Rereading the Qur’an in the Digital Era: Materiality and Religious Practice in Indonesia

This study examines how the emergence of digital Qur’ans in Indonesia has reshaped the materiality and religious practices traditionally associated with the sacred text. Drawing from the theoretical framework of the material turn in religious studies, the research investigates the shifting socio-material relationships between Muslims and the Qur’an in both its printed and digital forms. Using qualitative methods—including digital ethnography, semi-structured interviews with diverse users, and analysis of visual and interactive features of Qur’anic applications—the study identifies new patterns of engagement that blend visual piety, technological mediation, and evolving notions of adab al-mushaf. The findings reveal that while digital platforms enhance accessibility, personalization, and multimodal engagement with the Qur’anic message, they also provoke theological debates concerning ritual propriety, textual sanctity, and the preservation of traditional authority. By situating the Indonesian experience within the global discourse on Qur’anic materiality, this article argues that the digital Qur’an is not merely a new medium but a transformative space where sacred text, technology, and contemporary Muslim subjectivities intersect.