This paper’s themes revolve around foundational premises of epistemology, ecosystems, and economy. It critiques the drivers of the neoliberal system, which prioritises mass production and hyper-consumption, and emphasises spiritual themes that align with divine principles. The paper critically analyses the financial system, labelling it a fictitious deception, highlighting its adverse effects on society. This research has examined prosperity pathways to discern themes, impacts, processes, proposals, and outcomes.
Researching and applying the monotheistic concepts in the contemporary context presents unprecedented challenges. These challenges encompass linguistic nuances, contradictory reasoning, varied interpretations, and the quest for consensus on themes and scholarship.
The study begs for future research to delve deeper using the epistemic value outlook. Examining how divine sources and knowledge, reason, and ethical considerations, influences the inference of other relevant fields to prosperity like gender identity, innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership. The research invites building on this Qur’anic outlook for prosperity as a foundational system of life. Future research should use the Qur’anic epistemic approach and communication theory to systematically deconstruct cultural perceptions that have shaped the Islamic discourse. The analysis can provide valuable insights into individual, social and geopolitical impact from a rich spiritual perspective.
The UP Mindset
Rethinking from a Qur’anic perspective calls for a spiritual and ethical awakening that fosters collective consciousness (Ahmed, 2001). Oppression serves as a catalyst for change in system thinking and can drives profound societal transformations. A crucial element of this mindset shift is the concept of spiritual self-construal, which is essential for navigating contemporary challenges (Murad, 2001). Concepts such as “tawakkul” (trusting in God’s plan) and “tawhid” (the unity of God) equip individuals for this internal struggle (Zepp, 2000). This struggle implies a commitment to the oneness of God, consequently willingness to let go of the relentless pursuit of wealth, liberating oneself from the motivations driven solely by capital, and emphasising the value of freedom above all else.
In today’s society, humans, driven by an innate need for belonging, have increasingly come to associate their sense of belonging with money and material possessions. Often, these material pursuits are elevated to the status of deities, with individuals worshipping them as if they were Gods themselves (McCarraher, 2019). This shift has resulted in a fixation on individuality and the relentless pursuit of wealth, effectively making money a deity in its own right. However, divine sources provide insights into the duality of existence, acknowledging the concepts of righteousness and wickedness, the oppressed and the oppressor, transcending the limitations of objective physical reality and into spiritual healing (Rothman, 2021).
UP Moral Economy System
Morality within the economy plays a pivotal role in mitigating individualism and promoting altruism, simplicity, and unity (Götz, 2015) within a framework driven by a higher purpose. However, the UP model faces significant challenges in the context of contemporary economics, specifically its austere divergence from established debt-based financial systems. A more remarkable challenge to the UP model arises from the burgeoning innovations in Islamic finance instruments (Warde, 2010). Notably, Islamic banking and finance have evolved into capitalist institutions that distort the principles of the real Islamic economic system (Choudhury & Hussain, 2005). In contrast, the UP model takes an opposing stance, emphasising a systemic approach of giving and charity, materialised in the form of obligatory taxation (Chapra, 1992). Consequently, it advocates for the dismantling of monopolistic financial practices (Bashar, 1997). At its core, the UP model draws its inspiration from the (Qur’an 2:177), which mandates the fulfilment of obligations toward the marginalised and deprived segments of society.