Digitalizing Hadith: Islamic Political Communication, Hashtag Activism, and Humanitarian Advocacy in the Algorithmic Age
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59374/lirci.v1i1.2Keywords:
Digital Da‘wah, Algorithmic Islam, Hadith, Islamic Political Communication, Humanitarian ActivismAbstract
The rapid expansion of digital media has transformed Islamic da‘wah from traditional religious communication into algorithm-driven digital activism. In this context, hadith is increasingly recontextualized into hashtags, visual narratives, and viral campaigns addressing global humanitarian issues such as Palestine, Islamophobia, and the persecution of Muslim minorities. This study examines how hadith-based digital da‘wah functions as a form of Islamic political communication in contemporary digital spaces. Using a qualitative approach with thematic and digital discourse analysis, the research analyzes social media content from Instagram, X/Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube, focusing on hashtags such as #SavePalestine, #PrayForGaza, and #StopIslamophobia. The study employs Gary R. Bunt’s concept of Algorithmic Islam alongside theories of digital religion and networked political communication to explore the relationship between religious authority, platform algorithms, and humanitarian narratives. The findings reveal that hadith experiences significant mediatization and simplification within digital platforms, transforming into emotionally charged symbolic content designed to maximize visibility and engagement. Hashtags function not only as digital markers but also as instruments of Islamic political mobilization that construct transnational solidarity and collective identity. However, digital da‘wah also produces critical tensions, including religious populism, slacktivism, algorithmic polarization, and the reduction of complex humanitarian crises into viral symbolic performances. This study argues that digital da‘wah represents not merely a transformation of religious communication, but also a reconfiguration of Islamic authority, political engagement, and humanitarian advocacy in the algorithmic age.
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