Quantity Transparency and Transactional Fairness in Unweighed Coconut Milk Sales: An Islamic Economic Law Perspective

Abstract

This study examines quantity transparency and transactional fairness in the sale of fresh coconut milk without standardized weighing in Talang Babat Village, Tanjung Jabung Timur, Indonesia, from the perspective of Islamic economic law. The study responds to the persistence of informal measurement practices in which quantity is determined through visual estimation and non-standardized plastic bags, despite the potential implications for contractual certainty and consumer protection. Employing a qualitative multiple-case study design, the research involved three coconut milk sellers, consumers, and Islamic economic law experts. Data were collected through non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using an interactive process of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing, supported by source and methodological triangulation. The findings reveal two contrasting transaction mechanisms. One seller applies standardized weighing, enabling consumers to objectively verify the relationship between price and quantity, while another relies on plastic-bag sizes and visual estimation. In the latter practice, the same price category produced substantial quantity variation, approximately 180–270 ml, thereby limiting consumers’ ability to independently verify the quantity received. The practice is sustained by local custom (‘urf), interpersonal trust, convenience, and limited knowledge of fiqh mu‘āmalah, rather than demonstrable intentional deception. From the perspective of Islamic economic law, the practice contains a significant element of gharar and is characterized as an akad fasid because the essential requirement of quantity certainty (ma‘lum al-maqadir) is inadequately fulfilled, while tadlis cannot be conclusively established. The study further demonstrates that the practice potentially undermines ‘adl, tarāḍin, and ḥifẓ al-māl. Accordingly, the study recommends a transition from a trust-based system toward a trust-and-verification model through standardized weighing, transparent disclosure of quantity, and consumer education.