Tarbiyah Youth's Digital Resistance to Salafi Da'wah

Abstract

The growth of Salafi da’wah on social media has given rise to religious contestation regarding religious authority, worship practices, and religious identity in West Sumatra. This study examines how young members of Tarbiyah Islamiyah, through the Al-Husam Littafaquh Fiddin community, construct a counternarrative to Salafi da’wah discourse on Facebook and how this contestation shapes religious identity in the digital realm. This study uses a qualitative approach, employing netnography and qualitative content analysis. Data were collected from content produced by religious activists from the Tarbiyah youth group on Facebook, supplemented by interviews with social media activists involved in da’wah activities, as well as observations of posts and content from both sides, which were then analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s qualitative data analysis techniques. The findings reveal three forms of digital resistance among Tarbiyah youth: studying classical Islamic texts (turats) through live streams, posting counternarratives, and arguing in comment sections to affirm Shafi'i jurisprudence, Ash'ari-Maturidi theology, and Sunni Sufism as a moderate Islamic identity that accommodates local traditions. On the other hand, the author found that this same interactive space also contributes to hate speech, religious polarization, and confusion regarding religious practice among the general public. This study shows that Facebook serves as a space for both consolidating and contesting religious authority. The findings contribute to understanding religious discourse in the virtual world and its impact on public behavior, interactions, and religious identities.