Profit or Maslahah? Rethinking the Objectives of Islamic Business Management

Abstract

The dominance of profit-oriented thinking in modern business management raises fundamental questions concerning the objectives that distinguish Islamic business management from conventional management. This study aims to critically examine the position of profit in Islamic business management and analyze whether business objectives should be oriented toward maslahah as a broader framework encompassing economic, social, ethical, and spiritual interests. This research employs a library research method with a qualitative descriptive-analytical approach. The research focuses on academic and normative sources discussing Islamic business management, Islamic economics, maqasid al-shariah, maslahah, Islamic business ethics, and contemporary management. Data were obtained from relevant scholarly books, journal articles, and authoritative Islamic sources. The collected literature was analyzed through identification, categorization, interpretation, comparison, and synthesis to develop a conceptual understanding of the relationship between profit and maslahah in Islamic business management. The findings indicate that Islam does not reject profit as a legitimate objective of business activity. However, profit cannot be positioned as the sole or ultimate measure of business success. Profit must be obtained through lawful, ethical, and fair processes and should contribute to broader human and social welfare. Maslahah provides a broader framework for connecting financial performance with justice, trust, transparency, social responsibility, and sustainability. Therefore, Islamic business management requires a reorientation in which profitability remains important but is positioned within the broader objectives of maqasid al-shariah and maslahah. The study concludes that the distinctive character of Islamic business management lies not in rejecting profit but in ensuring that profit serves broader ethical and social objectives.