I appreciate the candid feedback from a reader @uwauwei59 to my story entitled “Islamic economics is a value-based framework integrates moral, ethical & social justice principles into commercial life” published by newswav.com on Friday, 30 October 2026. I quote “Wow sound very good to hear … does Islamic economics means no Rasuah (corruption)?” I replied “Rasuah is a sin in Islamic Finance & Banking.” @uwauwei59 responded “Theoretically its correct but in reality it happens.” In agreeing with him, I stated that as the Chinese proverb aptly mentioned "Fish rot from the head.”
Core Islamic Principles Against Corruption Divine Prohibition: The Quran and Sunnah explicitly condemn corruption, linking it to the destruction of societal and moral structures (Quran 30:14). For Amanah (Trust): Public office, authority & wealth are treated as sacred trusts from Allah SWT. Exploiting them for personal gain is viewed as a betrayal (khiyanah). The Curse on Bribery is clear Prophet Muhammad PBUH explicitly cursed the giver, the receiver & the middleman involved in bribery (risywah). Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) categorizes corrupt practices into specific violations:
During my tenure as Executive Secretary & Project Director of International Council of Islamic Finance Educators (ICIFE), based at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), we developed curriculum & delivered training program about Ghulul: Embezzlement or secret misappropriation of public funds and war/state booty. Risywah (Bribery): Giving or taking illicit payments to distort legal judgments or administrative decisions. Akl ai-Mal bi al-Batil: Consuming wealth through false means, fraud, forgery, or hoarding. Nepotism (Wasta/Favoritism): Placing unqualified family members or associates into positions of power over competent individuals. Abuse of Power (Zulm): Oppressing the vulnerable or misusing authority entrusted by the community or state (ulu al-amr).
I realized beyond state laws, Islam emphasizes personal spiritual oversight (muraqabah), accountability in the Afterlife (Akhirat), and sincere repentance (taubat) coupled with making amends to the victims. Classical and modern Islamic scholarship stress that fighting corruption requires transparent governance, fair law enforcement & punishment, whistleblower protection & moral education.
Zulkifly Baharom (hajizul50@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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