Friday Khutbahs as Models for Muslim Civic Behaviour in Multi-Ethnic Malaysia
Syaza Shukri, author
Date of publication:
2026
Publisher:
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute
Number of pages:
31
Code:
TRS19/26
Soft Cover
ISBN: 9789815361810
About the publication
- This study analyses 420 Friday khutbahs (sermons) between 2021 and 2025 across ten Malaysian states and federal territories to examine how Islamic sermons proscribe norms of citizenship.
- Malaysia’s centralized Islamic bureaucracy, especially that of the state muftis, ensures sermons are regulated from the top. As a result, the mosque pulpit operates primarily as a structured channel of moral transmission to shape civic behaviour through religious authority.
- Across states, the “good Muslim citizen” is proscribed as being disciplined, loyal to constitutional authority, socially harmonious and resistant to extremism. Participatory or adversarial democratic engagement is much less emphasized than are stability and cohesion.
- Selangor articulates a constitutional model; Sarawak advances integrative federal coexistence; federal territories mirror executive narratives (from Keluarga Malaysia to Malaysia Madani); Pahang advances a protectionist model centred on Malay-Muslim guardianship; Kelantan emphasizes theologically bounded and stability-oriented citizenship; and Pulau Pinang foregrounds ethical pluralism. Variation exists, but harmony remains the shared core.
- The rapid transition from Keluarga Malaysia to Malaysia Madani themes in federally prepared khutbahs demonstrates institutional alignment with the agenda of the incumbent prime minister. This highlights the pulpit’s role in nationwide narrative management.
- Competing Islamic visions (Malaysia Madani versus a PAS-led opposition) and theological orientations (Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah versus Salafi-Wahhabism) shape contestation, thus necessitating civic discourse anchored in Islamic ethical principles.
Contents
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Friday Khutbahs as Models for Muslim Civic Behaviour in Multi-Ethnic Malaysia
[Whole Publication, ISBN: 9789815361827], by Syaza Shukri, author
