On Halal Love: Islam, Romance, and Transition to Adulthood in Urban Indonesia

Abstract

A socio-demographic framework for understanding how global religious revivalism influences transition to adulthood in the Majority World remains limited. In post-Reformasi Indonesia (1998-present), the growing visibility of halal-centred narratives among Muslim middle-class young adults provides a compelling case for examining the intersection of deepening Islamic piety and intimate relationships. This study offers a socio-demographic perspective on halal love, examining how rising Islamic piety shapes young adults’ romantic relationships and family formation in Malang, Indonesia. We draw on an interdisciplinary literature review to propose a series of theoretical propositions on halal love, and qualitative insights from in-depth interviews conducted in 2019 with 28 young adults. We found that halal love appeals to young Muslims navigating diverse ideals and pathways to marriage. Religiosity – not just religion – has emerged as a key social identity marker, alongside class, family background, ethnicity, and geography. It shapes how participants engage with online and offline dating and marriage markets. Halal love narratives align with broader trends in publicly expressed Islamic piety, intersecting with aspirations for self-improvement, autonomy, consumption, and social mobility. The appeal of halal love does not necessarily lead to early marriage or a rejection of small-family norms. Rather, our participants shared hybridised ideals that combined pious ways of living with small-family aspirations. We argue that halal-love narratives are linked to increasingly protracted and precarious transitions to adulthood. These findings offer broader insights into how religious revivalism shapes youth identities and demographic trends in the Muslim world and beyond.