Religiously Intelligent, Technologically Skilled: Instilling Islamic Values Through Technological Creativity in Gen-Z Muslim 4.0
Abstract
The development of digital technology in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 era has shaped Generation Z as a generation familiar with technology, including Muslim students in high schools. This condition demands an integration of religious intelligence and technological proficiency so that the use of technology does not conflict with Islamic values. This article aims to examine the concepts of religious intelligence and technological proficiency as an approach to instilling Islamic values through technological creativity for Muslim Gen-Z 4.0 students in high schools. This research uses a qualitative approach with field study methods through analysis of various sources from informants, namely several Generation Z students in high schools. The results of the study indicate that instilling Islamic values through technological creativity can be achieved through the use of digital media, creative da'wah content, interactive learning, and strengthening Islamic digital ethics. The concept of religious intelligence emphasizes not only mastery of Islamic knowledge but also the ability to understand and practice Islamic values contextually in the digital space. Meanwhile, technological proficiency is defined as the ability to use technology wisely, ethically, and productively. Thus, the integration of religious intelligence and technological proficiency is a crucial strategy in shaping Muslim Gen-Z 4.0 students who are virtuous, adaptive, and competitive in the digital age.
References
Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia. (2024). Survei penetrasi internet Indonesia 2024. https://apjii.or.id/berita/d/pengguna-internet-di-indonesia-meningkat-di-2024
Bennett, S., Maton, K., & Kervin, L. (2008). The ‘digital natives’ debate: A critical review of the evidence. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(5), 775–786. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00793.x
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE.
Bunt, G. R. (2009). iMuslims: Rewiring the house of Islam. University of North Carolina Press.
Bunt, G. R. (2018). Hashtag Islam: How cyber-Islamic environments are transforming religious authority. University of North Carolina Press.
Campbell, H. A. (2010). When religion meets new media. Routledge.
Campbell, H. A. (Ed.). (2013). Digital religion: Understanding religious practice in new media worlds. Routledge.
Campbell, H. A., & Evolvi, G. (2020). Contextualizing current digital religion research on emerging technologies. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(1), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.149
Campbell, H. A., & Garner, S. (2016). Networked theology: Negotiating faith in digital culture. Baker Academic.
Choi, M. (2016). A concept analysis of digital citizenship for democratic citizenship education in the Internet age. Theory & Research in Social Education, 44(4), 565–607. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2016.1210549
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE.
Dalimunthe, M., & Purwaningtyas, F. (2020). Akses informasi literasi keislaman Rohani Islam di Indonesia: Analisis konstruksi keberagamaan. PERSPEKTIF, 9(2), 378–387. https://doi.org/10.31289/perspektif.v9i2.3550
Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2004). Digital literacy: A conceptual framework for survival skills in the digital era. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(1), 93–106.
Evans, C., & Robertson, W. (2020). The four phases of the digital natives debate. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(3), 269–277. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.196
Hefni, W. (2020). Moderasi beragama dalam ruang digital: Studi pengarusutamaan moderasi beragama di perguruan tinggi keagamaan Islam negeri. Jurnal Bimas Islam, 13(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.37302/jbi.v13i1.182
Helsper, E. J., & Eynon, R. (2010). Digital natives: Where is the evidence? British Educational Research Journal, 36(3), 503–520. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920902989227
Hew, W. W. (2018). The art of dakwah: Social media, visual persuasion and the Islamist propagation of Felix Siauw. Indonesia and the Malay World, 46(134), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2018.1416757
Hjarvard, S. (2011). The mediatisation of religion: Theorising religion, media and social change. Culture and Religion, 12(2), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/14755610.2011.579719
Husein, F., & Slama, M. (2018). Online piety and its discontent: Revisiting Islamic anxieties on Indonesian social media. Indonesia and the Malay World, 46(134), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2018.1415056
Indriyani, P. I., & Khadiq. (2023). Transformation of Islamic religious practices in the digital era: Opportunities and challenges for contemporary da'wah. Jurnal Dakwah, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.14421/jd.2023.24205
Jenkins, R. (2014). Social identity (4th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315887104
Jones, C., Ramanau, R., Cross, S., & Healing, G. (2010). Net generation or digital natives: Is there a distinct new generation entering university? Computers & Education, 54(3), 722–732. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.09.022
Jones, L. M., & Mitchell, K. J. (2016). Defining and measuring youth digital citizenship. New Media & Society, 18(9), 2063–2079. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444815577797
Kholili, M., Izudin, A., & Hakim, M. L. (2024). Islamic proselytizing in digital religion in Indonesia: The challenges of broadcasting regulation. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1), 2357460. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2357460
Kirschner, P. A., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 135–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001
Kurnia, N., & Astuti, S. I. (2017). Peta gerakan literasi digital di Indonesia: Studi tentang pelaku, ragam kegiatan, kelompok sasaran dan mitra. Informasi, 47(2), 149–166. https://doi.org/10.21831/informasi.v47i2.16079
Livingstone, S., & Helsper, E. (2007). Gradations in digital inclusion: Children, young people and the digital divide. New Media & Society, 9(4), 671–696. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444807080335
Long, D., & Magerko, B. (2020). What is AI literacy? Competencies and design considerations. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376727
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2020). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (4th ed.). SAGE.
Minarti, M., Norhidayati Rahmah, M., Khalilurrahman, K., Samsir, S., & Mardiana, M. (2023). Utilization of social media in learning Islamic religion: Its impact on strengthening student outcomes and achievements. Nidhomul Haq: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 8(2), 279–291. https://doi.org/10.31538/ndh.v8i2.3930
Mulyadi, M. (2025). From tradition to transformation: Reimagining Islamic Religious Education in the digital age. El-Tarbawi, 18(1), 82–105. https://doi.org/10.20885/tarbawi.vol18.iss1.art4
Ng, D. T. K., Leung, J. K. L., Chu, S. K. W., & Qiao, M. S. (2021). Conceptualizing AI literacy: An exploratory review. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 2, 100041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2021.100041
Ng, W. (2012). Can we teach digital natives digital literacy? Computers & Education, 59(3), 1065–1078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.04.016
Nisa, E. F. (2018). Social media and the birth of an Islamic social movement: ODOJ (One Day One Juz) in contemporary Indonesia. Indonesia and the Malay World, 46(134), 24–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2017.1416758
Reksiana, Nata, A., Rosyada, D., Rahiem, M. D. H., & Ugli, A. R. R. (2024). Digital extension of digital literacy competence for Islamic Religious Education teachers in the era of digital learning. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 21(2), 402–420. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v21i2.9719
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3rd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education.
Rohman, M., & Waskito, T. (2025). Pendampingan penguatan nilai-nilai moderasi beragama melalui literasi digital bagi peserta didik sekolah menengah atas. Jurnal Inovasi Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat, 5(1), 178–194. https://doi.org/10.53621/jippmas.v5i1.488
Saputra, E., Triantoro, D. A., & Ardiansyah, A. (2021). Urban Muslim youth, pengajian communities and social media: Fragmentation of religious authorities in Indonesia. Al-Qalam, 27(2), 335–346. https://doi.org/10.31969/alq.v27i2.1004
Slama, M. (2018). Practising Islam through social media in Indonesia. Indonesia and the Malay World, 46(134), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2018.1416798
Soedjiwo, N. A. F., Ramdhani, F. Z., & Suroyo. (2025). Islamic Religious Education and Muslim youth identity on social media: A critical discourse analysis of Instagram and TikTok content in Indonesia. EDUKASI: Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Agama dan Keagamaan, 23(3), 466–481. https://doi.org/10.32729/edukasi.v23i3.2158
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
We Are Social, & Meltwater. (2024). Digital 2024: Indonesia. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-indonesia
Zarkasyi, H. F. (2016). Inculcation of values into technology: An Islamic perspective. Afro Eurasian Studies, 5(1), 90–118.
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2
Copyright (c) 2026 Yeti Herliza

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.









