An integrated Islamic social entreprenuership model for empowering persons with disabilities in Malaysia
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Date
2026
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Abstract
This study develops an Integrated Islamic Social Entrepreneurship Model (IISEM) for empowering persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Malaysia through a holistic framework that integrates Islamic values, social entrepreneurship principles, and disability-inclusive empowerment practices. The study addresses the limitations of existing social entrepreneurship models, which are predominantly rooted in Western paradigms and often overlook the roles of spirituality, Islamic ethical principles, and Shariah-compliant social finance mechanisms in promoting sustainable entrepreneurial empowerment among Muslim PWDs. Guided by the Islamic worldview (tasawwur Islami) and the objectives of maqasid al-Shariah, this study adopts a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of Muslim entrepreneurs with disabilities. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 entrepreneurs with disabilities and seven key informants representing policymakers, Islamic finance institutions, and disability-related organisations. The data were further enriched through focus group discussions and document analysis. All qualitative data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis supported by NVivo 12 software. The findings reveal five interrelated themes that shape entrepreneurial empowerment among Muslim PWDs: (1) Spiritual and Ethical Foundations, where faith, sincerity (ikhlas), trustworthiness (amanah), perseverance (sabr), and reliance on Allah (tawakkul) strengthen entrepreneurial motivation and resilience; (2) Inclusive Islamic Financing, highlighting the importance of zakat, waqf, and qard al-hasan as mechanisms for sustainable entrepreneurial support; (3) Entrepreneurial Resilience and Adaptive Capacity, reflecting the ability of entrepreneurs to overcome disability-related and market challenges through innovation and persistence; (4) Community Based Support and Social Capital, involving the contributions of family, mentors, non-governmental organisations, religious institutions, and government agencies; and (5) Operationalisation of Maqasid al Shariah, which emphasises the preservation of human dignity, welfare, justice, and social inclusion. These themes were subsequently synthesised into the Integrated Islamic Social Entrepreneurship Model (IISEM), which positions entrepreneurship as a form of ibadah and integrates spiritual, financial, entrepreneurial, social, and developmental dimensions within a unified empowerment framework.The study contributes to the social entrepreneurship literature by extending existing empowerment models through an Islamic epistemological perspective and by providing a contextualised framework for addressing the multidimensional challenges faced by Muslim entrepreneurs with disabilities. Practically, the model offers valuable guidance for policymakers, Islamic social finance institutions, and community development agencies in designing inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystems for PWDs.
Keywords
Disability empowerment , Inclusive entrepreneurship , Islamic social entrepreneurship , Islamic social finance , Maqasid al Shariah , Persons with disabilities
Citation
Abdullah, S., Abdul Rahim, H., Kassim, H., Abu Bakar, A., Wan Shahriman, W. A. M., & Che Seman, Azizi. (2026). An Integrated Islamic social entrepreneurship model for empowering persons with disabilities in Malaysia. Advanced International Journal of Business Entrepreneurship and SMEs, 8(28), 372-396. https://doi.org/10.35631/AIJBES.828025
Publisher
Global Academic Excellence