Al-Qudwah: Jurnal Studi Al-Qur'an dan Hadis
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026): June

Platformizing the Sacred: Subscription-Based Qur’anic and Hadith Content in Digital Business Models

Asep Koswara (Institut As-Syifa, Subang)
Ela Sartika (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Al-Qur’an As-syifa, Subang)
Abdul Rohman (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Al-Qur’an As-syifa, Subang)
Lina Herlina (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Al-Qur’an As-syifa, Subang)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 Jul 2026

Abstract

Digital platforms are increasingly reshaping the landscape of Islamic knowledge by embedding Qur’an and Hadith within subscription-based business ecosystems. This study examines how platform-based models transform sacred texts into monetized digital services, drawing on illustrative cases such as emerging platforms like Kitabpedia and AI-assisted tools such as KhutbahAI that offer paid access to curated Islamic content. Using a qualitative approach, the research employs digital observation and critical interpretive analysis to explore the structural, epistemological, and ethical dimensions of these platforms. The findings indicate that religious knowledge is increasingly reconfigured as personalized, scalable, and commodified digital content, while religious authority undergoes a significant shift from scholar-centered legitimacy toward platform-mediated and algorithmically structured authority. In this emerging configuration, the visibility and credibility of religious knowledge are increasingly shaped not only by ulama or institutional scholarship, but also by algorithmic ranking systems and user engagement metrics. At the same time, the integration of market logic into sacred domains generates tensions related to access inequality, authenticity, and the ethical limits of monetization within Islamic business principles. The study proposes the concept of a “Platformized Sacred Economy” to capture this transformation, offering a novel analytical lens that bridges digital religion, platform capitalism, and Islamic ethics, with implications for the governance of religious content in digital environments.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

alqudwah

Publisher

Subject

Religion Social Sciences

Description

Al-Qudwah is a journal published by the Quran and Tafsir Science Study Program and the Hadith Science Study Program, Faculty of Ushuluddin, State Islamic University Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau. The journal Al-Qudwah is published twice a year in January-June and July-December. Al-Qudwah is a journal ...