Pursuing hijrah to Salafi path: urban Muslim youth and the quest for self-transformation in Indonesia

This article explores the growing trend of self-transformation, commonly called as hijra, among young Muslims in Indonesia. It focuses on participants of an Islamic learning group organised at the Nurul Iman Mosque in Blok M Square, Jakarta. These young Muslims actively engage in regular Islamic learning and view their participation as a form of hijra (migration) to the Salafi path. By investigating their motivations, initial encounters with Salafism, and their understanding and implementation of hijra in both personal and social spheres, this study scrutinizes the conceptualization and practical enactment of hijra within their individual and communal lives. This study argues that these Salafi youths view hijra as an intricate transformative journey geared towards the augmentation of their Islamic devotion. They strive to integrate Salafi principles into their daily routines, manifesting in their adherence to Islamic dress codes, comportment in accordance with shari’a, abstention from visual imagery, avoidance of bid'a (unlawful innovation) and usurious transactions, adherence to the sunna in their social interactions, and the active pursuit of shari'a-compliant activities during their leisure time. The narratives recounted by the Salafi youth underscore the intricate dynamics they navigate, often involving compromises and accommodations to harmonize their steadfast commitment to the Salafi path with the imperatives of social cohesion within their familial and broader social milieu.