Research Institute of Hawzah and University; "Hawzah wa Dāneshgāh Research Institute" Journal of Studies in Religion, Spirituality & Management 2981-1171 12 24 2025 06 22 A Qur’an-Inspired Conceptual Framework of Growth and Its Implications for Organizational Decision-Making A Qur’an-Inspired Conceptual Framework of Growth and Its Implications for Organizational Decision-Making 123 150 2357 10.30471/rsm.2025.10684.1435 FA Seyed Mahdi Azizi . Assistant Professor, Department of Decision Sciences and Complex Systems, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Management, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-3324-9422 Ali Asghar Khandan Associate Professor, Department of Governance and Public Administration, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Management, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-2974-7787 Mohammad Esmaeil Khatami PhD Candidate, Systems Management, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-3551-0313 Journal Article 2025 01 09 Extended Abstract Introduction and Objectives: Free will lies at the heart of decision-making, which plays a pivotal role in both individual and social life. Decision-making symbolizes human autonomy and responsibility; even seemingly uncontrollable circumstances can be transformed through insight and volition. In management, decision-making is the lifeblood of an organization, shaping its trajectory. It constitutes the essence of managerial science, structured upon the evaluation of alternatives to achieve objectives, goals, and values. Belief systems and value frameworks—particularly the Islamic worldview—provide a comprehensive and culturally meaningful foundation for decision-making in Muslim societies. While utilitarianism is a common normative basis in conventional management, Islamic decision-making introduces the concept of “growth” (rushd) as an alternative paradigm. In Islamic thought, growth is synonymous with leadership and governance, and its advancement is a core managerial responsibility. This study adopts a Qur’anic approach to explore the role of growth in Islamic organizational decision-making, aiming to examine its Qur’anic basis and extract implications for organizational decision-making processes. The research seeks to position “growth” as an Islamic counterpart to utilitarianism in contemporary management paradigms. Method: This study employs thematic analysis of the Qur’an to extract the implications of growth in Islamic decision-making. After identifying gaps in the discourse of Islamic decision-making via literature review and expert consultation, relevant keywords were selected and refined through focus group sessions. Using Al-Muʿjam al-Mufahras, all Qur’anic verses containing these keywords were compiled, examined within context, and repeatedly analyzed to extract thematic insights. Ambiguities were resolved through reference to authoritative tafsir sources, such as Al-Burhān and Nūr. The inferential interpretation (dalālat-pajoohī) method, an 11-step non-linear approach, was then applied to derive the conceptual implications of growth, allowing meanings to emerge organically from the text. Integrating thematic analysis and inferential interpretation enabled a rigorous and nuanced understanding of growth in the framework of Islamic decision-making. Results: The findings indicate that the Qur’anic concept of growth (rushd) differs from its jurisprudential usage. While in Islamic jurisprudence, rushd refers primarily to financial maturity and responsible wealth management, the Qur’anic concept encompasses guidance, salvation, righteousness, and perfection. Analysis of 19 verses containing derivatives of rushd highlights its multidimensional nature: intellectual maturity, divine guidance, individual and social responsibility, adherence to guiding exemplars, meritocracy, and reliance on God (tawak’kul) and supplication (duʿā). Growth is not merely individual but a dynamic process achieved through divine guidance, justice, and moral integrity, closely linked to faith (īmān) and piety (taqwā). From an organizational perspective, growth provides a normative foundation, emphasizing divine guidance and merit-based leadership. As a continuous process anchored in faith, trust in God, and social responsibility, growth underpins development and moral excellence in Islamic organizations. Discussion and Conclusion: Growth-oriented decision-making is characterized by long-term vision, patience, integrative thinking, and moral duty, with attention to the individual, family, and society—contrasting with utilitarianism’s focus on short-term collective gains. It emphasizes adherence to coherent Islamic regulations, ethical principles, justice, and protection of individual rights. The process prioritizes consultation (shūrā), procedural simplicity, reliance on God, thorough investigation, performance-based accountability, meritocracy, optimal resource management, and continuous improvement. Interpersonally, it upholds human dignity, ethical responsibility, and fairness. Growth-centered decision outcomes aim for personal development, human flourishing, long-term social benefits, enhanced interpersonal relationships, and heightened social responsibility. This framework transcends short-term economic interests, fostering ethical, social, and spiritual excellence, and provides a coherent, comprehensive, and ethically grounded alternative to conventional utilitarian approaches in Muslim organizations. Acknowledgments: The authors sincerely thank all Qur’anic and management experts who contributed to this research. Conflict of Interest: None declared. Extended Abstract Introduction and Objectives: Free will lies at the heart of decision-making, which plays a pivotal role in both individual and social life. Decision-making symbolizes human autonomy and responsibility; even seemingly uncontrollable circumstances can be transformed through insight and volition. In management, decision-making is the lifeblood of an organization, shaping its trajectory. It constitutes the essence of managerial science, structured upon the evaluation of alternatives to achieve objectives, goals, and values. Belief systems and value frameworks—particularly the Islamic worldview—provide a comprehensive and culturally meaningful foundation for decision-making in Muslim societies. While utilitarianism is a common normative basis in conventional management, Islamic decision-making introduces the concept of “growth” (rushd) as an alternative paradigm. In Islamic thought, growth is synonymous with leadership and governance, and its advancement is a core managerial responsibility. This study adopts a Qur’anic approach to explore the role of growth in Islamic organizational decision-making, aiming to examine its Qur’anic basis and extract implications for organizational decision-making processes. The research seeks to position “growth” as an Islamic counterpart to utilitarianism in contemporary management paradigms. Method: This study employs thematic analysis of the Qur’an to extract the implications of growth in Islamic decision-making. After identifying gaps in the discourse of Islamic decision-making via literature review and expert consultation, relevant keywords were selected and refined through focus group sessions. Using Al-Muʿjam al-Mufahras, all Qur’anic verses containing these keywords were compiled, examined within context, and repeatedly analyzed to extract thematic insights. Ambiguities were resolved through reference to authoritative tafsir sources, such as Al-Burhān and Nūr. The inferential interpretation (dalālat-pajoohī) method, an 11-step non-linear approach, was then applied to derive the conceptual implications of growth, allowing meanings to emerge organically from the text. Integrating thematic analysis and inferential interpretation enabled a rigorous and nuanced understanding of growth in the framework of Islamic decision-making. Results: The findings indicate that the Qur’anic concept of growth (rushd) differs from its jurisprudential usage. While in Islamic jurisprudence, rushd refers primarily to financial maturity and responsible wealth management, the Qur’anic concept encompasses guidance, salvation, righteousness, and perfection. Analysis of 19 verses containing derivatives of rushd highlights its multidimensional nature: intellectual maturity, divine guidance, individual and social responsibility, adherence to guiding exemplars, meritocracy, and reliance on God (tawak’kul) and supplication (duʿā). Growth is not merely individual but a dynamic process achieved through divine guidance, justice, and moral integrity, closely linked to faith (īmān) and piety (taqwā). From an organizational perspective, growth provides a normative foundation, emphasizing divine guidance and merit-based leadership. As a continuous process anchored in faith, trust in God, and social responsibility, growth underpins development and moral excellence in Islamic organizations. Discussion and Conclusion: Growth-oriented decision-making is characterized by long-term vision, patience, integrative thinking, and moral duty, with attention to the individual, family, and society—contrasting with utilitarianism’s focus on short-term collective gains. It emphasizes adherence to coherent Islamic regulations, ethical principles, justice, and protection of individual rights. The process prioritizes consultation (shūrā), procedural simplicity, reliance on God, thorough investigation, performance-based accountability, meritocracy, optimal resource management, and continuous improvement. Interpersonally, it upholds human dignity, ethical responsibility, and fairness. Growth-centered decision outcomes aim for personal development, human flourishing, long-term social benefits, enhanced interpersonal relationships, and heightened social responsibility. This framework transcends short-term economic interests, fostering ethical, social, and spiritual excellence, and provides a coherent, comprehensive, and ethically grounded alternative to conventional utilitarian approaches in Muslim organizations. Acknowledgments: The authors sincerely thank all Qur’anic and management experts who contributed to this research. Conflict of Interest: None declared.

https://rsm.rihu.ac.ir/article_2357_dd3265ddedb1cc1664bf76c10cd4bd6f.pdf