IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v9y2025issue-5p605-618.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Challenges of Religious Integration among Indigenous Muslim Converts (Mualaf) in Sabah, Malaysia

Author

Listed:
  • Zaifuddin Md Rasip

    (Faculty Pengajian Islam University Malaysia Sabah)

  • Rahayu Handan

    (Faculty of Communication, Visual Arts & Computing Universiti Selangor, Malaysia)

  • Mohd Zulfahmi Bin Mohamad

    (School of Languanges, Civilization and Philosophy, University Utara Malaysia, Malaysia)

  • Amer Hudhaifah Hamzah

    (Faculty Pengajian Islam University Malaysia Sabah)

Abstract

The increasing number of Muslim reverts (mualaf) in Sabah, particularly among indigenous communities, represents a distinctive trend within Malaysia’s religious demography. Unlike in Peninsular Malaysia, where conversions predominantly occur among non-indigenous populations, reversion to Islam in Sabah involves ethnic groups such as the Kadazan Dusun, Murut, Rungus, and Sungai. This unique pattern necessitates an in-depth exploration to understand the specific dynamics influencing these religious transitions. This qualitative study aims to investigate the factors contributing to the rising number of mualaf among indigenous communities in Sabah, identify the principal challenges these converts face post-conversion, and critically evaluate the effectiveness of support mechanisms offered by religious institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with selected mualaf from various indigenous backgrounds across Sabah, complemented by secondary sources such as governmental reports, academic publications, and NGO documents. The findings indicate that indigenous reverts encounter complex and multifaceted challenges, including bureaucratic hurdles during formal conversion procedures, psychological stress associated with identity realignment, rejection by family members and local communities, limited religious literacy, and inadequate access to structured Islamic educational resources, especially in remote rural areas. Moreover, the lack of culturally sensitive religious educators and persistent societal stigma exacerbate feelings of isolation, complicating their integration into the broader Muslim community. Consequently, this research underscores the urgent need for inclusive and contextually relevant da’wah strategies tailored to indigenous cultural contexts. Additionally, practical recommendations are proposed for policymakers, religious institutions, and civil society groups to improve existing support structures, foster religious resilience, and ensure sustainable spiritual growth and communal empowerment for indigenous mualaf.

Suggested Citation

  • Zaifuddin Md Rasip & Rahayu Handan & Mohd Zulfahmi Bin Mohamad & Amer Hudhaifah Hamzah, 2025. "Challenges of Religious Integration among Indigenous Muslim Converts (Mualaf) in Sabah, Malaysia," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(5), pages 605-618, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-5:p:605-618
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-9-issue-5/605-618.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/challenges-of-religious-integration-among-indigenous-muslim-converts-mualaf-in-sabah-malaysia/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-5:p:605-618. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.