Fourteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

Islamic religious authority currently faces a significant challenge due to the unrestricted proliferation of references in today’s digital world. Lay Muslim communities now have alternative sources, particularly from scientific explanations, which can disrupt established teachings of the Islamic religion and shift its authority in explaining life phenomena. This condition compels Muslim figures to embrace these alternative references as a way to explain Islam, as exemplified by two Indonesian Muslim YouTubers, Husein Ja’far al-Hadar, and Guru Gembul. Through this approach, they have gained popularity and positive reception, attracting a high number of viewers and engaging top Indonesian YouTubers. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, this article attempts to reveal an explanation of how they deal with these “disruptive” references in their contents about Islam. Three arguments emerge from the data obtained. Firstly, there was a transformation of preaching into a more open stance, welcoming different thoughts and references, and contextualizing patterns of preaching, with Sufism playing an important role in this shift. Secondly, the logical position was emphasized more in explaining religion than doctrine, making the conveyed religion appear integrated with scientific developments. Thirdly, the “disruptive” references accommodated were used as a tool for self-criticism, enhancing the objectivity of the explanation.