Social Media as a Space for Digital Da’wah: A Study of Mawḍū’ī’s Tafsīr on Da’wah Verses in the Qur’an

Abstract

This research aims to examine social media as a digital da’wah space through the mawḍū’ī interpretation approach to da’wah verses in the Qur’an. The development of information and communication technology has changed the pattern of community interaction, including in the delivery of religious messages. Social media is an effective means of disseminating Islamic values to the wider community, without being limited by space or time. Therefore, a comprehensive study is needed on the relevance of Qur’anic verses to the use of social media as a da’wah medium in the digital era. This research employs a library-based method with a mawḍū’ī (thematic) tafsir approach. Primary data is obtained from verses of the Qur’an related to da’wah, while secondary data comes from various relevant books of tafsir, books, scientific articles, and literature. The analysis is carried out by identifying, collecting, and interpreting da’wah verses thematically to find da’wah principles that can be applied in the digital space. The results of the study show that social media aligns with the principles of da’wah taught in the Qur’an. Da’wah verses such as Q.S. An-Naḥl 16:125, Q.S. Āli ‘Imrān 3:105, Q.S. Fuṣṣilat 41:33, and Q.S. Al-Aḥzāb 33:45–46 affirm that da’wah must be carried out with wisdom, good advice, and polite dialogue. These principles are the ethical foundation for the use of social media as a means of digital da’wah. In addition to having great potential in expanding the reach of da’wah and increasing public access to religious information, social media also presents challenges in the form of spreading hoaxes, hate speech, intolerance, and irresponsible religious content. Therefore, digital da’wah needs to be done wisely by prioritising Islamic communication ethics, religious moderation, and the values of raḥmatan lil ‘alamīn. This study concludes that social media is a digital da’wah space that aligns with the spirit of the Qur’anic da’wah and can be an effective instrument for spreading Islamic messages in the digital era. Its use needs to be directed towards strengthening moderate, inclusive, and constructive Islamic values to realise harmonious, civilised community life.