<![CDATA[This article analyzes the formation and maintenance of Gus Ali Shodiqin’s charismatic authority within the Mafia Sholawat community. It addresses religious authority in popular da‘wa communities, where authority operates not only through formal institutions but also through rituals, symbols, collective experience, and emotional ties between leaders and congregants. This qualitative case study draws on field observations at the Mafia Sholawat headquarters from 2 month, online observations of the Abah Ali Mafia Sholawat Indonesia YouTube channel, semi-structured interviews with five key informants, and documentary materials. The findings show that Gus Ali’s authority is constructed through pesantren tradition, family genealogy, chains of religious learning, validation by authoritative figures, spiritual experiences, and congregational recognition. It is reinforced through an accessible, inclusive, and non-judgmental preaching style oriented toward marginalized groups. Sholawat Ngaji Heppy, Maulidu Rosul, and Molimo Mantab reproduce charisma through affective experience, prophetic love, spiritual discipline, and collective self-reflection. His charisma is routinized through congregational habitus, the three-finger salute, the pesantren, recurring rituals, community networks, and digital media. The article conceptualizes this authority as relational-ritual charisma, produced, experienced, and institutionalized through collective practice.]]>
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