Ulama and Religious Legitimacy in Indonesia: The Shift from the Sanad Tradition to Digital Transformation in the Dissemination of Islamic Knowledge

Abstract

This research examines the shift in ‘ulamā’ authority from traditional sanad-based knowledge systems toward legitimacy increasingly shaped by digital algorithmic mechanisms, fundamentally affecting contemporary Islamic education. The shift represents a substantial restructuring of Islamic epistemic authority, where scholarly credibility no longer stems exclusively from conventional knowledge transmission pathways but also draws from affective engagement and digital platform prominence. Using a qualitative descriptive-analytical approach that merges Islamic scholarship with media studies, this investigation demonstrates how digital transformation accelerates the removal of intermediaries in religious authority, prioritizing metrics such as popularity, emotional connection, and user engagement over scholarly precision and methodological verification. The examples of Adi Hidayat and Hanan Attaki demonstrate different yet overlapping approaches to navigating authority in digital religious spaces, revealing the simultaneous operation of epistemic, affective, and algorithmic forms of legitimacy. The research identifies three interconnected transformation dimensions—epistemological, structural, and interactional—that drive the declining significance of traditional institutions and the fragmentation of Islamic educational programs. The article proposes a hybrid Islamic education model that integrates epistemic rigor, digital competency, critical thinking skills, and ethical development. The research’s principal theoretical advancement lies in developing a tripartite framework of religious legitimacy that accounts for the tension between democratization processes and the potential trivialization within contemporary Islamic discourse. On a practical level, the study recommends incorporating digital-religious literacy into foundational curricula and establishing formalized criteria for validating digital da’wah legitimacy.