Epistemological Shifts in Islamic Authority: Traditional Ulama to Digital Influencers within the Post-Truth Indonesian Society

Abstract

The rapid development of digital media platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) has fundamentally reconfigured Islamic religious authority in Indonesia. This shift represents an ontological transformation where religious truth is increasingly negotiated through algorithmic logic, visual performativity, and emotional resonance. In the post-truth era, where objective facts and rigorous methodologies are subordinated to emotional appeals, traditional scholarly knowledge faces an existential crisis. For centuries, religious legitimacy relied on the sanad (unbroken chain of transmission) and rigorous pesantren education. Today, this authority is marginalized by the popularity of "religious influencers" who accumulate influence through platform visibility and algorithmic curation rather than peer-reviewed theological mastery. Through a qualitative phenomenological approach integrating a systematic literature review (2024–2026) and in-depth interviews with prominent religious figures in Tegal and Pekalongan, this study dissects this authority disruption. The results reveal a "digital schism"—an epistemic tension between the hierarchical logic of the classical sanad and the distributed logic of social media algorithms. This paradigm shift gives rise to "algorithmic authority" based entirely on user engagement metrics. Furthermore, AI-driven "cyber muftis" decentralize digital fatwas, accelerating theological polarization and echo chambers where the public consumes unverified emotional narratives. These findings underscore the urgent need to reconceptualize Islamic digital literacy by synergizing the Qur'anic paradigms of Iqra (critical reading) and Tabayyun (comprehensive verification) to fortify society against disinformation. Traditional institutions must strategically adapt to these algorithmic ecosystems to safeguard the methodological integrity of Islamic scholarship.