Exploring the Lived Experiences of Faith and Ethical Meaning in Sharia-Based Digital Entrepreneurship: A Qualitative Inquiry among Digital Entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia
Keywords:
Islamic Entrepreneurship, Phenomenology, Digital Ethics, Sharia-Based Business, Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah, Spiritual ConsciousnessAbstract
The rapid growth of the digital economy has reshaped the ethical and spiritual dimensions of Muslim entrepreneurship, particularly within the framework of Sharia-based business practices. Within this evolving landscape, the lived experiences of Muslim digital entrepreneurs remain underexplored, especially regarding how faith and spirituality influence ethical decision-making in digital commerce. What remains unclear is how these entrepreneurs interpret, internalize, and embody Islamic ethical principles while navigating the challenges of online business environments. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), this study investigates the subjective meanings and moral reflections of Sharia-compliant entrepreneurs to address this gap. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with twelve participants and analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns of spiritual awareness, ethical tension, and personal accountability. The analysis identified three core findings: (1) faith-based awareness consistently shaped ethical choices in pricing, transparency, and customer treatment; (2) participants experienced recurring ethical tensions related to digital competition and technological constraints; and (3) maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah served as a practical decision-making guide rather than an abstract principle. The results reveal that participants perceive their business activities as acts of worship and moral devotion, where faith-based consciousness functions as an intrinsic ethical compass guiding their digital interactions. Overall, the study demonstrates measurable patterns of ethical reasoning grounded in spirituality, highlighting how these patterns contribute to more responsible and sustainability-oriented digital business practices. These findings advance our understanding of Islamic digital entrepreneurship by demonstrating that spirituality and innovation are complementary forces in shaping ethical and sustainable business practices. The implications highlight the potential of phenomenological inquiry to deepen cross-disciplinary perspectives on faith, technology, and moral consciousness in contemporary Muslim societies.
References
Ahmad, S., Lensink, R., & Mueller, A. (2020). The double bottom line of microfinance: A global comparison between conventional and Islamic microfinance. World Development, 136. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105130
Alomari, H. M., & Al-Haddad, S. I. (2024). Effect of Islamic Entrepreneurship Mind-programming on Entrepreneurial Performance in Jordan. Jordan Journal of Business Administration, 20(2), 179–207. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.35516/jjba.v20i2.2007
Amalanathan, S., & Reddy-Best, K. L. (2024). Modesty in business, bold in fashion: Entrepreneurial experiences of U.S. Muslim women in niche fashion markets. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 13(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-024-00420-5
Ariatin, A., Dhewanto, W., & Sudrajad, O. (2024). Entrepreneurial Muslim leadership in Islamic cooperative business unit. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 15(3), 499–518. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-04-2022-0100
Auliyah, R., Nasih, M., & Agustia, D. (2025). Determinants of business success at Sunan Drajat Islamic Boarding School, east java Indonesia. Cogent Business and Management, 12(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2492828
Boubker, O. (2024). Does religion raise entrepreneurial intention and behavior of Muslim university students? An extension of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB). International Journal of Management Education, 22(3). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101030
Carreiras, H., & Castro, C. (2012). Qualitative methods in military studies: Research experiences and challenges (p. 194). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203099223
Daly, K. J. (2007). Qualitative methods for family studies & human development (p. 293). SAGE Publications Inc.; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452224800
Deku, W. A., Wang, J., & Narain, N. (2023). Innovations in entrepreneurial marketing dimensions: Evidence of Halal food SMES in Ghana. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 14(3), 680–713. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-03-2021-0098
Dvouletý, O. (2024). Religion attitudes and youth entrepreneurship performance. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 36(6), 879–897. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2023.2182599
Fife, W. (2020). Counting as a Qualitative Method: Grappling with the Reliability Issue in Ethnographic Research (p. 140). Springer International Publishing; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34803-8
Hidayah, N. (2023). Gender, Economy, and the Law: Women Entrepreneurs in Indonesian and Islamic Legal Perspectives. Samarah, 7(2), 1121–1143. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v7i2.17944
Hillman, W., & Radel, K. (2018). Qualitative methods in tourism research: Theory and practice (p. 294). Channel View Publications; Scopus. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85050434848&partnerID=40&md5=7ea1e3f0b2027993b53f6a795804ee51
Iosifides, T. (2016). Qualitative Methods in Migration Studies: A Critical Realist Perspective (p. 266). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315603124
Islam, A., Wahab, S. A., Latiff, A. S. A., & Mansoor, A. (2024). Building strategic innovation model for small and medium enterprises of Malaysia: Inclusion of a holistic philosophy. International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 34(3), 420–444. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBIR.2024.139249
Karim, A., Fathurohman, O., Marliani, L., Kurniawan, F. F., Nugraha, F., Meliani, F., Ridwan, M., & Sianturi, R. (2025). Islamic spiritual leadership of kyai in fostering santris’ entrepreneurial spirit and independence in boarding school. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 12. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101817
Kawamura, Y. (2020). DOING RESEARCH IN FASHION AND DRESS: An Introduction to Qualitative Methods, 2nd edition (p. 166). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.; Scopus. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85188589040&partnerID=40&md5=b3db406659cd1ea5b20e05664bec39a3
Khan, M. S., Wood, B. P., Dakhan, S., & Nawaz, A. (2024). The paradox of Islamic perception on the entrepreneurial intentions of female Muslims in Pakistan. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 15(11), 2823–2840. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-09-2023-0275
Longhofer, J., Floersch, J., & Hoy, J. (2012). Qualitative Methods for Practice Research (p. 224). Oxford University Press; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195398472.001.0001
Lutz, W., & Knox, S. (2014). Quantitative and qualitative methods in psychotherapy research (p. 448). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203386071
Mahmoud, M. A., Umar, U. H., Ado, M. B., & Kademi, T. T. (2024). Factors influencing the financial satisfaction of MSME owners: The mediating role of access to Islamic financing. Management Research Review, 47(3), 422–440. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-01-2022-0047
McNabb, D. E. (2015). Research methods for political science: Quantitative and qualitative methods: Second edition (p. 426). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315701141
Migdal, A. B. (2018). Qualitative Methods in Quantum Theory (p. 460). CRC Press; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429497940
Mukhlis, L. (2025a). A Phenomenological Study of Personal Spiritual Experiences in Navigating Religious Pluralism within Interfaith Communities. Irfana: Journal of Religious Studies, 1(6), 212–220.
Mukhlis, L. (2025b). Spiritual Grounds for Economic Growth: A Qualitative Exploration of Rural Indonesian Women’s Transformative Journeys Through Mosque-Led Empowerment Programs. Servina: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 1(8), 289–298.
Mukhlis, L., & Abdullah, M. N. (2025). Hukum Keluarga Islam di Indonesia (1st ed.). Mukhlisina Revolution Center.
Mukhlis, L., Arifin, T., Ridwan, A. H., & Zulbaidah. (2024). Integrating Artificial Intelligenceand Maqāṣid al-Syarī‘ah: Revolutionizing Indonesia’s Sharia Online Trading System. Computer Fraud and Security, 2024(11), 301–309. https://doi.org/10.52710/cfs.238
Mukhlis, L., Arifin, T., Ridwan, A. H., & Zulbaidah. (2025). Reorientation of Sharia Stock Regulations: Integrating Taṣarrufāt al-Rasūl and Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah for Justice and Sustainability. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 10(10s), 58–66. https://doi.org/10.52783/jisem.v10i10s.1341
Mukhlis, L., Arifin, T., Ridwan, A. H., Zulbaidah, Rosadi, A., & Solehudin, E. (2025). Reformulation of Islamic Stock Law: The Application of Taṣarrufāt al-Rasūl and Maqāṣid al-Syarī‘ahto Develop a Dynamic and Sustainable Islamic Capital Market in Indonesia. Journal of Posthumanism, 5(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.63332/joph.v5i3.913
Mukhlis, L., Janwari, Y., & Syafe`i, R. (2023). INDONESIA STOCK EXCHANGE: THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF MUDHARABAH AND MUSYARAKAH CONTRACTS. Yurisprudentia: Jurnal Hukum Ekonomi, 9(2), 243–264. https://doi.org/10.24952/yurisprudentia.v9i2.8466
Mukhlis, L., Maryam, S., & Sormin, S. A. (2023). Model Pembelajaran Living History Berbasis PjBL Untuk Meningkatkan Keterampilan Histografi Mahasiswa. Jurnal Educatio FKIP UNMA, 9(4), 1800–1809. https://doi.org/10.31949/educatio.v9i4.5595
Mukhlis, L., & Saidah, Y. (2025). Dynamics of Nature-Based learning in Developing Children’s Motoricic Skills: Teacher and Parent Perspectives. HUMANISMA: Journal of Gender Studies, 9(1), 64–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.30983/humanisme.v4i2.9366
Mukhlis, L., Suradi, Janwari, Y., & Syafe`i, R. (2023). Sosialisasi Saham Syariah sebagai Instrumen Pengembangan Ekonomi Masyarakat di Badan Kontak Majelis Taklim (BKMT) Kabupaten Mandailing Natal. Jurnal Pengabdian Multidisiplin, 3(2), 2–9. https://doi.org/10.51214/japamul.v3i2.604
Raimi, L., Abdur-Rauf, I. A., & Olaide Raimi, B. (2025). Interdependence of halal entrepreneurship and Islamic finance for creating a strong halal ecosystem. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 16(3), 929–954. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-05-2023-0162
Raza, M., Khalique, M., Khalid, R., Kasuma, J., Ali, W., & Selem, K. M. (2025). Achieving SMEs’ excellence: Scale development of Islamic entrepreneurship from business and spiritual perspectives. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 16(1), 86–106. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-02-2023-0060
Shah, U., Hayes, N., & Obaid, A. (2025). Subsistence entrepreneurship and intersectional inequalities: A case study of women from Pakistani urban-poor districts. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, 31(1), 12–30. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-12-2022-1094
Sharif, K., & Faisal, M. N. (2025). Mapping an Islamic venture capital setup using foresight-based social construction approach. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 18(4), 787–812. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMEFM-03-2024-0141
Tahir, R. (2025). Balancing borders: Exploring work–life balance and its impact on business performance among women entrepreneurs in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 16(3), 786–809. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-02-2024-0079
Ukil, M. I., Ukil, E. I., Ullah, M. S., & Almashayekhi, A. (2024). Factors that determine Islamic entrepreneurial intention: An empirical investigation using two country samples. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 15(11), 2841–2863. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-08-2022-0208
Wibowo, A. S., Hardyansah, R., Darmawan, D., Saputra, R., & Negara, D. S. (2024). Legal Protection and Justice for Franchise Business Operators from an Islamic Law Perspective. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(6), 27–40. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i6.3892
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 A. Suganda (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
