Fatwa and Religious Authority: Islamic Law, Social Media Ethics and Digital Age

Indonesia has a federation organization that brings together several Islamic organizations. This organization is known as the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). One of his duties is to issue Islamic legal fatwas to serve as guidelines for the Muslim community. However, on a practical level, quite a few fatwas give rise to polemics. In several cases of intolerance and mobilization of political interests, MUI fatwas are often used as a means of legitimation. This article wants to discuss the contestation of the MUI fatwa with the dynamics of Islamic thought in Indonesia in the context of the digital era. Data was obtained from online news documents regarding MUI fatwas in several cases with social problems. This research found that the MUI fatwa polemic arose due to the need to consider Indonesia's social setting and political conditions. Hence, Islamic law products were prone to being misused and misunderstood. This study also argues that the MUI authorities must package the fatwa by prioritizing cultural diversity, social impacts, and political tensions at that time. Thus, the MUI fatwa must be formulated apart from being based on scientific grounds and supported by good online media infrastructure. So they will be better able to contest with the new religious authority in the post-truth era. Good fatwa packaging via social media is also oriented towards finding substantial values in responding to community problems based on the principle of uniting the community (tauhid al-ummah) and protecting the community (himayat al-ummah).

The development of Islamic law in Indonesia represents a historical, sociological, and juridical phenomenon that reflects the ongoing interaction between religious norms, customary practices, and the state legal system. Islamic law functions not only as a set of religious norms but also as a moral and philosophical foundation that shapes Indonesia’s social and legal structures. Since the arrival of Islam in the Indonesian archipelago in the 13th century, Islamic law has become an integral part of local society, particularly in family, inheritance, waqf, and commercial matters. Its influence expanded during the era of Islamic kingdoms, where Islamic law served as the foundation of governance and judicial systems, notably in the Sultanates of Aceh, Demak, and Ternate. During the Dutch colonial era, the position of Islamic law faced suppression under the receptie theory, which limited its validity to cases where it was accepted by customary law. This policy subordinated Islamic law to colonial and customary legal systems. Nevertheless, Muslim scholars and jurists persistently defended the relevance of Islamic law within Indonesia’s legal system. After independence, a new perspective known as receptio a contrario emerged, challenging colonial interpretations and affirming that customary law was valid only insofar as it did not contradict Islamic principles. Subsequent efforts focused on integrating Islamic law into the national legal system based on justice, humanity, and social welfare. The enactment of the Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI) in 1991 marked a significant milestone in codifying Islamic law for Indonesian Muslims. Moreover, institutions such as the Supreme Court, the Sharia Courts, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs have strengthened the implementation of Islamic legal principles within the state framework. Contemporary Islamic legal development in Indonesia also includes modern innovations such as fatwas issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Islamic banking regulations, and family law reforms grounded in the principles of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah. In the modern era, the expansion of Islamic law encompasses broader areas, including finance, environmental law, and public governance. These developments reflect the adaptability and dynamic nature of Islamic law in responding to societal changes. However, challenges remain in harmonizing Sharia principles with Indonesia’s pluralistic legal structure. Therefore, the development of Islamic law must proceed through gradual, systematic, and dialogical processes that uphold justice, public welfare, and the supremacy of law. This study employs a normative-historical and sociological approach with descriptive analysis based on literature, legislation, and scholarly research. The findings reveal that Islamic law in Indonesia is a living and evolving legal system that continuously adapts to social transformations while maintaining its foundational principles of justice and maslahah (public interest). Ultimately, Islamic law contributes significantly to the creation of a national legal system rooted in religious and moral values while reflecting the unique identity of the Indonesian nation

Al-maslahah is one of the considerations for the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in determining the MUI fatwa No. 24 of 2017 on Law and Guidance Bermuamalah through Social Media. Thus, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) sees that digital media based on social media has great benefit and goodness for human beings. The benefit and goodness of man himself is the purpose of establishing the Shari'a (maqāṣid al-syar'ah). Thus, social media-based digital media are in line with maqāṣid al-syar'ah. Therefore, digital media-based social media must be managed and developed in order to be able to meet the needs of modern society today. Although digital media based on social media also has weaknesses. If social media-based digital media is abused, then social media-based digital media can bring destruction, harm and even misfortune (mafsadat) to mankind. It is in this context that this fatwa is present. This fatwa is expected to guard the values of goodness and goodness inherent in digital media based on social media. In other words, this fatwa gives signs how to use digital media based on social media properly and correctly, so that it is not misused by mankind .

The emergence of new media has a considerable impact on religion, including religious authorities’ dissemination of religious information and fatwas. This article explored on how exposure to new media affects the dissemination of religious information. Specifically, this article aimed to analyze the dissemination of the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) fatwa on Instagram. The article is a normative legal study of contemporary Islamic laws. Data has been collected by observing posts by the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) on Instagram from 2017 to 2023. The data was analyzed using content analysis methods with a socio-legal approach. This approach highlighted how fatwas work as legal norms disseminated, accepted, and interpreted by society on social media. This study found that from 2017 to 2023, there were 1093 content posted on the official Instagram account of the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI). However, of all the content, only 9.6% (105 posts) were related to fatwa. This study also found that the posted of fatwa content tends to be response-based rather than indeed programmed in a conceptualized and patterned way to build Islamic law literacy in the community. Based on these findings, it concluded that Instagram has yet to be used as a tool to build public fatwa literacy and a medium for disseminating Islamic law issued by the Indonesian Ulama Council has. The findings have significance as an academic reference for the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) and religious authority institutions in Indonesia in designing religious fatwa dissemination policies in response to the exposure of new media.

This paper examines the response and attitude of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to practice interfaith marriage and study the influence of MUI in the development of the rules of interfaith marriage. Research data is taken through online media accessible in the news online, website and fatwa MUI as well as other supporting sources. This paper argues that MUI keep trying to assert the prohibition of marriage between religions through their fatwas and through responses in the media to the proliferation of interfaith marriages. Other responses are also in presented by the Indonesian Ulema Council through information when asked for opinions in the Judicial Review and when asked for the same opinion on social media. MUI's attitude is also shown through the lawsuit against the Surabaya District Court for granting interfaith marriage. This paper found that the effect of MUI on marriage rules was different from religion can be seen clearly by issuing rules regarding interfaith marriage, through Circular Letter Number 2 of 2023 concerning the prohibition of judges from granting a marriage of different faiths so that the Indonesian Ulema Council seems to provide the influence on law is particularly high in interfaith marriages in Indonesia.

This study aims to determine the role and influence of Islamic organizations in the formation and development of Islamic law in Indonesia. This research is a qualitative library research with a normative and conceptual theological approach. The results of the study indicate that the development of Islamic law in Indonesia cannot be separated from the role of Islamic organizations from time to time, starting from the time of independence to the present. Of each Islamic organization in Indonesia, each has its own character and influence in the development and enforcement of Islamic law, but generally carry out religious activities (da'wah), education, health, social, political services, to economic empowerment. Many Islamic organizations have contributed significantly to the growth and development of Islamic law in Indonesia through their legal institutions. It is intended that Islamic law applied in Indonesia has an Indonesian personality or has an Indonesian perspective. Reforms in Islamic law in Indonesia are carried out gradually and not only in the field of worship/religion (diyānī), but also in the field of qaḍā'i (judicial) through fatwas issued by the Islamic legal institutions of each organization.

Mashlahat theory has historically been widely used in developing Islamic law. The public interest is a fundamental issue that must be considered when exploring Islamic law. The main objective of the development of Islamic law is to realize the mashlahat. This study examines the relevance of the mashlahat theory in the development of Islamic law. This research is a type of library research and uses a philosophical approach. Data were analyzed through content analysis. The results of this study indicate that the purpose of Islamic law is to realize and maintain the mashlahat. A mulism will get mashlahat if he can keep the five main aspects in the dharury group: religion, soul, intellect, lineage and honor, and property. On the other hand, we will get mafsadat if we cannot maintain it. The theory of mashlahat is very much needed to form Islamic law and respond to the times. Consideration of mashlahat is limited to issues other than ritual worship. Mashlahat theory has been applied since the beginning of the growth and development of Islam during the Khulafa al-Rasyidun period. Until now, many products of Islamic law have been produced by adhering to the principle of mashlahat. With the theory of mashlahat, Islamic law will not stagnate. All new problems can be solved from the perspective of Islamic law. With the consideration that mashlahat, too, can be realized, including in the context of the MUI fatwa in preventing the spread of Covid-19.

The determination of various types of Covid-19 vaccine products that have been determined by the Indonesian government as well as promises to provide Covid-19 vaccine products cannot be guaranteed to be halal, thayib and safe to use, especially for Indonesian people who are Muslim. On this basis, there was a debate in Indonesia regarding the halalness of thecovid 19 vaccine. Therefore, in order to organize and be able to successfully distribute the vaccine, as well as the consumption of the vaccines that have been purchased. So the Indonesian government cooperates with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) by referring to the Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) NO. 02 of 2021 which issues a fatwa regarding the law that the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Sinovac Life Sciences Co. Ltd. China and PT. Bio Farma (Persero) is legal, holy and halal. This study aims to find out in detail the legal basis for the MUI to issue a fatwa that the Sinovac vaccine is halal and to know and be able to analyze the views of Islamic law on the MUI Fatwa No. 02 of 2021 regarding the halalness of the Sinovac vaccine. This research is legal-normative research, namely research that uses law to justify a legal event. This type of research is descriptive-analytic research using library research. Based on the results of the study, it is known that there are 7 basics used by the MUI in determining the halalness of the Sinovac vaccine, namely: First, the opinion of the Ulama; Second, MUI Fatwa No. 04/2016 on Immunization; Third, MUI Fatwa Number 01 of 2010 concerning the Use of Microbes and Microbial Products in Food Products; Fourth, MUI Fatwa Number 45 of 2018 concerning the Use of Blood Plasma for Medicinal Ingredients; Fifth, the report and explanation of the audit results of the LPPOM MUI Auditor Team together with the MUI Fatwa Commission to Sinovac and PT Bio Farma; Sixth, the opinion of the participants of the Fatwa Commission meeting on January 8, 2021; Seventh, BPOM's decision to give approval for emergency use and guarantee of safety, quality, and efficacy for the Sinovac vaccine, which is one indicator that the vaccine meets thayyib qualifications. In addition, it can be believed that the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Sinovac is holy and halal. Those are the notes on the results of the MUI Fatwa regarding the halal certification of vaccines that were described in the Plenary Session of the MUI Fatwa Commission on January 8, 2020 and the MUI Fatwa No. 2 of 2021 has been issued/decided.

The covid 19 pandemic that hit Indonesia caused several impacts on Indonesian society that had not happened before. one them, the phenomenon of Juma'at prayers that are carried out virtually. This study aims to examine the pattern of mass communication in harmonizing the MUI (Indonesian Ulema Council) fatwa on virtual Friday prayers, its effectiveness in building public understanding, and its influence on the implementation of the fatwa during the pandemic. Qualitative studies in the form of literature studies that collect and analyze literature sources. The results show that MUI (Indonesian Ulema Council) fatwa has three broad communication functions, namely helping to maintain religious values and norms in society, as legal guidelines and social tools that influence people's behavior, and showing unique changes in devotional practices in the digital era. MUI (Indonesian Ulema Council) fatwas show an important role in disseminating religious guidance and maintaining social cohesion in the midst of change. This study strengthens the theory of mass communication as an instrument of social influence in religious contexts by focusing solely on communication patterns and community responses to fatwas.

Reviewed by: Becoming Better Muslims: Religious Authority and Ethical Improvement in Aceh, Indonesia by David Kloos Kristina Großmann (bio) David Kloos. Becoming Better Muslims: Religious Authority and Ethical Improvement in Aceh, Indonesia. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2018. 240 pp. David Kloos’s book Becoming Better Muslims offers a refreshing new perspective to a topic and region that has already received a great deal of scholarly attention: Islam, politics, and agency in Aceh, the western-most province of Indonesia. Whereas most authors in recent years have tended to focus on classical topics of political Islam, such as Islam and nation building or Islamic law,1 Kloos instead chooses to stress “religious agency,” which includes religious practices as well as ethical improvement and its entanglement with Islamic authorities and the state. He therefore aims to shed light on the intertwinement between the personal space for action—thereby referring to an individual’s pious practices and agency—and norms established by state and religious institutions. Specifically, Kloos asks how “ordinary” Acehnese Muslims experience their daily lives and what religious routines they practice in their attempt to become good or better Muslims. The theoretical approaches that inform Kloos’s study are concepts of agency and practice in combination with ethics and morality. Aceh is a region of multidimensional transformation. Massive reconstruction has been ongoing since the catastrophic tsunami on December 26, 2004. In August 2005, Indonesian government officials and representatives of the Free Aceh Movement signed a Memorandum of Understanding that ended twenty-nine years of armed conflict. Thus, reconstructing the province both physically and ideologically since 2005 has been the overall paradigm. The slogan “Build Aceh Back Better,” used by former US President Bill Clinton after he made his first speech as the United Nations Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, was not just a reference for physical post-tsunami, post-conflict reconstruction. It also encompasses the ideological reconstruction taking place as the provincial government, religious authorities, and ordinary Muslims explore and negotiate new possibilities and incorporate Islam as a political tool as well as a personal belief. Aceh, known as the Veranda of Mecca, is described as the abode of Islam in Indonesia because the first Islamic kingdom in the archipelago was founded in this region. Additionally, Aceh experienced an Islamization of its legal, political, and social spheres after the 2004 Tsunami when Islamic criminal law was rigidly enforced—and thus leading to violence and discrimination against minorities by state officials and individuals. However, Kloos doesn’t want to perpetuate the stereotype of Acehnese [End Page 107] being exceptionally pious and fanatic and aims to deconstruct the picture that Islam in Aceh is predominantly linked to violence. He rather wants to show how people negotiate and react to the increasing range of moral admonitions and pressure instigated by religious authorities legitimized by the state and other public actors. Kloos is looking at how Muslims play out their individual agency in response to normative forces that formulate what is good and bad. He describes religious agency not as a coherent and straightforward process, but rather as an ambivalent and unpredictable path. He thereby reveals that a revitalized Islamic identity and increased attention to religious practices are not the only ways that Muslims respond, since people’s perceptions and reactions are contradictory and guided by feelings of weakness and uncertainty. Thus, as Kloos argues, for many people in Aceh, notions of moral failure are inherently intertwined with ethical improvement and the process of becoming a better Muslim. He illustrates this argument best in the fifth chapter, where he points out the complexity and ambivalence in people’s dedication to Islam. Kloos combines historical analyses with rich ethnographic data. In his book, he first introduces the main political, economic, and religious aspects that have shaped Acehnese history. In chapter two, he describes how, especially during the New Order era, religious and political authority more and more became intertwined. This chapter is based on archival sources as well as on the articles and field notes of Chandra Jayawardena, who lived in the district of Aceh Besar from the 1960s to the 1980s. In chapters three, four, and five, Kloos comes to the present situation in Aceh...

This research is motivated by the increasing trend of interfaith marriages among the population, driven by the inseparable love between partners despite their differing religious beliefs. Human rights or the absence of state law are often invoked as legal grounds to legitimize such marriages. Specifically, this study focuses on the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Fatwa No. 4/2005, which rejects interfaith marriages and analyzes the associated risks. The research employs a library research method with a qualitative approach, concentrating on document analysis. Primary data sources include the Republic of Indonesia Law No. 1 of 1974 regarding marriage, MUI fatwas on interfaith marriage, Quranic verses, Hadiths, and Islamic law (maqasid al-shariah). Additionally, secondary data from relevant books or journals are utilized. The findings indicate that the legal validity of a marriage is determined solely by religious norms, not state law. Therefore, the government's authority is limited to regulating the registration of marriages valid according to religious norms, not legalizing marriage status. The prohibition of interfaith marriages is attributed to the increased risks involved in forming a family.
 Keywords: Interfaith Marriage, Islamic Law, MUI Fatwa

This study examines the strategic role of Islamic religious education in enhancing social media literacy among young generations in the digital age. Using a qualitative approach through library research, the study explores how Islamic education can contribute to developing critical thinking skills, ethical behavior, and responsible use of social media platforms. The research findings highlight three main roles of Islamic education: shaping character and attitudes aligned with Islamic values in social media usage, integrating learning materials on social media ethics, and fostering awareness of the impact of social media on personal development and society. Furthermore, the study identifies key strategies for implementing social media literacy in Islamic education, including curriculum integration, utilizing social media as a learning tool, and developing critical thinking skills. The research concludes that Islamic education has significant potential in preparing young generations to face the challenges of the digital era by instilling Islamic principles such as tabayyun (verification), tadabbur (contemplation), and tabarruk (seeking blessings) in their online interactions. This holistic approach is expected to contribute to forming a generation of Muslims who are literate, critical, and responsible in their use of social media.

This research aims to analyze the reform of Islamic inheritance law in Indonesia, with a particular focus on government policies supporting this reform. The study examines legal doctrines in the Compilation of Islamic Law, jurisprudence, Supreme Court guidance letters for religious courts, and fatwas from the Indonesian Ulema Council. Employing a historical and Islamic legal political (fiqh siyasah) approach, it explores the background and dynamics of these reforms. The reform process involves updating legal concepts, norms, and techniques, driven primarily by the executive and judiciary, while legislative bodies are constrained by their inability to pass laws. Non-governmental institutions, particularly the Indonesian Ulema Council, also play a pivotal role. Scientifically grounded methods, such as ijtihad intiqa'i tarjihi and ibda'i insha'i, serve as the foundation for these reforms. The government’s strategies within the Islamic legal-political framework (fiqh siyasah) are (1) developing Islamic inheritance law in line with societal practices, (2) codifying it into legislative products, (3) compiling it into unified legal texts, (4) enacting legal products such as presidential instructions, fatwas, and jurisprudence, (5) involving scholars, officials, and judges in shaping reforms, (6) creating regulations for non-litigious inheritance distribution based on Islamic law, and (7) engaging the community in inheritance practices. This research’s novelty lies in its comprehensive analysis of both governmental and non-governmental roles in reforming Islamic inheritance law through integrative legal-political strategies. Additionally, it highlights the innovative application of ijtihad intiqa'i tarjihi and ibda'i insha'i, contributing to the modernization and contextualization of Islamic inheritance law in Indonesia. The contribution of this research is its exploration of the interplay between legal reform and societal practices, providing a new understanding of the mechanisms that shape Islamic law in contemporary Indonesia. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights into the role of both religious scholars and government authorities in the legal reform process, offering a model for integrating Islamic law with modern legal systems.

In today's digital age the use of the Internet in particular social media has become a passion for teenagers. It has led to a decline in ethics and morals in mainstream youth, where social values are becoming one of the identities of indonesians. The article was created because of the writer's interest in bullying and even the death threats made by Indonesian netizens on Thai social media (facebook), which in turn sparked a fight that even prompted hate speech among citizens. The case of course affects Indonesian identity in the eyes of other countries. The main purpose of the article is to learn the level of media awareness and ethics in young children and to analyze how social media ethics can affect national identity. The authors further study using qualitative methods using social social samples (15-17 year old) and supported by the review literature. According to research, the authors have tried to provide some of the problem solutions: socialized media education, maximize family roles as the first "teacher", and government policies on social media users.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) fatwas hold a vital position in guiding Muslims to consume halal and thayyib products in line with Islamic law. Their foundation lies in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 168, which underscores the command to eat what is lawful and wholesome while rejecting practices that lack divine authority. This study adopts a qualitative approach through library research, examining literature related to the halal-thayyib concept, food technology developments, and MUI fatwas. The findings highlight that halal-thayyib embodies values of blessing, purity, and health. Nonetheless, rapid progress in modern food technology often creates uncertainty about a product’s halal assurance, underscoring the importance of fatwa institutions. MUI fatwas function not only as religious directives but also as safeguards for the community’s physical and spiritual well-being. Their significance grows even stronger in the context of globalized food systems, making it essential to reinforce public understanding and application of these fatwas to enhance awareness and compliance.