Shurta Al‐Khamis: A Historical Model of Adaptive Governance Based on Islamic Values for Contemporary Public Administration

ABSTRACT Islamic governance history contains administrative institutions that remain largely overlooked in contemporary public administration scholarship. This paper explores Shurta al‐Khamis , a relatively overlooked covenant based administrative unit in Islamic governance history, established by Imam Ali and composed of highly trusted members who undertook binding oaths to carry out critical governance and security functions. Drawing on a historical case study, the paper examines how the principles underlying Shurta al‐Khamis align with modern demands for governance structures requiring adaptation, resilience, and ethical commitment. Its decentralized, value driven organizational design fostered loyalty, accountability, and shared purpose, enhancing coordination and responsiveness in complex environments. The analysis compares Shurta al‐Khamis with contemporary models such as adhocracy, showing how value embedded flexibility and covenant based commitment support adaptive governance in rapidly changing contexts. The study highlights the potential and limits of adapting Shurta al‐Khamis to both Islamic and non‐Islamic settings.