Beyond Borrowed Theories: Reconstructing Islamic Educational Leadership Through the Khalīfah Rā‘in Paradigm

Sirajuddin; Mursalim; Muhammadiyah Amin

doi:10.61987/jemr.v5i5.3241

Authors

Sirajuddin Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Tarbiyah Hidayatullah Samarinda, Indonesia
Mursalim Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris Samarinda, Indonesia
Muhammadiyah Amin Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris Samarinda, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61987/jemr.v5i5.3241

Keywords:

Islamic Educational Leadership, Khalīfah, Rā‘In, Qur'anic Exegesis, Leadership Accountability

Abstract

Leadership in Islamic educational institutions requires a paradigmatic foundation that integrates religious principles, ethical responsibility, and organizational governance. However, existing approaches frequently adopt modern leadership theories without sufficiently establishing their foundations in Qur'anic interpretation and hadith analysis. This study aims to reconstruct khalīfah and rā‘in as an integrated paradigm of Islamic educational leadership and develop a conceptual model grounded in Islamic sources. Using qualitative library research and critical-comparative analysis, the study examines Qur'anic verses, classical and contemporary exegesis, Nusantara interpretations, authentic hadith, and relevant leadership and governance theories. The findings reveal that khilāfah encompasses human potential, an ethically conditioned office, and a collective test, while ri‘āyah represents accountable care for those entrusted to a leader. These concepts converge in tawḥīd and establish a triadic relationship among God, the leader, and the led. The resulting model comprises six dimensions: istikhlāf, ‘ilm, ḥukm bi al-ḥaqq, ri‘āyah, ibtilā' and mas'ūliyyah, and falāḥ. The study contributes methodological criteria for deriving managerial principles from Islamic texts and offers theoretical and practical implications for leadership accountability, institutional governance, and ethical decision-making. Future empirical research is needed to validate the model and develop reliable measurement instruments.

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