Trust, society and governance: an Islamic perspective on Malaysian institutions

• Main Authors: Altabaa, Homam, Syed Abdullah Idid, Syed Arabi
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: IIUM Press, International Islamic University Malaysia 2020
• Subjects: BL Religion; BPH Islamic Economics; H Social Sciences (General); JF Political institutions (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/85864/9/85864_Trust%2C%20society%20and%20governance%20-%20paper.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/85864/2/Acceptance%20letter%20JIA%20December%20Issue%20Dr%20Homam.%202020%20.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/85864/; https://journals.iium.edu.my/jiasia/index.php/jia

The significance of trust cannot be overestimated for an individual or a society. Its value may become more discernible when trust is not present and its opposites such as uncertainty, accusation and cynicism take over a person or a group. This paper first explores the religious dimensions and sociological implications of the concept of trust in Islam. The elements of trust in a host of Malaysian institutions are then analysed based on a survey conducted among Muslim respondents. This survey was conducted across Malaysia with hundreds of Malay/Muslim respondents. It covered social, public and governmental institutions. These include parents, siblings, relatives, spiritual/religious leaders, community leaders, friends, neighbours, teachers, the military, the civil service, the legal and judiciary system, the police, local big companies, mass media, the parliament, the federal government, political leaders, and political parties. The major aim of this paper is to investigate the role of the Islamic worldview in building and explaining the trust levels discovered in the survey.