Islamic Urban Governance and Its Relevance to the Development of Indonesia’s New Capital City (IKN): Insights from Classical Islamic Texts
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Abstract
The development of Indonesia’s New Capital City (Ibu Kota Nusantara/IKN) requires an urban governance framework that extends beyond technocratic efficiency to incorporate social justice, ethical spatial order, and long-term civilizational sustainability. Within Islamic intellectual tradition, urban governance is not articulated as a standalone technical discipline but is embedded in classical works on political jurisprudence (fiqh al-siyāsah), hisbah, public finance, and theories of civilization. This study aims to examine the foundational principles of urban governance in Islamic civilization as articulated in classical Islamic texts and to assess their relevance to the contemporary development of IKN. Employing a qualitative, library-based methodology with a historical, conceptual and normative-analytical approach, the study analyzes key texts, including al-Aḥkām al-Sulṭāniyyah by al-Māwardī and Abū Yaʿlā, Nihāyat al-Rutbah by Ibn al-Shayzarī, Maʿālim al-Qurbah by Ibn al-Ukhuwwah and al-Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldūn. The findings indicate that Islamic urban governance is grounded in principles of social justice, protection of public interest (maṣlaḥah ʿāmmah), orderly management of public spaces, and ethical supervision through the institution of hisbah. Cities are conceptualized as centers of civilization where economic, social, and moral dimensions must remain in balance. These principles demonstrate strong conceptual relevance to the development of IKN, particularly in relation to public space management, urban economic regulation, housing affordability, and the protection of vulnerable groups. The study argues that integrating Islamic urban governance values can enrich the normative framework of IKN development, ensuring that the new capital evolves not only as a sustainable physical environment but also as a socially just and ethically grounded urban civilization.
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