Legal Status and Institutional Position of Ma’had Darussalam Liltadrib Al-Islami Within the Framework of Religious Governance in Vietnam

This study aims to examine the legal status and institutional position of Ma’had
Darussalam Liltadrib Al-Islami within the framework of regulations and religious
governance in Vietnam. This institution is the only Islamic school in Tay Ninh
Province that has obtained official government permission and plays a vital role in
religious education for the Muslim minority community, particularly the Cham
ethnic group. This research employs a normative juridical method using statutory
and conceptual approaches, with John Rawls’ theory of justice as the analytical
framework. The analysis focuses on the Law on Belief and Religion No.
02/2016/QH14, Decree No. 162/2017/ND-CP, and the Education Law No.
43/2019/QH14. The findings indicate that Ma’had Darussalam Liltadrib Al-Islami
holds legal status as a state-recognized non-governmental religious educational
institution after fulfilling administrative requirements. However, it is not
integrated into the government's institutional structure, as Vietnam's political
system places religion within the socio-cultural sphere rather than within the state's
political or administrative structure. This study offers new contributions by
explaining the dynamics between legal recognition and state supervision of
religious educational institutions in a socialist state, while enriching comparative
studies on religious governance in Southeast Asia.