Refleksi: Jurnal Kajian Agama dan Filsafat
Vol. 25 No. 1 (2026)

Al-Ghazali’s Sufism and Ethical Spiritual Leadership in Contemporary Islamic Politics

Yusuf Aman (Universitas Islam Jakarta)
Dede Rosyada (Universitas Islam Jakarta)
Attabik Luthfi (Universitas Islam Jakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
23 Jun 2026

Abstract

The crisis of integrity, political corruption, and moral disorientation in contemporary leadership has generated an urgent need for a leadership paradigm that integrates institutional effectiveness with ethical character formation and spiritual consciousness. This study aims to reconstruct Al-Ghazali’s Sufi teachings in Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn as a conceptual foundation for developing an Ethical–Spiritual Leadership model within the context of contemporary Islamic politics. Employing a qualitative library-based approach, the study utilizes philosophical-hermeneutic inquiry, conceptual textual analysis, and comparative analysis of Al-Ghazali’s works alongside contemporary leadership theories. The findings reveal that central Ghazalian concepts such as ikhlāṣ (sincerity), ‘adl (justice), zuhd (self-restraint), and amānah (trustworthiness) constitute an integrated leadership framework that combines moral, spiritual, and political dimensions. Unlike contemporary leadership paradigms that primarily emphasize organizational effectiveness and social relations, Al-Ghazali’s model places transcendental accountability and self-purification at the core of public decision-making. This study proposes an Ethical–Spiritual Leadership Framework as a synthesis between Ghazalian spirituality and contemporary leadership discourse, demonstrating its relevance to the development of Islamic political ethics amid the challenges of globalization, leadership crises, and moral decline. The study contributes to the advancement of Islamic political ethics and leadership studies by offering a leadership perspective that integrates public governance, character formation, and spiritual responsibility within a coherent conceptual framework.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

refleksi

Publisher

Subject

Social Sciences

Description

Refleksi (ISSN 0215 6253) is a journal published by the Faculty of Ushuluddin Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta. The Journal specializes in Qur'an and Hadith studies, Islamic Philosophy, and Religious studies, and is intended to communicate original researches and current issues ...