Karāma in the Perspective of Sufism: Response to the Magic Commodification in the Digital Era

Abstract

Social media has facilitated the proliferation of Muslim magicians who showcase magical performances as Islamic spiritual healing, obscuring the distinction between authentic karāma and commercialized supernatural claims. This study examines how such practices misrepresent the Sufi concept of karāma on YouTube. Employing a qualitative netnographic approach, the data were collected from the YouTube channels of Gus Samsudin, Ningsih Tinampi, Ustadz Dhanu, and Ujang Busthomi. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was applied to examine their construction of algorithmic authority. In addition, semiotic analysis was used to examine the motives behind the visualizations in their social media content. Meanwhile, to assess whether these performances reflect the authentic concept of karāma, data triangulation was performed by comparing video content with classical and modern Sufi texts, media reports, and insights from Sufism experts. The findings reveal that these performances constitute pseudo-karāma rather than genuine saintly miracles, commodifying Islamic symbols and exploiting vulnerable audiences for commercial purposes. This study contributes to digital religion scholarship by distinguishing authentic Sufi karāma from pseudo-spiritual performances and highlighting the importance of strengthening religious and digital literacy to counter misleading supernatural claims in the digital era.