Darunnajah, Indonesia
Jl. Ciledug Raya No.01, RT.1/RW.3, Ulujami, Kec. Pesanggraha)

Firda Inayah (Universitas Darussalam Gontor, Indonesia
Jl. Raya Siman No.Km. 5, Dusun I, Demangan, Kec. Siman, Kabupaten Ponorogo, Jawa Timur 63471)

Taufiq Ramadhan (Universitas Darunnajah, Indonesia
Jl. Ciledug Raya No.01, RT.1/RW.3, Ulujami, Kec. Pesanggrahan, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12250)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 May 2026

Abstract

This paper investigates the concept of justice within the intellectual framework of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas. It assesses its implications for shaping an Islamic patronage paradigm oriented toward economic sustainability. Motivated by the need to address social and economic distortions produced by contemporary patronage practices and ethical biases, the study employs a qualitative research design that integrates a philosophical approach with a descriptive-analytical method. The study finds that justice, understood as ‘a condition in which things are in their proper places’, extends beyond socio-legal structures to encompass ontological and epistemological order. This conception provides a substantive foundation for the practice of Islamic patronage, which surpasses transactional dynamics between patron and client and instead constitutes a social mechanism rooted in the Islamic worldview, particularly the values of piety (taqwā), excellence (iḥsān), and trustworthiness (amānah). These justice-based principles, as demonstrated, bear significant implications for ethical governance, community empowerment, and sustainable economic development through the cultivation of economic ecosystems, social entrepreneurship, policy advocacy, and institutional strengthening.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

tsq

Publisher

Subject

Description

Tsaqafah is a journal published by the University of Darussalam Gontor with its aims related to Islamic Civilization. What we refer to as Islamic Civilization, in accordance with the terminology elucidated in Islam as Religion and Civilization by Hamid Fahmy Zarkasyi, consists of two substantial ...