Al-Ghazālī’s Perspective of Salam and Its Relevance to E-Commerce in Nigeria

Abstract

The growth of the basic needs and wants of man takes place alongside man’s response to civilization. By way of economic civilization in Nigeria, the mode of the business transaction has had its extension stretched from onsite to online, which has the internet space as its platform in a bid for globalization. There is no doubt that there is a plethora of anomalies; the obscurity of intentions, excessive uncertainties -gharar, as well as day-light robbery from both ends of the buyers and sellers in the online business space. Thus, this paper is aimed at examining the basic position of IslÄm on the business transaction in general, with a move to unraveling the prospects and challenges of implementing salam on e-commerce, i.e., online business, as discussed by ImÄm AbÅ« ḤÄmid Al-GhazÄlÄ« in his IḥyÄ’u cUlÅ«mi-d-DÄ«n. The methodologies adopted are; descriptive, which enhanced adequate presentation of the ways and manners online business is being operated, and analytical, which aided the study in analyzing Al-GhazÄlī’s views in relation to the Nigerian online business sphere. It was revealed that defrauding, the major problem associated with e-commerce in Nigeria, is blamable on the parts of both the buyer and the seller. In order to curb the proliferation of this anomaly, the paper concluded by advocating the clarity of intentions and activities as well as proper regulation and implementation of Islamic guidelines on salam on e-commerce, in line with Al-GhazÄlī’s submission in his IḥyÄ’u cUlÅ«mi-d-DÄ«n.