Digital Qur’anic Exegesis: Emerging Trends and Challenges in the Age of Social Media

Abstract

Digital Qur’anic exegesis has broadened access to religious text but also emerged with some risks of misinterpretation and sectarianism. Although the conventional tafsir focuses on language, context and jurisprudential lenses, but the digital interpretations entail the emotional appeal, immediacy and accessibility. In the realm of digital spheres verses are not presented in their wider historical and textual contexts and appear as short videos on Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube. The research questions of the study were; What are the trends and platforms of digital Qur’anic exegesis as they are dominant today? What are the transformations between digital tafsir practices and classical practices of Quranic exegesis? How does the digital Quranic exegesis provide Muslims with opportunities of access and/or engagement? The research design in this study has been e qualitative research design in an attempt to understand the emerging trends and challenges of digital Qur'anic exegesis in the age of social media in particular to Pakistan. The study concludes that in reflection of these alternations, digital tafsir should be comprehended not only as disruption but as an essential aspect of the Qur’anic interpretation in cyber era. It is blessing for the marginalized groups by providing them new horizons of understanding religious knowledge.