Al-A'raf : Jurnal Pemikiran Islam dan Filsafat
Full Lenght Article
CONTRASTING NARRATIVES OF RELIGIOUS CONVERSION: STUDY OF “KISAH MUALAF” VERTIZONE TV AND LOG IN HUSEIN JAFAR
Abstract
With the increasing trend of religious mediatization, the topic of religious conversion has gained significant attention in the media, both as news content and as part of Islamic dakwah narratives in Indonesia. This narrative has been widely disseminated through new media and the internet, where religious conversion stories are frequently featured in Islamic dakwah videos that attract a large audience. This article examines the “Kisah Mualaf” segment on the Vertizone TV channel and the “Log In” program on Deddy Corbuzier’s channel. “Kisah Mualaf`” presents narratives of dramatic transformation of the converts, biblical validation, and the perceived mutual threat between Islam and Christianity, shaping a dakwah content formula that represents a new generation of convert preachers. On the other hand, “Log In”, hosted by Husein Jafar, frames religious conversion narratives through comedic gimmicks while emphasizing Indonesian pluralism, reflecting the perspectives of moderate Islamic groups. Through this study, the author explores the contrasting discourses on religious conversion as a prominent narrative within Indonesia’s digital dakwah sphere. Employing content analysis, netnography, and a review of existing literature, the author argues that two dominant religious conversion narratives have emerged among digital preachers, constituting not only a competition for audience engagement but also a contestation of discourse within Indonesia’s Islamic digital dakwah landscape.
Keywords
Declarations
Publisher's Note
UIN Raden Mas Said Surakarta remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
References
Akmaliah, Wahyudi. “The Demise of Moderate Islam: New Media, Contestation, and Reclaiming Religious Authorities.” Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies 10, no. 1 (May 29, 2020): 1–24. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v10i1.1-24.
———. “The Demise of Moderate Islam: New Media, Contestation, and Reclaiming Religious Authorities.” Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies 10, no. 1 (June 1, 2020): 1–24. https://doi.org/10.18326/IJIMS.V10I1.1-24.
Al-Zaman, Md. Sayeed. “Social Mediatization of Religion: Islamic Videos on YouTube.” Heliyon 8, no. 3 (March 2022): e09083. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09083.
Anderson, Jon W. “Online and Offline Continuities, Community and Agency on the Internet.” CyberOrient 7, no. 1 (January 31, 2013): 4–33. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.cyo2.20130701.0001.
“Berapa Banyak Pengguna Internet Di Indonesia? | Tempo.Co.” Accessed February 02, 2024. https://www.tempo.co/data/data/berapa-banyak-pengguna-internet-di-indonesia--991924.
Budiawan, Budiawan. “New Media and Religious Conversion Out of Islam Among Celebrities in Indonesia.” IKAT: The Indonesian Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 3, no. 2 (March 23, 2020): 189. https://doi.org/10.22146/ikat.v3i2.51048.
Burhani, Ahmad Najib. “Muslim Televangelists in the Making: Conversion Narratives and the Construction of Religious Authority.” The Muslim World 110, no. 2 (June 25, 2020): 154–75. https://doi.org/10.1111/muwo.12327.
Casey, Patrick Michael. “Conversion to Islam: Narratives of Awakening, Continuity, and Return.” Sociological Forum 34, no. 3 (September 8, 2019): 752–73. https://doi.org/10.1111/socf.12523.
Costello, Leesa, Marie-Louise McDermott, and Ruth Wallace. “Netnography: Range of Practices, Misperceptions, and Missed Opportunities.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods 16, no. 1 (December 4, 2017): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917700647.
Damayanti, Angel, and Sri Yunanto. “From Evangelization to Worship Restrictions: The Changing Characteristics of Threat Perception between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia.” Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations 33, no. 4 (October 2, 2022): 329–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/09596410.2022.2158608.
“Fakta: Tidak Ada Nama Rm. Steven Indra Wibowo SJ Di Gereja Katedral Jakarta - YouTube.” Accessed February 02, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfXIt7dY5kY.
Fansuri, Hamzah. “Transforming Faith: Mualaf and Hijrah in Post-Suharto Indonesia.” Entangled Religions 15, no. 2 (August 23, 2024). https://doi.org/10.46586/er.15.2024.11748.
Fausiyah, Siti Mir’atul. “Representasi ‘Toleransi Beragama’ Pada Konten Youtube Deddy Corbuzier Program Log In Season 2 Episode 30.” IAIN Kediri, 2024.
Fealy, Greg. “2. Consuming Islam: Commodified Religion and Aspirational Pietism in Contemporary Indonesia.” In Expressing Islam, 15–39. ISEAS Publishing, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1355/9789812308528-006.
Firmansyah, Moch, and Moch Fuad Nasvian. “Dakwah ‘Pemuda Tersesat: Gaya Bahasa Dakwah Habib Ja’far Al Hadar.’” JIIP - Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan 5, no. 5 (May 21, 2022): 1525–33. https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v5i5.599.
Hoesterey, James Bourk. Rebranding Islam: Piety, Prosperity, and a Self-Help Guru. Rebranding Islam. Stanford University Press, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780804796385.
Jati, Wasisto Raharjo. “Kelas Menengah Dalam Bingkai Middle Indonesia.” Jurnal Politik, 2016. https://doi.org/10.7454/jp.v1i2.20.
“Kekacauan Nalar Ustadz Mualaf: Glorifikasi Islam Berujung Caci Maki Agama Lain - Islami[Dot]Co.” Accessed February 02, 2024. https://islami.co/kekacauan-nalar-ustadz-mualaf-glorifikasi-islam-berujung-caci-maki-agama-lain/.
“Kisah Mualaf dari tak Dianggap Keluarga, Dib3nci, Bahkan Mau D1tu5uk 0b3ng Sama Suami - YouTube.” Accessed February 02, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86J_y1IUWkE.
“Kisah Mualaf Keluarga 80% PEND33T44 Semua - YouTube.” Accessed February 02, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEeOM1s-l-k.
Kozinets, Robert. Netnography: Doing Ethnographic Research Online, 2010.
Latifah, Nor, and Romario Romario. “Trendsetter Muballigh Di Medsos: Analisis Framing Instagram Felix Siauw Dan Hanan Attaki.” Jurnal Studi Agama Dan Masyarakat 15, no. 1 (June 26, 2019): 36–48. https://doi.org/10.23971/jsam.v15i1.1150.
Lestari, Puput, and Jihan Inayah. “Trend of the Term ‘LOG IN’ Religious Moderation Education Style among Gen Z.” In Proceeding of AICROM 2024, 2024.
“Mabar Tau Waktu Di Ramadan Bikin Main Free Fire Makin Seru! | Garena Free Fire - YouTube.” Accessed February 02, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAa-jQ-JG3I.
Martin, Rod A. “The Social Psychology of Humor.” In The Psychology of Humor, 113–52. Elsevier, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012372564-6/50024-1.
Maula, Alifatul. “Implikatur Percakapan dalam Siniar Log In Habib Ja’far dan Onad Edisi 2023 pada Kanal Youtube Deddy Corbuzier.” Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, 2024.
Menchik, Jeremy. “Godly Nationalism.” In Islam and Democracy in Indonesia, 65–92. Cambridge University Press, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316344446.004.
Mujiburrahman. Feeling Threatened. Muslim-Christian Relations in Indonesia’s New Order. Leiden/ Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2006.
Mulyawati, Husni. “Between Taboo and Virtue: Islamohumorism in the Reconstruction of Muslim Identity and Piety through Social Media.” Islamic Studies Review 2, no. 2 (December 29, 2023): 275–98. https://doi.org/10.56529/isr.v2i2.179.
Osman, Mohamed Nawab Mohamed, and Prashant Waikar. “Fear and Loathing: Uncivil Islamism and Indonesia’s Anti-Ahok Movement.” Indonesia, no. 106 (2018): 89–109. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5728/indonesia.106.0089.
Pamungkas, Arie Setyaningrum. “Mediatisasi Dakwah, Moralitas Publik Dan Komodifikasi Islam Di Era Neoliberalisme.” MAARIF 13, no. 1 (June 20, 2018): 55–75. https://doi.org/10.47651/mrf.v13i1.12.
Postill, John, and Leonard Chrysostomos Epafras. “Indonesian Religion as a Hybrid Media Space: Social Dramas in a Contested Realm.” Asiascape: Digital Asia 5, no. 1–2 (February 14, 2018): 100–123. https://doi.org/10.1163/22142312-12340086.
Pratiwi, Lala Nur. “Analisis Sikap Dan Pendapat Netizen Terhadap Video Perubahan Keyakinan Beragama Oleh Lima Mualaf: Analisis Isi Kualitatif Pada Media Sosial Channel YouTube.” Thesis, Universitas Hasanuddin, 2021. https://repository.unhas.ac.id/id/eprint/5319/.
“Profil Husein Ja’far Al-Hadar | Fortune Indonesia 40 Under 40.” Accessed February 12, 2024. https://www.fortuneidn.com/40-under-40/social/awardee/husein-ja-far-al-hadar.
Putra, D.I. Ansusa. “Quran-Bible Validation in Contemporary Indonesia: Social Media, Religious Conversion, and Theological Debate.” Khazanah: Jurnal Studi Islam Dan Humaniora 20, no. 1 (July 29, 2022): 111. https://doi.org/10.18592/khazanah.v20i1.5541.
Rijal, Syamsul. “Revitalizing Hadhrami Authority: New Networks, Figures and Institutions among Habā’ib in Indonesia.” Studia Islamika 27, no. 2 (August 3, 2020). https://doi.org/10.36712/sdi.v27i2.9382.
Rozy, Yahya Fathur. “From Feeling Threatened to Conservative Turn: Challanges toward Promoting Moderate Islam through New Media.” Majalah Ilmu Pengetahuan Dan Pemikiran Keagamaan Tajdid 26, no. 1 (August 30, 2023): 46–58. https://doi.org/10.15548/TAJDID.V26I1.6207.
“Sampai Buat Tim Untuk Fitnah Islam - Kisah Mualaf Wendy Lofu - YouTube.” Accessed February 02, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RokY6PCQNRg&list=PLF9vi9yfVBd_CiBHuA7PTXmIuy_AF2xWq&index=48.
Sihombing, Lambok Hermanto, Annisa Rahma Fajri, Mita Divia Sonali, and Puji Lestari. “Indonesian Stand-Up Comedy: A New Developing Industry of Youth Culture.” Humaniora, 2023. https://doi.org/10.21512/humaniora.v14i1.8381.
Syahputra, Iswandi. “Agama di Era Media: Kode Religius dalam Industri Televisi Indonesia.” ESENSIA: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Ushuluddin 17, no. 1 (April 1, 2016): 125. https://doi.org/10.14421/esensia.v17i1.1283.
TVNU. “(LIVE) Bahaya Ngaji Ke Ustadz Muallaf.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjaiXLiueTg , June 15, 2020.
Weng, Hew Wai. “Expressing Chineseness, Marketing Islam: Hybrid Performance of Chinese Muslim Preachers.” In Chinese Indonesians Reassessed: History, Religion and Belonging, edited by Chang Yau Hoon and Siew Min Sai, 179–99. London and New York: Routledge, 2012.
———. “On-Offline Dakwah: Social Media and Islamic Preaching in Malaysia and Indonesia.” In Mediatized Religion in Asia, 89–104. Routledge, 2018. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315170275-9.
———. “The Art of Dakwah : Social Media, Visual Persuasion and the Islamist Propagation of Felix Siauw.” Indonesia and the Malay World 46, no. 134 (January 2, 2018): 61–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2018.1416757.
Wilar, Abraham Silo. “Fenomena Christian Prince Dan Ustaz Charis Bangun Samudra.” Theologia in Loco 3, no. 1 (April 30, 2021): 90–108. https://doi.org/10.55935/thilo.v3i1.209.
Copyright and permissions
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.