Modern Economic Systems, Interest (Riba), and Cryptocurrency: Changing Concepts of Wealth in the Light of Islam جدید معاشی نظام، سود اور کرپٹو کرنسی: اسلام کی روشنی میں دولت کے بدلتے تصورات

الملخص

This research examines the evolving conception of wealth in Islamic thought against the backdrop of the modern economic system, the institution of interest (riba), and the emergence of cryptocurrency. Employing a comparative and analytical methodology, the study juxtaposes classical Islamic economic epistemology—rooted in the Qur'an, Hadith, and the writings of Ibn Khaldun, Shah Waliullah, and Muhammad Iqbal—with contemporary capitalist paradigms articulated by Max Weber and Karl Marx. It further interrogates the juristic (fiqhi) discourse on riba as expounded by Abul A'la Maududi and Yusuf al-Qaradawi, situating it within the broader trajectory of the modern Islamic banking movement. The second half of the study addresses cryptocurrency as a decentralized monetary innovation, surveying divergent contemporary fatawa, including the positions of Mufti Taqi Usmani and resolutions of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy. Through a thesis–evidence–counterargument–synthesis framework, the research argues that Islamic economic ethics offer a coherent alternative paradigm of wealth grounded in trusteeship (istikhlaf), distributive justice, and risk-sharing, distinct from both interest-based capitalism and the largely unregulated volatility of digital assets. The study concludes with policy-oriented recommendations for Shariah-compliant regulation of emerging financial technologies.