Vernacular Cyber-Sufism: Digital Ritual, Mediated Authority, and the Naqshbandi Haqqani Order in Indonesia

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: Dec 1, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15642/teosofi.2025.15.2.406-428
Keywords:
Cyber-Sufism; digital religion; Naqshbandi Haqqani Order; Sufi authority; Religious Mediation

Main Article Content

M. Agus Wahyudi
UIN Raden Mas Said Surakarta
Eka Srimulyani
UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh
Sehat Ihsan Shadiqin
UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh
Randi Muhammad Gumilang
UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh

Abstract

The article analyzes the incorporation of digital media within the Naqshbandi Haqqani Order in Indonesia and argues that it represents a significant transformation in contemporary Sufi practice. Based on qualitative interviews with members of local zāwiyahs, the study shows that digital platforms facilitate core tariqa practices, including online bay’a, virtual dhikr, and digital s}ah}ba. These practices demonstrate that digital space functions not merely as a medium of communication but as a legitimate site of ritual performance and spiritual experience. The findings challenge the conventional distinction between “religion online” and “online religion” by illustrating how barakah and spiritual authorization are reconfigured through technological mediation. The article contributes theoretically by introducing the concept of vernacular cyber-Sufism, in which local zāwiyahs act as espitemic intermediaries translating transnational Sufi authority into locally meaningful forms. This process reflects a pattern of negotiated authority shaped by the interaction of global charisma, local mediation, and platform visibility. At the same time, digital expansion produces ambivalent effects, simultaneously widening access to Sufi learning while raising concerns about authenticity and the commodification of knowledge.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Wahyudi, M. Agus, Eka Srimulyani, Sehat Ihsan Shadiqin, and Randi Muhammad Gumilang. “Vernacular Cyber-Sufism: Digital Ritual, Mediated Authority, and the Naqshbandi Haqqani Order in Indonesia”. Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam 15, no. 2 (December 1, 2025): 406–428. Accessed June 6, 2026. https://jurnalfuf.uinsa.ac.id/index.php/teosofi/article/view/3535.
Issue
Vol. 15 No. 2 (2025): December
Section
Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Licensing

© The Author(s). Published by Department of Aqidah and Islamic Philosophy, Faculty of Ushuluddin and Philosophy, Sunan Ampel State Islamic University Surabaya, Indonesia.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Author Biography

Randi Muhammad Gumilang, UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh

   

References

Aceh, Abubakar. Pengantar Ilmu Tarekat: Uraian Tentang Mistik. Solo: Ramdhani, 1985.

Akmansyah, Muhammad, Nurnazli, Amin Mujahid, and Tamer Saad Ibrahim Kherd. “The Essence of Mursyid Teachers in Sufism Spiritual Education in the Framework of Maqāṣid Al-Syarī’ah: The Perspectives of Indonesian Scholars.” EL-Usrah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga 8, no. 1 (2025): 50–71. https://doi.org/10.22373/6m127a63.

Alatas, Ismail Fajrie. What Is Religious Authority? Cultivating Islamic Community in Indonesia. Princeton University Press, 2021.

Arendt, Hannah. Between Past and Future. New: The Viking Press, 1961.

Asmarani, Dini, and Sarah Monica. “Transnational Tariqa: The Expansion of Naqshbandī Haqqânî and the Fulfilment of Urban Spirituality.” Ulul Albab: Jurnal Studi Islam 24, no. 2 (2023): 232–55. https://doi.org/10.18860/ua.v24i2.23630.

Bottcher, A. “Religious Authority in Transnational Sufi Networks: Shaykh Nāzim Al-Qubrusī Al-Haqqānī Al-Naqshbandī.” Social, Economic and Political Studies of the Middle East and Asia 100 (2006): 241–68. https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004149496.i-310.68.

Bruinessen, Martin Van. Kitab Kuning Pesantren Dan Tarekat. Yogyakarta: Gading Publishing, 2012.

———. Tarekat Naqsyabandiyah Di Indonesia. Bandung: Mizan, 1996.

———. “The Origin and Development of Sufi Orders (Tarekat).” Studia Islamika: Indonesian Journal for Islamic Studies 1, no. 1 (1994): 1–23.

Bunt, Gary R. Hashtag Islam: How Cyber Islamic Environments Are Transforming Religious Authority. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2019.

Campbell, Heidi A. “Religion and the Internet: A Microcosm for Studying Internet Trends and Implications.” New Media and Society 15, no. 5 (2013): 680–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444812462848.

Campbell, Heidi A., and Ruth Tsuria. Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in New Media Worlds. New York: Routledge, 2022.

Cheruvallil-Contractor, Sariya. “Online Sufism – Young British Muslims, Their Internet ‘selves’ and Virtual Reality.” In Sufism in Britain, edited by Ron Geaves and Theodore Gabriel, 76–151. London: Bloomsbury Academy, 2013.

Damrel, David W. “Aspects of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Order in North America.” In Sufism in the West, edited by Ron Geaves and Theodore Gabriel, 115–26. New York: Routledge, 2006. https://doi.org/Geaves, Ron Gabriel, Theodore.

Dudoignon, Stéphane A. “Chapter 22 Cyber Sufism.” In Sufi Institutions, 405–14. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004392601_024.

Estu, Retna Dwi. “Eksistensi Tarekat Naqsyabandi Haqqani di Jakarta.” Pegon: The International Journal of Islam Nusantara Civilization 7, no. 1 (2022): 137–49.

Firdaus, Muhammad Anang, Muhammad Syihabuddin, and Zein Fuady. “Islam and Artificial Intelligence: Perspectives from Traditionalist and Modernist Muslim Communities in Indonesia.” MIQOT: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman 49, no. 1 (June 2025): 1. https://doi.org/10.30821/miqot.v49i1.1333.

Gazali. Tarekat Naqsyabandi Haqqani Di Indonesia. Yogyakarta: Deepublish, 2015.

Hakim, Putri Rahmah Nur, Margo Teguh Sampurno, Irwan Abdullah, Najib Kailani, and Yuniar Galuh Larasati. “Digital Sufism: The Transformation of Piety in Gus Ulil’S Online Teachings.” Khazanah: Jurnal Studi Islam Dan Humaniora 22, no. 2 (2024): 191–218. https://doi.org/10.18592/khazanah.v22i2.13872.

Hanif, Abdulloh. “The Virtual Relationship Between Teachers and Students in Digital Spaces: A Study of the Syadziliyah and Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Orders’ Websites.” Refleksi: Jurnal Filsafat Dan Pemikiran Islam 25, no. 2 (2024). https://doi.org/10.14421/ref.v25i2.5769.

Hasibuan, Armyn, Ismail Fahmi Arrauf Nasution, and Mowafg Masuwd. “Tarekat in the Digital Age: Transforming Spirituality for the Age of Technology.” Religia: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman 27, no. 01 (2024): 13–30. https://doi.org/10.28918/religia.v27i1.2306.

Hegazy, Wael. “Cyber Sufis: Virtual Expressions of the American Muslim Experience (Islam in the Twenty‐First Century).” CyberOrient 14, no. 2 (2020): 99–103. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1804-3194.2020.tb00005.x.

Helland, Christopher. “Online Religion or Religion Online and Virtual Communitas.” In Religion on the Internet: Research Prospects and Promises, edited by Jeffrey K. Hadden and Douglas E. Cowan, 205–23. London: JAI Press / Elsevier Scince, 2000.

Hidayat, Ziaulhaq. “Transformasi Sufism Into Digital Media: Eshaykh and Simplification of Tarekat Orthodoxy.” Epistemé: Jurnal Pengembangan Ilmu Keislaman 17, no. 2 (2022): 197–223. https://doi.org/10.21274/epis.2022.17.2.197-223.

Hidayat, Ziaulhaq, and Achyar Zein. “Sufism and Virtual Piety a Narration of the Millennial Murshid in North Sumatra.” Journal of Indonesian Islam 16, no. 1 (2022): 133–52. https://doi.org/10.15642/JIIS.2022.16.1.133-152.

Hidayati, Dahlia. “Online Sufism and Reestablishing Religious Authority.” Ulumuna 26, no. 1 (2022): 204–37. https://doi.org/10.20414/ujis.v26i1.488.

Howell, Julia Day. “Sufism and the Indonesian Islamic Revival.” The Journal of Asian Studies 60, no. 3 (2001): 701–29. https://doi.org/10.2307/2700107.

Kamaludin, Ihsan, and Maya Najihatul Ula. “Sufism Healing Method for Drugs Rehabilitation: A Case Study in Pp. Suryalaya Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia.” Ulumuna 23, no. 2 (2019): 384–401. https://doi.org/10.20414/ujis.v23i2.351.

Kamaruzaman, Mohd Asyran Safwan, Mohd Haidhar Kamarzaman, and Kamarudin Salleh. “Dakwah Syeikh Nazim Al-Qubrusi: Antara Penerimaan Dan Penolakan.” Al-Hikmah 11, no. 1 (2019): 41–59.

Lings, Martin. What Is Sufism? London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd, 1975.

Nielsen, Jorgen S, Mustafa Draper, and Galina Yemelianova. “Transnational Sufism: The Haqqaniyya.” In Sufism in the West, 1st ed., edited by Jamal Malik and John Hinnells, 103–14. New York: Routledge, 2006. https://doi.org/c.

Nur, Faisal Muhammad. “The Naqshbandiyyah Al-Khalidiyyah Tariqah: Perspectives on Tawhid and Spirituality.” SINTHOP: Media Kajian Pendidikan, Agama, Sosial Dan Budaya 3, no. 2 (2024): 65–76. https://doi.org/10.22373/sinthop.v3i2.6096.

Overall, Jeffrey. “Self-Inquiry at a Distance: A Qualitative Study of Spiritual Emergence in a 7-Day Virtual Retreat.” Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, Routledge, 2025, 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2025.2504958.

Piraino, Francesco. “Between Real and Virtual Communities: Sufism in Western Societies and the Naqshbandi Haqqani Case.” Social Compass 63, no. 1 (March 2016): 93–108. https://doi.org/10.1177/0037768615606619.

———. “Chapitre 6. La Naqshbandiyya-Ḥaqqāniyya.” In Le soufisme en Europe, 235–302. Maghreb contemporain. Paris: Karthala, 2024.

Putra, Johan Septian, and Dudung Abdurahman. “Tarekat Naqsyabandi Haqqani: Peranan Dan Pengaruhnya Terhadap Masyarakat Kontemporer Kota Padang.” Kontekstualita: Jurnal Sosial Keagamaan 38, no. 02 (2024): 115–30. https://doi.org/10.30631/38.02.115-130.

Rozehnal, R. “Cyber Sufism in the Global West.” Sufism in Western Contexts, brill.com, 2023.

Rozehnal, Robert. “Chapter 5 Cyber Sufism in the Global West.” In Sufism in Western Contexts. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004392625_007.

———. Cyber Muslims: Mapping Islamic Digital Media in the Internet Age. Edited by Robert Rozehnal. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022.

———. Cyber Sufis: Virtual Expressions of the American Muslim Experience. Books.google.com, 2019.

———. Cyber Sufis: Virtual Expressions of the American Muslim Experience (Islam in the Twenty-First Century). United Kingdom: Oneworld Academic, 2019.

Rubaidi, Rubaidi, Masdar Hilmy, Ali Mas’ud, and Kunawi Basyir. “Resisting the Surge of Salafism among Malay and Javanese Muslims: The Dynamics of the Tarekat Naqshbandiya and Qadiriya Wa Naqshbandiya in Promoting Peaceful Islam in Riau Sumatera.” Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam 13, no. 1 (June 2023): 1. https://doi.org/10.15642/teosofi.2023.13.1.1-31.

Schimmel, A. “Mystical Dimensions of Islam.” Verfassung in Recht Und Übersee 11, no. 4 (1978): 448–50. https://doi.org/10.5771/0506-7286-1978-4-448.

Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystical Dimension of Islam. USA: The University of Carolina Press, 1975.

Şener, Burcu, and Enisa and Mede. “Promoting Learner Autonomy and Improving Reflective Thinking Skills through Reflective Practice and Collaborative Learning.” Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching 17, no. 2 (March 2023): 364–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2022.2047694.

Shadiqin, Sehat Ihsan, and Shabrun Jamil. “Mediatisasi Sufisme: Otoritas, Komunitas, dan Autentisitas Tasawuf di Dunia Maya.” Substantia: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Ushuluddin 26, no. 2 (2024): 273–88. https://doi.org/10.22373/substantia.v26i2.26654.

Taufik, Zulfan, and Muhammad Taufik. “Mediated Tarekat Qadiriyah Wa Naqshabandiyah in the Digital Era: An Ethnographic Overview.” Esensia: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Ushuluddin 22, no. 1 (2021): 35–43. https://doi.org/10.14421/esensia.v22i1.2511.

Triasa, Arif Rahmat. “Tarekat Naqshbandi Haqqaniyyah: Pendekatan Digital Dalam Penyebaran Ajaran Apokaliptik-Mesianik.” Graduate Forum: International Conference Post-Graduate UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta 1, no. 01 (2023): 17–28.

Trimingham, J. Spencer. The Sufi Orders in Islam. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1998.

Tsuria, Ruth. “Digital Media: When God Becomes Everybody—the Blurring of Sacred and Profane.” Religions 12, no. 2 (2021): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12020110.

Tsuria, Ruth, and Heidi A Campbell. “‘In My Own Opinion’: Negotiation of Rabbinical Authority Online in Responsa Within Kipa.Co.Il.” Journal of Communication Inquiry 45, no. 1 (May 2020): 65–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/0196859920924384.

Wahid, Soleh Hasan. “Exploring the Intersection of Islam and Digital Technology: A Bibliometric Analysis.” Social Sciences and Humanities Open 10, no. August (2024): 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.101085.

Wang, Jing. “Cyber Muslims: Mapping Islamic Digital Media in the Internet Age, by Robert Rozehnal.” Sociology of Religion 85, no. 1 (March 2024): 112–13. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srad042.

Yusuf, S. Maryam. “Inter-Subjectivity of Khalwat (Suluk) Members in the Tarekat Naqsyabandiyah Khalidiyah Ponorogo.” Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies 10, no. 1 (2020): 103–26. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v10i1.103-126.

Zaluchu, Sonny Eli. “Digital Religion, Modern Society and the Construction of Digital Theology.” Transformation 41, no. 4 (2024): 285–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/02653788231223929.

Zamzami, Mukhammad, Fikri Mahzumi, and Abd A’la. “Tarekat and Politics in Indonesia: Contested Authority between Murshids in the Tarekat Qadiriyah Wa Naqsyabandiyah in East Java.” Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam 12, no. 2 (December 2022): 187–208. https://doi.org/10.15642/teosofi.2022.12.2.187-208.