Legal and Sociotheological Analysis of the Concept of Nafkah According to Sheikh Ali Ash Shabuni

Abstract

Abstract: The concept of livelihood is one of the main pillars in Islamic family law which is not only related to economic obligations, but also contains moral, social, and theological dimensions. This article aims to analyze the concept of livelihood from the perspective of Muhammad ‘Ali Ash-Shabuni’s interpretation through his work Rawā’i‘ al-Bayān fī Tafsīr Āyāt al-Aḥkām, by highlighting its legal and socio-theological aspects in the context of contemporary Muslim families. This study uses a qualitative method based on literature (library research) with a thematic interpretation approach (maudhū‘i). The primary source of the research is Rawā’i‘ al-Bayān, while secondary sources include classical and contemporary legal interpretation literature, books on Islamic jurisprudence across schools of thought, and journal articles relevant to the issues of livelihood, social justice, and Islamic family law. The research findings show that Ash-Shabuni positions maintenance as a binding Islamic obligation (mulzim), yet contextualized through the principle of al-ma'ruf, so that the amount and form of maintenance are adjusted to the family's economic capabilities and social conditions. Within a socio-theological framework, Ash-Shabuni interprets qiwāmah not as a legitimation of patriarchal domination, but rather as a functional responsibility oriented toward the protection, justice, and well-being of the family. This interpretation integrates legal, moral, and maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah dimensions, so that the concept of maintenance is understood not only as a mechanism for economic distribution but also as a social practice of worship that shapes the ethics and spirituality of the Islamic family. This article contributes to the development of Islamic family law discourse by offering a moderate and maqāṣidi model of interpretation relevant to the reconstruction of Islamic family law that is more just, humane, and responsive to modern social dynamics