Journal of Religion, Local Politics, and Law
Vol. 2 No. 3 (2026): Institutional and Social Transformation in Contemporary Society

Urban Muslim Religiosity in Malaysia: Adapting Islamic Values in the Context of Social Modernity

Siti Marpuah (Tun Hussein Onn University Malaysia)
Mikdar Rusdi (Kolej Universiti Perguruan Ugama Seri Begawan)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jul 2026

Abstract

This study examines the dynamics of urban Muslim religiosity in Malaysia and the patterns of adaptation of Islamic values ​​in the context of contemporary social modernity. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, this study began with a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Then it involved twenty urban Muslim informants aged 25–55 years in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and field documentation. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-stage thematic analysis. The findings identified five main sub-themes: the intensification of exoteric religiosity that is not always balanced by interior spiritual depth; digital piety mediated by social media platforms with tensions between authenticity and performativity; consumption-based religiosity through the halal economy and modest fashion ecosystem; the agency of urban Muslim women who actively negotiate religious identity among state, market, and community pressures; and the influence of political Islam and state-sponsored Islamization on the construction of urban Muslim identity. This study argues that modernity does not erode the religiosity of Malaysian urban Muslims, but rather transforms it into a more reflexive, individualistic, and hybrid form. The classical secularization thesis has proven inadequate to explain the trajectory of Malaysian urban Islam; what is taking place is a complex reconfiguration of religious expression and authority amidst constantly shifting global-local dynamics.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jrlpl

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Description

This journal, published four times a year, in January, April, July, and September, covers broad topics that discuss the interrelationships of society, Religion, and Local politics from multiple perspectives; Sociology, Communication Studies, community technology, Social Network Analysis, Political ...