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When Da’wah Goes Digital: A Double-Edged Sword
23
Jun
The digital age has changed almost everything about the way people communicate, learn, and share ideas. Messages that once moved slowly through letters, books, classrooms, or face-to-face meetings can now travel across countries in just a few seconds. This transformation has also reshaped the way Muslims learn and spread Islamic teachings. Da’wah, which was once mostly delivered in mosques, pesantren, study circles, and formal religious gatherings, is now widely present on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, podcasts, websites, and many other digital platforms.
This shift is not a small change. As Rafinita Aditia and Evi Hafizah explain in their study “Spreading Islamic Messages: Transition from Traditional to Digital Media in Contemporary Da'wah” in Al-Nahyan: Jurnal Komunikasi dan Penyiaran Islam 1, no. 1 (2024), digital media has become an important space for spreading Islamic messages in contemporary society. Religious messages that were once limited to local audiences can now reach people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. In this sense, digital technology has opened a wide door for da’wah.
One of the greatest strengths of digital da’wah is accessibility. In the past, people often had to attend religious classes, visit scholars, or join mosque gatherings to gain Islamic knowledge. Today, anyone with an internet connection can listen to lectures, read Islamic articles, watch Qur’anic reflections, or follow discussions on Islamic ethics from home. This is especially helpful for Muslims who live in remote areas, minority Muslim communities, or countries where access to Islamic institutions is limited.
Digital da’wah is also flexible. A student can listen to a short reminder between classes. A worker can watch a lecture after office hours. A traveler can learn about prayer, Qur’an, or Islamic manners while on the road. Putri Isma Indriyani and Khadiq, in “Transformation of Islamic Religious Practices in the Digital Era: Opportunities and Challenges for Contemporary Da'wah,” published in Jurnal Dakwah: Media Komunikasi dan Dakwah 24, no. 2 (2023), show that the digital era has created new opportunities for Islamic religious practices, including the way Muslims access knowledge and participate in religious life.
Social media has also made Islamic messages easier to spread. A short video about gratitude, prayer, kindness to parents, or the importance of charity can be watched by thousands or even millions of people. A simple reminder may touch someone’s heart at the right moment. Many people become more motivated to pray, read the Qur’an, attend religious classes, or improve their character because of positive online content. In this sense, technology can become a powerful tool for spreading khair, or goodness.
However, digital da’wah also has a dangerous side. The same technology that spreads knowledge can also spread confusion, provocation, and misinformation. Social media platforms often reward content that is emotional, dramatic, and controversial. Because of this, some religious content creators focus more on attracting attention, likes, comments, and followers than on presenting accurate and balanced Islamic teachings.
This is where digital da’wah becomes a double-edged sword. On one side, it helps spread Islamic knowledge widely and quickly. On the other side, it can also create division when religious messages are delivered without wisdom, knowledge, or proper manners. Muhammad Maga Sule and Lawal Abdulkareem, in “Muslim Scholars and the World of Social Media: Opportunities and Challenges,” published in Islamic Communication Journal 5, no. 2 (2020), note that social media provides major opportunities for Muslim scholars, but it also creates serious challenges in terms of authority, ethics, and public understanding.
One of the most visible problems is the rise of provocative religious content. Some people use harsh words, insults, or judgmental statements when discussing differences of opinion. Instead of guiding people with wisdom, they attack others who think differently. As a result, digital platforms sometimes become spaces of anger rather than spaces of learning. Discussions about fiqh, theology, worship, or social issues can easily turn into arguments filled with accusations and hostility.
This kind of online behavior can damage the unity of the Muslim community. Debates that begin on social media can move into real life and affect friendships, families, communities, and institutions. People may become suspicious of one another simply because they follow different scholars or prefer different religious opinions. Da’wah, which should bring people closer to Allah and to one another, may instead become a source of conflict when it is not guided by knowledge and adab.
Another serious challenge is the emergence of “instant scholars.” Since social media is open to everyone, anyone can speak about religion publicly, even without proper Islamic education or training. Some individuals gain popularity because they speak confidently, use attractive visuals, or present religious messages in a dramatic way. However, popularity does not always mean knowledge. A person may have many followers but still lack a deep understanding of the Qur’an, Hadith, fiqh, Islamic history, or the methods of the scholars.
This situation can lead to misinterpretation of Islamic teachings. Verses of the Qur’an or Hadith may be quoted without context. Complex issues may be simplified too much. Differences among scholars may be presented as if only one opinion exists. In some cases, religious content may even promote intolerance, arrogance, or hatred, even though Islam teaches mercy, justice, balance, and wisdom.
The misuse of digital technology is not only a religious problem but also an ethical problem. José Taçain, in “The Threat of Ethical and Moral Changes Due to the Misuse of Digital Technology in Contemporary Society,” published in The Journal of Academic Science 3, no. 1 (2026), discusses how the misuse of digital technology can affect moral and ethical behavior in modern life. In the context of da’wah, this reminds us that technology is never neutral in practice. It depends on how people use it, what values guide them, and what intentions they carry.
For this reason, Muslims need the principle of tabayyun, or verification, more than ever. Allah says in the Qur’an:
يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِنْ جَاۤءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌۢ بِنَبَاٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوْٓا اَنْ تُصِيْبُوْا قَوْمًاۢ بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوْا عَلٰى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نٰدِمِيْنَ
“O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful” (Al-Qur’an, Surah al-Hujurat 49:6, translated by Sahih International).
This verse is deeply relevant to the digital age. Before accepting or sharing religious content, Muslims should ask: Who is the source? Is the information accurate? Is the speaker qualified? Is the message taken from a reliable reference? Could this content harm others if shared without checking? Tabayyun teaches Muslims to be careful, responsible, and honest in dealing with information.
Besides verification, Muslims also need adab when engaging in digital da’wah. Islamic preaching should not be delivered with arrogance, mockery, or hatred. It should be delivered with wisdom, kindness, and respect. Allah commands:
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is rightly guided” (Al-Qur’an, Surah al-Nahl 16:125, translated by Sahih International).
This verse gives an ethical foundation for da’wah, including da’wah on social media. The goal of da’wah is not to win arguments, humiliate others, or collect followers. The goal is to invite people to truth, goodness, and closeness to Allah. Therefore, the method must also reflect Islamic values.
In the end, digital technology has transformed da’wah in both promising and challenging ways. It has made Islamic knowledge more accessible, flexible, and widespread. It has helped many Muslims learn, reflect, and improve themselves. But it has also opened the door to misinformation, provocation, shallow religious authority, and online conflict.
Technology itself is only a tool. It can spread light, but it can also spread confusion. It can become a path of knowledge, but it can also become a source of fitna. What matters is how Muslims use it. With tabayyun, wisdom, adab, and respect for qualified knowledge, digital da’wah can become a positive force in modern society. It can spread peace, deepen understanding, strengthen faith, and show the beauty of Islam to the world.
By Putri Salsabila Azkya, Student of The Ulama Cadre Education Program of Grand Mosques of Istiqlal.
