Reconstructing Ecological Compensation for Plantation Fire Lawsuits Based on Islamic Environmental Justice
Date Published : 16 October 2026
Contributors
Muhamad Zainal Arifin, S.H., M.H.
Universitas Al Azhar Indonesia
Author
Keywords
Environmental compensation; Oil palm fires; Islamic environmental law; Ecological restoration; Proportional liability.
Proceeding
Track
General Track
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Copyright (c) 2026 Muhamad Zainal Arifin, S.H., M.H.;
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Environmental compensation in oil palm plantation fire cases remains a contested issue in Indonesian environmental law. Although compensation is necessary to restore ecological damage, its calculation often raises concerns regarding causation, proportionality, and the actual use of compensation for ecological restoration. In several cases, plantation companies may be required to pay substantial environmental damages merely because fire occurred within their concession areas, even when the origin of fire, causal contribution, or corporate negligence remains disputed. This article examines how environmental compensation in oil palm plantation fire litigation should be reconstructed through Islamic legal principles. It employs normative legal research using statutory, case, conceptual, and Islamic jurisprudential approaches. The study analyzes Indonesian environmental regulations, court decisions, and Islamic legal doctrines concerning dhaman, darar, ta‘widh, maslahah, and la darar wa la dirar. The findings show that environmental compensation should not be treated solely as a financial sanction or state revenue mechanism. It must be based on proven environmental harm, a legally relevant causal connection, proportional assessment, and a clear restoration purpose. From an Islamic legal perspective, dhaman requires liability to be attached to a party that causes or contributes to harm; darar demands that compensation reflect actual damage; ta‘widh directs compensation toward repair; while maslahah ensures that remedies serve public welfare and ecological recovery. The article concludes that a just model of environmental compensation must distinguish polluters from victims, prevent arbitrary liability, and ensure that compensation is transparently used to restore damaged ecological functions.
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How to Cite
Arifin, M. Z. (2026). Reconstructing Ecological Compensation for Plantation Fire Lawsuits Based on Islamic Environmental Justice. International Seminar on Sharia, Law and Muslim Society, 1(1), 203-221. https://conferences.uinsaid.ac.id/ISSLaMS/paper/view/1001