Reconstructing Progressive Islamic Ethics: Muhammadiyah’s Maqāṣid-Based Response to Digital Religious Authority

Abstract

This article examines how Muhammadiyah reconstructs progressive Islamic ethics as a maqāṣid-based response to the growing challenge of digital religious authority. The study aims to analyze the ethical crisis produced by the fragmentation of religious legitimacy in digital spaces and to formulate a Muhammadiyah-informed framework for responsible and welfare-oriented religious authority. It employs a qualitative method with a critical-interpretive case study design, chosen because the research focuses on meaning, ethical reasoning, institutional discourse, and the transformation of authority rather than on statistical measurement. The research was conducted within Muhammadiyah’s institutional and intellectual ecosystem in Yogyakarta and Jakarta, with selected digital platforms treated as an extended research field because religious authority is now negotiated across both organizational and online spaces. Data were gathered from twelve purposively selected informants, including Muhammadiyah scholars, institutional actors, digital religious communicators, and youth activists, chosen for their relevance, expertise, and engagement with the issue. The findings show that digital media has shifted religious authority toward visibility, emotional appeal, and algorithmic reach, while Muhammadiyah responds by emphasizing collective scholarship, public responsibility, and maqāṣid-oriented ethics. The study recommends strengthening digital religious literacy, institutional ethical communication, and context-sensitive Islamic guidance in digitally mediated environments.