An Enhanced Islamic Index of Well-Being (IWI 2.0-2021) for Muslim Countries
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52282/icr.v12i2.850Keywords:
Keywords: Indonesia, Islamic Well-Being Index, Lebanon, Maqasid al-Shari‘ah, Muslim countries, Tunisia.Abstract
This is a revised version of an assessment of the Islamic Well-Being Index (IWI) of Muslim majority countries, first published by this author in 2013 (IWI 1.0). It uses an improved, updated methodology and reflects the essential maqasid al-shari‘ah (Higher Objectives of Islamic Law) developed by Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali. The IWI provides practical insights for countries that aspire to move to a higher state. Leading countries in the maqasid fields could serve as role models for lagging counties. More specifically, IWI indicators provide a way to spot problems, set targets, track trends, and identify best practice policies. This 2021 assessment adds four more countries to the 27 ranked previously. The method incorporates insights from leading Islamic scholars who have developed a ‘maqasid index of governance’ for Muslim countries. The top three countries listed in the Index are (first to third): Indonesia, Tunisia and Malaysia. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country with a successful democracy, experienced an Islamic resurgence, which is reflected in its citizens’ moderate values and practices. Leading countries within the maqasid fields are (first, second): Religion – Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria; Life – UAE, Brunei; Intellect - Albania, Kyrgyzstan; Family – Morocco, Tunisia; and Wealth – Malaysia, UAE. Countries showing greatest improvement in IWI rankings are Lebanon and Turkey. Those that significantly worsened are Afghanistan, Nigeria, Chad and Iraq. To expand the applicability of this index, governments in Muslim majority countries need to facilitate assessment. In particular, religiosity surveys should be expanded and periodic surveys are required to fill other data gaps. The IWI Index and its highlights should be prepared and published annually.
Downloads
References
‘Ali Yusuf. The Meaning of The Holy Qur’an: Text, Translation and Commentary. Kuala Lumpur: Islamic Book Trust, 2009.
Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid. Al-Mustasfa min ‘ilm al-usul. Cairo: Maktabah al-Tijariyyah al-Kubra, 1937.
Anto, Hendrie. ‘Introducing an Islamic Human Development Index (I-HDI) to Measure Development in OIC Countries.’ Islamic Economic Studies 19 (2011): 69-95.
Asad, Muhammad. The Principles of State and Government in Islam. Gibraltar: Dar Al-Andalus, 1980.
Aydin, Necati. ‘Islamic vs Conventional Human Development Index: Empirical Evidence from Ten Muslim Countries.’ International Journal of Social Economics 4, no. 12 (2017): 1562-83.
Batchelor, Daud Abdul-Fattah. ‘A New Islamic Rating Index of Well-Being for Muslim Countries.’ Islam and Civilisational Renewal 4, no. 2 (2013):188-214.
———. ‘Exploring the Significance of Some Cultural and Religious Factors in Domestic Violence among Muslim Immigrant Australians.’ Islam and Civilisational Renewal 11, no. 1 (2020): 9-38.
———. ‘Impacting Earth more: rising populations or excessive consumption and carbon emissions?.’ Paper presented at 1st National Conference on the Environmental Crisis and Our Obligations to Act: Teachings from Islamic and Abrahamic Faith Traditions, Brisbane, March 14, 2020.
———. ‘Islamic Perspectives on Curbing Population Growth to Promote Earth’s Sustainability.’ Islam and Civilisational Renewal 10, no. 1 (2019): 21-46.
Chapra, Umer. The Islamic Vision of Development in the Light of Maqasid Al-Shari‘ah. Jeddah: Islamic Development Bank, 2008. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303499103_The_Islamic_Vision_of_Development_in_the_Light_of_Maqasid_Al-Shari%27ah.
Crabtree, Steve. ‘Afghan’s Misery Reflected in Record-Low Well-Being Measures.’ Gallup, October 26, 2018. Available at: https://news.gallup.com/poll/244118/afghans-misery-reflected-record-low-measures.aspx.
———. ‘Inside Afghanistan: Nearly Nine in 10 Afghans are suffering.’ Gallup, September 16, 2019. https://news.gallup.com/poll/266825/inside-afghanistan-nearly-nine-afghans-suffering.aspx.
DeSisto, Isabelle. ‘Competing for Cake Crumbs: Why Chinese Mining Leads to Conflict in Kyrgyzstan but not Tajikistan.’ Centralasiaprogram. Available at: https://www.centralasiaprogram.org/competing-cake-crumbs-chinese-mining-leads-conflict-kyrgyzstan-tajikistan.
Doha International Family Institute. The Impact of the Blockade on Families in Qatar. Dohar, 2018.
Espenshade, Thomas J., Juan Carlos Guzman and Charles F. Westoff. ‘The Surprising Global Variation in Replacement Fertility.’ Population Research and Policy Review 22 no. 5/6 (2003): 580.
Global Footprint Network. Ecological Footprint. Available at: https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecological-footprint/.
Hamid, Shadi. Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle over Islam is Reshaping the World. New York: St. Martins Griffin, 2016.
Institute for Economics & Peace. Global Peace Index 2020: Measuring Peace in a Complex World. Sydney, June 2020. Available at: https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GPI_2020_web.pdf.
Joshanloo, Mohsen. ‘Islamic Conception of Well-Being.’ In The Pursuit of Human Well-Being. Edited by Richard Estes and Joseph Sirgy. Dordrecht: Springer, 2017.
M.H. Mohamad and N.S. Abdul Jalil. Indeks Pembangunan Ummah Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: IKIM, 2016.
M.S., Salleh. Pembangunan berteraskan Islam. Penang: Utusan Publications, 2003.
Rauf, Feisal Abdul, Defining Islamic Statehood: Measuring and Indexing Muslim States. New York: Palgrave, 2015.
PEW. Global God Divide, 2020. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/07/20/the-global-god-divide/.
PEW. The Age Gap in Religion Around the World, 2018. Available at: https://www.pewforum.org/2018/06/13/the-age-gap-in-religion-around-the-world/.
PEW. The World Muslims: Unity and Diversity, 2012. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2012/08/the-worlds-muslims-full-report.pdf.
Reporters Without Borders. World Press Freedom Index 2020. Available at: https://rsf.org/en/ranking/2020.
Robitschek, Christine and Corey Keyes. ‘Keyes’s Model of Mental Health with Personal Growth Initiative as a Parsimonious Predictor.’ Journal of Counselling Psychology 56 no. 2 (2009): 321–29.
Sarkawi, Azila Ahmad, Muhammad Faris Abdullah, Alias Abdullah, and Nur Amilin Khazani. ‘A Conceptual Framework of Maqasid Human Wellbeing Index.’ International Journal of Advanced Biotechnology and Research 8, no. 3 (2017): 220-5.
Seligman, Martin. ‘Authentic Happiness.’ In Flourish. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2011.
Syamsudin, Din. ‘Islamic Resurgence (Indonesia Experience).’ Paper presented at World Congress on Islamic Resurgence: Challenges, Prospects and Way Forward, Shah Alam, September 7, 2013.
UNDP. Human Development Report 2013: The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World. New York: United Nations Development Programme, 2013. Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-report-2013.
Wendling, Z.A., J. W. Emerson, A. de Sherbinin, D.C. Esty, et al. 2020 Environmental Performance Index. New Haven, CT: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. Available at: https://epi.yale.edu/downloads/epi2020report20210112.pdf.
World Bank. The Human Capital Index 2020 Update, 2020. Available at: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/34432.
