English

الملخص

Muslim boarding schools in minority contexts play a crucial role in preserving religious identity and nurturing moral values beyond formal academic instruction. In Cambodia, where Muslims constitute a small minority, tahfiz boarding schools function as key institutions for cultivating adab, an Islamic concept encompassing moral character, ethical refinement, disciplined conduct, and moral responsibility. This qualitative case study examines leadership practices in two Cambodian tahfiz institutions, Maahad Tahfiz Darul Ulum Poipet and Maahad Tahfiz Darul Hadith Pemnok. Data were obtained from semi-structured, in-depth interviews with eight educational leaders and were supported by systematic non-participant observation. Thematic analysis produced nine major themes and 27 interrelated subthemes that collectively frame adab cultivation as a structured and intentional institutional process. The themes include leadership modeling, mentorship based moral guidance, relational bonding, calibrated praise, structured rewards, restorative discipline, character-centered programs, organizational prioritization of adab, and the pedagogical use of the boarding environment. While these strategies operate synergistically, leadership modeling, institutional commitment to adab, and restorative discipline emerged as the most influential and foundational practices. Findings indicate that effective adab development depends on sustained leadership commitment and systematic integration of character education into curriculum design, daily routines, and institutional policy, rather than treating it as supplementary instruction. By situating the study within broader discussions of Islamic educational leadership and minority Muslim schooling, this research offers policy relevant and curriculum based insights with comparable applicability to similar minority contexts. The study contributes empirically grounded evidence and proposes a replicable, leadership-driven model for sustainable values based on residential education.