OTORITAS KEILMUAN ISLAM DI ERA TIKTOK: STUDI PERBANDINGAN KEPERCAYAAN GENERASI Z TERHADAP DAI MEDIA SOSIAL DAN ULAMA PESANTREN

Abstract

The rapid expansion of social media has significantly transformed the formation of Islamic scholarly authority among young Muslims. This study aims to examine the comparative level of trust among Generation Z toward social media preachers and traditional pesantren scholars, as well as to identify factors shaping religious authority legitimacy within the digital ecosystem. The research employs a qualitative field approach using social phenomenology and a comparative social trust framework. Participants consisted of Muslim Generation Z students, including university students, pesantren learners, and senior high school students who actively use social media as a source of religious learning. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, trust perception questionnaires, documentation of digital preaching content, and observation of religious media consumption behavior. The data were analyzed through reduction, thematic categorization of trust perceptions, and comparative legitimacy analysis, supported by source and technique triangulation to ensure validity. The findings reveal that social media functions as the primary entry point for religious learning due to rapid accessibility, simplified communication style, strong visual presentation, and emotional relatability. Nevertheless, pesantren scholars remain the ultimate authoritative reference in complex jurisprudential matters because of their scholarly lineage, depth of knowledge, and moral credibility. Generation Z therefore develops a hybrid reference pattern, utilizing digital preaching for practical guidance while relying on traditional scholars for normative validation. The study concludes that the transformation of Islamic authority in the digital era represents not a replacement but a restructuring of roles between communicative and scholarly authority. It recommends integrating digital preaching strategies with pesantren-based Islamic education to sustain adaptive and credible religious knowledge transmission.