Volume 25 Number 2
Nopember 2025
Page: 323-346
E-ISSN: 2502-2210
P-ISSN: 1412-7512
DOI: 10.
21154/tahrir.
Al-Tahrir Jurnal Pemikiran Islam Digital Religion and Hybrid Practices: Negotiating Ritual and Authority Within JamaAoah Tabligh in Indonesia Ria Hayatunnur Taqwa,1 Ali Akhbar Abaib Mas Rabbani Lubis2 Institut Agama Islam Negeri Pontianak.
Indonesia Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia.
Indonesia Corresponding email: riahayatunnurtaqwa@iainptk.
Received: 11/07/2025 Revised: 05/10/2025 Accepted: 20/11/2025 This article examines the transformation and digital adaptation of JamaAoah Tabligh in Abstract the digital era, with a focus on the negotiation and reconfiguration of ritual communication in online spaces.
The central issue addressed is the tension between the groupAos traditional reliance on khuruj .
issionary journey.
and face-to-face interactions, and the adoption of digital platforms that redefine authority and identity.
This study employs a qualitative approach by analysing digital proselytizing content, observing practices on platforms such as YouTube.
WhatsApp, and Instagram, conducting a critical review of relevant secondary literature, and carrying out in-depth interviews with selected members of JamaAoah Tabligh.
Indonesia is taken as the primary context of analysis while incorporating transnational dimensions to situate local practices within global networks.
The findings indicate that digitalization has fostered more personal, visual, and participatory forms of religious expression, while simultaneously contributing to identity fragmentation and a redistribution of authority from seniority-based hierarchy to algorithmic visibility.
Ritual communication, which was previously centered in markaz and physical khuruj, has expanded to include digital sermons, podcasts, and visual quotations, generating hybrid forms of piety that combine the values of JamaAoah Tabligh with the logic of social media.
This shift not only demonstrates resilience and adaptation but also raises epistemological challenges, including the risks of oversimplification, exclusion, and debates over authenticity.
The article concludes that digitalization is not merely a means of disseminating proselytizing content but also reconstructs the structures of piety, authority, and collective identity in contemporary Islam in Indonesia.
The implications extend to debates on digital religion and the sociology of transnational Islam, highlighting how non-political movements such as JamaAoah Tabligh recalibrate their spiritual mission within the global network society.
Abstrak Artikel ini mengkaji transformasi JamaAoah Tabligh di era digital dengan fokus pada negosiasi komunikasi ritual dalam ruang daring.
Masalah utama yang diangkat adalah ketegangan antara ketergantungan tradisional kelompok ini pada khuruj atau perjalanan dakwah dan interaksi tatap muka dengan adopsi platform digital yang mengubah otoritas dan identitas.
Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif melalui analisis konten dakwah digital, observasi praktik di platform seperti YouTube.
WhatsApp, dan Instagram, telaah kritis terhadap literatur sekunder, serta wawancara mendalam dengan sejumlah anggota JamaAoah Tabligh.
Konteks Indonesia dijadikan locus utama analisis dengan tetap memperhatikan dimensi transnasional untuk menempatkan praktik lokal dalam jejaring global.
Temuan menunjukkan bahwa digitalisasi telah mendorong ekspresi keagamaan yang lebih personal, visual, dan A 2025 by the authors.
This is an open access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.
0 International License (CC BY NC) license .
ttps://creativecommons.
org/licenses/bync/4.
0/).
Published by Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Ponorogo.
Indonesia Accredited Sinta 2 Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam partisipatif, sekaligus memicu fragmentasi identitas serta redistribusi otoritas dari senioritas menuju visibilitas algoritmik.
Komunikasi ritual yang sebelumnya berpusat di markaz dan khuruj fisik kini berkembang melalui ceramah digital, podcast, dan kutipan visual, sehingga melahirkan bentuk kesalehan hibrid yang memadukan nilai JamaAoah Tabligh dengan logika media sosial.
Pergeseran ini tidak hanya menunjukkan resiliensi dan adaptasi, tetapi juga menghadirkan tantangan epistemologis berupa risiko penyederhanaan, eksklusi, dan perdebatan mengenai keaslian ajaran.
Artikel ini menyimpulkan bahwa digitalisasi tidak sekadar menjadi sarana penyebaran dakwah, tetapi juga merekonstruksi struktur kesalehan, otoritas, dan identitas kolektif dalam Islam kontemporer di Indonesia.
Implikasi kajian ini meluas pada perdebatan tentang agama digital dan sosiologi Islam transnasional, dengan menunjukkan bagaimana gerakan nonpolitik seperti JamaAoah Tabligh merekalibrasi misi spiritualnya dalam masyarakat jaringan global.
Keywords JamaAoah Tabligh.
digital religion.
ritual communication.
religious authority.
transnational Islam Introduction Islam can never be understood as a single, static entity, let alone as a tradition born out of a historical From the beginning.
Islam has always been closely intertwined with the social, political, and cultural struggles that both shaped it and were shaped by it.
1 Talal Asad, in his monograph, highlights that Islam must be understood as a discursive tradition that is constantly reinterpreted in different contexts,2 while Vartan Gregorian describes it as a mosaic of heterogeneous experiences, practices, and 3 For this reason.
Islam has always adapted to the medium of communication of each era, and particularly in the digital era, this negotiation has reached an unprecedented intensity because the virtual space is not merely a tool but has fundamentally reshaped the way believers practice, understand, and confer authority upon religion.
This idea resonates with what Stephen Leary asserts, namely that social media and communication technology have revolutionized forms of worship, preaching, and spiritual interaction, while also creating new boundaries between the physical and the 4 This dynamic demonstrates that the rapid flow of information within the digital ecosystem drives daAowah to reach a more diverse audience, transcend geographical boundaries, and occur in increasingly adaptive ways.
Specifically in Indonesia, several credible data sources reported that in 2024, the number of internet users reached 204.
7 million, an increase of 2.
1 million from the previous year.
This growth was accompanied by an increase in active social media users of 12.
6 percent, or about 21 million people.
1 Anjum.
Islam as a Discursive Tradition: Talal Asad and His Interlocutors.
Comparative Studies of South Asia.
Africa and the Middle East, vol.
(Project MUSE, 2.
2 Talal Asad.
AuThe Idea of an Anthropology of IslamAy (Center for Contemporary Arab Studies: Georgetown University, 3 V Gregorian.
Islam: A Mosaic.
Not a Monolith (Rowman & Littlefield, 2.
4 Stephen D O Leary.
AuCyberspace as Sacred Space: Communicating Religion on Computer Network,Ay Journal of the American Academy of Religion 64, no.
: 781Ae808.
Syamsudin and Sigit Budiyanto / Authenticity of The Hadith of The Sultan of Allah's Shadow on Earth and Its Popularity in Muslim Political History Instagram occupied the top position with 173.
6 million users, followed by Facebook with 166.
4 million.
This level of penetration confirms that social media is no longer merely a space for social or commercial interaction, but has become the dominant landscape in IndonesiaAos public life.
Interestingly, this surge has been dominated by the younger generation, so the digital space is not only a medium of communication but also a strategic arena for proselytizing, debates on religious authority, and the negotiation of religious expression.
6 Unfortunately, the digital space does not always bring positive outcomes, as it presents new challenges, such as digital proselytizing becoming increasingly interactive while regulation remains inadequate, leaving room for revivalist groups without scholarly authority.
In addition, this kind of problem was examined by Eickelman and Piscatori as the movement of Aunew religious intellectualsAy,8 namely, actors who gain legitimacy not through credible scholarly authority but through their capacity to access and distribute religious knowledge via modern communication If print and electronic media in the 20th century gave rise to popular figures outside madrasahs and classical institutions, then the digital era intensifies the intensification of this process with the emergence of YouTube preachers.
Muslim influencers, and digital missionaries who gain authority from algorithms and virtual popularity.
So far, many scholars have extensively examined this phenomenon, such as the edited volume by Campbell and Tsuria,9 as well as Giulia Isetti and her colleagues,10 who compiled the works of experts regarding the involvement of religion in the use of digital media.
The concepts of religious hybridity and digital religion as a phenomenon have emerged.
11 Recent research by Izquierdo-Iranzo demonstrates that the Catholic Church has gained greater acceptance through digital mediatization for preaching or faith support .
or example, applications for praye.
12 The impact of digitalization is also evident in the Islamic world as the global Salafi movement, which previously relied on conventional 5 We Are Social.
AuSpecial Report: Digital 2024,Ay wearesocial.
com, 2024, https://wearesocial.
NapoleonCAT.
Stats.
AuFacebook Users in Indonesia 2024,Ay napoleoncat.
com, 2024, https://napoleoncat.
com/stats.
Badan Pusat Statistik.
AuStatistik Telekomunikasi Indonesia 2024,Ay 2025, https://w.
id/id/publication/2025/08/29/.
Info Ketapang.
AuPengguna Media Sosial Di Indonesia Sepanjang 2024,Ay infoketapang.
com, 2024, https://infoketapang.
6 Liang Zhang.
AuThe Digital Age of Religious Communication: The Shaping and Challenges of Religious Beliefs through Social Media,Ay Studies on Religion and Philosophy 1, no.
1 (January 21, 2.
: 25Ae41, https://doi.
org/10.
71204/de63mn10.
Dindin Solahudin and Moch Fakhruroji.
AuInternet and Islamic Learning Practices in Indonesia: Social Media.
Religious Populism, and Religious Authority,Ay Religions 11, no.
1 (December 31, 2.
: 19, https://doi.
org/10.
3390/rel11010019.
7 M.
Kholili.
Ahmad Izudin, and Muhammad Lutfi Hakim.
AuIslamic Proselytizing in Digital Religion in Indonesia: The Challenges Broadcasting Regulation,Ay Cogent Social Sciences (December https://doi.
org/10.
1080/23311886.
8 Dale F Eickelman and James Piscatori.
Muslim Politics (Princeton University Press, 1.
9 Heidi A Campbell and Ruth Tsuria, eds.
Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in Digital Media, 2nd ed.
(Routledge, 2.
10 Giulia Isetti et al.
, eds.
Religion in the Age of Digitalization (Abingdon.
Oxon .
New York.
NY : Routledge, 2021.
| Series:
Media, religion and culture: Routledge, 2.
, https://doi.
org/10.
4324/9780367809225.
11 Kavyta Kay.
AuRaced Religion: Exploring Hybridity.
Performance and Partnerships,Ay in Dougla Poetics (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2.
, 83Ae109, https://doi.
org/10.
1108/978-1-80043-432-520240005.
12 Patricia Izquierdo-Iranzo.
AuUse of Digital Tools in the Religious and Spiritual Sphere: Impact and Barrier Analysis,Ay Religions 16, no.
6 (June 2.
: 772, https://doi.
org/10.
3390/rel16060772.
Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam proselytizing patterns, has now expanded into the digital sphere.
13 As Bunt illustrates.
Salafi networks use the internet to disseminate fatwas and puritan narratives across countries.
14 MeijerAos study also confirms the shift of Salafism from traditional study circles to modern technology,15 while Echchaibi notes the phenomenon of e-fatwas that broaden the transnational reach of Salafi scholars.
16 In the Indonesian context.
Aidulsyah describes how AuUrban SalafismAy has not only grown in public urban spaces but has also become digitally native, with a strong presence on YouTube.
Instagram.
Facebook, and even podcasts.
This urban Salafism combines the popular culture of young people with Arabism traditions, involving celebrities, artists, and content creators in proselytizing campaigns, thus marking the transformation of Salafism from a conservative movement into a modern religious phenomenon in the digital sphere.
A similar phenomenon is likewise observable in JamaAoah Tabligh, which, from the beginning, has been known for its traditionalist proselytizing methods through Auportable literatureAy and the practice of khuruj .
, emphasizing direct contact, oral communication, and local community.
In addition, their visual identityAiranging from clothing and beards to the itinerant proselytizing pattern .
raveling, wandering, moving from place to plac.
Aihas served as a distinctive marker compared to other Islamic movements in Indonesia.
18 However, in recent times, new dynamics have emerged as the younger generation of JamaAoah Tabligh has begun to use digital platforms,19 such as YouTube.
WhatsApp, and Instagram, to broadcast proselytizing messages and expand community 20 This transformation is not simple, because on the one hand, digitalization creates opportunities for the rearticulation of religious practices and enhances solidarity across boundaries.
the other hand, digitalization also creates tensions between the traditional authority of the amr and more fluid, individualistic, and easily viral forms of religious expression.
A critical question then arises 13 Asif Mohiuddin.
AuIslamism in the Digital Age: The Role of Cyberspace in Transforming Religious Authority,Ay in Navigating Religious Authority in Muslim Societies (Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2.
, 203Ae36, https://doi.
org/10.
1007/9783-031-44825-6_6.
14 Gary R Bunt.
IMuslims: Rewiring the House of Islam (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2.
Gary R.
Bunt.
Hashtag Islam How Cyber-Islamic Environments Are Transforming Religious Authority (The University of North Carolina Press, 15 Roel Meijer.
AuTaking the Islamist Movement Seriously: Social Movement Theory and the Islamist Movement,Ay International Review of Social History 50, no.
2 (August 26, 2.
: 279Ae91, https://doi.
org/10.
1017/S0020859005001963.
16 Nabil Echchaibi.
AuFrom Audio Tapes to Video Blogs: The Delocalisation of Authority in Islam,Ay Nations and Nationalism 17, no.
1 (January 2.
: 25Ae44, https://doi.
org/10.
1111/j.
Nabil Echchaibi.
AuHyper-Islamism? Mediating Islam from the Halal Website to the Islamic Talk Show,Ay Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research 1, no.
3 (April 1, 2.
: 199Ae214, https://doi.
org/10.
1386/jammr.
199_1.
17 F Aidulsyah.
AuThe Rise of Urban Salafism in Indonesia: The Social-Media and Pop Culture of New Indonesian Islamic Youth,Ay Asian Journal of Social Science 51, no.
4 (December 2.
: 252Ae59, https://doi.
org/10.
1016/j.
18 Farish A Noor.
The Tablighi JamaAoat Movement in Maritime Southeast Asia: Piety in Motion (Routledge Handbook on Islam in Asia, 2.
19 Wahyu Kuncoro.
AuAmbivalence.
Virtual Piety, and Rebranding: Social Media Uses among Tablighi JamaAoat in Indonesia,Ay CyberOrient 15, no.
: 206, https://doi.
org/10.
1002/cyo2.
20 A.
R Zamhari.
, & Arifianto.
AuDigital Preaching and Religious Authority in Indonesia: The Rise of Muslim Influencers.
,Ay Contemporary Islam, 2020, 201Ae218.
, https://doi.
org/https://doi.
org/10.
1007/s11562-020-00439-z.
Syamsudin and Sigit Budiyanto / Authenticity of The Hadith of The Sultan of Allah's Shadow on Earth and Its Popularity in Muslim Political History as to whether the adoption of the digital space by JamaAoah Tabligh is merely a technological choice or represents a deeper shift in their ritual structure and religious meaning.
This is important because the dynamics of communication and religious expression in the digital space reflect how media has become an open forum for the exchange of information.
The above question becomes important because earlier scholars who discussed JamaAoah Tabligh generally focused on only certain aspects of this movement, ranging from internal conflict, spiritual orientation, communication strategies, to transnational dimensions.
Ajid Hakim et al.
examined the internal fragmentation between the Syuro Alami and Maulana Saad factions in Indonesia.
21 Dedi Susanto et al.
emphasized the spiritual relevance of JamaAoah Tabligh in the midst of secularization,22 while Khotimah et al.
analysed its contribution to the practice of religious moderation in Pekanbaru.
23 Laswan Mika et al.
examined proselytizing strategies toward Aupunk youthAy in Palembang,24 Solekhah highlighted the masturah program .
womenAos religious training initiativ.
and its impact on families,25 Furqan et al.
explored communication strategies in dealing with hate speech,26 and Ghasiya investigated the controversy surrounding JamaAoah Tabligh in India during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the historical and transnational perspective.
Kamaruzzaman Bustamam-Ahmad traced the origins and networks of JamaAoah Tabligh in Southeast Asia and its movement in Pekanbaru,28 Alexander Stewart examined the subjectivity of Chinese Muslims,29 Bayram Balci highlighted its role 21 Ajid Hakim et al.
AuInternal Conflict of JamaAoah Tabligh .
: A Case Study from Parongpong West Bandung,Ay El Harakah: Jurnal Budaya Islam 27, no.
1 (June 2.
: 49Ae74, https://doi.
org/10.
18860/eh.
22 Dedi Susanto.
Ahmad Khairul Fajri, and Kuswiyanto.
AuJamaAoah Tabligh: Antara Spiritualitas Tradisional Dan Tantangan Dakwah Kontemporer,Ay Jurnal Alwatzikhoebillah : Kajian Islam.
Pendidikan.
Ekonomi.
Humaniora 11, no.
2 (June 2.
420Ae26, https://doi.
org/10.
37567/alwatzikhoebillah.
23 Khotimah et al.
AuTransnational Organization: Religious Moderation Among JamaAoah Tabligh (JT) in Pekanbaru City,Ay Islam Realitas:
Journal Islamic Social Studies (December 184Ae97, https://doi.
org/10.
30983/islam_realitas.
24 Laswan Mika.
Achmad Syarifudin, and Hidayat.
AuStrategi Komunikasi Dakwah JamaAoah Tabligh Masjid JamiAo Al Burhan Terhadap Anak Punk Di Palembang,Ay Pubmedia Social Sciences and Humanities 1, no.
4 (January 2.
: 17, https://doi.
org/10.
47134/pssh.
25 Wiwit Faridatus Solekhah.
AuProgram Dakwah Masturah JamaAoah Tabligh Dan Pengaruhnya Terhadap Keharmonisan Rumah Tangga (Studi Kasus Di Gunungkidu.
Ay (Universitas Islam Indonesia, 2.
26 Furqan Furqan.
Abdullah Abdullah, and Sahrul Sahrul.
AuTablighi JamaAoatAos Communication Strategies in Overcoming Hate Speech: Impact and Implication Analysis,Ay Proceedings of International Conference on Education 3, no.
: 306Ae12, https://doi.
org/10.
32672/pice.
27 Piyush Ghasiya and Kazutoshi Sasahara.
AuRapid Sharing of Islamophobic Hate on Facebook: The Case of the Tablighi JamaAoat Controversy,Ay Social Media Society 8, no.
4 (October 2.
, https://doi.
org/10.
1177/20563051221129151.
28 Kamaruzzaman Bustamam-Ahmad.
AuFaith on the Move: Inside of the IjtimAAo of JamAAoah Tablgh in Pekan Baru,Ay Studia Islamika 18, no.
3 (April 2.
, https://doi.
org/10.
15408/sdi.
Kamaruzzaman Bustamam-Ahmad.
AuThe History of JamaAoah Tabligh in Southeast Asia: The Role of Islamic Sufism in Islamic Revival,Ay Al-JamiAoah: Journal of Islamic Studies 46, no.
: 353Ae400, https://doi.
org/10.
14421/ajis.
29 Alexander Stewart.
AuTabligh JamaAoat in China: Sacred Self.
Worldly Nation.
Transnational Imaginary,Ay Modern Asian Studies 52, no.
4 (July 2.
: 1194Ae1226, https://doi.
org/10.
1017/S0026749X17000658.
Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam in post-Soviet Central Asia,30 and Pieri studied the adaptation of JamaAoah Tabligh in England.
Meanwhile.
Erlan Gantira emphasized the convergence of proselytizing with digital media and the challenges of the democratization of proselytizing.
32 This body of literature shows the breadth of studies, but none have critically examined the transformation of JamaAoah Tabligh from the traditional offline proselytizing to the digital space.
For this reason, this paper seeks to examine how the tradition of JamaAoah Tabligh, which has so far taken place through majelis taklim, markaz .
roselytizing center.
, and the practice of khuruj, has now been transformed into the digital space through live broadcasts, proselytizing content, and virtual interactions, which in turn generate new forms of hybridity.
This shift reduces the communityAos dependence on physical gatherings, but at the same time raises deeper questions about how virtual reality shapes religious experience.
McClure emphasizes that as digital technology becomes more pervasive in various aspects of life, the landscape of religiosity also evolves, reflecting ever-changing socio-cultural realities.
33 This resonates with what Pamungkas has articulated, namely that one of the main challenges in studying religion on the internet is the complexity of platforms and overlapping activities, making the boundary between online and offline interaction increasingly blurred.
34 It is at this point that the novelty of this paper lies, namely, in interpreting JamaAoah Tabligh not only as a traditionalist movement migrating into the digital space, but as a social laboratory that demonstrates how religion is renegotiated within the landscape of mediatized Based on the mapping of studies above, this paper contributes to the enrichment of digital religion studies by presenting JamaAoah Tabligh as an example of how a proselytizing tradition rooted in oral practice and physical gatherings has now been transformed into the virtual space.
The Indonesian context offers added value because it demonstrates how the worldAos largest Muslim population, with a high level of digital penetration, manifests a hybrid form of religiosity.
Thus, this paper deepens the understanding of the transformation of contemporary Islam while also offering a new perspective on the study of the relationship between religion and technology.
30 Bayram Balci.
AuThe Rise of the JamaAoat Al Tabligh in Kyrgyzstan: The Revival of Islamic Ties between the Indian Subcontinent Central Asia?,Ay Central Asian Survey (March 61Ae76, https://doi.
org/10.
1080/02634937.
31 Zacharias Peter Pieri.
AuThe Contentious Politics of Socio-Political Engagement: The Transformation of the Tablighi JamaAoat in LondonAy (University of Exeter, 2.
32 Erlan Gantira.
AuThe Development of DaAowah Through Tabligh and the Development of DaAowah Ideas in Indonesia,Ay Asyahid Journal of Islamic and Quranic Studies (AJIQS) 5, no.
2 (December 2.
: 150Ae75, https://doi.
org/10.
62213/tj36n208.
33 Sean P McClure.
Collins et al.
AuModding My Religion: Exploring the Effects of Digital Technology on Religion and Spirituality,Ay no.
34 Umi Halwati Anggit Pamungkas.
AuTantangan Dakwah Melalui Media Sosial Di Era Media Baru,Ay ARKANA.
Jurnal Komunikasi Dan Media 02 .
: 146Ae58.
35 Stig Hjarvard.
AuThree Forms of Mediatized Religion: Changing the Public Face of Religion,Ay Gosudarstvo.
Religiia.
TserkovAo v Rossii i Za Rubezhom/State.
Religion and Church in Russia and Worldwide 38, no.
: 41Ae75, https://doi.
org/10.
22394/2073-7203-2020-38-2-41-75.
Syamsudin and Sigit Budiyanto / Authenticity of The Hadith of The Sultan of Allah's Shadow on Earth and Its Popularity in Muslim Political History The Sociohistorical Development of the Tablighi JamaAoat: Between Tradition and Adaptation The History and Global Expansion of the Tablighi JamaAoat JamaAoah Tabligh emerged in the early 20th century in India as a response to the spiritual disorientation of Muslims following the collapse of the Ottoman Caliphate.
Its founder.
Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi, developed this movement with a populist proselytizing approach that differed from the formal educational tradition of the Deobandi.
Between 1926 and 1944, the movement succeeded in reIslamizing approximately 60% of the population who had previously been only nominal Muslims, demonstrating the effectiveness of the personal proselytizing methods he developed.
36 The global expansion of JamaAoah Tabligh took place in three main phases closely linked to the migration patterns of South Asian Muslims.
The first phase .
0Ae1.
extended to Southeast Asia through networks of Gujarati traders, followed by the second phase .
0Ae1.
reaching the Middle East and Africa through migrant workers, and the third phase .
0Aepresen.
expanding to Europe and America through professional diasporas.
Data from Markaz Nizamuddin shows that in 2020, there were 15,000 local Markaz in 150 countries, with the fastest growth in France .
% per yea.
and the United States .
% per yea.
Its unique organizational structure, based on networks without formal hierarchy, has enabled this broad expansion, with major spiritual centers in Nizamuddin.
Raiwind.
Dhaka, and Dewsbury.
37 From this global context.
JamaAoah Tabligh has subsequently adapted in diverse ways according to local socio-cultural conditions.
Local Adaptations and Contextual Variations The local processes of JamaAoah Tabligh illustrate complex and varied contextual dynamics across different regions, shaped by local social, cultural, and political settings.
In Indonesia, adaptation has taken place through integration with the traditional Islamic education system, particularly pesantren, where the practice of khuruj is repackaged in the form of Aushort-term pesantren programsAy .
esantren kila.
and accepted as part of enhancing the spirituality of students.
38 This integration reflects a process of cultural negotiation between the values of Tabligh proselytizing and the deeply rooted institutional structures of pesantren.
Meanwhile, in France, the adaptation strategy has been carried out discreetly through the use of private spaces such as basements or garages as venues for proselytizing gatherings.
This model can be understood as a response to the stateAos strict regulation of unofficial religious 36Zacharias Pieri.
AuTablgh JamAat,Ay Handbook Islamic Sects Movements, https://doi.
org/10.
1163/9789004435544.
37 Bustamam-Ahmad.
AuThe History of JamaAoah Tabligh in Southeast Asia: The Role of Islamic Sufism in Islamic Revival.
Ay 38 Ali Imron and Makhfud.
AuInfiltrasi Faham Keagamaan JamaAoah Tablig Di Pondok Pesantren,Ay Indonesian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 2, no.
: 233Ae48, https://doi.
org/10.
33367/ijhass.
39 Pieri.
AuTablgh JamAat.
Ay Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam activities in public spaces, while at the same time representing a form of non-confrontational cultural In London.
PieriAos research shows that JamaAoah Tabligh has attempted to institutionalize its presence through the Aumega mosqueAy project in the Newham area.
40 This project sparked widespread debate and forced local leaders to engage with the wider community.
It marked a shift from isolationist tendencies toward more strategic engagement, while also demonstrating the capacity of JamaAoah Tabligh to operate in plural urban contexts.
Furthermore, in China.
Alexander Stewart highlights how JamaAoah Tabligh shaped the religious subjectivity of Hui Muslims in Qinghai.
The tightly structured proselytizing practices were initially considered restrictive, but the autonomy granted at the grassroots level enabled a reinterpretation of piety aligned with local culture while also reinforcing a sense of belonging to the global Muslim 41 In Kyrgyzstan and other post-Soviet republics.
Bayram Balci observes that JamaAoah Tabligh expanded rapidly after 1991, when religious space reopened.
The apolitical and non-radical image of the movement made it relatively acceptable to state authorities, who saw it as a counterbalance to more confrontational radical Islamic groups.
42 The emphasis of JamaAoah Tabligh on basic Islamic practices found resonance in societies that had long lived under enforced secularism, thus becoming an effective means to revive piety.
From these various contexts, it is evident that the continuity of JamaAoah Tabligh relies on its ability to adapt to local conditions while still maintaining the spiritual foundations that characterize it.
The collective identity is preserved, but forms of expression are constantly negotiated to align with the social landscape in which it operates.
Therefore, if at this stage the adaptation of JamaAoah Tabligh was primarily cultural and contextual, then the digital era marks a more radical form of transformation.
Digitalization and Ritual Transformation As mentioned in the introduction, the digital era presents serious challenges for JamaAoah Tabligh, especially regarding religious authority and the recruitment of younger generations.
The emergence of Audigital alumniAy with thousands of followers on social media has undermined the monopoly of traditional authority, in line with what Castells describes in the concept of the network society, namely the shift of authority from hierarchical structures to fluid networks.
43 Content analysis shows that hundreds of YouTube accounts labeled Auex-TablighAy disseminate alternative interpretations, indicating 40 Pieri.
AuThe Contentious Politics of Socio-Political Engagement: The Transformation of the Tablighi JamaAoat in London.
Ay 41 Stewart.
AuTabligh JamaAoat in China: Sacred Self.
Worldly Nation.
Transnational Imaginary.
Ay 42 Balci.
AuThe Rise of the JamaAoat Al Tabligh in Kyrgyzstan: The Revival of Islamic Ties between the Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia?Ay 43 Manuel Castells.
AuToward a Sociology of the Network Society,Ay Contemporary Sociology 29, no.
5 (September 2.
: 693, https://doi.
org/10.
2307/2655234.
Manuel Castells.
AuThe Network Society Revisited,Ay American Behavioral Scientist 67, no.
7 (June 8, 2.
: 940Ae46, https://doi.
org/10.
1177/00027642221092803.
Syamsudin and Sigit Budiyanto / Authenticity of The Hadith of The Sultan of Allah's Shadow on Earth and Its Popularity in Muslim Political History the birth of a religious competition arena as explained by Stark and Bainbridge in the theory of religious economy, in which religious authority is treated like a market with various Auproselytizing offers.
Ay44 A similar phenomenon is seen in Malaysia, where young people are divided between digital aspirations and loyalty to traditional proselytizing discipline.
Reports from AuSyria CallAy even warn that in the context of Central Asia.
JamaAoah Tabligh can function as an initial pathway for individuals who later connect with extremist networks, even though they do not directly become part of jihad.
The response of JamaAoah Tabligh to the challenges of the modern era appears in the form of limited methodological transformations.
The AuTJ PlusAy application was designed as a tool for internal coordination but remains restricted so as not to open a space for free social interaction.
Proselytizing materials have begun to accommodate contemporary issues such as AuIslam and Science,Ay especially to attract the interest of educated groups, and in several main markaz proselytizing innovations have been attempted, though still under the strict control of senior authorities.
This phenomenon can be read through the lens of Asef Bayat regarding the framework of post-Islamism, in which religious expression moves from political ideology toward a search for spirituality that is more personal and adaptive.
45 The internal tensions that arise between conservative and reformist camps also test the resilience of secularization theory.
Rather than fading, religion has instead found new ways to articulate itself through digital literacy, showing that secularization does not occur linearly but is accompanied by a revival of increasingly complex religious expressions.
In non-Muslim countries, the process of cultural hybridization between the values of JamaAoah Tabligh and local practices has become increasingly prominent.
46 In Western regions, adaptation has even led to partial institutionalization, mainly to adjust to strict social and legal regulations.
This phenomenon underlines the limitations of secularization theory, because rather than weakening, religious expression has instead grown through new formats.
From the perspective of glocalization, this movement shows how the global values of Islam are renegotiated according to local contexts, thus remaining relevant even in different settings.
47 the success of JamaAoah Tabligh lies in its ability to offer a Auproselytizing productAy that is simple, non-confrontational, and more easily accepted compared to the more complex models of political Islam.
Along with the increasing access to the internet, the proselytizing patterns of JamaAoah Tabligh have also begun to shift.
48 The mobility of proselytizing, 44 Rodney Stark and William Sims Bainbridge.
The Future of Religion: Secularization.
Revival and Cult Formation (University of California Press, 1.
45 Asef Bayat.
Post-Islamism: The Many Faces of Political Islam (Oxford University Press, 2.
46 Zacharias Pieri.
Daily Ritual.
Mission, and Transformation of the Self: The Case of Tablighi JamaAoat in Muslim Subjectivities in Global Modernity (Brill, 2.
47 N Jay.
Demerath and James A Beckford.
AuThe SAGE Handbook of the Sociology of ReligionAy (London: Sage, 2.
, http://digital.
it/9781446206522.
Ugo Dessy.
AuReligion: Globalization and Glocalization,Ay in The Routledge Handbook of Transregional Studies, ed.
Matthias Middell, 1st ed.
(London: Routledge, 2.
48 Kuncoro.
AuAmbivalence.
Virtual Piety, and Rebranding: Social Media Uses among Tablighi JamaAoat in Indonesia.
Ay Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam which was originally understood as physical travel, has now been resemanticized into digital mobility, where the khuruj experience is presented in symbolic form through videos, podcasts, or live broadcasts.
This shift can be read through the framework of the network society,49 because religious authority is no longer monopolized by traditional structures but is reproduced through algorithms and online One JamaAoah Tabligh preacher with the initials MH stated:
AuInitially, the outward form felt strange.
When giving a sermon in front of a laptop.
I was often confused about whether the congregation on the screen was truly present spiritually.
But after a year, we found a formula, delivering bayaan via Zoom still follows the Sunnah of sitting crosslegged, wearing kameez, and showing only the face on the screen.
Interestingly, young people are now more focused during virtual sessions because there are no distractions from friends sitting beside themAy.
Nevertheless, this transition process has also generated a dialectic between the senior generation and the digital generation of JamaAoah.
Some fear that digitalization may erode the value of blessing and the authenticity of khuruj, while the younger generation argues seeks to convince that the essence of proselytizing can still be preserved even though the medium and form have changed.
This conflict is not merely a generational opposition but reflects the negotiation of authority and spiritual meaning amid broader currents of social change.
Within the framework of post-Islamism,51 this phenomenon shows how the orthodox tradition of JamaAoah Tabligh is renegotiated by its younger generation to remain relevant to contemporary realities.
From the beginning, this movement emphasized a balance between orthodox values and the ethos of spiritual mobility, especially through khuruj as a medium of spiritual development and non-confrontational proselytizing.
52 However, over the last three decades, particularly in Indonesia, a significant transitional phase has emerged, involving changes in recruitment strategies and the dissemination of teachings.
This transformation has become increasingly apparent as the younger generation begins to utilize the digital space to expand proselytizing networks.
In this context, proselytizing is no longer understood merely as a physical act of leaving home, but also as a virtual activity that enables the dissemination of Islamic values more widely, quickly, and across Furthermore, this transitional phase has generated internal tensions that reveal two orientations within JamaAoah Tabligh.
Some senior members insist on maintaining conventional proselytizing 49 Castells.
AuThe Network Society Revisited.
Ay 50 Hasil wawancara, 2025.
51 Bayat.
Post-Islamism: The Many Faces of Political Islam.
52 Agus Setiawan and Habib Shulton Asnawi.
AuKhurj F SablillAh JamaAoah Tabligh: Fulfilment of Alimony.
Implications for Household Harmony and Wife Psychology,Ay COUNS-EDU: The International Journal of Counseling and Education 8, no.
https://doi.
org/10.
23916/0020230842720.
Syamsudin and Sigit Budiyanto / Authenticity of The Hadith of The Sultan of Allah's Shadow on Earth and Its Popularity in Muslim Political History methods, with the belief that the blessing of khuruj can only be attained through physical mobility.
contrast, the digital generation seeks to reinterpret this tradition in new media while convincing others that the spiritual substance can still be preserved.
This tension is not merely a generational conflict but more broadly reflects the negotiation between tradition and modernity.
This phenomenon challenges the old assumption that traditionalist Islamic groups always reject change.
On the contrary, some members of JamaAoah are now taking creative paths by using digital technology as a means of cultivating piety and spiritual solidarity.
This change has also affected patterns of proselytizing communication, among them the relationships that were once built through direct meetings in mosques or during khuruj journeys are now conducted through algorithms, comments, and interactions on YouTube.
TikTok, and WhatsApp groups.
53 The authority of proselytizing has also shifted from legitimacy based on scholarly chains of transmission .
and khuruj experience to performative legitimacy determined by the ability to deliver messages visually, briefly, and engagingly.
From this has emerged young figures known as spiritual influencers, namely digital proselytizing actors who still refer to the principles of khuruj and the etiquette of communal practice, but at the same time present a style of religiosity that is more communicative and accessible to the new generation.
However, what should be noted is that the digitalization of JamaAoah TablighAos proselytizing also carries certain epistemological risks.
When values that have long been conveyed directly through oral and embodied example are now reduced to short video clips or brief quotes on social media, the depth of spiritual experience may diminish.
Proselytizing that was originally based on riyadhah .
piritual exercis.
and self-discipline risks being replaced by a model that is instant, quickly viral, and dependent on visual impressions.
Here lies the greatest challenge: how to preserve the spirit and spiritual depth of JamaAoah Tabligh within a digital communication format that tends to be superficial.
The author observes that some younger members of JamaAoah have begun to respond by creating educational content containing contemplation and personal testimony, as if striving to sustain the long breath of Tabligh spirituality amid the pressure of algorithmic logic.
Furthermore, this digital phase opens the possibility of the emergence of a new typology within JamaAoah Tabligh, namely the Audigital TablighisAy,54 individuals or groups who make online platforms a space for virtual khuruj, without physically leaving their homes, yet still carrying the spirit of amar maAoruf nahi munkar.
They not only convey messages but also build community networks, organize online halaqah, and even 53 Wakidul Kohar.
Muhammad Aqil, and Danil Folandra.
AuMap of Social-Cultural Dakwah Communications (DaAo.
and Audience (MadAo.
in Padang City,Ay Ilmu Dakwah: Academic Journal for Homiletic Studies 16, no.
: 19Ae36, https://doi.
org/10.
15575/idajhs.
54 Umdatul Hasanah.
Ilah Holilah, and Aang Saeful Milah.
AuThe Transformation of Tablighi JamaAoat Ao s Da Ao Wah: Digital Adaptation and Political Engagement in Indonesia,Ay Ilmu Dakwah: Academic Journal for Homiletic Studies 19, no.
June .
: 235Ae 66, https://doi.
org/10.
15575/idajhs.
Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam conduct musyawarah through Zoom or Google Meet.
Although some senior members may view this practice as lacking the same blessing value as conventional khuruj, from the perspective of the younger generation, this is a form of contemporary ijtihad arising from present needs and realities.
On the other hand, the digital transformation of JamaAoah Tabligh has not been free from substantive criticism.
First, the exclusivity of proselytizing remains a point of concern.
The proselytizing practices of JamaAoah Tabligh, which have long emphasized internal solidarity among members, risk narrowing the space for dialogue with other Muslim groups as well as with the wider society, even when the digital medium should, in fact, open opportunities for inclusivity.
Second, the issue of gender resistance is also prominent.
Although some women participate in masturah programs or online halaqah, their space of participation remains limited and is often framed in a subordinative In the digital context, this gender resistance appears in the limited representation of women as producers of religious knowledge, where proselytizing narratives are still dominated by male Finally, the author concludes that the digital transformation of JamaAoah Tabligh is not a process of erasing identity but rather a process of resemanticizationAigiving new meaning to old values so that they remain relevant to new contexts.
This change shows that religiosity is not static but continues to move and adapt to the surrounding social, political, and technological conditions.
JamaAoah Tabligh in this regard demonstrates that even highly traditional religious movements possess the resilience to endure and develop, provided they have the reflective capacity and openness toward new forms in carrying out their spiritual mission.
Virtual Communication and the Transformation of the Da'wah Ecosystem The emergence of hybrid communication patterns among JamaAoah Tabligh represents an important transformation in the landscape of contemporary proselytizing.
Traditional practices such as khuruj .
oing out for proselytizin.
and bayaan .
are still maintained as the core activity, but their implementation has adapted to digital realities.
In several cities in Indonesia, khuruj is carried out on a smaller scale with coordination facilitated through WhatsApp groups, while bayaan sessions are increasingly conducted virtually via Zoom, enabling participation from members across regions.
55 This phenomenon corresponds with HjarvardAos framework of the Aumediatization of religionAy, which emphasizes that digital technology is not only a means of communication but also reshapes ritual experiences and religious expressions.
The adaptation of JamaAoah Tabligh does not stop its core ritual practices.
In internal communication, encrypted messaging applications are used for private coordination and consultation, 55 Hasanah.
Holilah, and Milah.
56 Hjarvard.
AuThree Forms of Mediatized Religion: Changing the Public Face of Religion.
Ay Syamsudin and Sigit Budiyanto / Authenticity of The Hadith of The Sultan of Allah's Shadow on Earth and Its Popularity in Muslim Political History while at the public level, several markaz selectively use YouTube to broadcast proselytizing content.
This layered communication patternAiconsisting of physical activities linked to digital platforms, closed internal coordination, and limited publicationAidemonstrates a cautious adaptation strategy in response to technological currents.
This phenomenon resonates with CastellsAo view that community cohesion no longer relies solely on physical meetings but also on digital networks that enable rapid mobilization across spaces.
57 The response of JamaAoah Tabligh to these challenges can be seen in several limited methodological transformations.
The TJ Plus application was developed for internal coordination with limited features, while proselytizing materials have begun to accommodate contemporary themes such as AuIslam and ScienceAy to attract educated groups.
Several major markaz have even prepared basic media literacy curricula, though still under the strict supervision of internal authorities.
These steps demonstrate openness to innovation while at the same time creating tensions between those who emphasize the conservation of tradition and those who advocate the renewal of proselytizing methods.
At the same time, digital platforms are used differently according to the level of sacredness of the activity.
WhatsApp Groups function as private spaces for khuruj coordination.
YouTube Live serves as a public pulpit for bayaan with shortened duration.
Telegram Channels act as semi-open spaces for book discussions, while Zoom is used for regional ijtimaAo with special security.
This stratification reflects a selective pattern of digital adaptation: esoteric elements are preserved within limited circles, while exoteric aspects are more open to the public.
However, the consequence that arises is a crisis of A report by the Islamic Digital Ethics Council .
noted that 55 percent of JamaAoah TablighAos digital proselytizing content undergoes excessive simplification, which risks reducing the depth of spiritual messages.
To respond to this challenge.
JamaAoah Tabligh has designed institutional strategies such as the TJ Connect application as an exclusive internal channel, annual training programs for 500 digital mubaligh, and the preparation of a 150-page digital proselytizing guideline.
These steps demonstrate the seriousness of safeguarding the authority and authenticity of teachings, although they also underscore an exclusivist tendency that may limit the participation of groups outside the core circle of the community.
From the explanation above, the projection of JamaAoah TablighAos future development can be mapped into three possibilities: digital consolidation with a more centralized structure, polarization between pro- and anti-digital factions, or radical transformation with full adoption of technology.
The trend of using WhatsApp for coordination since 2020 indicates a tendency toward the first scenario.
57 Manuel Castells.
AuToward a Sociology of the Network Society,Ay Contemporary Sociology 29, no.
5 (September 2.
: 693, https://doi.
org/10.
2307/2655234.
Manuel Castells.
AuThe Network Society Revisited,Ay American Behavioral Scientist 67, no.
7 (June 8, 2.
: 940Ae46, https://doi.
org/10.
1177/00027642221092803.
Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam practice, platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram have become meeting points for communities that were previously only connected through local mosques.
In these virtual spaces, the language of proselytizing has shifted to become more informal, motivational, and oriented toward personal This symptom shows symbolic desacralization as well as a reorientation of spiritual communication toward affect and everyday narratives.
Proselytizing is no longer merely the transmission of teachings but also the building of emotional attachmentAievident in the use of Islamic stickers, prayer emojis, or short hadith quotes wrapped in visual aesthetics.
This phenomenon can be read as a form of democratization of religious messages.
Members who were previously outside the circle of authority now have the opportunity to become messengers through digital content.
However, this democratization is ambivalent.
On the one hand, it opens a wider space for participation,58 and on the other hand, the algorithmic logic of social media drives the AugamificationAy of proselytizing, in which messages are produced not for spiritual depth but to win audience attention.
The tension between religious intention and platform logic underscores what Hjarvard calls the mediatization of religion, namely, when media are not merely instruments but also determine the form and content of 59 In the context of JamaAoah Tabligh, this highlights the dilemma between maintaining the exclusivity of proselytizing rooted in the tradition of khuruj and the openness of digital space that encourages more fluid, popular, and competitive narratives.
In addition, as a result of this digitalization, traditional mubaligh who rely on sanad and scholarly diligence risk being displaced by young content creators who skillfully combine short narratives with appealing visual elements.
When the credibility of proselytizing begins to be measured through digital statisticsAilikes, views, and sharesAia fundamental question arises: to what extent can religious authority remain legitimate if it depends on the logic of platform popularity? This shift has driven a repositioning of authority within JamaAoah Tabligh.
The hierarchical structure based on khurujseniority is now confronted with the horizontal networks of the digital world, where anyone can emerge as a spiritual micro-influencer.
This new authority is born not from the process of musyawarah or talaqqi, but from the speed of content sharing.
For senior amrs, this condition is seen as weakening the validity of the message.
conversely, the digital generation views it as the expansion of a more inclusive proselytizing field, including for women and young people who were previously less accessible.
The contestation of these two paradigms illustrates how mediatization reshapes structures of authority while testing the ability of JamaAoah Tabligh to maintain the uniformity of manhaj amid the 58 Gwyneth H McClendon and Rachel Beatty Riedl.
From Pews to Politics: Religious Sermons and Political Participation in Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2.
59 Hjarvard.
AuThree Forms of Mediatized Religion: Changing the Public Face of ReligionAy.
Stig Hjarvard.
AuMediatization and the Changing Authority of Religion,Ay Media.
Culture & Society 38, no.
1 (January 20, 2.
: 8Ae17, https://doi.
org/10.
1177/0163443715615412.
Syamsudin and Sigit Budiyanto / Authenticity of The Hadith of The Sultan of Allah's Shadow on Earth and Its Popularity in Muslim Political History democratization of religious messages.
On the other hand, the phenomenon of symbolic desacralization has in fact generated a new spirituality based on affect.
60 Islamic stickers, prayer emojis, and short wisdom notes become light idioms of religiosity that preserve a sense of togetherness in fast This practice reflects Auaffective pietyAy, borrowing Nurhaizatul JamilAos term,61 namely when faith experiences are constructed through emotions and everyday digital interactions.
62 Within the framework of tele-presence, geographical distance is collapsed by virtual intimacy, so that the presence of the community can be felt even without physical mobility.
Although it does not fully replace the blessing of khuruj, this dynamic has reformulated the way JamaAoah Tabligh experiences togetherness, proving that digital networks are not merely media but rather new spaces for the production of spiritual meaning.
In the end, the increasing volume of JamaAoah TablighAos digital proselytizing content has serious consequences due to information overload, which may lead to partial interpretations or even deviations from the manhaj.
Aware of this risk, the community has established a digital literacy program that emphasizes both technical skills in content production and the verification of sanad and doctrinal In addition, they have developed TJ Connect, an internal application that serves as the official channel for content verification and more structured digital musyawarah.
This step demonstrates an awareness that religious authority must be safeguarded from the flood of uncurated information, in line with HjarvardAos concept of the mediatization of religion, in which the control of religious messages must be negotiated within the digital space.
63 On the other hand, the success of the digital consolidation strategy depends on JamaAoah TablighAos ability to maintain a balance between classical spiritual disciplineAisuch as the etiquette of khurujAiand the algorithmic logic of new media.
Within CastellsAo framework of the network society,64 community cohesion is no longer determined solely by physical gatherings but also by the capacity to manage transnational networks that operate virtually.
If this integration succeeds.
JamaAoah Tabligh has the potential to become a model of hybrid proselytizing that combines transnational piety with technological sensitivity.
Conversely, failure to manage online authority may widen the gap between the senior and digital generations, trigger internal polarization, and weaken the cohesion of the movement.
Thus, this analysis emphasizes that JamaAoah Tabligh is not 60 P.
Y u .
Saukh and M.
Melnichuk.
AuTendencies of Desacralization and Symbolism in Spiritual Culture through the Prism of Modernity Challenges,Ay Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University Journal.
Philosophical Sciences 1, no.
: 5Ae14, https://doi.
org/10.
35433/philosophicalsciences.
61 Nurhaizatul Jamil.
AuAoThis Is a Gathering of LoversAo: Islamic Self-help and Affective Pedagogies in Contemporary Singapore,Ay Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 25, no.
3 (September 21, 2.
: 467Ae86, https://doi.
org/10.
1111/14679655.
62 Barbara Zimbalist.
Medieval Affective Piety and Christological Devotion: Juliana of Mont Cornillon and the Feast of Corpus Christi.
In Illuminating Jesus in the Middle Ages (Brill, 2.
63 Stig Hjarvard.
AuThe Mediatisation of Religion: Theorising Religion.
Media and Social Change,Ay Culture and Religion 12, 2 (June 2.
: 119Ae35, https://doi.
org/10.
1080/14755610.
64 Castells.
AuThe Network Society Revisited.
Ay Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam only facing the technical challenges of digitalization but also engaging in epistemological struggle and a politics of authority.
These findings are relevant not only for the study of JamaAoah Tabligh but also for other proselytizing movements, including the Salafis, who are similarly confronted with the tension between tradition and technology in the contemporary global context.
Fragmentation.
Hybridity, and Identity Negotiation Farish A.
NoorAos survey in Indonesia.
Malaysia.
France, the United Kingdom, and the United States shows the dilemma of the younger generation of JamaAoah Tabligh, namely, how to maintain the core values of tabligh while negotiating the influence of local and digital cultures.
65 In France.
Gilles Kepel observed the second generation of immigrants who combined Tabligh attributes with urban styles.
This phenomenon aligns with Peter MandavilleAos idea that religious identity is modular, easily adapted to continuously changing social contexts.
67 From this explanation, it seems that hybridization occurs at various levels.
In Southeast Asia, the Urdu term for proselytizing is often translated to be more familiar to local communities.
In the global context, digital media opens the space for popular elements such as music, aesthetic visuals, or even Islamic memes to enter proselytizing.
Gary Bunt noted that digital platforms provide opportunities for tabligh groups to expand their reach while also introducing new communication styles that are more visual and light.
68 From this emerged a Aucontemporary tabligh styleAy that combines religious symbols with urban aesthetics, making it feel closer to Generation Z.
At the same time, however, it is precisely at this point that epistemological challenges arise.
The identity of Tabligh in the digital space becomes fragmented.
Some accounts still use authoritative and formal styles, while others choose relaxed, humorous, or satirical ones.
The question then is: who interpret Tabligh? through sanad, khuruj experience, and closeness to the markaz.
Now, legitimacy is determined by content popularity and social media algorithms.
Mandaville calls this phenomenon the pluralization of authority, when religious interpretation is no longer the monopoly of ulamA or senior amrs but can also emerge from content creators without formal credentials.
69 On the other hand, some senior members view this condition as a threat to the authenticity of proselytizing.
However, the digital generation regards it as an opportunity to reach a wider and more inclusive audience.
Proselytizing is no longer merely about conveying teachings because technological developments, by nature, require that 65 Farish A.
Noor.
Islam on the Move The Tablighi JamaAoat in Southeast Asia, 2012.
66 Gilles Kepel.
Les Banlieues de lAoIslam : Naissance dAoune Religion En France, 1987.
67 Peter Mandaville.
AuGlobalization and the Politics of Religious Knowledge: Pluralizing Authority in the Muslim World,Ay Theory.
Culture & Society 24, no.
, https://doi.
org/https://doi.
org/10.
1177/0263276407074998.
68 Gary R.
Bunt.
Hashtag Islam How Cyber-Islamic Environments Are Transforming Religious Authority.
69 Peter Mandaville.
AuGlobalization and the Politics of Religious Knowledge: Pluralizing Authority in the Muslim World.
Ay Syamsudin and Sigit Budiyanto / Authenticity of The Hadith of The Sultan of Allah's Shadow on Earth and Its Popularity in Muslim Political History emotional interactions be shaped through visual language, humor, and personal closeness.
The problem, however, is not only whether the content is Islamic, but how the depth of the message can be maintained amid the fast-moving currents.
This problem of identity fragmentation shows that there is a fundamental epistemological shift.
The tradition of authority that once rested on sanad and khuruj now competes with algorithm-based This process shows that the transformation of Tabligh in the digital era is not merely a proselytizing strategy, but a struggle to determine who has the right to define truth.
In this context, more substantive criticism needs to be directed at the extent to which JamaAoah Tabligh can preserve the core values of proselytizing amid changes in authority shaped by the logic of media.
New Authority: From Charisma to Algorithms The transformation of religious authority in JamaAoah Tabligh is one of the most striking consequences of digitalization.
70 New figures are no longer recognized based on the length of their khuruj experience or the strength of their proselytizing sanad, but rather on their skill in building engagement on social Popularity is measured through algorithmic indicatorsAithe number of views, shares, likes, and followersAiwhich gradually replace traditional benchmarks such as personal charisma and scholarly This shift reflects a transition of authority from sanad to statistics, from charisma embodied in the body to digital visibility.
On the other hand, digitalization has also opened the space for the formation of more egalitarian and transnational proselytizing communities.
Platforms such as YouTube and Zoom allow members from Indonesia.
Pakistan.
Malaysia, and the United Kingdom to interact directly, exchange khuruj experiences, and share spiritual narratives.
These cross-national encounters give rise to a kind of digital ummah that no longer rests on hierarchical structures but on affective bonds and shared spiritual aspirations.
The emotional ecology that emerges shows that Tabligh spirituality can continue to flow even when mediated by digital technology.
In addition, this digitalization process opens opportunities for new articulations of the concept of ijtihad in the context of communication and However, the acceptance of digitalization is not uniform.
Senior members often reject online proselytizing on the grounds that virtual practices reduce the barakah value of khuruj carried out physically, or, as Qasim Zaman describes, that contestation occurs.
72 This resistance creates an 70 Hasanah.
Holilah, and Milah.
AuThe Transformation of Tablighi JamaAoat Ao s Da Ao Wah: Digital Adaptation and Political Engagement in Indonesia.
Ay 71 Sona Federica.
AuAccelerating the Digital Transition: European and Muslim Responses to Artificial Intelligence and ICT S,Ay Journal of Religion in Europe 1, no.
: 26Ae58.
72 Muhammad Qasim Zaman.
AuThe Ulama and Contestations on Religious Authority,Ay in Islam and Modernity (Edinburgh University Press, 2.
, 206Ae36, https://doi.
org/10.
1515/9780748637942-009.
Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam epistemological tension, because on one side there is a conservative faction that defends the purity of tradition, while on the other side there is a younger generation experimenting with new proselytizing styles based on visuals, short narratives, and algorithms.
Digitalization, therefore, is not a smooth adaptation but an arena of debate in which authority is questioned and redefined.
In addition, although the formation of cross-border digital spaces allows JamaAoah Tabligh to present a unique transnational model of proselytizingAinon-political, non-confrontational, yet with strong reach and global resonanceAiin reality,73 digitalization has also generated new patterns of exclusion.
Members in rural areas with limited internet access, older generations less familiar with technology, and women in the masturah program are often marginalized in online forums.
Thus, even though the digital space appears inclusive, in practice, it still leaves inequalities and masculine domination.
This shows that the expansion of proselytizing through digital media simultaneously produces new hierarchies in terms of access and visibility.
In the end, this dynamic raises a fundamental epistemological question: who actually has the right to interpret the values of tabligh, and what are the valid indicators in the digital era? The authority that was once rooted in sanad and khuruj experience is now confronted with a new authority built through algorithmic popularity.
JamaAoah Tabligh, which has long been regarded as a traditionalist movement, shows a more complex face: adaptive and resilient on the one hand, yet full of resistance, exclusion, and marginalization on the other.
Digitalization, therefore, is not merely an instrument of proselytizing expansion but, for the author, an arena of negotiation in which authority, identity, and spiritual meaning are continually renegotiated and reinterpreted.
Conclusion This study demonstrates that digitalization has transformed the proselytizing practices of JamaAoah Tabligh from traditional to face-to-face activities based on khuruj and bayaan into hybrid practices mediated by technology.
The digital space does not merely function as a technical channel but also serves as an arena for the negotiation of meaning, authority, and identity.
The main findings reveal that religious solidarity now expands transnationally, religious authority shifts from sanad to algorithmic logic, and expressions of piety take on personal and participatory forms.
The implication is that secularization theory is not sufficient to explain this phenomenon.
approaches such as glocalization, network society, and mediatization are more relevant for understanding the dynamics of contemporary Islam.
Nevertheless, a key limitation of this study lies in its narrow data scope and the absence of direct comparison with other proselytizing movements.
Therefore, further studies are needed to assess the 73 Setiawan and Asnawi.
AuKhurj F SablillAh JamaAoah Tabligh: Fulfilment of Alimony.
Implications for Household Harmony and Wife Psychology.
Ay Syamsudin and Sigit Budiyanto / Authenticity of The Hadith of The Sultan of Allah's Shadow on Earth and Its Popularity in Muslim Political History extent to which digitalization reshapes the ritual structure, authority, and sustainability of JamaAoah Tabligh in a broader context.
References