Fundamental elements in sustaining inter-religious harmonious relations under Islamic perspectives in the age of new media
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Inter-religious harmony is crucial in maintaining peaceful co-existence and national stability of a multiracial and multi-religious society. The existence of minor racial or religious tension in the society can escalate to a crisis and jeopardise inter-religious relations in this age of new media. The failure to preserve religious harmony may expose the society to conflict and chaos. Thus, this article aims to discuss and elaborate the fundamental elements in sustaining harmony among multi-religious society from Islamic perspective in the age of new media.
Methodology: This research employs the qualitative research design. The research method used is content analysis, and the library data that comprises the physical and online books and articles on topics related to religious harmony and new media, was collected from the years 2010 until 2021. Using deductive reasoning, the challenges of new media in the area were identified and solutions proposed.
Findings: The findings indicated that the challenges of interreligious harmony in the age of new media are the rapid spread of atheism, religious pluralism, misperception of a religion due to its intra-faith issues, mistaken identity of a religionist versus racist, misunderstanding of ‘izzah as arrogance and misrepresentation of Islam. These challenges can be reduced by applying the fundamental elements to sustain interreligious harmony in Islamic perspective, namely ta`āruf (knowing each other), tafāhum (mutual understanding), ta`āwun (mutual cooperation), takāful (mutual protection), tasāmuḥ (mutual tolerant) and acceptance. Besides, Muslim educators or murabbiyun have to be the prosumers of the new media to continuously teach Islam, and instil iman and adab among fellow Muslims.
Contributions: This article contributes to the foundation of peaceful co-existence in a multi-religious context because the fundamental elements discussed form the basis of fiqh al-ta’ayush or the understanding of co-existence, especially in the age of new media.
Keywords: Basis of religious harmony, inter-religious relation in Islam, fiqh al-ta’amul, fiqh al-ta’ayush, religions in the age of new media.
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