<![CDATA[Islamic social finance is normatively associated with wealth redistribution, social justice, and poverty alleviation; however, Shariah legitimacy alone does not guarantee measurable financial empowerment at the individual level. Existing evidence remains inconclusive regarding whether Islamic social-finance instruments and Shariah-aligned financial capabilities translate into empowerment through direct or complementary pathways. This study examines the relationships among Islamic social finance (ISF), Shariah-aligned ethical investment (EI), and financial empowerment (FE) among residents of Kibuli, Kampala, Uganda. Guided by a positivist philosophy and deductive approach, the study employed a cross-sectional explanatory quantitative design. Data were collected from 299 valid respondents selected through proportionate stratified and simple random sampling across Kakungulu, Lubuga, and Agip Zones and analysed using SmartPLS 4. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The structural model explained 43.3% of the variance in FE. EI was positively and significantly associated with FE (β = 0.584, p < 0.001), whereas ISF exhibited a positive but statistically insignificant association (β = 0.045, p = 0.642). The EI × ISF interaction was negative and statistically insignificant (β = −0.025, p = 0.506), providing no support for the hypothesised complementary effect. The findings suggest that resident-level engagement with Shariah-aligned ethical finance is more closely associated with financial empowerment than the measured experience of Islamic social-finance provision. The study contributes by distinguishing the normative objectives of Islamic finance from the mechanisms through which they may translate into financial capability in a Muslim-minority urban context]]>
Copyrights © 2026
