Algorithmic Authority and the Reconfiguring of Uṣūl al-Dīn: Digital Ontologies, Epistemic Fragmentation, and the Future of Islamic Theological Authority
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.162.18Keywords:
algorithmic authority, digital theological legitimacy, epistemic fragmentation, mediatization of religion, Uṣūl al-DīnAbstract
The change in the distribution pattern of religious authority in contemporary Muslim society, including in Indonesia, is influenced by the development of algorithm-based social media. This condition raises important questions about the epistemic stability of uṣūl al-dīn in the digital space. This study aims to analyze how algorithmic authorities become intermediaries in changes in Islamic theological authority, identifying epistemic fragmentation patterns, and formulating a conceptual model of theological legitimacy in the Indonesian context. This study uses a mixed-methods methodology with digital network analysis, engagement metrics, and qualitative discourse analysis on theological content on major social media platforms. The results indicate that there has been a shift in indicators related to religious legitimacy, from sanad and institutional recognition, to digital metrics that focus on audience visibility and response. In addition, segmented epistemic groups with limited interaction emerged, and new hierarchies of authority mediated by algorithms. These results indicate a link to Islamic theological authority undergoing a shift from a hierarchical transmission model to an algorithmic structure. This research has offered the framework of the Indonesian Hybrid Theological Authority Model, which combines traditional epistemic legitimacy with digital visibility. This model can strengthen theological authority in addressing the fragmentation of the ummah in an algorithmically mediated society while offering normative guidance to religious institutions on daʿwah practices and digital ethics.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Naila Farah, Didi Supandi, Asna Istya Marwantika, Arif Dika Prasetya, Muhamad Febrianto, Ummulkhairy M. Dun
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