The Ihsan Agile Guide

Download the Official Ihsan Agile Guide (Version 1.2)

Open-source • Practice-focused • Updated for responsible delivery under pressure

The Ihsan Agile Guide gives Muslim-led teams practical tools to make Islamic values operational in everyday Agile delivery, through Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe. It is intentionally modular: try one practice, adopt one role, or implement the full framework. No comprehensive adoption required.

New in Version 1.2 (RELEASED 10 Shawwal 1447 AH / 29 March 2026 CE) ṣidq (truthfulness) joins niyyah, iḥsān, and maṣlaḥah as the Fourth Pillar, making honest communication and technical disclosure a structural foundation of the framework, not an optional practice. Version 1.2 also clarifies when to seek Shariah consultation, demonstrates why psychological safety is an Islamic requirement for practising ṣidq, and expands guidance on modular adoption.

Introduced in Version 1.1 The Ihsan Agile Product Steward (IAPS) role addresses a gap at the heart of conventional product ownership: technical shortcuts are often hidden as internal "debt" rather than disclosed to the stakeholders who will bear their consequences. Version 1.1 introduced the Technical Uncertainty Register (TUR) and Gharar Assessment Checklist to make undisclosed uncertainty visible, owned, and ethically managed, transforming hidden liabilities into transparent commitments that build trust.

What the Guide includes

• Four Pillars — niyyah, iḥsān, maṣlaḥah, ṣidq — each mapped to daily Agile practice and grounded in the Qur'an and Sunnah

• Five Core Principles — Taqwā, Stewardship (Amānah & Khilāfah), Shūrā, Service & Justice (ʿIbādah & ʿAdl), Tazkiyah

• Two roles — the Ihsan Agile Facilitator (IAF), who shapes how teams work, and the IAPS, who shapes what teams build and how constraints are disclosed

• Core practices — Niyyah Check-ins, Muhāsabah Retrospectives, Stakeholder Barakah Reviews, Ethical Definition of Done

• Practical tools — Technical Uncertainty Register, Gharar Assessment Checklist, Shariah consultation guidance

• Implementation support — method maps for Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe; phased adoption pathways; worked scenarios in Islamic fintech, zakat, and Islamic finance contexts

May our systems be honest about their limits, not just efficient in their outputs.

What's Inside the Guide

• Muslim-led tech organisations and Islamic fintech startups seeking to operationalise Islamic values in software delivery

• Islamic charities and NGOs using Agile for campaigns, programs, or service delivery

• Agile practitioners in Muslim organisations who want to align their work with Islamic principles

• Shariah boards and governance leaders looking to extend ethical oversight into operational delivery

• Muslim software development teams wanting to embed ihsan into their daily practices

Who Should Read This Guide

Current Edition: 2026 (Version 1.2)

Ihsan Agile incrementally updates based on a variety of metrics which can include:

• Refinements based on academic research

• Insights from pilot organisations

• Community feedback and contributions

• Refinements based on practical implementation

Framework Development & Versioning

License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

You are free to:

• Share - Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format

• Adapt - Remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose

Under these terms:

• Attribution - You must give appropriate credit to "Ihsan Agile by Dr. David Wallace-Hare" with a link to ihsanagile.org

• ShareAlike - If you adapt or build upon this work, you must distribute your contributions under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license

• No additional restrictions - You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits

Proper attribution example:

"This work adapts content from the Ihsan Agile Guide by Dr. David Wallace-Hare (https://ihsanagile.org), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made."

Important note: While the Ihsan Agile framework is open and free, this Guide references other frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) that have their own trademarks and licenses. Please see Appendix A in the Guide for full attribution details.

License & Attribution

Ihsan Agile builds on widely adopted Agile practices, reinterpreted through Islamic values. The Guide references:

• The Scrum Guide™ (2020) by Ken Schwaber & Jeff Sutherland (CC BY-SA 4.0) - No endorsement implied

• The Kanban Guide™ by Orderly Disruption Limited & Daniel S. Vacanti, Inc. (CC BY-SA 4.0) - No endorsement implied

• SAFe® and Scaled Agile Framework® - Registered trademarks of Scaled Agile, Inc. - Not affiliated or endorsed

Collaboration with the Ihsan Agile framework is welcomed as a form of shirkah fī al-khayr (partnership in good). Teams and organisations are invited to adapt, translate, and share this guide for the benefit of the ummah.

Framework References & Acknowledgments & Attribution

Ihsan Agile is being developed with the community, not just for the community. Your feedback helps refine the framework and build a body of practice for Muslim tech.

Ways to contribute:

1. Pilot Ihsan Agile methods (learn more)

2. Provide feedback - Share your thoughts on the Guide, suggest improvements, or report implementation challenges (getinvolved@ihsanagile.org)

3. Adapt and share - Under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, you can adapt this framework for your context and share your adaptations with proper attribution

4. Translate - Help make Ihsan Agile accessible to non-English speaking Muslim communities

Contribute & Provide Feedback

Download the Official Ihsan Agile Guide (Version 1.2)

Open-source • Practice-focused • Updated for responsible delivery under pressure