PROPHETIC COMMUNICATION IN DIGITAL DA’WAH: A CASE STUDY OF USTAZ HANDY BONNY’S INSTAGRAM CONTENT

Kania Nur Hanifah Hasna; Adi Permana Sidik; Erwan Komara; Karla Safa Attallah

doi:10.61397/tla.v4i1.642

Authors

Kania Nur Hanifah Hasna Universitas Sangga Buana YPKP
Adi Permana Sidik Universitas Sangga Buana YPKP
Erwan Komara Universitas Sangga Buana YPKP
Karla Safa Attallah Universitas Sangga Buana YPKP

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61397/tla.v4i1.642

Keywords:

prophetic communication, digital da’wah, Instagram, qaulan, religious authority, digital religion

Abstract

This study examines how prophetic communication is articulated in the Instagram-based da’wah of Ustaz Handy Bonny, with particular attention to six Qur’anic communication principles: qaulan sadiidan, qaulan baliighan, qaulan maysuuran, qaulan layyinan, qaulan kariiman, and qaulan ma‘ruufan. The study responds to a gap in previous research, which has largely examined Handy Bonny’s language, rhetoric, or thematic content without systematically connecting these practices to an ethical framework of prophetic communication. A qualitative case-study design was employed. Data were collected through participant observation of Instagram content, semi-structured interviews with the preacher, his manager/collaborator, an Islamic communication expert, and selected followers, together with documentation and relevant literature. Data were analyzed through iterative reduction, display, thematic interpretation, and verification, supported by source and technique triangulation and member checking. The findings indicate that the six principles are manifested differently across Reels, carousel posts, quote posts, and extended captions. Qur’anic and hadith references support qaulan sadiidan; emotionally resonant and concise formulations support qaulan baliighan; accessible diction and colloquial expressions support qaulan maysuuran; empathetic treatment of sensitive issues reflects qaulan layyinan; respectful moral guidance reflects qaulan kariiman; and inclusive messages of kindness reflect qaulan ma‘ruufan. At the same time, the case reveals tensions between accessibility and religious precision, digital popularity and religious authority, and communicative effectiveness and prophetic ethics. The study therefore conceptualizes prophetic digital da’wah not as the simple transfer of classical preaching into social media, but as an ongoing negotiation between ethical norms, platform affordances, audience expectations, and authority. The study contributes to Islamic communication scholarship by providing an ethically grounded framework for evaluating digital da’wah.

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