Exploring the impact of Islam’s social well-being and economic justice on peaceful coexistence in Nigeria: implications for conventional welfare policy

Purpose - This article explores the empirical support for the claim that Islam, described by Allah as a standard creed, is inherently compatible with inclusivity and sustainable development. Focusing on Nigeria’s multi-religious context, the research aims to assess the impact of Islam’s social well-being and economic justice on peaceful coexistence. Design/methodology/approach - Data from 273 academics and professionals were collected and analysed using a quantitative survey research design. Findings - The results show that the social well-being of Islam, which includes the protection of religion, life and progeny, has a significant and positive association with peaceful coexistence. Similarly, Islam’s economic justice, which includes protecting intellect/intellectual resources and wealth, also shows a substantial and positive association with peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. Aligning the principles of peaceful coexistence with Islam’s Maqasid al-Shari’ah framework (MSF) proves to be a way to strengthen the connection between social well-being and economic justice and thus improve peaceful coexistence in a multi-religious society. Control variables such as age and marital status also have positive associations with POC, while gender, education level and religion have different effects. Overall, the impact of Islam’s social well-being and economic justice, represented by the five protective principles called Maqasidul Shari’ah, has a positive association with peaceful coexistence, with the protection of progeny having the strongest influence. Research limitations/implications - Aligning the principles of peaceful coexistence with Islam’s Maqasid al-Shari’ah framework (MSF) emerges as an avenue to strengthen the connection between social well-being and economic justice, thereby enhancing peaceful coexistence in a multi-religious society. Despite its modest scope, this study contributes valuable insights to the literature on Islam’s social well-being, economic justice and the role of Maqasid al-Shari’ah in promoting peace in diverse societies. Originality/value - The study’s novelty lies in the empirical evidence it provides for the claim that the principles of Islam, specifically referencing the Maqasidul Shari’ah principles, are inherently compatible with inclusivity and sustainable development.