سیرت کی روشنی میں ڈیجیٹل اخلاقیات : سوشل میڈیا کے دور کے لیے رہنمائی

Digital Ethics in the Light of the Seerah: A Guide for the Age of Social Media

Abstract

The advent of the digital age has revolutionized the way humans interact, communicate, and shape perceptions of each other. Today, social media platforms and digital communication tools serve as the backbone of personal relationships, social engagement, political participation, and even religious dialogue. While this transformation has provided unprecedented opportunities for communication and expression, it has also given rise to many ethical challenges. These include the rapid spread of fake news and misinformation, cyberattacks and hacking, privacy violations, character assassinations, hate speech, and the rise of global indecency. Although these problems are seemingly new and directly related to technological modernity, their ethical remedies can be found in the timeless teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). His life provides universal principles of truthfulness, accountability, respect for human dignity, protection of privacy, and the responsible use of influence. These principles, if applied to digital matters, can serve as a framework for ethics in cyberspace. Therefore, this study has two primary objectives: first, to highlight the importance of digital ethics as an urgent moral and social responsibility in the modern era; and second, to highlight how the prophetic model offers enduring guidance for the responsible use of digital technologies. By examining contemporary digital matters through prophetic wisdom, this research aims to create a framework for fostering a fair, respectful, and ethically conscious digital culture in accordance with Islamic ethical traditions.