The Impacts Of Fatwa Awareness, Maqaṣid Al-Shari'ah Application, Religiosity And Utaut2 On The Adoption Of Online Media As A Fatwa Information Platform Among Malaysian Muslims

It is undeniable that online media is one of the best platforms for disseminating
information to the public quickly and effectively. Despite many initiatives by the
Fatwa Institution to enhance the dissemination and explanation of the Fatwa,
including online media, prior studies showed that the level of Fatwa acceptance
among Malaysian Muslims is still low. Thus, this study aims to discuss the plausible
factors influencing the adoption of online media as a Fatwa information platform
among Malaysian Muslims. The expanded Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage
of Technology (UTAUT2) was employed as a baseline theory with three additional
constructs: Fatwa Awareness, Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah Application and Religiosity. 500
Malaysian Muslims (272 males and 228 females) were selected based on convenience
sampling through an online survey. The collected data were analysed using SPSS and
SmartPLS. The results indicated that the level of Fatwa awareness, Maqāṣid al-
Sharī‘ah Application, Religiosity and the adoption of online media as a Fatwa
information platform among Malaysian Muslims are high. Based on the employed
conceptual model, the findings suggest that Fatwa awareness, performance expectancy
and habit positively and significantly affect the actual usage/use behaviour/adoption of
online media as a Fatwa information platform. The result also found that Maqāṣid al-
Sharī‘ah Application, performance expectancy and habit positively and significantly
influence Malaysian Muslims‘ intention to adopt online media as a Fatwa information
platform. Additionally, it was discovered that there are differences in adoption-related
aspects based on demographic criteria, such as gender, education level, and age. Based
on these findings, it is recommended that Fatwa Institutions emphasise the factors
influencing the adoption of online media as a Fatwa information platform among
Malaysian Muslims. That can assist the Fatwa Institutions in enhancing the efficiency
of the Fatwa‘s dissemination and explanation in a more quality and successful way for
Fatwa to be accepted by the community.