Pedagogy, Pitfalls, and Prospects: Integrating Digital Technology into Fiqh Learning for 21st-Century Competencies

Prior studies on digital integration in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) have largely focused on whether technology improves learning outcomes, while pedagogy specific to fiqh instruction remains under-examined. This study addresses that gap by analyzing not only the implementation of digital technology in fiqh learning, but also how such integration reshapes students' epistemic construction of Islamic law — that is, the way they build and justify religious-legal reasoning — rather than merely their retention of content .Using a qualitative descriptive design informed by Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and documentation, and were validated through source and technique triangulation with member checking. The research was conducted at Madrasah Aliyah Darul Hikmah Temon Sawoo Ponorogo, purposively selected as a pesantren-affiliated madrasah where turath-based fiqh instruction and digital media coexist. Findings show that technology use is gradually shifting fiqh instruction from teacher-centered to student-centered learning and, more significantly, is changing how students reason about Islamic law: in Fiqh Muamalah, digital media (e-commerce and cryptocurrency cases) push students toward contextual, case-based argumentation, whereas in Fiqh Ibadah, simulation-based media (prayer and hajj simulations) reinforce procedural, rule-based understanding. This distinction indicates that technology's epistemic effect is domain-dependent rather than uniform. Alongside gains in comprehension, motivation, and digital literacy, the study also identifies risks of distraction, overreliance on devices, and exposure to unverified religious content, as well as persistent challenges related to infrastructure, digital inequality, and uneven teacher competence.