The Impact of Social Media on the Dissemination of Doctrinal Misconceptions

Abstract

This research examines the impact of social media on the spread of doctrinal misconceptions as one of the most significant intellectual challenges facing contemporary Muslim societies in the digital age. The rapid development of communication technologies has transformed social media into an open platform for exchanging ideas, beliefs, and information, enabling both beneficial knowledge and misleading content to spread quickly. Consequently, doctrinal misconceptions have become increasingly widespread, particularly among young people who rely heavily on digital platforms for information.

The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach by reviewing primary Islamic sources, relevant scholarly literature, and previous studies. It analyzes the most common doctrinal misconceptions circulating on social media, identifies the factors contributing to their spread, examines their impact on individuals and society, and discusses appropriate methods of addressing them in light of the Qur'an, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the teachings of recognized Muslim scholars.

The findings reveal that although social media plays an important role in communication and knowledge dissemination, it also facilitates the rapid spread of misleading religious content due to the ease of publishing, the lack of content verification, weak Islamic doctrinal knowledge, limited religious awareness, reliance on unreliable sources, and the influence of foreign ideologies. These factors contribute to weakening religious certainty, creating doubts about the fundamentals of Islamic belief, and threatening the intellectual security of society.

The study concludes that confronting doctrinal misconceptions requires the combined efforts of families, educational institutions, religious organizations, and media platforms. It also emphasizes the importance of strengthening authentic Islamic education, producing reliable digital religious content, promoting critical thinking and information verification skills, and raising religious awareness among young people to preserve Islamic faith and protect society from intellectual deviation.