<![CDATA[This study aims to analyze the design, implementation, and systemic challenges of integrating deep learning principles within the Independent Curriculum (Kurikulum Merdeka) framework in Islamic higher education. Utilizing a qualitative multi-site case study design at two State Islamic Universities in Surakarta and Yogyakarta, this research explores the contextualization of learning autonomy within a religious value framework. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with ten key informants (policymakers, lecturers, and students), classroom observations, and documentary analysis of semester lesson plans (RPS) between August and December 2025. Data analysis was conducted thematically through coding, categorization, and cross-site comparison to ensure the validity of the findings. The findings reveal that curriculum integration is driven by an epistemological shift from content transmission toward meaningful knowledge construction aligned with the Islamic concepts of 'ilm (knowledge) and adab (ethics). Classroom practices reflect student-centered pedagogy through reflective inquiry, project-based collaboration, and authentic assessment. However, significant obstacles were identified, including rigid semester time constraints, varying levels of student readiness for independent learning, and an urgent need for enhanced lecturers' pedagogical capacity to manage dialogical classrooms. Theoretically, this study contributes to the recontextualization of deep learning as a manifestation of ta’aqqul (critical reasoning) and tadabbur (reflective contemplation). Practically, it offers a framework for transforming policy into an integrative pedagogical practice. This study’s limitation lies in its focus on state universities; therefore, future research is encouraged to explore private Islamic higher education institutions with diverse religious organizational backgrounds to broaden the generalizability of findings across a wider spectrum of higher education.]]>
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