Being Muslim in the Digital World
Platform, Identity and Authority
In the 21st century, the internet has transcended its role as a mere
communication tool for Muslims, evolving into a “Cyber Islamic Environment”
where faith is lived, identities are constructed, and religious
issues are negotiated. This volume examines the transformative impact
of digitalization on the beliefs, practices, and forms of socialization
within Muslim societies through a multidimensional perspective. The
study focuses on a “hybrid” experience of religiosity in which offline
and online spheres are not mutually exclusive, situated within a new
plane where the boundaries between the virtual and physical worlds
have become increasingly porous.
The book presents a broad spectrum of inquiry, ranging from Türkiye’s
network society experience to the digitalization strategies of the Presidency
of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), and from the fiqh of social media
to the digital exegesis (tafsir) activities of Muslim women. Furthermore,
it scrutinizes the structural transformation of religious authority through
metaphors such as “Sheikh Google” and the “AI Imam,” while also
analyzing the spatial strategies of the Muslim diaspora in Canada and
the new socialization codes of Generation Z, exemplified by the Üsküdar
context. By highlighting the hierarchy of knowledge shaped by
algorithms and the ethical questions posed by the digital age, this work
invites readers to explore the construction of the contemporary Muslim
subject and the emerging digital religious landscape.
Keywords: Digitalization; Islamic Networks; Digital Religiosity; Religious
Authority; Identity; Online