The perils of internet Islam

Auwais Rafudeen

The internet is a wonderful tool for studying Islam. Click the mouse and immediately locate a Quranic verse or hadith, access various translations of the Holy Book and collections of Prophetic sayings, type a search word and find an answer to a pressing legal issue, get an Islamic perspective on the news of the day, etc. A mountain of information on Islamic law, history, politics, mysticism and other disciplines is available allowing any interested party to access first hand even the most intricate debates and discussions.

This exhilarating new vista comes at a price. Traditionally the ulamah used to mediate Islamic knowledge to the public. The very existence of the internet means that large numbers of Muslims can bypass such mediation to access this knowledge directly. But while direct access may be more convenient, the absence of mediation causes its own problems. In mediating knowledge the ulama also exercise a protective function in ensuring that what is imparted is correct and appropriate to the person's circumstances and needs. The absence of mediation means the absence of protection. Without such protection there exists the possibility of brutal exposure to the many perils of internet Islam.

The first issue that can be listed in this regard is the problem of verification. Like other legal systems, Islamic law expects claims to be backed up with solid evidence. In particular, claims that challenge an established, accepted state of affairs need to be thoroughly scrutinized and verified rather than being taken as a fact, no matter how well it appears to state its case. For example, if a particular restaurant has been declared halal by a recognized authority, a claim disputing this cannot be accepted merely on the basis of e-mail messages, no matter how compelling the reasons given. If needs must, the relevant authorities can be contacted to comment on the reasons. But the e-mails themselves holds no water. The problem is compounded when, as often happens in the office culture of Muslims, the e-mails are forwarded! The internet, of course, is a minefield of claims and counter-claims, evidence and counter evidence. Also, it is often not an issue of a valid claim versus an invalid one, but two valid claims in disagreement with one another. To navigate this minefield, to assess the validity of claims, to sift disruptive disagreements from enriching ones, the role of the ulama will always be crucial.

The prevalence of e-mail forwarding brings to the fore another issue plaguing electronic Islam- hoaxes and homilies. Hoaxes are chain e-mails that demand one sends them to other users so as to obtain reward and avert calamity. Such e-mails have of course no basis in Islam and are easy to deal with: simply class them as junk mail. Homilies are a tougher proposition. Such e-mails encourage you to read a Name of Allah, or salawat, a particular number of times in order to obtain some good or some relief from distress. Now while reciting such litanies are good in themselves and do bring benefits the preponderance of these e-mails tend to promote an image of Islam as a religion focussed on formulas for obtaining worldly gain and averting worldly disaster. Its other more important dimensions are ignored- a religion which incorporates these litanies as part of a demanding spirituality whose only goal is to increase awareness of Allah and a religion which prizes the study of Islamic knowledge above formulaic recitations. The litanies to be recited must be a presented as a gateway to this demanding spirituality and knowledge activity, not as a substitute for them. In any case, litanies are to be normally given by a qualified spiritual guide. The internet is not the ideal place to be posting these things.

Another peril of internet Islam is representivity. By the nature of things, groups who only have marginal voices in the Muslim community will make special efforts to make their voices heard on this medium and as a result will appear larger than they really are. A study has noted the preponderance of Salafi sites on the Web despite the fact that the the considerable majority of Sunni scholars and the Muslim public in general follow one of the four schools of law and either the Ashari or Maturidi schools of theology. Ignorance of these ideological differences mean that an unaware reader could regard some irregular or even deviant opinions as orthodox or acceptable simply because of the sheer preponderance of websites espousing the position. These websites will of course not advertise the fact that they are Salafi but portray themselves as 'Islamic'. They will justify their positions with frequent quotes from the Quran and hadith fooling the credulous who are unaware of the sophistication of Islamic law and the ideological currents within Islam.

There are other issues as well. Fatwas are given in a context and take account of the situation and needs of the questioner. Soliciting a one size fits all fatwa from the internet, even from a reliable source, can be problematic, particularly if the ulama of a specific region have given an alternative view given the real life context in which they operate. Another issue is how to deal with the plethora of anti-Islamic material on the internet. Ordinary Muslims may feel a strong need to fight these criticisms tooth and nail which is all well and good. But the best course of action might simply be to ignore such sites, focus on improving one’s own knowledge of Islam, and let the ulamah pick and choose the fights they feel will be consequential for Muslim well-being.

Imam Malik (RA) has cautioned us to be careful as to who we take our religion from. The internet's general anonymity forces us to take extra heed of this advice. In this we need the assistance of the ulamah who will always be crucial in separating the wheat from the chaff. A layperson who seriously relies on the internet for his or her Islamic knowledge and information needs to be in close contact with the ulamah so as to ensure not falling prey to the internet's religious dangers. In this sense the internet enhances rather than diminishes the traditional role of the ulamah. Once solidly grounded, the user can access the wonderful potential of internet Islam in an intellectually and spiritually enriching manner.