Theoretical Challenges in Explaining Social Justice in Contemporary Muslim Thought

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student at the Faculty of Language, Literature and Cultural Studies, Al-Mustafa Al-Alamiyah University

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Language, Literature and Cultural Studies Complex, Al-Mustafa Al-Alamiya University, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Social justice in contemporary Muslim thought is one of the fundamental and yet challenging issues at the intersection of theology, political philosophy, and public policy. This research aims to identify and analyze theoretical, methodological, and institutional obstacles to explaining social justice in the Islamic world and seeks to provide an integrated framework for promoting theorizing and institutionalizing social justice in contemporary Muslim societies. The research method is descriptive-analytical with a comparative approach and uses the analysis of Islamic texts, modern theories of justice, and empirical data. The research findings indicate that four fundamental obstacles have challenged the formation of a coherent theory of Islamic social justice: duality in anthropological foundations between nature-centered and will-centered; conflict in the teleology of justice between divine justice and worldly dignity; methodological inadequacy and lack of a data-centered interdisciplinary framework; and structural shortcomings in justice-centered institutionalization. In response to these challenges, a “composite justice” model has been proposed that, by combining Islamic teachings such as fitrah, human dignity, and the purposes of Sharia with modern theories such as Amartyasan’s capability, can establish a link between divine values ​​and measurable indicators of social governance. This framework paves the way for tax reform, strengthening social protection institutions, and promoting just governance in Muslim societies.

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12- Studies Religion Muslems
Volume 11, Issue 22 - Serial Number 22
February 2026
Pages 111-133

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