Ukhuwah and succession questions of an Indonesian Muslim’s family business

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the practice of ukhuwah, that is, the bond of brotherhood in Islam, from a Muslim’s family business and further probes its role in the succession questions for a family business. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses qualitative research method. The primary data was gathered from a single case study of a family business in Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Open interview and direct observation were mainly engaged in data collection, complemented by data from Facebook posts and WhatsApp status of the family business owners. Findings: The interpretative approach reveals how ukhuwah has been practiced in the family business and how the practice supports the business sustainability during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The finding of this study draws the inclusion of Islamic value within small business practices in the debates of succession question of family business. Research limitations/implications: The generalisability of the finding is limited to the single case study of family business in Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study may be the first to draw evidence from a single case study of a Muslim’s family business in Indonesia, probing ukhuwah within succession questions of family business. © 2025, Emerald Publishing Limited.