The application of Ibn Khaldūn’s theory of Aṣabiyyah to the modern period with special reference to the Malay Muslim community in Malaysia

This research studied the applicability of Ibn Khaldūn’s theory of ‘Aṣabiyyah in a modern context, by choosing the Malay Muslim community in Malaysia as a case study. Although the theory was introduced by Ibn Khaldūn in the 14th century and has been discussed by numerous scholars, only recently has its relevance to the modern situation been reviewed. The current situation of the Muslim community in general and Malay Muslims in Malaysia in particular, who are mainly associated with the issues of moral degradation, misunderstanding of religion, economic stagnation, political division and lack of intellectuality, directs us to examine the theory of ‘Aṣabiyyah in the modern context and to reflect on its relevance to the issues listed above. To achieve the research objective, the theory was reviewed via library study and fieldwork. The current situation of the Malay Muslim community, comprising its problems and challenges, was studied with this approach. In particular, a group of students of the University of Malaya undertook to distribute questionnaires and conduct interviews. To obtain further information regarding the applicability of Aṣabiyyah at the present time to the context of the Malay Muslim community, interviews were also conducted among Malaysian scholars who have expertise in the related area. The results of the fieldwork show that most of the respondents have a general and average understanding of the theory of ‘Aṣabiyyah. Furthermore, most of the feedback from the respondents suggests that the current condition of the Malay Muslim community is at an ‘average’ level, with the exception of the political and social aspects, which are viewed as problematic and worrying