Behavior, religion, and socio-economic development: a synthesized theoretical framework

This paper introduces a synthesized framework for studying the impact of religion on socio-economic development, addressing shortcomings in existing literature. The framework distinguishes between religion itself and the behavior of its constituents, facilitating both inductive and deductive approaches. It uses the example of Islam, operationalizing concepts like 'Mafsada' (public harm) from Maqasid of Shariah and Adam Smith's 'Worthless Fellow' to create a composite measure of behavior impacting societal harm. The framework also incorporates Ibn Khaldun's Theory of Development and Max Weber's Protestant Ethic to explore the multifaceted relationship between religion, behavior, and development.

Mohammad Tariq Al Fozaie