Integrative research of Islamic studies in Indonesian Islamic higher education

The study of hadith in the discourse of modern Islamic studies is often caught between the polarity of traditionalism that accepts narrations without criticism and the radical skepticism of classical orientalists who doubt their historicity. This study aims to analyze the isnād-cum-matn analysis (ICMA) methodology developed by Harald Motzki in studying legal hadith and examine its implications for the authority of hadith in contemporary Islamic studies. The methodology used is qualitative research with a library research model and content analysis of Motzki's main works and other supporting literature. The results show that Motzki's approach offers a "middle way" position that systematically revises the skeptical paradigms of Joseph Schacht and Ignaz Goldziher. Through an in-depth analysis of early collections such as Muṣannaf ‘Abd al-Razzāq al-Ṣan‘ānī, Motzki successfully proves that a number of legal hadith have historical roots that can be traced back to the first century of the Hijriah and are connected to the generation of the Companions. This research's contribution lies in strengthening the methodological foundations of hadith science by integrating empirical criticism of the sanad and matan (transmitted texts), while simultaneously restoring the historical legitimacy of hadith as a fundamental source in the formation of Islamic law. Thus, ICMA is a crucial instrument in bridging the gap between Western academic tradition and classical hadith methodology, thereby strengthening the authority of hadith in the contemporary era.

Background and Purpose: Educators play a central role in enhancing students' moral competence by internalizing professional norms, values, attitudes, and skills. Moral sensitivity is a key competency for nursing educators and significantly influences their professional practice. Assessing this construct requires a valid and reliable measurement scale. This study aimed to design and psychometrically evaluate a questionnaire to measure moral sensitivity among nursing educators. Methods: This mixed-methods study used a sequential exploratory design for instrument development. In the qualitative phase, a hybrid concept analysis was conducted through a systematic literature review and in-depth, semistructured interviews with 10 purposively selected experts (8 nursing educators and 2 specialists in ethics and Islamic studies). Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis with MAXQDA 21. Based on the findings, an initial pool of questionnaire items was developed. In the quantitative phase, psychometric evaluation included face, content, and construct validity (exploratory factor analysis), as well as reliability testing through internal consistency and test-retest methods. Results: Qualitative findings identified attributes, antecedents, and consequences of moral sensitivity. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors: recognition of the situation, accuracy in decision-making, civic-benevolent behavior, student-centeredness, and attention to human dignity. The initial 80-item questionnaire was reduced to 31 items. The questionnaire showed excellent reliability (coefficient alpha = .92; intraclass correlation coefficient = .91). Conclusion: The Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire for educators demonstrates strong psychometric properties and provides a culturally grounded scale for assessing and promoting ethical sensitivity among nursing educators.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse forced marriage from the Islamic law perspective, its impact on divorce decisions and sharia mechanisms involved. This study employs a qualitative method with a descriptive design to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of couples in forced marriages and the regulation of divorce in this context by Islamic law. The research is based on extensive interviews with couples who have been through forced marriage, with specialists in Islamic law and with sharia attorneys. The data analysis was carried out using thematic analysis to discover patterns and topics connected to the psychological repercussions of forced marriage and divorce systems in Islam. The research shows that being coerced into marriage can make the people involved unhappy, stressed and depressed, and typically leads them to decide to get divorced. Islamic divorce methods through talak (husband initiated) and khulu’ (woman initiated) provide a lawful remedy, taking into account rights such as nafkah iddah and property split to ensure fairness. The novelty of this research is the more in-depth exploration of the use of Sharia processes in divorce due to forced marriages. Forced weddings are rarely explored in previous Islamic law studies. The consequences of this study are essential in the context of Islamic law education, especially in providing a fuller awareness of individual rights in marriage and divorce according to sharia. This work can be a reference for future research on similar subjects in the social and legal fields.

This study aims to explore the community da’wa approach of the Majelis Zikir al-Hidayah Bengkalis using qualitative methods with a case study approach. Data sources were obtained from observations of activities and interviews with the Majelis leaders. The results of the study show that the community-based da'wah approach applied by the Bengkalis Al-Hidayah Zikir Council consists of ritual-spiritual, emotional and symbolic, educational, relational, therapeutic, and social approaches. This approach has a significant impact on strengthening the spirituality of the congregation, their psychological and emotional condition, social bonds and solidarity, behavior and morals, intellectual and religious awareness, and institutional existence and loyalty. On the other hand, the challenge that still exists is that the religious study material still seems simple and not comprehensive due to the limited knowledge of the Majelis leaders in Islamic disciplines. This study recommends the importance of involving Muslim intellectual figures from external circles to fill in broader and more in-depth Islamic studies. This study provides theoretical and practical contributions to the development of relevant and impactful community-based da'wah strategies.

This study aims to analyze the role of international academic programs in enhancing academic awareness and character education for postgraduate students at the State Islamic Institute (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Pontianak/IAIN) Pontianak. This study uses descriptive qualitative research in which the author is directly involved as a participant in the international academic program conducted in Malaysia. The research subjects include IAIN Pontianak students and lecturers involved in the program, with the activity location at SMK Pesantren Abdul Taib Mahmud, Sarawak, Malaysia. Data collection techniques were carried out through participant observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis used the Miles and Huberman model, which includes data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The research results indicate that international academic programs significantly contribute to strengthening students' academic awareness through direct involvement in teaching activities, academic presentations, and cross-cultural interactions. Furthermore, these programs play a role in the internalization of character education relevant to Islamic educational values. However, the implementation of international academic programs also faces various challenges, requiring institutions to be prepared to design structured and sustainable programs for their success. Strengthening pre-departure orientation, providing language and cultural training, and faculty mentoring are important strategies to minimize challenges and maximize the benefits of the program. This study confirms that international academic programs serve as a strategic means in shaping Islamic Studies Master’s graduates who are globally minded, possess Islamic character, and are capable of contributing to the global community.

This introduction to the special section “Methodologies of the Everyday in South Asian Islam: Beyond Received Frameworks” explores how “the everyday” has been used conceptually across disciplines such as anthropology, history, and religious studies in the study of Islam. In this special section, authors demonstrate the need for a renewed focus on the methodologies of studying the everyday as well as the importance of studies of Islam in South Asia to this project. The introduction connects the interventions of the six articles in the special section, which demonstrate how scholars across disciplines use the everyday as theory and method, and it provides examples of how scholars might engage cross-disciplinary perspectives. Recognizing the well-established and extensive literature on Islam and the everyday, the introduction and the special section as a whole insist on the continued relevance of the everyday and highlight the need for increased attention to the varied methodologies that elucidate it.

The purpose of this study is to explain how shifts in human behavior, driven by ideological worldviews, can lead to the replacement of an existing economic system. Using a comprehensive literature review guided by Torraco’s integrative approach, the study synthesizes insights from economics, psychology, Islamic studies, and moral philosophy. It compares the pre-Islamic period, the early Islamic transformation, and the contemporary capitalist order to demonstrate that capitalism consistently generates inequality, exploitation, and moral fragmentation because it is grounded in self-interest. Drawing on Moral Foundations Theory and Social Constructivist Theory, the analysis shows that economic structures emerge from deeper cognitive and moral frameworks. Islamic anthropology provides a holistic view of the human being that unifies physical, cognitive, ethical, and spiritual dimensions. The study contributes a conceptual framework explaining how ideological transformation can replace capitalism with an Islamic paradigm rooted in justice, accountability, and spiritual balance, offering a pathway toward systemic moral and economic reform.

Evolution and dynamics of research on the theory of planned behavior in Islamic finance studies: a bibliometric study

This paper presents the development of a website for searching Islamic study schedules in Jakarta equipped with an automatic reminder feature via WhatsApp. The system is designed for Muslim residents in Jakarta to provide easy access to accurate and up-to-date information on Islamic study activities. Users can search schedules based on location, study theme, and preacher. The reminder feature is integrated with WhatsApp to automatically notify users before scheduled activities. The development follows the Extreme Programming (XP) methodology, which includes planning, design, coding, and testing. System testing demonstrates that all implemented features function according to requirements.

Efforts to increase the income of oil palm farmers have received attention in several studies, but research that specifically discusses the integration of farmers’ income improvement strategies with the perspective of Islamic Economics in a local context remains limited. This study aims to analyze farmers’ efforts to increase income in Jorong Simpang Tiga Alin, Gunung Tuleh Subdistrict, from the perspective of Islamic Economics. This study employed a qualitative approach with a case study design, involving 20 informants selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through interviews and observation, and were then analyzed descriptively and qualitatively through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that oil palm production tended to decline during the 2022–2024 period even though the land area remained relatively constant, while farmers’ income fluctuated from year to year. The efforts made by farmers to increase income included optimizing land use, using superior seedlings, applying intensive fertilization, and implementing simple mechanization. These findings indicate that increasing farmers’ income is determined not only by the efficiency of managing production factors, but also by the application of the values of justice, maslahah, and sustainability in farm management. The conclusion of this study affirms the importance of strengthening production efficiency and access to resources in order to increase farmers’ income, while also providing theoretical implications for the development of Islamic Economics studies and practical implications for the formulation of agricultural policies that are more supportive of farmers’ welfare.

The rapid growth of e-commerce among Generation Z has changed consumer behavior and given rise to the phenomenon of doom spending, a form of impulsive shopping triggered by emotional stress, economic uncertainty, and the intensity of digital promotions. In the context of Muslim students, Islamic financial literacy is seen as a crucial factor potentially influencing consumer behavior amidst the ease of transactions on digital platforms. This study aims to analyze the influence of Islamic financial literacy on doom spending behavior among female Generation Z e-commerce users, specifically students of the Islamic Banking Study Program, class of 2022, at the State Islamic University of North Sumatra. his study used a quantitative approach with a survey method on 50 female students selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through a five-point Likert scale questionnaire consisting of 9 items of Islamic financial literacy and 9 items of doom spending behavior. The analysis was carried out in two stages: (1) Item Response Theory with a Graded Response Model to evaluate the quality of the instrument and estimate the latent scores of each construct, and (2) Generalized Structural Equation Modeling (GSEM) to test the structural relationship between the latent variables of Islamic financial literacy and doom spending behavior. The analysis results show that all items in both constructs have very high discrimination parameters, thus the instrument is able to adequately represent the latent constructs. The structural model estimation results indicate that Islamic financial literacy has a positive influence on doom spending behavior with a marginal significance level (β = 0.355; p = 0.061). These findings indicate that increasing Islamic financial literacy has not been able to fully suppress the tendency towards doom spending without being accompanied by stronger emotional control and internalization of spiritual values ​​in facing a highly persuasive digital environment.

This study aims to analyze the implementation of academic supervision by madrasah principals in improving the professional competence of Al-Qur'an and Hadith teachers in junior high schools (Madrasah Tsanawiyah) throughout Bengkulu City. The research employed a mixed methods approach with a predominantly qualitative design, involving 30 informants consisting of madrasah principals, teachers, supervisors, and administrators of the KKMTs (School of Islamic Studies) and MGMP (School of Islamic Studies). Data were collected through observation, interviews, documentation, and questionnaires, and analyzed using thematic and descriptive analysis. The results indicate that academic supervision has been implemented according to formal stages, including planning, implementation, and follow-up. However, it remains predominantly administrative in nature. Supervision implementation demonstrates that teachers have met minimum standards for material mastery but are limited in innovative methods and contextualization of learning. Supervision follow-up has not been conducted systematically and sustainably. The study concludes that academic supervision makes a positive contribution to increasing teachers' reflective awareness and professional competence. However, it requires strengthening needs-based planning, improving the supervisory competence of madrasah principals, and developing a structured follow-up system to be more effective and sustainable. Keywords: Academic Supervision, Madrasah Principal, Professional Competence, Al-Qur'an Teacher

This study investigated parental and peer pressures as predictors of students' academic achievement in Islamic Studies in senior secondary schools in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Four purposes, four research questions, and four hypotheses were formulated and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A predictive correlational survey design was adopted. The population comprised 12,436 SS III students drawn from two educational zones. The Islamic Studies Achievement Test (ISAT) was used for data collection, and data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and linear regression. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between students' academic achievement and parental involvement (F(1,157)=8.734, p<0.03); a significant positive relationship with parental leadership style (F(1,156)=8.565, p<0.004); a significant positive relationship with peer influence (F(1,150)=7.921, p<0.005); and a significant positive relationship with peer study desire (F(1,155)=8.482, p<0.004). The study concluded that parental involvement, parental leadership styles, peer influence, and peer study desire each significantly predict academic achievement in Islamic Studies. It was recommended that parents actively engage in their children's academic activities, such as monitoring homework and attending school meetings, while teachers and school counselors nurture students' interest in peer-based learning through group learning tasks and peer tutoring sessions.

Abstract This introductory article builds on recent historical and anthropological scholarship that highlights the centrality of ambiguity in Islam and how Muslims navigate their religious life. It brings together insights from the anthropology of Islam and Islamic Studies, as well as classic work on Southeast-Asian cosmologies and concepts of power, to develop new insights into Islam’s possible relations to ambiguity and tolerance. Extending this inquiry to historical and contemporary Southeast Asia, it argues that ambiguity remains a vital, albeit overlooked and undertheorized, dimension of Islamic life in the region. It further contends that any account of (in)tolerance of ambiguity must attend to localized understandings of tolerance grounded in Southeast Asian cosmologies. Drawing on the contributions to this special issue, this introduction traces the layered and hierarchical entanglements between Islamic and pre-Islamic traditions, revealing how these relationships continue to shape Muslim approaches to ambiguity across historical and contemporary contexts.

The growing influence of digital technologies has reshaped the nature of academic research, offering new opportunities for improving efficiency, accessibility, and innovation. However, within the field of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Pakistan, the adoption and effective use of digital tools remain underexplored. The limited integration of technology in religious academia often restricts students to traditional, manual research methods, which can impede productivity and quality. This study aims to evaluate the impact of digital tools and applications on the research productivity of Arabic and Islamic Studies students in Pakistan, focusing on awareness, usage patterns, institutional access, and perceived effectiveness.A descriptive quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire distributed among 252 students from public and private universities. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify usage frequency, tool preference, and perceived outcomes. Results revealed that over 90% of respondents were aware of digital research tools, with Islam360 (88%) and Maktaba Shamela (82%) being the most widely used applications. A majority of students reported improved research quality (74%) and productivity (56%) due to the use of digital tools. Nevertheless, challenges such as inadequate training, limited institutional support, and unequal digital access persist.The study concludes that digital tools have significantly enhanced the efficiency, accuracy, and scholarly depth of Arabic and Islamic research in Pakistan. Strengthening institutional support and digital literacy programs could further advance research productivity and innovation within the discipline.

This article explores Islamic studies from the insider/outsider perspective proposed by Kim Knott. It focuses on the researcher’s identity and the theoretical framework underlying insider and outsider approaches, as well as the implications of their application in contemporary Islamic studies. This approach integrates three key elements: active participation in the studied religious community (complete participant), the role of the researcher in conducting objective observation (complete observer), and the dialogical relationship between emic and etic approaches in the analysis of religion, which Kim Knott conceptualizes as rapprochement. This implies that religious research requires a dynamic adjustment between the role of a community member and that of a neutral researcher. The article concludes that the rapprochement approach developed by Kim Knott establishes a more inclusive and dialogical framework in Islamic studies, promoting deeper understanding of Islamic religion and culture and creating space for more meaningful discussion and mutual understanding among the parties involved in religious research. Furthermore, it argues that the insider/outsider perspective offers a rich and multidimensional approach to understanding Islam. By integrating participatory perspectives, objective research, and emic–etic analysis, this approach enables researchers to develop a more comprehensive and dialogical understanding of Islam in contemporary contexts.

Many learning institutions and organizations are currently faced with the acute burden of trying to forecast the academic performance of their students. This paper reflects the application of machine learning tools to discuss the potential and performance of students in Islamic Studies. The framework suggested in this paper, will start with the acquisition of the historical data of the students in the input dataset. First, the forward selection wrapper method is used to select the most meaningful features thus eliminating the redundant qualities in the set of student data. Three types of classifiers are then used to create a classification model based on fuzzy support vector machines (SVM), K-nearest neighbors (K-NN), and Naive Bayes. In such a methodological approach, academic performance is predicted and results measured according to certain criteria. According to results of the experiment, it is noted that feature selection-fuzzy support vector machine (FS-fuzzy SVM) has an excellent accuracy of 99.9% with a sensitivity of 98.50% and a specificity of 98.50% and it is therefore seen to be more effective in predicting the academic performance of students in Islamic Studies.

ABSTRACT This study examines how Islamic Studies textbooks used in grades 7 and 8 in Ontario, Canada, represent sex education and gender roles through text, narratives, and illustrations. Despite growing debates about sexual health education in Canadian schools, little research has addressed how Islamic schools integrate – or avoid – such content. To address this gap, the study applies a qualitative content analysis of two widely used textbooks, one reflecting Sunni perspectives and the other Shia. Coding focused on representations of gender roles, puberty, sexual ethics, and relationships. Findings show a strong imbalance in representation: over 80% of narratives and 60% of images feature male characters, while women are largely confined to domestic or private religious spaces. Explicit sex education is absent, replaced by lessons on hygiene, modesty, and sexual morality, with Sunni texts giving comparatively more attention to puberty than Shia texts. These results highlight the tension between liberal educational values in Canadian policy and traditional Islamic pedagogical frameworks. The paper concludes by suggesting that curriculum developers and educators consider more inclusive and balanced approaches that address both religious sensitivities and the educational needs of students in multicultural contexts.

This study examines the integration of digital literacy into Islamic higher education instruction through the implementation of blended learning at the State Islamic Institute of Takengon. Using a mixed-methods design, the research involved 30 participants (10 students, 10 lecturers, and 10 administrators) selected through stratified random sampling. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires, while qualitative data were obtained from semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that participants demonstrate strong proficiency in basic digital skills such as word processing and internet navigation, yet show limited competence in advanced skills, including digital content creation and critical evaluation of digital sources. Blended learning emerged as an effective pedagogical strategy for embedding digital literacy into Islamic studies courses, particularly in Ulumul Qur’an and Ulumul Hadits. However, infrastructural limitations, insufficient professional development, and institutional resistance remain significant challenges. The study offers a contextual model of digital literacy integration grounded in Islamic educational values and highlights the importance of structured digital pedagogy training and improved technological infrastructure. These findings provide practical and policy-oriented recommendations for strengthening curriculum innovation in Islamic higher education.