Cyber-religiosity : the internet, the Qurʾanists, and their influence on today’s young adult Muslims’ religious identity formation

Abstract

This study focuses on the two interrelated concepts of religious identity: authority and agency, within the context of religion and digital media. This study projects the understanding of these concepts through two key aspects. Firstly, it analyses the presence of religious content on the internet and how digital platforms are used to promote various religious views and expressions, which in turn challenge traditional religious authority and institutions. This aspect focuses on significant, current, and trending internet and social media platforms as of 2024, where a growing minority religion known as Qurʾanism spreads its ideologies. Through a qualitative textualobservational analysis, this study finds that substantial effort and resources have been invested in promoting these ideologies and building communities across platforms such as Reddit, Quora, numerous Qurʾanist websites, YouTube channels, live chats and videos, and active engagement on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and various podcasts. Secondly, this study explores how young adult Muslims exercise agency when engaging with religious information on the internet and social media. This is done through a quantitative descriptive analysis based on a survey of young adult Muslims in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The aim of this survey is to determine whether the internet and social media play a role in influencing their religious views, decisions, or beliefs (religious identity) and their perceptions of the authoritative position of the Qur’an, Ḥadīth, and the ʿulamaʾ. The result of the survey showed several key findings: 1) A strong religious upbringing does not necessarily correlate with strong individual religiosity; 2) While most participants are cautious about religious information online, many are open to considering online religious opinions and views; 3) The majority regard the Qur’ān and Ḥadith as sources of guidance, though there is a slight variation in how these sources influence life decisions; 4) Although many participants consider the internet a reliable resource for seeking Islamic information, the ʿulamaʾ are still viewed as essential for imparting Islamic knowledge and uniting the community; 5) A majority agree that content such as tweets, podcasts, threads, comments, and pages have sometimes changed their personal Islamic perspectives and decisions; 6) YouTube and other websites have been the most used platform among participants for online religious seeking and education; 7) Participants primarily engage with Islamic content that reflects individualised spiritual and religious thoughts or those that feature interesting preachers. The findings of these two aspects of the study contribute to the understanding and addressing the current position of authority and agency of young adult Muslims in Kuala Lumpur. They also highlight the challenges or gaps that can further navigate the path for future literature and scholars can focus on in tackling the growing ideologies of Qurʾanism on the internet and enhancing educational efforts for the Ummah, especially, young adults, who face a greater risk of influence and religious misinformation in the online realm, as the Internet and social media are easily accessible in the present day.