Implementing the Abdul Rahman Ibn Auf (ARBA) concept for sustainable micro-entrepreneurship: A comprehensive review

Abstract

This paper establishes micro-enterprises as the cornerstone of Malaysia's economic resilience, given their dominant representation within the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. According to the latest SME Annual Report (2023), micro-enterprises defined as businesses with fewer than five workers and annual sales turnover below RM300,000 constitute 78% of all SMEs and contribute 46% of total SME employment. To address persistent challenges of digital exclusion, financial fragility, and supply chain vulnerabilities, this study proposes the Abdul Rahman bin Auf Business Model (ARBA) as a strategic framework. Three research objectives guide this work: (1) identifying ARBA's core entrepreneurial strategies, (2) diagnosing systemic barriers facing contemporary micro-enterprises, and (3) developing an ARBA-based theoretical model for SME sustainability. Drawing on Islamic entrepreneurial principles, this research employs a library methodology analyzing authoritative sources, including the Quran, Sunnah, historical biographies (sirah), contemporary scholarship.. The resulting ARBA model offers timeless strategies for micro-enterprise resilience, emphasizing ethical transactions, adaptive innovation, and socio-economic stewardship.