Representation and Reception of Wasatiyyah through Humor: An Analysis of TikTok Comment Sections on Millennial Muslim Influencer Da'wah

Rahmatullah Rahmatullah, Mustofa Ismail, Alif Nazarsyah, Firman Syahbana, Muhammad Fayyadh

Abstract


TikTok has become an important arena for digital proselytization, where Islamic messages circulate through short video content that is entertaining in nature, and audience reception is openly visible through the comment section. This research examines how humorous da'wah oriented toward wasatiyyah is received, negotiated, and debated in the public space of TikTok comments, with a case study of one creator (Husein Ja'far) during the period of July–December 2025. This study uses qualitative reception analysis through purposive salient comment sampling and an operational codebook to analyze individual comments and reply chains that demonstrate negotiation, correction, and escalation. The research findings indicate that the comment section repeatedly serves as a space for informal religious learning and peer counselling, facilitating micro-fiqh questions, navigating modern ethical dilemmas, and interfaith literacy. Wasatiyyah is most often accepted as an everyday relational ethic—mercy, anti-coercion, and good interpretation—rather than as an ideological label. However, moderation remains fragile because it is contested through moral policing, authority disputes, conflict framing, and credibility issues. Humor serves as an interactional adhesive that fosters affiliation and de-escalation, but it can also mask derogation and reinforce boundary policing. Additionally, a pattern of reception bifurcation emerged where audiences accepted the moral content but rejected the performative aesthetics, which underscores the importance of value legitimacy and aesthetic legitimacy in the reception of digital proselytization. This finding strengthens the study of digital religion by positioning moderation as an achievement negotiated within platformed publics and explaining the ambivalent role of humor in shaping moderation discourse.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3059/insis.v0i0.28561

DOI (PDF): https://doi.org/10.3059/insis.v0i0.28561.g15052

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