Are Islamicity Indices Islamic?: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Islamicity Indices

Abstract

This paper examines the Islamicity Indices, which aim to measure the alignment of national governance, economic structures, and social policies with Islamic principles. Although developed to provide an objective benchmark for assessing ‘Islamic’ governance, these indices have drawn criticism for relying heavily on secular, Western-centric metrics such as GDP growth, political liberalism, and legal transparency. Such reliance risks distorting the holistic and value-oriented nature of Islam, which integrates spirituality, ethics, and communal responsibility. For instance, economic openness and individual liberties, as defined in liberal frameworks, may conflict with Islamic norms that emphasize distributive justice, prohibition of riba (interest), and moral accountability. A key concern is the frequent ranking of non-Muslim-majority countries above Muslim-majority ones, suggesting a misalignment between the indices’ measurement tools and Islamic epistemology. This paper argues that fragmenting Islam into quantifiable secular metrics undermines its integrative worldview. In response, a revised evaluative paradigm is proposed—one that incorporates core Islamic values such as ethical finance, zakat-based redistribution, governance rooted in amanah and shura, and indicators of social solidarity. By embedding Islamic epistemological foundations into the index construction, researchers can develop a more faithful model of Islamicity. This would not only offer Muslim societies a relevant diagnostic tool but also provide a bridge for cross-cultural understanding. The proposed framework thus sets the groundwork for more meaningful, norm-sensitive measures of Islamic governance and development.

Keywords

• Islamicity Indices
• Islamic governance
• Economic justice in Islam
• Islamic values-based assessment

İslamilik Endeksleri İslami mi?: İslamilik Endekslerinin Kapsamlı Bir Değerlendirmesi

Öz

Bu makale, ulusal yönetişim, ekonomik yapılar ve sosyal politikaların İslami ilkelerle uyumunu ölçmeyi amaçlayan "İslamilik Endeksleri”ni incelemektedir. Her ne kadar bu endeksler, İslami yönetişimi değerlendirmeye yönelik nesnel bir kıyas ölçütü sunmak amacıyla geliştirilmiş olsa da GSYH büyümesi, politik liberalizm ve hukuki şeffaflık gibi seküler ve Batı-merkezli göstergelere aşırı ölçüde bağımlı olması nedeniyle eleştirilmektedir. Bu tür bir bağımlılık, maneviyat, etik ve toplumsal sorumluluğu bütüncül biçimde içeren İslam’ın değer odaklı yapısını bozma riski taşımaktadır. Örneğin, liberal çerçevede tanımlanan ekonomik açıklık ve bireysel özgürlükler, İslam’ın adil gelir dağılımı, faiz (riba) yasağı ve ahlaki sorumluluk gibi ilkeleriyle çelişebilir. Endekslerde Müslüman olmayan ülkelerin Müslüman ülkelerden daha üst sıralarda yer alması, kullanılan ölçütlerle İslami bilgi epistemolojisi arasında bir uyumsuzluk olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu çalışma, İslam’ı seküler ve ölçülebilir parçalara ayırmanın onun bütüncül dünya görüşünü zedelediğini ileri sürmektedir. Bu nedenle; etik (ahlaki) finans, zekâta dayalı yeniden dağıtım, güvene ve şûraya dayalı yönetişim ile toplumsal dayanışma göstergeleri gibi temel İslami değerleri içeren yeni bir değerlendirme paradigması önerilmektedir. Endeks yapımında İslami epistemolojik temellerin esas alınması, daha aslına uygun bir İslamilik modeli sunabilir. Bu, Müslüman toplumlara yalnızca uygun bir değerlendirme aracı sunmakla kalmayacak, aynı zamanda kültürlerarası anlayış için bir köprü de oluşturacaktır. Önerilen çerçeve, İslami yönetişim ve kalkınmayı daha anlamlı ve normlara duyarlı biçimde ölçmek için bir temel sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• İslamilik Endeksleri
• İslamî yönetişim
• İslam
• İslamî değer temelli değerlendirme

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