INTEGRATING ISLAMIC GOVERNANCE ETHICS INTO DECENTRALISATION IN THE MALDIVIAN CONTEXT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i1.972Keywords:
decentralization, Islamic governance, Dhua Governance Theory, Shura, ʿAdālah, Musa’ālahAbstract
This paper introduces the Dhua Governance Theory (DGT) as a hybrid conceptual model that integrates Islamic ethical values with contemporary decentralisation theory. Drawing from the Maldives’ decentralisation reforms between 2008 and 2024, it examines how Islamic governance principles: Shura (consultation), ʿAdālah (justice), and Musa’ālah (accountability); can enhance the ethical legitimacy and functional efficiency of decentralised systems. The study addresses a long-standing gap in governance literature: the lack of frameworks that reconcile faith-based moral imperatives with administrative rationality in modern Muslim societies. Using qualitative textual analysis and comparative synthesis, the paper reinterprets classical Islamic governance sources alongside Western decentralisation models such as fiscal, political, and administrative devolution. It then applies the DGT framework to the Maldivian context, revealing how embedding Amānah (trust) and Maslahah (public interest) within local institutions can improve participation, integrity, and service delivery. Empirical illustrations from local councils and policy reforms demonstrate that decentralisation rooted in ethical accountability promotes stronger community trust and sustainable local governance. The paper concludes that DGT offers a viable blueprint for Muslim-majority nations such as the Maldives seeking moral coherence between governance structures and societal values. It further recommends institutional mechanisms, ethical auditing, participatory Shura councils, a Decentralised Amanah Fund (DAF) as a Maslahah-oriented fiscal mechanism, and integrated accountability tools, to operationalise Islamic ethics in modern decentralised governance.
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Copyright (c) 2026 ABDULHAMEED HUSAIN, ABDULWAHED JALAL NORI, AHMAD EL-MUHAMMADY MUHAMMAD UTHMAN EL-MUHAMMADY, ISMAIL NIZAM
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