Back to the Roots?

This article investigates the hijrah phenomenon among urban Muslim youth in Indonesia as a search for stability, meaning, and moral clarity amid rapid social change and digital platform influence. Originally associated with physical migration, hijrah has evolved into a spiritual and lifestyle transformation shaped by personal reflection, online religious content, and community participation. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach—including in-depth interviews, participant observation, and social media analysis in Jakarta and Yogyakarta—the study finds that hijrah is often motivated by uncertainty, work pressure, emotional fatigue, and a desire for ethical guidance. Digital algorithms on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube amplify these motivations through “click moments,” where a single resonant video leads to further religious engagement. These encounters guide youth toward online preachers, virtual study groups, and offline communities, where hijrah is reinforced through routines, supportive networks, and symbolic expressions such as modest fashion and collective learning. The study demonstrates that hijrah constitutes a socio-technological process shaped by existential needs, algorithmic mediation, and collective identity formation, rather than merely a personal religious change.