Synthesizing Kant and Fiqh Siyar: A Hybrid Framework for Property Rights Protection
Keywords:
Property Rights, Kantian philosophy, Islamic Fiqh SiyarAbstract
Property rights violations in conflict zones represent a critical failure of secular legal frameworks, particularly when government institutions collapse or act as perpetrators. This study proposes a novel, synthesized framework for protecting property rights in conflict zones by integrating Kantian political philosophy with Islamic jurisprudence on international relations (Fiqh Siyar). The research employs a normative legal method integrated with comparative and critical analysis, proceeding sequentially to develop a philosophical-legal evaluative framework, map doctrinal norms, and apply these to case studies. The Kantian framework, operationalized through commitments to autonomy and dignity, provides specific indicators for protection, such as non-expropriation and effective remedies. In parallel, the analysis draws on core Islamic legal principles, including ḥifẓ al-māl (protection of wealth) and the prohibition of ghasb (unlawful seizure). Data sources are triangulated from international legal instruments, Islamic legal texts, judicial decisions, and reports from reputable organizations. The findings reveal that while both Kantian philosophy and Fiqh Siyar emphasize institutional roles, Islamic law contributes two critical elements: an eschatological dimension of divine accountability and practical, identity-neutral legal tools for safeguarding non-combatants during systemic collapse. The study implies that effective property rights protection in such crises requires a multi-layered paradigm combining constitutional guarantees with enforceable mechanisms, strengthened by this Kantian-Islamic synthesis. This framework presents a viable alternative for contexts where traditional international law has failed, warranting further exploration for practical implementation and potential adoption by global legal institutions.
References
Acemoglu, D., & Johnson, S. (2005). Unbundling Institutions. Journal of Political Economy, 113(5), 949–995. https://doi.org/10.1086/432166
Agustina, I. L., Susiani, R., Saudi, M. H., & Sinaga, O. (2021). Sharia ownership concept. Review of International Geographical Education, 11(6), 217–224. [thelaw.institute]
Arai‑Takahashi, Y. (2015). Protection of private property. In The 1949 Geneva Conventions: A Commentary (pp. 1515–1534). Oxford University Press. https://academic.oup.com/oxford-law-pro/book/56224/chapter/473511852
Asmuni, A., Fajrillah, & Anggraini, T. (2024). The concept of ownership in fiqh muamalah: A sharia perspective and its implications in the modern economy. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation, 5(4), 845–850. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v12i8.2908
Bhandar, B. (2018). Colonial Lives of Property. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv11smjpm
Braak, B. (2023). Graves, trees, and spray-paint: Land tenure formalisation and five normative repertoires in post-conflict South Sudan. Legal Pluralism and Critical Social Analysis, 55(1), 58–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/27706869.2023.2189391
Baderin, M. A. (2021). International law (al‑siyar) (Chap. 8). Oxford University Press. [ohchr.org]
Buxbaum, J. (2025). Israeli court upholds order expelling prominent Palestinian activist and his family from their Sheikh Jarrah home. Jerusalem Story. https://www.jerusalemstory.com/en/article/israeli-court-upholds-order-expelling-prominent-palestinian-activist-and-his-family-their
Byrd, S., & Hruschka, J. (2006). The natural law duty to recognize private property ownership: Kant’s theory of property in his Doctrine of Right. University of Toronto Law Journal, 56(2), 217–282.
Cato Institute. (2022). Property rights and the Constitution (R. Pilon).
Fariana, A., & Jinan, A. S. (2023). The urgency of intellectual property rights in the digital era from the perspective of Sharia economic law in Indonesia. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 12(8), 552–556. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v12i8.2908
Foster, S., & Bonilla, D. (2011). The social function of property: A comparative perspective. Fordham University School of Law.
Fetzer, T., & Marden, S. (2017). Take what you can: Property rights, contestability and conflict. The Economic Journal, 127(601), 757–783. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12487
Gavriil, E. (2024). Protection of property under human rights and international investment law: A case-law analysis. Laws, 13(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/laws13010006
Hamidullah, M. (2011). The Muslim Conduct of State. The Other Press.
Haridi, S., & Dadwal, V. (2024). The protection of intangible property during armed conflict. ICSID Review, 39(2), 227–239. https://doi.org/10.1093/icsidreview/siae019
Hasan, R. (2018). The provisionality of property rights in Kant’s Doctrine of Right. Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 48(5), 850–876. https://doi.org/10.1080/00455091.2018.1429181
Ibn Taymiyyah. (2007). Public duties in Islam: The institution of the hisba (M. Holland, Trans.). The Islamic Foundation. (Original work published 1982).
ICRC. (2025). Islamic law and international humanitarian law (Briefing Paper). International Committee of the Red Cross.
IOM. (2024). World Migration Report 2024. International Organization for Migration. https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int/msite/wmr-2024-interactive/
Islam, M. W. (1999). Al‑Mal: The concept of property in Islamic legal thought. Arab Law Quarterly, 14(4), 361–368. [russianlaw...ournal.org]
Joireman, S. F., & Tchatchoua‑Djomo, R. (2023). Post-conflict restitution of customary land: Guidelines and trajectories of change. World Development, 168, 106272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106272
Kant, I. (2017). Kant: The Metaphysics of Morals. (M. Gregor, Trans., L. Denis, Ed.) (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Khranbeh, S., & Sawaed, S. (2019). The Rights of Dhimmis in Islam. The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, 7(6). Retrieved from https://www.internationaljournalcorner.com/index.php/theijhss/article/view/147889
Lukacs, S. (2024). The UN is undermining the cause for property rights protection it is supposed to champion. BrusselsReport.eu. https://www.brusselsreport.eu/2024/02/20/the-un-is-undermining-the-cause-for-property-rights-protection-it-is-supposed-to-champion/
Munir, M. (2017). Islamic International Law (Siyar): An Introduction. Academia.edu.
Munir, M. (2011). The protection of civilians in war: Non-combatant immunity in Islamic law. Hamdard Islamicus, 34(4), 7-39.
Nyazee, I. A. K. (2022). The Fiqh of the Two Houses: Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb. In book: Islamic Legal Maxims. Federal Law House, Islamabad
Oliveira, Puppim de, J. A. (2008). Property rights, land conflicts and deforestation in the Eastern Amazon. Forest Policy and Economics, 10(5), 303–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2007.11.008
Ratnawati, E. T. R., & Al‑Farizi, R. S. (2023). Protection of intellectual property rights in the perspective of Islamic law. Millah: Journal of Religious Studies, 22(2), 377–408. https://doi.org/10.20885/millah.vol22.iss2.art4
Ripstein, A. (2020). The justification of property rights. In J. E. Penner, Property Rights: A Re‑Examination (pp. 157–200). Oxford University Press.
Rugadya, M. A. (2020). Land tenure as a cause of tensions and driver of conflict among mining communities in Karamoja, Uganda: Is secure property rights a solution? Land Use Policy, 94, 104495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104495
Ripstein, A. (2009). Force and Freedom: Kant’s Legal and Political Philosophy. Harvard University Press. [nations-united.org]
Ripstein, A. (2017). Freedom and Force: Essays on Kant’s Legal Philosophy. Bloomsbury. [pewresearch.org]
Salim, S., Abdullah, S. F., & Ahmad, K. (2015). Wilayat al‑hisba: A means to achieve justice and maintain high ethical standards in societies. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(4 S2), 201–206. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4s2p201
Scaglia, L. (2024). Tradition and Critique in Kant and al-Jabri. Tópicos, Revista de Filosofía, 70, 317–345. https://doi.org/10.21555/top.v700.2688.
Stilz, A. (2011). Nations, states, and territory. Ethics, 121(3), 572–601. [archive.org]
Stilz, A. (2019). Territorial Sovereignty: A Philosophical Exploration. Oxford University Press. [ebay.com]
Stone, M. J., & Hasan, R. (2022). What is provisional right? Philosophical Review, 131(1), 51–98. https://doi.org/10.1215/00318108-9415141
Strobel, V. (2025). Litigating and enforcing IHL before German courts: Public‑interest litigation via individual rights. T.M.C. Asser Press.
Tomassini, F. (2023). Property and the will: Kant and Achenwall on ownership rights. Kantian Review, 28(2), 297–313. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1369415423000080
Thomas, J. (2021). Coercion in social accounts of law: Can coerciveness undermine legality? Law & Philosophy, 40, 471–508. [mokoro.co.uk]
UN‑HABITAT. (2005). Housing, land and property restitution for refugees and displaced persons. The Pinheiro Principles. United Nations.
UNHCR. (2025). Figures at a glance. https://www.unhcr.org/about-unhcr/overview/figures-glance
Vahabi, M. (2024). Property, sovereignty, and the economics of anfal in modern Iran. Kantian Review / related economic‑political studies (verified through Cambridge University Press).
van Woudenberg, N. (2024). Attacks against cultural property in armed conflict—How to reduce the risk of impunity? Santander Art and Culture Law Review, 10(2), 105–134.
Völkerrechts, Archiv des. (2007). Property rights for individuals under international humanitarian law. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40800189
Yeomans, C. (2020). Kant and the provisionality of property. In Kant on Morality, Humanity, and Legality (pp. 253–277). https://doi.org/10.1215/00318108-9415141
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Subehan Khalik, Ummu Farhah Usman

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.














