Negotiating Identity and Hybrid Spirituality: The Dynamics of the Congregation of the Asy-Syahadatain Order in the Urban-Digital Landscape
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/djash.v4i2.54350Keywords:
contemporary religiosity, digital religion, social cohesion, urban SufismAbstract
This study examines the dynamics of religiosity of the Asy-Syahadatain congregation in an urban landscape, focusing on the adaptation and negotiation of identity amidst modernity and digitalization. The congregation, originally rural-based in Panguragan, Cirebon, has now expanded to urban areas such as Bandung and Jakarta due to social mobility and economic migration. Using a qualitative approach with a case study design, this study applies the theories of symbolic interaction, social identity, and digital religion through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and document studies. The results show that the Asy-Syahadatain congregation has undergone significant transformation without losing its core Sufi teachings. Key rituals such as the dhikr of the Shahadatain and the aurodan are maintained but adapted in form and media. A hybrid spirituality phenomenon has emerged in which the congregation combines physical gatherings with digital platforms such as WhatsApp and YouTube. The congregation's identity has shifted from a communal-rural one to a flexible spiritual-urban one that still relies on the authority of the sanad. Furthermore, the tarekat serves as social and moral economic capital through collective almsgiving practices and cross-class and generational solidarity bound by the value of brotherhood. Theoretically, this research confirms that the tarekat is not a stagnant entity but rather an adaptive spiritual community capable of navigating urban and technological pressures while enriching the study of contemporary Nusantara Sufism.
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