On Ashabiyyah in Ibn Khaldun's Islamic Sociology

Abstract

This research aims to analyze Ibn Khaldun’s thoughts on the dynamics of human civilization through his central concept, Ashobiyyah (social solidarity). As a pioneer of sociology and historiography, Ibn Khaldun—in his monumental work, the Muqaddimah—offers a unique perspective: that history is not a collection of random events, but rather a cycle governed by the laws of social causality. The method employed in this research is library research using a descriptive-analytical approach toward Ibn Khaldun's classical texts and relevant contemporary literature.The results of the study indicate that Asabiyyah serves as the primary driving energy in the formation of political authority (mulk). Ibn Khaldun divides the civilizational cycle into five distinct phases, ranging from the initial phase of rigorous struggle to the phase of stagnation resulting from the abandonment of the life philosophy established at the outset. This analysis reveals that the downfall of a civilization is often triggered by the weakening of social bonds and moral degradation among leaders, which subsequently leads to the collapse of economic and political structures.This research concludes that Ibn Khaldun’s cyclical theory remains highly relevant for dissecting the phenomena of social integration and disintegration in the modern era. The relevance of these thoughts provides a warning that the resilience of a civilization lies not only in material progress but also in the strength of social capital and the collective moral integrity of its society