Religion as a Social Sign: Sharia Identity in Muslim Consumer Culture

Aisyah Putri Berliana Machfudz

doi:10.61987/jemr.v5i4.2518

Authors

Aisyah Putri Berliana Machfudz Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61987/jemr.v5i4.2518

Keywords:

Sharia Identity, Religious Commodification, Consumer Culture

Abstract

This study aims to examine religion as a social sign within contemporary Muslim consumer culture, focusing on how Sharia identity is constructed and communicated through the consumption of halal-labeled commodities. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the research employs digital observation and a sociology of consumption perspective to analyze the commodification of religious symbols within capitalist market dynamics. The findings indicate that the consumption of Sharia products extends beyond expressions of personal piety and functions as a strategy of social distinction and identity performance. Religious symbols embedded in commodities serve as markers of lifestyle, status, and group belonging, transforming spiritual values into marketable and exchangeable goods. This process demonstrates how religious identity is increasingly shaped through consumption practices that align with neoliberal cultural logic. The study implies that the commodification of religion has redefined the relationship between faith, identity, and the market. It highlights the growing integration of religious values into consumer culture and contributes to a deeper understanding of how religion operates as both a symbolic resource and an economic asset in contemporary society.

References

Afandi, M., Rofiuddin, A., Zamhari, A., Rahman, Y., Farida, A., & Bakti, A. (2021). The New Ustad in Religious Authority: Challenge and Dynamics of Fatwa in the New Media Era. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Colloquium on Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies (ICIIS 2020).

Andrabi, R. (2022). Troubling Muslim Youth Identities: Nation, Religion, Gender. Space and Polity, 26, 69–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562576.2022.2058390

Batubara, C., & Harahap, I. (2022). Halal Industry Development Strategies: Muslims’ Responses and Sharia Compliance in Indonesia. Journal of Indonesian Islam. https://doi.org/10.15642/jiis.2022.16.1.103-132

Fansuri, H. (2023). On the Road of Hijrah: Contesting Identity Through Urban Mobilities in Contemporary Indonesian Muslims. Archipel. https://doi.org/10.4000/archipel.3485

Fitryansyah, M. A., & Sofiyati. (2024). Perceptions and Attitudes of Urban Muslim Youth Toward Modernity and Globalization. Journal of Islamic Civilization.

Hasanah, N. A., & Permana, I. S. (2025). Hijab Commodification in the Endorsement Practices of Non-Hijab Artists on TikTok: Implications for Islamic Education. Tajdid: Journal of Islamic Thought and Humanity, 9(1), 170–184.

Ibrahim, M. (2022). Being Muslim at the Intersection of Islam and Popular Cultures in Nigeria. Journal of African Cultural Studies, 34, 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/13696815.2022.2060193

Jaenudin, A. (2024). The Influence of Information Technology on Religious Practices in Urban Muslim Communities. Al-Madinah: Journal of Islamic Civilization. https://doi.org/10.70901/tqcj1t17

Kasa, A. (2025). The Influence of Religious Beliefs on the Formation of Historical Events and Cultural Traditions: A Comparative Analysis of World Religions. Pharos Journal of Theology. https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.106.3027

Kholida, M., & Rodiah, I. (2022). Commodification of Religion: A Marketing Strategy. Journal of Islamic Economics, 6(2), 177–188.

Lyansari, K. N. (2022). Celebrification and Branding New Female Religious Authority in Indonesia. Jurnal Dialog, 45(1), 99–110.

Maulida, L., & Witro, D. (2022). Commodification of Religious Symbols Among the Muslim Middle Class in Indonesia. Journal of Islamic Social, Economic, and Business Student Research (SOSEBI), 2(2).

Marei, F. G. (2024). God’s Influencers: How Social Media Users Shape Religion and Pious Self-Fashioning. Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture, 13(2), 143–172.

Mebratu, T., Teklemariam, A., & Achaw, T. (2024). Policy Intentions on Inclusive Education for Students With Disabilities in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study. Indonesian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 3(2), 86–101. https://doi.org/10.33650/ijess.v3i2.9948

Millie, J., & Baulch, E. (2024). Beyond the Middle Classes, Beyond New Media: The Politics of Islamic Consumerism in Indonesia. Asian Studies Review, 48, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2023.2291103

Missier, C. A. (2025). A Qualitative Study of Digital Religious Influence: Perspectives From Christian, Hindu, and Muslim Gen Y and Gen Z in Mumbai, India. Religions. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16010073

Nasir, K. M. (2022). Islamic Revivalism and Muslim Consumer Ethics. Religions, 13(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13080747

Nhlakanipho, M., Albert, M. S. M., Themba, N., Hendrick, R., Nkosi, P., & Isaac, K. M. (2025). Learners’ Perceptions of Using YouTube Videos in Enhancing Their Communication Skills. Indonesian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 4(1), 57–69. https://doi.org/10.33650/ijess.v5i1.11031

Pink, J. (Ed.). (2020). Muslim Societies in the Age of Mass Consumption: Politics, Culture and Identity Between the Local and the Global. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Purnama, R. F. (2020). The Aesthetic Reception of the Qur’an on Instagram: Variations, Influencing Factors, and Religious Commodification. Ulul Albab, 21(2), 237–255.

Rafiq, Z., & Dunnett, S. (2024). The Inter-Generational Construction of Religious In/Authenticity in the Rituals of British Pakistani Muslims. Marketing Theory, 25, 35–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931231226121

Saumantri, T., Hidayatulloh, T., & Meghatruh, D. D. (2023). Religious Consumerism in the Digital Era: An Analysis of Muslim Religious Phenomena in Indonesia Through Jean Baudrillard’s Postmodernism Paradigm. Islamadina, 273–289. https://doi.org/10.30595/islamadina.v0i0.14961

Sunesti, Y., & Putri, A. (2022). Sharia Housing and Millennials in Indonesia: Between Religious and Economic Motives. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 78(4). https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i4.7062

Tsoka, M. (2026). A Sense-Making Approach to Pre-Service Teachers’ Use of Teaching and Learning Materials in Resource-Constrained Contexts. Indonesian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 5(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.33650/ijess.v5i1.12575

Wardana, C. K., Abas, N. I., A’zizah, L. O. F., & Puspawati, D. (2025). Does Religiosity Matter? A Comparative Study of Online Purchase Intention of Sharia Fashion Products Among Muslim Women. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 33(2). https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.33.2.07

Zaid, B., Fedtke, J., Shin, D. D., El Kadoussi, A., & Ibahrine, M. (2022). Digital Islam and Muslim Millennials: How Social Media Influencers Reimagine Religious Authority and Islamic Practices. Religions, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13040335

Zain, M., Aaisyah, S., Alimuddin, A., Abdillah, A. M., & Fauzi, M. F. B. (2023). Hijab Discourse in Indonesia: The Battle of Meaning Between Sharia and Culture in Public Space. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga dan Hukum Islam, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v7i3.19383