The persuasiveness of celebrity Muslim preachers on social media: the ELM perspective

• Main Authors: Tengku Mohd Azzman, Tengku Siti Aisha, A. Manaf, Aini Maznina, Fadzil, Nurfarhanis
• Format: Proceeding Paper
• Language: English; English; English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: BP185.7 Mass media and telecommunication in Islam; H Social Sciences (General); P87 Communication. Mass media
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/108287/1/Certificate_MENTION.JPG; http://irep.iium.edu.my/108287/2/Acceptance_AP%20TSA.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/108287/13/108287_The%20persuasiveness%20of%20celebrity%20Muslim%20preachers.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/108287/

As new media and communication technology evolve, it has revolutionised how Muslim preachers convey da’wah to their fellow Muslims. Social media platforms allow Muslim preachers to connect with their follower and create da’wah messages using various tools such as reels, live streams, and hashtags. Some preachers have become instant celebrities, with millions of followers who are willing to share and repost their content. To what extent though, are their messages persuasive? Accordingly, four hypotheses were predicted for the study based on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). This study is quantitative, with a cross-sectional online survey design. The survey instrument was distributed among university students who follow celebrity Muslim preachers on social media (N = 423). PROCESS macro was used to test the mediating and moderated mediation model (model 4 and 7). This study did provide some support for ELM; argument quality predicted both belief in da’wah messages and intention to share. Belief also mediated the relationship between argument quality and intention to share. However, personal relevance did not moderate the relationship between argument quality and intention to share, through belief. Implications of these findings on ELM and the persuasiveness of online messages among Muslim social media users will be deliberated.