OFFSTONE | JUNE 2026 EDITION

35 The opportunities and challenges of communicating faith in a digital way Digital technology provides a unique advantage in an age of Islamophobes; it can disseminate true Islamic knowledge at unprecedented speed, reach and depth. For example, someone in a remote village can listen to an online class from reputed academics based in a different country. Just a smartphone provides them access to Quran recitation, tafsir classes & educational podcasts aimed at young Muslims. This availability is making religious learning more accessible and helping many to solidify their knowledge of Islam, no matter where they live. Digital platforms have also fostered interfaith dialogue, which has enabled Muslims to explain Islamic teachings in a respectful and profound manner to wider audiences. According to recent studies, digital media is one important route for how spiritual ties might be formed and examined in contemporary Muslim societies. On the contrary, there is greater access to information and, thus, greater accountability. Since social media empowers anyone to voice their views on religion, the standard of knowledge one can possess is effectively moot. However, confusing interpretations appear to travel even faster than the complete fallacy of a hadith or religious advice on social media. One such Islamic concept is the need to verify information before believing in it and disseminating it. Islam also told us that we should check the information before believing in it or spreading it. In the Qur'an, Allah says: "O you who have believed! If a wrongdoer comes to you with information, verify it ( Surah Al-Hujurat, Quran 49:6 ). The Qur'an encourages believers to carefully examine and verify information before acting upon it, particularly when its source is unreliable, to prevent injustice, protect others from harm, and avoid future regret. Perhaps that is why tabayyun , the act of verifying information, should be more important than ever within a context where disinformation can travel faster than truth. Another one is to keep a good character when everything is online. Digital platforms reward immediacy, outrage and anonymity. This makes it especially easy to forget that every comment represents something about who we are as people and which religion we belong to. Muslims are told to speak in a good manner, not to mock or ridicule others and to maintain respectful discourse even when there is disagreement. For example, the Qur'an says "speak to people kindly" ( Surah Al-Baqarah, Qur'an 2:83 ) as a reminder that respectful speech is one of the principles of worship for Muslims. Thus, successful digital da'wah cannot be evaluated on the basis of numbers (shoutouts and views) but rather based on the quality of integrity, humility, and compassion in online interactions.