Consumerism Rationality Concept According To Maqasid Syariah

Abstract

The consumerism theory emphasizes the consumer behaviour towards economic satisfaction aspect as well as the presumption that all consumers are rational when making decisions regarding expenditure. The rational in conventional economy is that consumers have the right to prioritise their individual and materialistic satisfaction based on their limited income, in which money is the main stimulus to consumerism. Moreover, this action is presumed to provide benefits to society and happiness to humankind. Rationality in the Islamic economic system differs with rationality in the capitalist economic system, in which materialistic satisfaction should be parallel with spiritual satisfaction. The question is whether it is appropriate to assume that Muslim consumers are rational according to the rationality concept in the capitalist economic system. Is the maqasid Syariah analysis related to the consumerism rationality concept? This working paper intended to identify and analyse the contemporary consumerism rationality concept based on maqasid Syariah. Data for this study were sourced from documents and analysed using the content analysis method. The findings showed that the consumerism rationality concept based on maqasid Syariah is divided into five components. The components were the consumption of basic needs (daruriyyah), additional needs (hajiyyah), comfort needs (tahsiniyyah), luxury items (kamaliyyah) and dangerous or deleterious items.