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Abstract

The rapid growth of fintech lending and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services in Indonesia has blurred the boundary between genuine necessity (al-hajjah) and desire-driven consumption, a distinction that existing studies grounded in conventional fiqh muamalah and Maqashid al-Shari’ah address only post-hoc and classificatorily, without explaining how a need is epistemologically constructed prior to borrowing. This study employs qualitative library research, applying Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics to reconstruct al-hajjah through an integrative reading of three Qur’anic verses on consumption ethics (Q. Al-A’raf [7]:31, Q. Al-Isra’ [17]:26-27, and Q. Al-Furqan [25]:67), five classical exegetical works, and documented fintech lending data. The research findings show that legitimate necessity is evaluated along two hierarchically related axes rather than parallel criteria: legitimacy of purpose, established through strong exegetical convergence, and proportionality, which operates subordinate to and disciplined by the tier of purpose already established. Building on this reconstruction, the study proposes a Legitimate Human Needs Framework applicable across cross-platform fintech lending, including evolving BNPL services. As the analysis relies on aggregate rather than borrower-level data, the framework remains a provisional contribution, pending validation through primary data such as borrower interviews or surveys.

Keywords

Al-Hajjah Digital Fintech Hermeneutics Legitimate Human Framework

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Awaludin, M. H., Fitriyah, A. L., Yazid, M., & Bilhaq, A. R. (2026). What Constitutes Legitimate Human Needs in Digital Fintech? A Gadamerian Reading of Al-Hajjah. Al-Fahmu: Jurnal Ilmu Al-Qur’an Dan Tafsir, 5(2), 685–698. https://doi.org/10.58363/alfahmu.v5i2.1351
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