Applying the Fuzzy Delphi Technique of Islamic Multidimensional Poverty Index in Measuring Urban Poverty

Mohd Syukri Zainal Abidin, Muhamad Zulfadli Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Taqiuddin Mohamad, Muhammad Shamshinor Abdul Azzis, Mohd Zaidi Md Zabri

Abstract


Urban poverty involves more than economic hardship as it encompasses limited access to quality education, inadequate healthcare, insecure housing and social exclusion. It also includes psychological, spiritual, and moral deprivation. Conventional poverty indices such as the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) do not fully capture these non-material aspects, especially in Muslim-majority societies where well-being is shaped by Islamic values. This study introduces an Islamic Multidimensional Poverty Index (i-MPI) based on the principles of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah and includes a unique soul dimension that reflects emotional, perceptual, and behavioral well-being. The Fuzzy Delphi Technique (FDT) was used to gather expert consensus from 14 scholars and practitioners in Islamic economics and poverty research. A total of 18 indicators across six dimensions were evaluated: religion, life, intellect, progeny, wealth, and soul. Triangular fuzzy numbers and defuzzification thresholds were applied to assess clarity, relevance, and expert agreement. Results showed a high level of consensus, particularly in recognizing the value of including spiritual deprivation in poverty assessment. The i-MPI offers a culturally grounded and operationally sound tool for measuring urban poverty in Islamic contexts. It supports applications in zakat allocation, Islamic social finance, and integrated policy planning. This study presents both a practical framework and a conceptual shift that acknowledges spiritual and ethical well-being as essential to understanding poverty.

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