Challenges in Enforcing Islamic Law on the Misuse of Ummah Philanthropic Funds

Authors

  • Rahmat Hidayat RUDN University
  • Julkarnaen Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga
  • Moch Lukman Hakim YAPPIKA-ActionAid
  • Sri Dwi Lestari Universitas Islam Jember
  • Bayu Suratman Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional

Keywords:

Law Enforcement, Islamic Law, Philanthropic Funds, Abuse of Authority, Criminology

Abstract

Background: The misuse of philanthropic funds within Muslim communities has emerged with increasingly complex modes and motives, positioning such practices as a form of white-collar crime operating within institutional spaces grounded in trust and social legitimacy.

Purpose: This study aims to examine the challenges faced by Islamic law in uncovering and enforcing legal measures in cases of philanthropic fund misuse within Muslim communities.

Method: This study employs a qualitative descriptive research design with a multimodal case study approach to capture the complexity of philanthropic fund misuse as a multifaceted phenomenon.

Findings: The findings reveal that the misuse of philanthropic funds cannot be reduced to individual misconduct, but rather represents an integrated crisis involving ethics, governance, and the normative positioning of Islamic law within institutional practices. This vulnerability stems from a disconnection between religious legitimacy and accountability mechanisms, in which religious values no longer serve as effective instruments of operational control but instead become flexible symbols open to negotiation.

Significance: This study contributes to the development of an interdisciplinary framework that integrates criminology and Islamic law as a theoretical foundation for comprehensively and contextually understanding and addressing philanthropic crime.

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2026-04-26

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Hidayat, R., Julkarnaen, Hakim, M. L., Lestari, S. D., & Suratman, B. (2026). Challenges in Enforcing Islamic Law on the Misuse of Ummah Philanthropic Funds. Criminology & Islamic Law, 1(1), 36–51. Retrieved from https://journal.postinsti.com/index.php/cil/article/view/3

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