Tasamuh: Jurnal Komunikasi dan Pengembangan Masyarakat Islam
Vol. 24 No. 1 (2026): Innovative Da'wah for Sustainable Muslim Societies

MEDIATIZATION OF ISLAMIC DA‘WAH ON SOCIAL MEDIA: THE AUTHORITY OF ULAMA AND AUDIENCE LEGITIMATION IN DIGITAL SPACES

Rudi Trianto (STAI Luqman Al Hakim Surabaya)
saparwadi-ntb (Institut Elkatarie)
Agus Nurhadi (Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo Semarang)



Article Info

Publish Date
27 Jun 2026

Abstract

This study aims to examine the mediatization of Islamic da‘wah on social media, with a particular focus on the transformation of ulama authority and audience legitimation in digital spaces. This research employs a literature review method with a qualitative-descriptive approach to studies on digital religion, the mediatization of religion, da‘wah communication, religious authority, digital ulama, religious influencers, and social media audience reception. The findings indicate that social media does not merely function as a channel for disseminating da‘wah messages, but also reshapes the ways in which Islamic da‘wah is produced, packaged, distributed, and legitimized. The authority of ulama no longer rests solely on chains of scholarly transmission, religious institutions, organizational hierarchies, or recognition from traditional communities. It is also shaped by digital visibility, communicative performativity, visual aesthetics, platform interactivity, and audience engagement. In digital spaces, audiences play an active role in shaping the legitimacy of da‘wah through following, liking, commenting, sharing, criticizing, and constructing the public image of ulama. These findings affirm that the mediatization of Islamic da‘wah gives rise to religious authority that is relational, participatory, and digitalized. This article concludes that the transformation of Islamic da‘wah on social media is not merely a shift of medium from the physical pulpit to digital platforms, but a process of reconfiguring religious communication involving ulama, the logic of social media, algorithms, and audiences as actors of legitimation.  

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Journal Info

Abbrev

tasamuh

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Library & Information Science Social Sciences

Description

Tasamuh dengan nomor registrasi ISSN 1829-6483 (Cetak) dan ISSN 2614-1736 (Online), merupakan jurnal peer-reviewed dan merupakan jurnal open access yang diterbitkan dua kali dalam setahun (Juni - Desember) oleh Fakultas Dakwah dan Komunikasi Studi, Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Mataram. Tasamuh ...