Islamic political ethics and contemporary governance: Reassessing the Medina Charter in the Indonesian context

The Medina Charter was a political agreement that regulated a plural society through principles of unity, protection, justice, and shared responsibility. This study aims to identify the principles contained in its 47 clauses and analyze governance in Medina and its relevance to contemporary Indonesian governance. It employs a qualitative library-based approach, combining historical, conceptual, and statutory approaches with descriptive and normative-comparative analysis. The findings identify five thematic groups within the Charter: community formation and social solidarity; protection and justice; recognition of religious diversity; authority and responsibility; and security and peace. Governance in Medina also encompassed administration, public wealth management, market supervision, and dispute resolution. These principles remain relevant to Indonesia, particularly in protecting rights, promoting justice, resolving conflicts, advancing social welfare, and strengthening accountability. The contribution of this study lies in integrating the textual and historical examination of the Medina Charter with a normative and empirical assessment of Indonesian governance. Abstrak Piagam Madinah merupakan kesepakatan politik yang mengatur kehidupan masyarakat majemuk melalui prinsip persatuan, perlindungan, keadilan, dan tanggung jawab bersama. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengidentifikasi prinsip-prinsip dalam 47 pasal Piagam Madinah serta menganalisis tata kelola pemerintahan Madinah dan relevansinya terhadap pemerintahan Indonesia kontemporer. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif berbasis studi kepustakaan dengan pendekatan historis, konseptual, dan perundang-undangan melalui analisis deskriptif dan normatif-komparatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Piagam Madinah memuat lima kelompok prinsip, yaitu pembentukan umat dan solidaritas sosial; perlindungan dan keadilan; pengakuan keberagaman; otoritas dan tanggung jawab; serta keamanan dan perdamaian. Tata kelola pemerintahan Madinah mencakup administrasi, pengelolaan harta publik, pengawasan pasar, dan penyelesaian sengketa. Prinsip-prinsip tersebut relevan bagi Indonesia, khususnya dalam perlindungan hak, keadilan, resolusi konflik, kesejahteraan sosial, dan akuntabilitas. Kontribusi penelitian ini terletak pada pengintegrasian kajian tekstual dan historis Piagam Madinah dengan evaluasi normatif dan empiris tata kelola pemerintahan Indonesia.