Digital Distortion of Religious Preaching: An Analysis of Abuse of Da’wah Activities on Social Media
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23917/suhuf.v38i1.14129Keywords:
Social media regulation, Religious content, Sectarian polemics online, Religious authority, Digital character assassinationAbstract
Background: The emergence of social media, which stemmed from the evolution of the internet, has provided new opportunities for Muslim scholars to spread Islamic messages through platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and others. Nonetheless, the abuse of da’wah on social media by self-styled scholars has escalated to an unprecedented level. Objective: The study examines the abuse of da’wah activities on social media platforms and analyses how digital environments facilitate new forms of religious distortion. Method: Qualitative content analysis approach was used to examine selected cases of online preaching across social media platforms, with focus on patterns such as unauthorized fatwa issuance, commercialization of religious content, algorithm-driven sensationalism, sectarian polemics, and digital character assassination. Results: It was revealed that algorithm-driven visibility, user-generated authority, and monetization systems promote sensationalism, unauthorized fatwa issuance, and sectarian discourse. Conclusion: The study concludes that social media structurally enables distortion of religious authority and recommends regulatory frameworks, digital literacy, and stronger scholarly oversight.
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