The Islamic Concept of Meeting Place and its Application in e-commerce
Since the emergence of electronic commerce, a massive development and a considerable increase has occurred in every aspect of business life worldwide. The conducting of commercial activities via the World Wide Web (Internet), in particular, has played a significant part in the development of the commercial and economical sectors in many parts of the world. Initially, commercial activities conducted electronically were not, specifically, regulated because it was commonly perceived that regulations might disturb and hinder the growth of e-commerce. However, as a result of the notable expansion of electronic market activities globally, many legal disputes and concerns have surfaced. This indicates the need for regulations to govern the new activities. Various countries and organisations globally have introduced rules and guidelines, based on their national laws, as a response to such need. However, little has been done to regulate the phenomena according the Islamic legal system. The scarcity of specific Islamic rulings for the online market has dissuaded many Muslim traders and customers from participating in electronic commerce. It is obligatory upon Muslims to implement Islamic rules in every aspects of their life including commercial ones. From a purely commercial perspective, Islam has provided its followers with general guidelines which must not be ignored or infringed. Intentionally, the door is left open for market activities to be ruled on according to what the most suitable and beneficial approach would be, based on prevalent trade practises and customs. Since the early phase of Islam, comprehensive efforts have been offered to regulate the Islamic commercial sector. However, in the case of electronic commerce there remains a need for further examination by Muslim jurists and appropriate Islamic rules are required for the development of this new phenomenon.
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