Accountability in Islamic Scripture: Foundations for a Good Governance Framework in Fiqh Watan

Abstract

Accountability occupies a central axis in Islamic scripture, shaping a moral cosmos where power, responsibility, and answerability converge under the gaze of divine justice. This article investigates how fiqh watan—the jurisprudence of nationhood rooted in the Islamic intellectual tradition—can derive a coherent good governance framework from Qur’anic principles and Prophetic teachings on accountability. Through a textual-hermeneutic analysis of key scriptural sources, supported by classical commentaries from the Sunni scholastic tradition, the study distils core governance values such as transparency (kashf al-ḥaqīqah), public trust (amānah), justice (ʿadālah), and institutional responsibility (mas’ūliyyah jamāʿiyyah). The article further maps these scriptural foundations onto contemporary governance challenges in Muslim-majority nation-states, arguing that Islamic accountability is not merely punitive but constructively developmental—designed to cultivate ethical leadership, socially responsive institutions, and citizen-centric policy ecosystems. The findings demonstrate that an integrated framework of good governance in fiqh watan emerges when scriptural principles are interpreted through maqāṣid-oriented lenses, offering a normative yet practical model for strengthening legitimacy, preventing administrative harm, and anchoring public authority in a higher moral order. This study contributes to modern Islamic governance discourse by articulating accountability as both a theological imperative and a structural mechanism necessary for sustainable, just, and people-affirming nation-building.