RELIGIOUS MODERATION IN THE DIGITAL ERA: AN ISLAMIC LEGAL PERSPECTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTION

Abstract

The digital era has significantly transformed communication patterns, with social media becoming a central medium for religious expression, which in turn presents opportunities as well as challenges such as intolerance, radical narratives, and hate speech. This study aims to analyze religious moderation in the digital era from an Islamic legal perspective (fiqh) as a normative framework for guiding ethical interaction in online spaces. Using a qualitative method with a normative-literature approach, the research examines classical and contemporary fiqh principles to explore their relevance in digital contexts. The findings show that the principles of moderation (al-wasatiyyah), noble character (akhlaq al-karimah), and the objectives of Shariah (maqasid al-shariah) are crucial in directing Muslim behavior on social media, particularly in preventing harm, promoting benefit, and encouraging respectful dialogue. The discussion emphasizes that Islamic law not only offers a moral but also a legal foundation for applying religious moderation in digital society, thereby fostering tolerance, responsibility, and harmony in online interactions. This study concludes that the integration of fiqh-based religious moderation into digital practices is an effective approach to sustaining peaceful coexistence in the virtual world.