FROM TOLERANCE TO DIGITAL SECTARIANISM: THE EVOLUTION OF ISLAMIC LEGAL TRADITION AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Abstract

This research focuses on the theme of tolerance for the diversity of religious views in the Islamic academic tradition. It explores this theme by juxtaposing the tolerance of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), their successors, and the classical jurists with the insularity and impatience of modern sectarian scholars. It also examines the idea that our forebears upheld intellectual reverence and fostered coexistence despite theological differences. The study further explores the major factors that promote and fuel sectarian conflicts, including political motives, polemical writings, colonizers' pernicious designs, and the negative impact of rampant social media. This study argues that to curb sectarian rivalries, Muslims need to revive their old inclusive intellectual tradition by creating an atmosphere of respectful dialogue, cultivating intellectual humility, focusing on commonalities, and making Adab al-Ikhtilaf a compulsory subject in madrassah and university syllabi.