Islamic Leadership Theory: A Comparative Analysis of The Concepts of Imamah By Al-Mawardi and Asabiyyah By Ibn Khaldun
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61842/swq/v4i1.60
Keywords:
asabiyyah imamah Islamic leadership normative values social stability
Abstract
This study is motivated by various contemporary leadership issues, including declining public trust, weak accountability, and increasing social conflicts. In this context, the leadership theories of Al-Mawardi and Ibn Khaldun are important to examine as theoretical foundations of Islamic leadership. The problem addressed in this study is how leadership is conceptualized by al-Mawardi and Ibn Khaldun and its relevance to modern society. The research questions focus on identifying the characteristics of ideal leadership according to both scholars and examining their application in contemporary social life. This study employs a qualitative method with a library research approach, analyzing primary sources such as al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah and al-Muqaddimah, as well as other relevant supporting literature. The findings reveal that, according to al-Mawardi, leadership (imamah) is normative in nature, emphasizing justice, trustworthiness, and legitimacy. In contrast, Ibn Khaldun highlights sociological aspects such as social solidarity (asabiyyah), stability, and the dynamics of society. This research seeks to integrate al-Mawardi’s normative approach with Ibn Khaldun’s empirical perspective in order to formulate a more comprehensive model of Islamic leadership. The study concludes that ideal leadership is a combination of normative values and social realities, making it highly relevant for application in modern society
References
Abou El Fadl, Khaled. Islam and the Challenge of Democracy. Princeton:
Alatas, Syed Farid. “The Contemporary Significance of Ibn Khaldun for Decolonial Sociology: Methodological and Theoretical Dimensions.” Tajseer Journal 2, no. 1 (2020): 75–98. https://doi.org/10.29117/tis.2020.0025
Al-Azmeh, Aziz. Ibn Khaldun: An Essay in Reinterpretation. Budapest: Central European University Press, 2003.
Al-Mawardi, Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Habib. Al-Ahkam al-Sulthaniyyah wa al-Wilayat al-Diniyyah. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1985.
Bayat, Asef. Making Islam Democratic: Social Movements and the Post-Islamist Turn. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2007.
Black, Antony. The History of Islamic Political Thought. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2001.
Diamond, Larry. Developing Democracy: Toward Consolidation. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.
Enayat, Hamid. Modern Islamic Political Thought. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1982.
Esposito, John L. Islam and Politics. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1998.
Esposito, John L., dan John O. Voll. Islam and Democracy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Fukuyama, Francis. Political Order and Political Decay. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.
Hallaq, Wael B. The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity’s Moral Predicament. New York: Columbia University Press, 2013.
Hefner, Robert W. Civil Islam: Muslims and Democratization in Indonesia. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000.
Ibn Khaldun, Abd al-Rahman ibn Khaldun. Al-Muqaddimah. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 2000.
Inayah, Risalatul, dan Lina Marlina Susana. “Rekonstruksi Konsep Amanah Al-Mawardi sebagai Dasar Reformasi Tata Kelola Ekonomi Publik Indonesia.” Jurnal Akademik Ekonomi dan Manajemen 3, no. 1 (2025): 45–47. https://doi.org/10.61722/jaem.v3i1.8656
Lapidus, Ira M. A History of Islamic Societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
Lewis, Bernard. The Political Language of Islam. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988.
Little, Peter C. Ibn Khaldun and World History: A Reassessment. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
Mas’adah, Isnaini. “Kepemimpinan dalam Pandangan Filsuf Arab (Studi Kitab Muqaddimah Karya Ibnu Khaldun).” Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Ushuluddin 20, no. 2 (2021): 180–195. https://jurnal.uin-antasari.ac.id/index.php/ushuluddin/article/view/5441
Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, “Al-Mawardi’s Paradigmatic Theory of Politics: Imamah or Khilafah in Theory & Practice,” Journal of Creative Writing 7, no. 1 (2023): 12, https://jocw.ittc.edu.bd/index.php/jocw/article/view/69
Muien, Ahmad, S. M. Efaprast, dan Arianto. “Al-Mawardi’s Thoughts and Its Relevance to Contemporary Political Systems.” Tapis: Jurnal Aspirasi Politik Islam 21, no. 1 (2025). https://ejournal.radenintan.ac.id/index.php/TAPIs/article/view/28980
Rahmah, Puja. “Konsep Keadilan Sosial dalam Pemikiran Al-Mawardi dan Relevansinya bagi Tata Kelola Pemerintahan Islam.” IBTIKAR 2, no. 1 (2025): 42–51. https://ejournal.iai-almuslimaceh.ac.id/IBTIKAR/article/view/248/312
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Good Governance and Sustainable Development. New York: United Nations Publications, 1997.
Weber, Max. Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.
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Muhammad Rifqi Shiddiq, & Jufri Yahya. (2026). Islamic Leadership Theory: A Comparative Analysis of The Concepts of Imamah By Al-Mawardi and Asabiyyah By Ibn Khaldun . Siyasah Wa Qanuniyah : Jurnal Ilmiah Ma’had Aly Raudhatul Ma’arif, 4(1), 37–58. https://doi.org/10.61842/swq/v4i1.60
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Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Rifqi Shiddiq, Jufri Yahya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are accessible to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
Under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so reasonably but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61842/swq/v4i1.60Keywords:
asabiyyah imamah Islamic leadership normative values social stabilityAbstract
This study is motivated by various contemporary leadership issues, including declining public trust, weak accountability, and increasing social conflicts. In this context, the leadership theories of Al-Mawardi and Ibn Khaldun are important to examine as theoretical foundations of Islamic leadership. The problem addressed in this study is how leadership is conceptualized by al-Mawardi and Ibn Khaldun and its relevance to modern society. The research questions focus on identifying the characteristics of ideal leadership according to both scholars and examining their application in contemporary social life. This study employs a qualitative method with a library research approach, analyzing primary sources such as al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah and al-Muqaddimah, as well as other relevant supporting literature. The findings reveal that, according to al-Mawardi, leadership (imamah) is normative in nature, emphasizing justice, trustworthiness, and legitimacy. In contrast, Ibn Khaldun highlights sociological aspects such as social solidarity (asabiyyah), stability, and the dynamics of society. This research seeks to integrate al-Mawardi’s normative approach with Ibn Khaldun’s empirical perspective in order to formulate a more comprehensive model of Islamic leadership. The study concludes that ideal leadership is a combination of normative values and social realities, making it highly relevant for application in modern society
References
Abou El Fadl, Khaled. Islam and the Challenge of Democracy. Princeton:
Alatas, Syed Farid. “The Contemporary Significance of Ibn Khaldun for Decolonial Sociology: Methodological and Theoretical Dimensions.” Tajseer Journal 2, no. 1 (2020): 75–98. https://doi.org/10.29117/tis.2020.0025
Al-Azmeh, Aziz. Ibn Khaldun: An Essay in Reinterpretation. Budapest: Central European University Press, 2003.
Al-Mawardi, Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Habib. Al-Ahkam al-Sulthaniyyah wa al-Wilayat al-Diniyyah. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1985.
Bayat, Asef. Making Islam Democratic: Social Movements and the Post-Islamist Turn. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2007.
Black, Antony. The History of Islamic Political Thought. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2001.
Diamond, Larry. Developing Democracy: Toward Consolidation. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.
Enayat, Hamid. Modern Islamic Political Thought. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1982.
Esposito, John L. Islam and Politics. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1998.
Esposito, John L., dan John O. Voll. Islam and Democracy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Fukuyama, Francis. Political Order and Political Decay. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.
Hallaq, Wael B. The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity’s Moral Predicament. New York: Columbia University Press, 2013.
Hefner, Robert W. Civil Islam: Muslims and Democratization in Indonesia. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000.
Ibn Khaldun, Abd al-Rahman ibn Khaldun. Al-Muqaddimah. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 2000.
Inayah, Risalatul, dan Lina Marlina Susana. “Rekonstruksi Konsep Amanah Al-Mawardi sebagai Dasar Reformasi Tata Kelola Ekonomi Publik Indonesia.” Jurnal Akademik Ekonomi dan Manajemen 3, no. 1 (2025): 45–47. https://doi.org/10.61722/jaem.v3i1.8656
Lapidus, Ira M. A History of Islamic Societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
Lewis, Bernard. The Political Language of Islam. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988.
Little, Peter C. Ibn Khaldun and World History: A Reassessment. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
Mas’adah, Isnaini. “Kepemimpinan dalam Pandangan Filsuf Arab (Studi Kitab Muqaddimah Karya Ibnu Khaldun).” Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Ushuluddin 20, no. 2 (2021): 180–195. https://jurnal.uin-antasari.ac.id/index.php/ushuluddin/article/view/5441
Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, “Al-Mawardi’s Paradigmatic Theory of Politics: Imamah or Khilafah in Theory & Practice,” Journal of Creative Writing 7, no. 1 (2023): 12, https://jocw.ittc.edu.bd/index.php/jocw/article/view/69
Muien, Ahmad, S. M. Efaprast, dan Arianto. “Al-Mawardi’s Thoughts and Its Relevance to Contemporary Political Systems.” Tapis: Jurnal Aspirasi Politik Islam 21, no. 1 (2025). https://ejournal.radenintan.ac.id/index.php/TAPIs/article/view/28980
Rahmah, Puja. “Konsep Keadilan Sosial dalam Pemikiran Al-Mawardi dan Relevansinya bagi Tata Kelola Pemerintahan Islam.” IBTIKAR 2, no. 1 (2025): 42–51. https://ejournal.iai-almuslimaceh.ac.id/IBTIKAR/article/view/248/312
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Good Governance and Sustainable Development. New York: United Nations Publications, 1997.
Weber, Max. Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.
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Issue
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How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Rifqi Shiddiq, Jufri Yahya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are accessible to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
Under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so reasonably but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits
