A SURVEY ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF INTERRELIGIOUS SOCIAL RELATIONS AMONG ISLAMIC STUDIES UNDERGRADUATES IN SABAH

The purpose of this survey is to assess the effectiveness of a research instrument in gauging the acceptance of interreligious social relations among Islamic Studies undergraduates in Sabah. This quantitative study employed a digital questionnaire, and data were collected from 70 Islamic Studies students at a public institution of higher learning in Sabah. Respondents’ demographic data and levels of acceptance were analysed using descriptive and frequency tests via IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0. Overall, the findings indicate that the majority of Islamic Studies students accept interreligious social relations; however, most do not subscribe to the belief that all religions are equally true. Nevertheless, most students agree that religious belief is a matter of individual freedom, and that understanding the basic principles of other religions is a prerequisite for interreligious social engagement. This outlook makes Islamic Studies undergraduates more open to forming friendships with peers of other faiths, respecting their beliefs, learning new things from them, and feeling comfortable interacting with and seeking help from them when needed. They are also at ease discussing academic and personal matters with friends of different religions, participating in daily activities together, and collaborating on university programmes. This aligns with Islamic teachings, which emphasise the importance of maintaining good relations with others within the boundaries prescribed by the religion, as it reflects faith and noble conduct. A Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.680 further indicates that the findings of this pilot study are valid and highly suitable for application in a full-scale study involving a broader sample.