CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC STUDIES AND SOCIO-RELIGIOUS TRANSFORMATION IN THE DIGITAL ERA: AN INTEGRATIVE ANALYSIS OF MAQĀṢID AL-SHARĪ‘AH, ISLAMIC SOCIOLOGY, AND RELIGIOUS MODERATION

Abstract

This study aims to analyze contemporary approaches to Islamic Studies in responding to socio-religious transformation in the digital era through an integrative perspective of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, Islamic sociology, and religious moderation. The rapid development of digital technology has transformed patterns of social interaction, religious authority, religious practices, and the ways Muslim communities access, interpret, and disseminate Islamic knowledge. This phenomenon requires Islamic Studies to move beyond a purely normative-textual orientation and develop into a field of inquiry that is responsive to social, cultural, and technological dynamics. This research employs a qualitative approach using library research by examining contemporary Islamic Studies literature, socio-religious theories, the concept of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, and the discourse of religious moderation. The findings indicate that contemporary Islamic Studies should be constructed through an integrative model that connects normative, historical, sociological, and ethical dimensions. The perspective of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah serves as a value-based framework for safeguarding religion, life, intellect, lineage, and property amid digital transformation. Islamic sociology contributes to the empirical reading of socio-religious realities, including shifts in religious authority, digital da‘wah culture, and Muslim social relations in virtual spaces. Meanwhile, religious moderation functions as an ethical principle for developing inclusive, tolerant, and anti-extremist religious practices. This study concludes that contemporary Islamic Studies must be developed through an interdisciplinary framework in order to address modern socio-religious problems while preserving its normative Islamic foundations.