This study aims to explore the precise characteristics of the issue of bequests, not solely from a jurisprudential perspective as is common among researchers, but also by linking it to its role in community development and progress. Bequests serve multiple functions that represent the ethical and cultural objectives of Sharīʿah [the ‘Divine Legislation’], which manifest in the process of uniting members of a single society. This is achieved through their contribution to building bonds of affection and compassion among individuals. Additionally, bequests have economic dimensions that consider the interests of the needy and provide them with resources to elevate their living standards. The study also presents a comparison between the contract of bequest an inheritance contract in Islamic Sharīʿah and secular laws, particularly Western ones. This is done by examining the mechanisms employed in enforcing bequests and understanding the interests sought in each, highlighting the distinct features of Islamic Sharīʿah in its consideration of kinship and both private and public interests, aiming to clear religious liability and via promoting community development while prioritizing moral and societal values. Accordingly, this study, in its examination of the subject, seeks to investigate the essence and objectives of bequests and extract the meanings endorsed by the majority of scholars who permitted bequests to heirs, conditional upon the consent of the remaining heirs. This approach considers both the significance of maintaining harmonious familial ties, and the positive impact this has on individual and community development. This will then be compared to some methods that strictly define inheritance in certain Western societies. The researcher employed both analytical and comparative methodologies, in line with the study’s requirements, noting that the nature of the research opens horizons for understanding the approaches of non-Islamic countries regarding the issue of wills, the importance of exploring the culture of the other and its foundational references, the impact of Islamic laws on others, and how the laws upon which Islamic legislations were established have benefited from Western legal obligations. This represents an extension that goes beyond legislative codification to a cultural exchange that allows us to build intellectual communication with the other, placing this research before a fundamental problem embodied in the following question: To what extent do bequests contribute to community development? And what are the communicative dimensions that comparative legislation on bequests with the other offers us?

This study examines the relationship between macroeconomic determinants and education levels in eight selected African oil-exporting countries (AOECs) over the period 2000–2022. Drawing on human capital theory, the paper scrutinizes the impact of factors such as income inequality, health outcome, economic growth, human development, unemployment, education expenditure, institutional quality, and energy consumption on education levels. Employing robust estimation techniques such as fixed effects (FE), random effects (RE), pooled mean group (PMG) and cross-section autoregressive distributed lag model (CS-ARDL), the study unveils vital static and dynamic interactions among these determinants and education levels. Findings reveal notable positive and significant connections between education levels and some of the variables—human capital development, institutional quality, government expenditure on education, and energy consumption, while income inequality demonstrates a consistent negative relationship. Unexpectedly, health outcomes exhibit a negative impact on education levels, warranting further investigation. Furthermore, the analysis deepens understanding of long-run and short-run relationships, highlighting, for example, the contradictory impact of gross domestic product (GDP) and unemployment on education levels in AOECs. Finally, the study recommends targeted human development programs, enhanced public investment in education, institutional reforms for good governance, and sustainable energy infrastructure development.

This study aims to compare investment in human capital, equality of gender education in Kuwait before and after adopting SDG 4 and SDG 5 in 2015. It also aims to assess the effect of women’s empowerment on economic growth. To achieve this objective, published data on the State of Kuwait were collected from the World Bank DataBank between 1992 and 2022 and from the Central Bank of Kuwait. The study employed autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) to determine the impact of women’s empowerment on economic development. The analysis results revealed that the State of Kuwait provided high-quality education for both genders. The results also showed that women are more educated than men. However, this was not reflected in the role of women in the country’s politics, as their participation in parliament and government is still limited. Similarly, women’s participation in business and economic activities is still limited. Finally, the results of the ARDL test showed that women’s education and their political, business, and economic empowerment affect economic development in the short and long run.

This study investigates the role of agricultural exports as a potential engine of economic growth in South Africa, employing a cointegration and error correction model (ECM) framework on time series data from 1980 to 2023. The results confirm a long-run equilibrium relationship between agricultural exports and economic growth, with lagged total exports and employment significantly influencing GDP growth in the short run. However, other factors like foreign direct investment, gross capital formation, and population growth did not exhibit a statistically significant impact. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural exports in driving South Africa’s economic growth. To further enhance this potential, the study recommends establishing a consistent and transparent policy environment to foster investor confidence and long-term planning in the agricultural sector, expanding the range of agricultural exports to reduce vulnerability to external shocks and enhance overall economic resilience and streamlining customs procedures, reducing trade barriers, and improving logistics to enhance the competitiveness of South African agricultural exports in the global market. These policy recommendations, grounded in empirical evidence, offer a roadmap for harnessing the full potential of agricultural exports to drive sustainable economic growth in South Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly restricted household resilience, particularly in developing countries. The study investigates the correlation between livelihood capital and household resilience amid uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in Bekasi Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia. Livelihood capital encompasses social, human, natural, physical, and financial, which are crucial in shaping household resilience. This study used the SEM-PLS method and utilized a survey of 120 respondents (household heads) from four villages in two districts (Muaragembong and South Tambun) in Bekasi Regency to identify critical factors that either enhance or impede rural household resilience during and after the pandemic. Findings reveal that households possessing human capital, financial capital, and empowerment are more adept at navigating socioeconomic difficulties during and after the pandemic. However, this research stated that trust and social networks enhance household resilience during the pandemic, whereas social norms are crucial for rebuilding household resilience in the post-pandemic phase. The finding revealed that social cohesion adversely affected household resilience during and after the pandemic, while trust diminished household resilience in the post-pandemic COVID-19 phase. These findings offer insight to policymakers, scholars, and other stakeholders aiming to foster household resilience during and in recovery efforts after the pandemic.