Integrating Islamic economic ethics and psychological well-being frameworks for sustainable human development
Keywords:
Psychological well-being, Islamic economic ethics, Sustainable human development, ZakatAbstract
The pursuit of sustainable human development requires a holistic approach that integrates the economic system with the human psychological dimension. The synergy between Islamic economic ethics and psychological well-being is still significantly underexplored in the development literature. This research aims to build a conceptual framework that integrates Islamic economic ethics with psychological well-being to advance the paradigm of sustainable human development. Using a systematic literature review following the PRISMA protocol, we analyzed the empirical and theoretical literature from the Scopus indexed journal (2010-2025) using thematic analysis. The analysis reveals three main integration mechanisms: (1) Zakat and Alms as institutions that reduce financial anxiety while fostering social goals and cohesion; (2) The prohibition of Riba establishes spiritual tranquility and fair economic relations; (3) The principle of halal consumption and Tayyib that promotes life satisfaction through mindful consumption. Empirical evidence consistently shows this mechanism significantly improves the core psychological well-being dimensions, especially self-acceptance, environmental mastery, and personal growth. This study provides a measurable framework for policymakers to design development programs that are economically viable and psychologically nourishing. This integration offers a holistic paradigm that aligns material prosperity with psychological development, essential for meaningful and sustainable human development.
References
R. R. González-Díaz, Á. Acevedo-Duque, G. Salazar-Sepúlveda, and D. Castillo, “Contributions of subjective well-being and good living to the contemporary development of the notion of sustainable human development,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 6, p. 3298, 2021.
2. M. I. Fadillah, B. S. Purnomo, and I. Purnamasari, “Islamic Economic Principles: A Critical Review of Capitalism and a Vision for Justice,” Equity J. Ekon., vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 102–115, 2024.
3. I. S. Cahyanti and E. Suhendi, “How Islamic Social Finance Boosts Psychological Well-Being?,” Share J. Islam. Econ. Financ. Ekon. dan Keuang. Islam, vol. 13, no. 2, 2024, doi: 10.22373/share.v13i2.19998.
4. E. Tok, A. J. Yesuf, and A. Mohamed, “Sustainable development goals and Islamic social finance: From policy divide to policy coherence and convergence,” Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 11, p. 6875, 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116875.
5. R. Raman, S. Gunasekar, S. Ray, D. Behera, P. Nedungadi, and D. L. Dénes, “A holistic approach to Sustainable Development Goal 8: Integrating economic growth, employment, and sustainability,” Equilibrium. Q. J. Econ. Econ. Policy, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 147–202, 2025.
6. O. Al-Jayyousi, E. Tok, S. M. Saniff, W. N. Wan Hasan, N. A. Janahi, and A. J. Yesuf, “Re-thinking sustainable development within Islamic worldviews: a systematic literature review,” Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 12, p. 7300, 2022.
7. F. Khan, “RELIGIOUS RESPONSES TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE,” 2022. doi: 10.21098/jimf.v8i2.1453.
8. S. A. Ashafa and L. Raimi, “Exploring the impact of Islam’s social well-being and economic justice on peaceful coexistence in Nigeria: implications for conventional welfare policy,” J. Entrep. Public Policy, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 230–250, 2025.
9. I. Kamal, “Islamic finance and welfare economics: normative Islamic welfare state versus positive Islamic finance mechanisms,” Qual. Res. Financ. Mark., 2025.
10. M. Y. Mohd Hussin, A. A. Rahman, Z. Ismail, F. Muhammad, and A. A. Razak, “Islamic Social Finance as Alternative Mechanism for Well-being of the Community: A Bibliometric Analysis.,” Pakistan J. Life Soc. Sci., vol. 22, no. 2, 2024.
11. N. D. Mutiarani and D. Siswantoro, “The impact of local government characteristics on the accomplishment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” Cogent Bus. Manag., vol. 7, no. 1, p. 1847751, 2020.
12. M. Said, D. Darmawati, D. I. Hadiningdyah, and Y. Hadromi, “Effect of Zakat Potential Management on Achieving SDGs: Case of the Indonesian National Amil Zakat Agency,” Uluslararası İslam Ekon. ve Finans. Araştırmaları Derg., vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 160–188, 2023.
13. A. Forouharfar, “Social entrepreneurship strategies by the Middle Eastern governments: A review,” Entrep. Ecosyst. Middle East North Africa Dyn. Trends, Policy Bus. Environ., pp. 189–264, 2018.
14. L. Graça and T. Brandão, “Religious/spiritual coping, emotion regulation, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction among university students,” J. Psychol. Theol., vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 342–358, 2024.
15. F. Martela, “Being as having, loving, and doing: a theory of human well-being,” Personal. Soc. Psychol. Rev., vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 372–397, 2024.
16. S. Nurhaliza, S. S. Anggraini, F. Bonita, D. Imeliani, M. Luniagus, and M. N. Farih, “The Role of Zakat, Waqf, and Islamic Business in Sustainable Economic Development: A Review of Funding and Fund Provision Models,” J. Econ. Bus., vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 60–78, 2025.
17. A. Jansen, R. Wang, P. Behrens, and R. Hoekstra, “Beyond GDP: a review and conceptual framework for measuring sustainable and inclusive wellbeing,” Lancet Planet. Heal., vol. 8, no. 9, pp. e695–e705, 2024.
18. V. Braun and V. Clarke, “Using thematic analysis in psychology,” Qual. Res. Psychol., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77–101, Jan. 2006, doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
19. B. S. Cypress, “Rigor or Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research: Perspectives, Strategies, Reconceptualization, and Recommendations,” Dimens. Crit. Care Nurs., vol. 36, no. 4, 2017, [Online]. Available: https://journals.lww.com/dccnjournal/fulltext/2017/07000/rigor_or_reliability_and_validity_in_qualitative.6.aspx
20. N. R. Haddaway, M. J. Page, C. C. Pritchard, and L. A. McGuinness, “PRISMA2020: An R package and Shiny app for producing PRISMA 2020-compliant flow diagrams, with interactivity for optimised digital transparency and Open Synthesis,” Campbell Syst. Rev., vol. 18, no. 2, p. e1230, Jun. 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1230.
21. M. J. Page, “The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews,” 2021. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n71.
22. H. Snyder, “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines,” J. Bus. Res., vol. 104, pp. 333–339, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039.
23. G. Stamenkov, “Recommendations for improving research quality: relationships among constructs, verbs in hypotheses, theoretical perspectives, and triangulation,” Qual. Quant., vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 2923–2946, 2023.
24. C. Rojon, A. Okupe, and A. McDowall, “Utilization and development of systematic reviews in management research: What do we know and where do we go from here?,” Int. J. Manag. Rev., vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 191–223, 2021.
25. R. B. Büchter, A. Weise, and D. Pieper, “Development, testing and use of data extraction forms in systematic reviews: a review of methodological guidance,” BMC Med. Res. Methodol., vol. 20, no. 1, p. 259, 2020.
26. M. Ekawaty, “Revitalizing the Islamic Economic System: from Theory to Action to Reduce Social Inequality and Improve Community Welfare,” Side Sci. Dev. J., vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 199–208, 2025.
27. N. Pauzi, S. Man, M. S. A. M. Nawawi, and M. F. Abu-Hussin, “Ethanol standard in halal dietary product among Southeast Asian halal governing bodies,” Trends Food Sci. Technol., vol. 86, pp. 375–380, 2019.
28. M. S. A. Rasool, M. A. M. Yusof, and S. M. Ali, “Wellbeing of the society: A Maqasid al-Shari’ah approach,” Afkar J. Akidah dan Pemikir. Islam, pp. 25–46, 2020.
29. S. Ouali-Fernández, “Religion, wealth, and health: exploring the economic dimensions of four major faiths,” J. Relig. Health, vol. 63, no. 6, pp. 4281–4302, 2024.
30. H. Karimah, A. A. Ahmad, and M. A. A. Akbar, “Empowering The Informal Economy Through Islamic Social Finance: Insights from Islamic Economic Principles for Inclusive Development,” At-Taradhi J. Stud. Ekon., vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 14–33, 2025.
31. S. A. Ashafa, L. Raimi, and N. B. Bamiro, “Catalytic role of Islam’s social well-being and economic justice as determinants of peaceful coexistence: a systematic literature review using PRISMA,” Int. J. Ethics Syst., 2025.
32. R. J. Vallerand, “Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory: A view from the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation,” Psychol. Inq., vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 312–318, 2000.
33. A. Fotiadis, K. Abdulrahman, and A. Spyridou, “The mediating roles of psychological autonomy, competence and relatedness on work-life balance and well-being,” Front. Psychol., vol. 10, p. 1267, 2019.
34. A. Hassan and L. Raimi, “Leveraging Qard Hasan as a Financing Mechanism for Entrepreneurship at the Bottom of the Pyramid: A Systematic Review,” J. Cult. Anal. Soc. Chang., pp. 3095–3111, 2025.
35. B. P. H. Hui, J. C. K. Ng, E. Berzaghi, L. A. Cunningham-Amos, and A. Kogan, “Rewards of kindness? A meta-analysis of the link between prosociality and well-being.,” Psychol. Bull., vol. 146, no. 12, p. 1084, 2020.
36. A. Martínez-García, S. Valverde-Montesino, and M. García-García, “Promoting mental health in higher education: towards a model of well-being factors in emerging adulthood,” Int. J. Qual. Stud. Health Well-being, vol. 19, no. 1, p. 2408831, 2024.
37. A. C. A. Al Falah, I. M. Fathurrahman, and J. N. Rachman, “Pengaruh komprehensif prinsip zakat, ketentuan anti-riba, dan etika keuangan islam,” Relig. J. Agama, Sos. Dan Budaya, vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 1156–1184, 2023.
38. J. Saputri, N. Nurwahida, and M. W. Abdullah, “Tinjauan Literatur: Peran Bisnis Syariah dalam Membentuk Jiwa Kewirausahaan Islami,” Innov. J. Soc. Sci. Res., vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 5159–5171, 2025.
39. A. Jaelani, “Economic philosophy of al-Mawardi: Review of economic behaviour in Islamic economic,” Soc. Sci., 2018.
40. L. K. Coco, P. Heidler, H. A. Fischer, V. Albanese, R. R. Marzo, and V. Kozon, “When the going gets challenging—Motivational theories as a driver for workplace health promotion, employees well-being and quality of life,” Behav. Sci. (Basel)., vol. 13, no. 11, p. 898, 2023.
41. M. N. A. Wienk, N. R. Buttrick, and S. Oishi, “The social psychology of economic inequality, redistribution, and subjective well-being,” Eur. Rev. Soc. Psychol., vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 45–80, 2022.
42. A. F. M. J. Ahamed and Y. B. Limbu, “Financial anxiety: a systematic review,” Int. J. Bank Mark., vol. 42, no. 7, pp. 1666–1694, 2024.
43. M. M. Rahman, M. S. A. Razimi, A. S. Ariffin, and N. Hashim, “Navigating moral landscape: Islamic ethical choices and sustainability in Halal meat production and consumption,” Discov. Sustain., vol. 5, no. 1, p. 225, 2024.
44. R. Kumar, V. Prabha, V. Kumar, and S. Saxena, “Mindfulness in marketing & consumption: a review & research agenda,” Manag. Rev. Q., vol. 74, no. 2, pp. 977–1001, 2024.
45. M. E. P. Seligman, “Positive psychology: A personal history,” Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol., vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 1–23, 2019.
46. S. Sarofim et al., “Religion’s influence on the financial well‐being of consumers: a conceptual framework and research agenda,” J. Consum. Aff., vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 1028–1061, 2020.
47. S. Sulaeman et al., “Islamic business ethics in the framework of higher ethical objective (Maqasid al-Shariah): a comprehensive analysis and future research directions,” Int. J. Ethics Syst., pp. 1–29, 2025.
Downloads
Published
Conference Proceedings Volume
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.