‘Halal’ Virality: A Discourse Analysis of TikTok Preachers, Digital Dakwah, and the Shaping of Millennial Muslim Identity

The rapid expansion of TikTok as a dominant social media platform has transformed how Islamic messages circulate and how young Muslims construct religious identity. The rise of TikTok preachers—often young, charismatic, and digitally fluent—has introduced new forms of “digital dakwah” that blend religious discourse with entertainment, lifestyle aesthetics, and algorithmic amplification. This phenomenon raises critical questions about how Islamic teachings are framed, simplified, or commodified within fast-paced digital cultures, and how such virality shapes the religious orientations of millennial Muslim audiences.

This study aims to analyze the discursive strategies used by TikTok preachers and examine how their content contributes to the formation, negotiation, or contestation of millennial Muslim identity. The research focuses on identifying linguistic patterns, thematic frames, and visual narratives that construct what may be described as “halal virality”—religious messages optimized for algorithmic spread.

A qualitative discourse analysis was employed, drawing on multimodal samples from 30 high-engagement TikTok accounts. Data were examined through Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis framework, supported by audience comment analysis to understand reception patterns. Coding focused on authority construction, moral positioning, identity markers, and algorithmic cues embedded in the content.

Findings reveal that digital preachers construct authority not primarily through traditional scholarly credentials but through relatability, emotional resonance, and aesthetic presentation. The discourse often simplifies complex theological issues into motivational soundbites, fostering a form of identity that is highly expressive, individualized, and platform-shaped. The study concludes that TikTok-based dakwah significantly influences millennial Muslim identity by merging religious meaning-making with digital performativity, commercial logics, and algorithmic trends.