Sharia Oikonomia Law Journal
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026)

FROM FIQH TO POLICY INSTRUMENT: THE LEGAL TRANSFORMATION OF ISLAMIC ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES

Omar Al Fahim (United Arab Emirates University)
Fatima Al Mazrouei (United Arab Emirates University)
Sarah Williams (University of Toronto)



Article Info

Publish Date
17 Feb 2026

Abstract

Islamic economic principles have undergone significant transformation as they move from classical fiqh-based reasoning into contemporary policy instruments within modern governance systems. This shift reflects increasing institutionalization, regulatory demands, and integration into global financial frameworks, raising questions about how normative legal doctrines are reinterpreted and operationalized. This study aims to examine the nature of this legal transformation and to analyze how jurisprudential principles are translated into enforceable policy frameworks across different institutional contexts. A qualitative normative–juridical research design is employed through systematic analysis of 94 legal documents, including classical texts, fatwas, and regulatory standards from multiple jurisdictions. Analytical matrices and thematic coding are used to identify patterns of doctrinal adaptation, institutional mediation, and policy codification. The findings reveal that legal transformation is a multi-layered process involving doctrinal preservation, interpretive mediation, and regulatory abstraction, often resulting in reduced normative depth as principles become standardized. Institutional governance plays a critical role in shaping the extent to which ethical foundations are retained or simplified. The study concludes that the transformation from fiqh to policy instrument requires integrative governance models that balance interpretive richness with regulatory functionality, ensuring alignment between normative objectives and contemporary economic realities.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

solj

Publisher

Subject

Description

The Sharia Oikonomia Law Journal explores various aspects of Sharia economic law and the evolving economic challenges. Its primary focus includes the impact of digital transformation on Islamic finance, such as fintech and blockchain, as well as the role of Sharia financial instruments (zakat, waqf, ...