Surau Journal of Islamic Studies

The Meaning and Function of Mosque Ornamentation in Guci Rumpong: A Study of Aesthetics and Cultural Islamic Symbolism in Aceh

Diana Sari, Fuziana Izzati, Sartika Br Sembiring — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

The existence of ornaments in traditional Acehnese mosques is often viewed merely as decorative elements, yet they hold the potential for deeper meanings and functions. This study aims to examine the meaning and function of the ornamentation in the Guci Rumpong Mosque in Aceh, focusing on the integration of Islamic values and local wisdom. Using a descriptive-interpretive qualitative approach, data were collected through observation and document study, then analyzed semiotically to reveal layers of symbolic meaning. The findings reveal that traditional motifs such as Lhee Sagoe (triangle), Pucok Reubong (bamboo shoot), and Oen Ranup (betel leaf) function as complex cultural texts. These ornaments symbolically convey Islamic principles, including tauhid (monotheism), cosmic harmony, spiritual growth, and social cohesion, while also serving as a “visual curriculum” for moral and religious education. Therefore, it is concluded that traditional Acehnese mosque ornaments operate as an active synthesis of art, religion, and culture. The implication of these findings underscores the importance of preserving this architectural heritage, not only as a safeguard of cultural identity but also as a relevant medium for values education in response to modernization. This study contributes to the discourse on Nusantara Islamic architecture by positioning ornamentation as a means of knowledge transmission and reinforcement of collective identity.

The Socio-Cultural Mediation of Religious Authority: A Comparative Study of Halal Slaughter Fatwas in Indonesia and Australia

Dailani Ismail, Aufa Melia Mareta — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This study highlights the gap between fatwas and the implementation of halal slaughter practices influenced by technological modernity in two distinct contexts: Indonesia as the world’s largest Muslim-majority country and Australia with its Muslim minority community.This research is the socio-cultural resistance to the machine-slaughter fatwa in Indonesia, which contrasts with the more adaptive acceptance in Australia. To analyze this paradox, the study employs a qualitative method through literature review and comparative analysis, examining fatwa documents, regulations, and societal responses in both countries. The results indicate that the effectiveness of a technological fatwa is determined not only by its legal validity but critically by its alignment with the socio-cultural character of the community. In Indonesia, resistance stems from a value clash between the efficiency logic of machines and the religious-communal character of society, whereas in Australia, an autonomous and community-driven certification system maintains Sharia integrity in manual slaughter. The conclusion emphasizes the necessity for participatory social engineering, involving intensive dialogue among scholars, industry practitioners, and the public, to design halal technologies that are not only legally valid but also spiritually and culturally meaningful, thereby ensuring harmony between religious authority, technological innovation, and societal realities.

Critical Pedagogy as Counter-Hegemony: Reorienting Islamic Religious Education Against Digital Radicalism and Disinformation

Moh.Abdullah, Rufai Bello, Nurfajriyani — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

The proliferation of digital disinformation and radical ideologies in cyberspace has triggered a crisis of critical thinking among Muslim youth, challenging the integrity of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) as a space for liberation and ethical formation.This study employs a critical literature review design, synthesizing theories from critical pedagogy (Freire, Giroux), digital media studies, and Islamic education scholarship to construct a transformative pedagogical framework. The research aims to analyze the mechanisms of digital hegemony in shaping religious consciousness and to propose the integration of critical pedagogy into PAI as a counter-hegemonic strategy. The analysis reveals that critical pedagogy enables a fundamental paradigm shift in PAI, from an indoctrinative model to an emancipatory one, fostering critical consciousness (conscientization), dialogical learning, and socio-ethical resilience against radical narratives. It is argued that a critically-oriented PAI is essential for cultivating a generation that is not only religiously observant but also critically aware, inclusive, and capable of navigating the complexities of the digital age. This requires curricular reorientation, teacher training as facilitators of critical awareness, and the development of contextualized teaching materials.

Pop Culture and Islamic Identity of Millennials and Gen Z: Hijabers, Muslim YouTubers, and the Contestation of Modest Fashion Meaning

Moh. Toyyib, Muhammad Yunus Musthofa, Sajida Putri — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This study examines the construction and contestation of Islamic identity among Millennials and Generation Z within the landscape of digital popular culture, specifically through the phenomena of hijabers, Muslim YouTubers, and modest fashion. The analysis employs a library research methodology, systematically reviewing scholarly literature to explore how religious values, aesthetics, and digital capitalism intersect in shaping contemporary Muslim identities. Findings reveal that social media functions as a crucial arena where piety is increasingly expressed through performative and aesthetic practices, leading to a dynamic negotiation between authenticity and commodification. The study concludes that Islamic identity in the digital age is fluid and hybrid, marked by a shift from traditional religious authority toward participatory, algorithmically mediated forms of religiosity. These transformations highlight the need to critically re-examine the relationships between religion, media, and popular culture in increasingly digitized Muslim societies.

Digital Schism: The Reconstruction of Religious Authority and the Emergence of Islamic Knowledge Elite in the AI Era

Choirur Rois, Gholamreza Yazdani — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This study aims to analyze the reconstruction of Islamic religious authority and the emergence of an Islamic knowledge elite in the digital era mediated by artificial intelligence (AI). The study’s background stems from the phenomenon of digital transformation, which is shifting religious authority from centralized formal institutions such as Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) to decentralized virtual spaces through algorithmic platforms and chatbots like “AI Mufti”. The research employs an exploratory literature review method with a qualitative approach, collecting and analyzing indexed scholarly articles and recent publications related to concepts of digital authority, algorithms, and the Islamic knowledge elite. The findings identify the occurrence of a “digital schism”, an epistemic tension between the hierarchical logic of sanad (chains of transmission) and the distributed logic of algorithms, which gives rise to a new knowledge elite, such as dakwah influencers and AI muftis, whose legitimacy is constructed through digital performativity and symbolic capital. The conclusion and core argument of this research is that the transformation of Islamic religious authority in the digital age is not merely a shift in medium, but a fundamental epistemological reconstruction, necessitating a new paradigm to integrate Islamic values with modern technological rationality.