Muhammad Sultan Mubarok

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The adoption of Islamic banking services by Islamic academicians in Indonesia is crucial due to their influential role in promoting Shariah-compliant financial practices. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing their adoption behavior, with religious obligation as a central determinant. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the foundation, the study analyzed the direct effects of religious obligation, relative advantage, access to service, trust, and social influence on adoption behavior, as well as their mediating effects when religious obligation serves as the foundation. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling for academicians with very strict eligibility criteria, where they must possess a formal bachelor’s degree in Islamic economics, Shariah, or Islamic finance, along with postgraduate education in a related discipline. The analysis was conducted in Indonesia in mid-2025 using Structural Equation Modeling with the Partial Least Squares approach based on 252 valid observations. The results revealed significant positive direct effects for religious obligation (β = 0.605), access to service (β = 0.201), and social influence (β = 0.188). Additionally, this study found a positive indirect relationship from religious obligation to the adoption of Islamic banking mediated by access to service (β = 0.096) and social influence (β = 0.090). This study concludes that campaigns targeting Islamic academicians must prioritize their sense of religious obligation as the core message. This should be reinforced with clear narratives about the ease of accessing Islamic banking services and compelling stories about the social respect and recognition they gain from peers when choosing Shariah-compliant financial practices.