I

n the past, especially in pre-modern times, if Muslims needed guidance on religious matters they had to travel (sometimes a long distance) to see clerics to consult on the problems plaguing them.

From a religious point of view, this process resulted in the issuance of a fatwa (edict), which gave a mustafti (questioner) an authoritative legal opinion from a cleric in response to a question.

In the modern era, this process has been replaced by books, where Muslims have access to knowledge directly. The development of mass media has also played a significant role. People may access religious authorities through question-and-answer columns in magazines or newspapers. With this new mechanism, people who need religious guidance do not need to make a big effort. They do not need to travel to see clerics to find solutions to their problems. However, this process often does not satisfy people, especially when they cannot meet the clerics physically.

Radio and television have also made contributions. Through interactive talk shows, clerics and Muslim society can communicate using television and telephone calls. However, these devices are only accessible to richer people, due to the cost of long-distance calls.

Interestingly, today, all these processes have combined. People may ask a question without seeing the clerics and importantly, responses are given quickly. In addition, people will gain a kind of satisfaction if they see the clerics on the television or the Internet, because the communication personally involves the clerics.

This phenomenon is evinced by several clerics such as Sholahuddin Wahid, also known as Gus Sholah, the director of Tebuireng Islamic boarding school in Jombang, East Java, and Mustofa Bisri, also known as Gus Mus, the director of Raudhatul Tholibin boarding school in Rembang, Central Java.

They are actively involved in real-time discussions with their followers through Twitter, where Gus Sholah has more than 30,000 followers and Gus Mus has more than 60,000.

Both are active and answer questions raised by their followers every day. The questions vary, ranging from serious matters such as politics, religion and economy, to private matters, such as how many grandchildren to have. The pair’s embrace of the digital domain has led some to call them the “Kyai Twitter” or the Twitter clerics.

One follower once asked Gus Sholah on Twitter if violence in the name of religion was permissible in Islam. Gus Sholah replied that such acts were not compatible with the teachings of Islam, and so were not permissible.

Like Gus Sholah, Gus Mus’ Twitter account is bombarded by many questions. One of his followers asked whether Muslims were allowed to visit non-Muslim people. Gus Mus said that such visits were acceptable — unless the person visited objected.

Certainly, the trend of online clerics (especially moderate clerics such as Gus Sholah and Gus Mus) gives us a new hope for an alternative, especially for Muslims who need religious guidance but do not have direct access to religious institutions.

As we know, in recent times, Muslim hard-liners have disseminated their teachings through online media. Some websites either in Indonesia or abroad are closely affiliated with the hard-liners.

The special characteristic of those websites is that they disseminate a lot of information to support the activities of the hard-liners. More importantly, they allocate space to spread their hard-line ideas through question-and-answer forums. In some of their articles we can even conclude that they mostly perpetuate hatred of fellow Muslims. Articles with titles such as “Shia are not Muslims” (sic) are easily found on those websites. We can also discover columns that invoke the spirit of jihad and exaggerate the work of some infamous jihadists such as Osama bin Laden.

Rest assured, the presence of moderate clerics on the Internet has given new optimism for disseminating moderate teachings to Indonesian Muslims. In addition, preaching through social media might serve as an effective tool for deradicalization.

As we know religious radicalism emerges partly because of a lack of religious understanding. Thanks to the Kyai Twitter we will have access to alternative religious authorities through an online medium that previously was dominated by the hard-liners.

Moreover, this moderate religious authority will provide people with good and proper teachings on peaceful Islam.

Hopefully, in the near future there will be many more moderate clerics use Twitter to discuss religious matters so that Indonesian Muslims can easily understand and implement the virtues of Islam.

The writer is director of the A. Wahid Hasyim Library at the Tebuireng Islamic boarding school in Jombang, East Java.