Majority Science Journal
Vol. 4 No. 3 (2026): MSJ - August

Beyond Representation: Reconstructing Muslim Hero Identity through Procedural Rhetoric in Islamic Video Games

Yuana Ryan Tresna (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)
Hendri Waluyo Lensa (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)
Dody S. Truna (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)
Rifki Rosyad (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Aug 2026

Abstract

The representation of Muslims in digital games has received increasing scholarly attention, yet existing research has largely focused on visual imagery, narrative representation, and ideological discourse while overlooking the procedural nature of gameplay. This article argues that Muslim hero identity in Islamic video games cannot be adequately understood through representational analysis alone. Instead, identity emerges through players' interaction with computational systems that organize ethical choices, moral responsibility, and religious meaning. This study aims to reconstruct the concept of Muslim hero identity by integrating Representation Theory, Procedural Rhetoric, and Digital Religion into a unified conceptual framework. Employing a qualitative theory-building approach, the study combines systematic literature review, qualitative content analysis, critical discourse analysis, and theory synthesis to examine how identity is constituted through interactive gameplay rather than static representation. The analysis demonstrates that procedural mechanics, player agency, moral agency, and religious meaning-making collectively shape the construction of Muslim hero identity. Based on these findings, the study proposes the Procedural Muslim Hero Identity Framework (PMHIF), comprising five interconnected dimensions: Representational Foundation, Procedural System, Interactive Moral Agency, Religious Meaning-Making, and Procedural Muslim Hero Identity. The framework reconceptualizes Muslim hero identity as an emergent, participatory, and ethically situated process enacted through gameplay rather than merely represented through narrative or visual symbols. By moving beyond representational paradigms, this study extends Procedural Rhetoric into the domain of Digital Religion and offers a new interdisciplinary framework that contributes to Game Studies, Islamic Media Studies, and the broader scholarship on religion and interactive digital media.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

msj

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance Education Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Description

MSJ : Majority Science Journal is a scientific journal that is published periodically every 3 months which contains various scientific articles as a result of research. MJS is a multidisciplinary journal published by PT Hafasy Dwi Nawasena in collaboration with several lecturers to contribute to ...