Indonesian Muballigh and Religious Authority: From Sanad to Algorithmic Transformation of Islamic Knowledge Transmission in the Digital Era

Abstrak

This study looks at how the authority of 'ulamā' has changed from a sanad-based epistemic system to forms of legitimacy that are increasingly based on digital algorithms. This change has a big impact on modern Islamic education. This transformation signifies a profound reconfiguration of Islamic epistemic authority; wherein scholarly legitimacy is no longer solely derived from traditional knowledge transmission but is also influenced by emotional appeal and platform visibility. This research employs a qualitative descriptive-analytical framework that synthesizes Islamic studies and media theory, illustrating how digitalization expedites the disintermediation of religious authority, favoring popularity, emotional resonance, and engagement metrics over methodological rigor and scholarly validation. The cases of Adi Hidayat and Hanan Attaki exemplify divergent yet converging strategies for negotiating authority within digital religious environments, highlighting the concurrent functioning of epistemic, affective, and algorithmic legitimacy. This study delineates three interrelated dimensions of transformation epistemological, structural, and interactional that contribute to the diminishing relevance of traditional institutions and the fragmentation of Islamic educational curricula. a. In response, the article suggests a mixed model of Islamic education that combines epistemic depth, digital literacy, critical competence, and ethical formation. n. The study's main theoretical contribution is coming up with a three-part framework of religious legitimacy that explains the contradiction between democratization and trivialization in modern Islamic discourse. e. In practice, it suggests adding digital-religious literacy to core curricula and creating structured standards for digital da'wah legitimacy.