Is "Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics" a Science?

AI Query: Provide a critical and in-depth explanation of whether "Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics" can be classified as a science, in accordance with the established principles and guidelines for scientific development in academia.

AI Answer:

"Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics" cannot yet be accurately described as an established scientific discipline, though it is certainly worthy of being positioned as a field of study currently under development. In the academic world, a science does not come into existence simply by virtue of having a name, books, or a collection of ideas. It requires a clear object of study (the subject matter) and a formal object (the perspective from which that subject is examined). Furthermore, it necessitates an ontological foundation regarding the nature of reality, an epistemological basis for how knowledge is acquired, an axiological framework concerning the values ​​and objectives of the science, as well as concepts, theories, research methodologies, a body of knowledge, and a scientific community that continuously tests and advances the field. At a more mature stage, a science is typically supported by journals, textbooks, academic programs, conferences, professional associations, and academic institutions.

Therefore, the more appropriate question is not "Has Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics already become a science?" but rather, "Does 'Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics' possess a sufficient foundation to evolve into a science?" The answer is yes: the foundation is becoming visible, though the process of its formation is not yet complete.

The strength of Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics lies in its formal object—its specific perspective—rather than merely in the addition of the word "Islamic." Agriculture has long been studied through the lenses of agricultural economics, agricultural sociology, agribusiness, social sciences, environmental sciences, and various other disciplines. Similarly, Islamic scholarship has extensively addressed topics such as agriculture, land, trade, labor, zakat (almsgiving), waqf (endowments), ownership, distribution, and welfare. However, Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics seeks to pose a different question: how are the realities of agriculture—encompassing social, economic, and institutional aspects, as well as ownership, production, distribution, labor, consumption, welfare, and the human relationship with nature—understood through the Islamic worldview?

Thus, Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics is not merely "agricultural socio-economics plus Quranic verses," just as Islamic Agricultural Finance is not simply a matter of replacing conventional financing with Sharia contracts. Islam must delve deeper, influencing how we perceive human beings, land, wealth, labor, profit, markets, justice, the environment, and the goals of development. If one merely attaches an Islamic label to existing theories, Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics lacks the substance to be considered a new discipline; however, if Islam generates distinct questions, assumptions, concepts, theories, and explanatory frameworks for reality, then the foundation for establishing a new discipline becomes far more robust.

Therefore, Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics requires a clear paradigm and epistemology.

Its paradigm can be grounded in the view that agriculture is not solely an economic activity aimed at generating output and profit, but rather part of the human mandate—as khalifah (stewards)—to manage resources justly, sustainably, and responsibly, ultimately fostering falah (holistic well-being and success). This gives rise to distinct implications: humans are not merely economic actors but also stewards; resources are not merely scarce commodities but a trust; land is not just an economic asset but possesses a social dimension; profit is legitimate yet subject to moral boundaries; markets are important but must operate in tandem with justice; labor is not merely a factor of production but involves human beings possessing dignity and rights; and agricultural success is defined not only by productivity or income but also by justice, sustainability, the common good, and falah.

Epistemologically, it is also insufficient for Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics to simply state that its source of knowledge is the Quran and Hadith. Revelation can serve as a source of worldview and normative principles, while reason, empirical observation, history, social experience, ijtihad, and scientific methods are employed to construct and test knowledge. Thus, Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics remains an evidence-based social science that is simultaneously value-informed.

The next decisive stage is theory building. Principles or concepts such as justice, amanah (trust/stewardship), maslahah (public interest), ukhuwah (brotherhood), zakat (almsgiving), waqf (endowment), halal (permissible), tayyib (wholesome), and sustainability must be developed into theories capable of explaining reality. Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics, for instance, could develop an Islamic Agricultural Property Theory regarding land and ownership; an Islamic Agricultural Labour Theory regarding the relationship between owners and workers; an Islamic Agricultural Market Theory regarding the balance between efficiency and justice; an Islamic Agricultural Welfare Theory regarding farmers' well-being; an Islamic Agricultural Institutional Theory regarding the interplay of the state, markets, communities, zakat, waqf, and cooperatives; and an Islamic Agricultural Development Theory regarding the meaning of agricultural development.

It is here that the 17 fields formulated by Syahyuti (2025)—ranging from Islamic Agrarian Reform, Islamic Organic Agriculture, Islamic Agricultural Financing, Islamic Agricultural Labour Systems, Islamic Agricultural Gender perspectives, Islamic Supply Chains, Islamic Food Security, the Islamic Food Economy, Islamic Food Systems, Islamic Agricultural Extension, Islamic Family Farming, Islamic Food Sovereignty, Islamic Agribusiness, Islamic Cooperatives, Islamic Agricultural Economics, and Islamic Agriculture to Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics—can be viewed as an initial architecture or set of research domains, rather than as fully matured sub-disciplines. Furthermore, this field does not require entirely new research methods; it can utilize surveys, econometrics, case studies, ethnography, institutional analysis, SNA, SEM, experiments, and mixed methods.

What distinguishes it is not the research tools themselves, but rather the questions, assumptions, concepts, theories, and the manner in which research findings are interpreted. Thus, the most significant novelty of Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics lies not in the idea that Islam is only now addressing agriculture—which is patently untrue—but rather in the fact that various hitherto disparate fields of knowledge (such as Islamic agricultural economics, Islamic agribusiness, Sharia-compliant agricultural finance, Islamic food systems, Islamic agrarian studies, agricultural labor, extension services, cooperatives, and welfare) are being situated within a single, integrative scholarly architecture. This is what distinguishes Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics from a mere "Islamic perspective on agriculture."

From an academic standpoint, however, Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics must still undergo critical tests: developing theories; operationalizing concepts such as falah (success/well-being), maslahah (public interest), justice, and amanah (trust/stewardship) into researchable constructs; conducting empirical testing; building a body of knowledge; and establishing a scholarly community through journals, conferences, curricula, academic programs, associations, and international networks. Consequently, the most prudent yet progressive stance is to characterize Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics as an emerging scientific field or a proposed disciplinary framework, rather than claiming it is already an established academic discipline. Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics can be viewed as a project of knowledge formation: evolving from idea to paradigm, from paradigm to theory, from theory to research, and—through continuous testing of that research—into an academic discipline. It is precisely here that the true scientific challenge of Islamic Agricultural Socio-Economics begins.
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