Tabayyun and Qurʾānic Digital Ethics against Misinformation and Hate Speech in Pakistan

Abstract

This paper discusses how the Qurʾānic principles of tabayyun (responsible verification) can be formulated as a digital ethics framework to address fake news and hate speech in the Pakistani online community. The research will (i) develop an informative Qurʾānic conceptual model of information ethics, (ii) evaluate how prevalent trends of online misinformation and hate speech contravene Qurʾānic norms of communication, and (iii) present ethically relevant suggestions to individuals, religious leadership, and policy makers. The article methodologically uses a thematic Qurʾānic analysis of verses on verification, truthful speech, slander, suspicion and social harmony, with a qualitative content analysis of a few cases of publicly available misinformation and hate speech, originating in Pakistan. The results suggest that the Qurʾān encodes information as a moral trust with a sense of responsibility, forbids reputational damage and identity-based contempt, and requires verification, particularly when a person is most likely to harm others. The research wraps up by recommending a workable “tabayyun protocol” for digital sharing and defining institutional actions to media literacy, khutbah discourse and responsible regulation.