Contemporary Communication and Its Ethical Challenges: An Analytical Study from an Islamic Perspective

Authors

  • Anum Afzal Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan image/svg+xml

Keywords:

Contemporary Communication, Ethics, Islamic Perspective, social media, Moral Values

Abstract

The rapid expansion of contemporary communication technologies has transformed human interaction at personal, social, and global levels. Digital media, social networking platforms, and instant communication tools have facilitated unprecedented connectivity, yet they have simultaneously generated complex ethical challenges. Issues such as misinformation, character assassination, hate speech, privacy violations, and moral degradation have become widespread in modern communication environments. This study aims to critically analyze the ethical challenges emerging from contemporary communication practices through the lens of Islamic teachings. Employing a qualitative and analytical methodology, the research examines Qur’anic principles, Prophetic traditions (Hadith), and classical Islamic ethical concepts related to speech, truthfulness, responsibility, and social harmony. The study argues that Islamic ethics offer a comprehensive moral framework capable of addressing modern communication dilemmas while promoting justice, dignity, and accountability. The findings emphasize that integrating Islamic ethical values into contemporary communication practices can significantly contribute to moral reform and responsible media usage in the digital age.

References

Al-Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 6475, Book 81, Hadith 64). https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6475

Al-Tirmidhi, M. I. (n.d.). Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 2002, Book 27, Hadith 108). https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2002

Davis, J. L. (2016). Social media. In G. Mazzoleni (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of political communication (pp. 1–8). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118541555.wbiepc004

Ecker, U. K. H., Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., Schmid, P., Fazio, L. K., Brashier, N., Kendeou, P., Vraga, E. K., & Amazeen, M. A. (2022). The psychological drivers of misinformation belief and its resistance to correction. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(1), 13–29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-021-00006-y

Ibn Abi al-Dunya, A. B. (1990). Kitab al-samt wa adab al-lisan. Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi. https://books.google.com/books?id=aVPWzwEACAAJ

Kozyreva, A., Lorenz-Spreen, P., Herzog, S. M., et al. (2024). Toolbox of individual-level interventions against online misinformation. Nature Human Behaviour, 8, 1044–1052. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01881-0

Lorenz-Spreen, P., Oswald, L., Lewandowsky, S., & Hertwig, R. (2023). A systematic review of worldwide causal and correlational evidence on digital media and democracy. Nature Human Behaviour, 7, 74–101. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01460-1

Merskin, D. L. (Ed.). (2019). The SAGE international encyclopedia of mass media and society. SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-international-encyclopedia-of-mass-media-and-society/book244632

Miltsov, A. (2022). Researching TikTok: Themes, methods, and future directions. In A. Quan-Haase & L. Sloan (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of social media research methods (2nd ed., pp. 664–676). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529782943.n46

Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. (n.d.). Sahih Muslim (Hadiths 1009, 2589, 2607a). https://sunnah.com/muslim

Popiołek, M. (2015). The role of Facebook in the process of acquiring information: Own research study. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 6(1), 75–85. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs20151.75.85

The Qur’an. (n.d.). Passages cited by chapter and verse. https://quran.com/

Roozenbeek, J., van der Linden, S., Goldberg, B., Rathje, S., & Lewandowsky, S. (2022). Psychological inoculation improves resilience against misinformation on social media. Science Advances, 8(34), eabo6254. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo6254

Shahid, S. (2018). Content analysis of WhatsApp conversations: An analytical study to evaluate the effectiveness of WhatsApp application in Karachi. International Journal of Media, Journalism and Mass Communications, 4(1), 14–26. https://doi.org/10.20431/2454-9479.0401002

UNESCO. (2023). Guidelines for the governance of digital platforms: Safeguarding freedom of expression and access to information through a multi-stakeholder approach. UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/guidelines-governance-digital-platforms

Vytiaz, A. (2018). YouTube – a new era of TV? [Bachelor’s thesis, Masaryk University]. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328874004_Youtube_-_a_new_era_of_TV

Yang, C. (2021). Research in the Instagram context: Approaches and methods. The Journal of Social Sciences Research, 7(1), 15–21. https://doi.org/10.32861/jssr.71.15.21

Published

2026-11-14

How to Cite

Afzal, A. (2026). Contemporary Communication and Its Ethical Challenges: An Analytical Study from an Islamic Perspective. Journal of Contemporary Social Issues, 2(2), 1–09. Retrieved from https://srdikr.com/jcsi/article/view/26

Issue

Section

Articles

Similar Articles

1 2 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.