<![CDATA[This study aims to analyze political consciousness and leadership orientation among Muslim university students in understanding the relationship between Islam, politics, leadership, and governance. The study is motivated by increasing debates surrounding religious identity, the rise of political Islam, and changing patterns of civic engagement among young Muslims within higher education settings. This research employed a qualitative descriptive approach with a survey design to obtain an in-depth understanding of students’ political constructions based on their religious interpretations. Data were collected through online questionnaires distributed to 44 Muslim students at Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ) selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data analysis was conducted through thematic analysis involving coding, categorization, and interpretation guided by a theoretical framework. The findings reveal that traditional–integralistic orientation remains dominant in students’ political understanding; however, moderate tendencies also emerged, emphasizing the importance of adapting Islamic values to contemporary social contexts. The study also identifies a contradiction between students’ beliefs regarding Islam as a comprehensive system and their support for institutional flexibility and reinterpretation of Islamic political concepts. The study is limited by the relatively small number of respondents and the focus on a single university setting. Practically, the findings provide implications for da’wah management, leadership education, and strengthening faith-based civic engagement. The primary contribution of this research is the development of the Adaptive Islamic Political Consciousness Theory (AIPCT), which explains the negotiation process between religious identity and political orientation among Muslim university students within contemporary social contexts.]]>
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