The development of digital technology has transformed nearly every\naspect of human life. The ways people communicate, obtain information,\nlearn, work, trade, and build social relationships have changed very\nrapidly. Information that once took days to travel from one place to\nanother can now spread to thousands or even millions of people within\nseconds.<\/p>\n
Social media, search engines, artificial intelligence, and various\ndigital platforms have become part of daily life. This progress\ncertainly brings many benefits. Islamic outreach can reach a wider\naudience, knowledge is more easily accessible, communication is faster,\nand various tasks can be completed more efficiently.<\/p>\n
However, technological development also brings new challenges to\nhuman moral life. The speed of information dissemination is not always\naccompanied by careful verification. Freedom of communication is not\nalways accompanied by responsibility. The ease of creating and sharing\ncontent can also open space for slander, insults, lies, and various\nother forms of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
Therefore, people in the digital era do not merely need technological\nskills. They need moral character to control technology so that it\nremains within the bounds of goodness. From an Islamic perspective, one\nof the important foundations for such control is ihsan.<\/p>\n
Quranic verse Al-Ahzab 21 places the Prophet Muhammad as uswah\nhasanah, a good example. The Prophet\u2019s example is not limited to matters\nof worship, but encompasses the way he spoke, treated others, faced\ndifferences, upheld trust, and exercised self-control in various\ncircumstances.<\/p>\n
Changing times do not eliminate the human need for these values.\nTechnology may change, but honesty, responsibility, courtesy,\ncompassion, and self-control remain human necessities.<\/p>\n
The space of human life has also expanded. In addition to physical\nspace, there is now a digital space that brings people together without\ngeographical boundaries. Words that were once heard by only a few people\ncan now become public consumption. A comment can be read by thousands. A\nvideo can spread far beyond the intention of its creator. A momentary\nmistake can leave a digital trace for a long time.<\/p>\n
In such a situation, ihsan holds a very important position.<\/p>\n
When Gabriel asked the Prophet Muhammad about ihsan, he replied: \u201cYou\nworship Allah as if you see Him. If you do not see Him, then indeed He\nsees you.\u201d (Narrated by Muslim).<\/p>\n
Ihsan gives rise to the awareness that human life is never outside\nthe supervision of Allah. This awareness applies not only when a person\nis in a mosque or among the public. It also applies when a person is\nalone in front of a mobile phone screen.<\/p>\n
In the digital space, a person can hide their identity, delete\ncomments, use anonymous accounts, or communicate privately. However, not\na single activity is hidden from Allah\u2019s knowledge. This awareness can\nserve as an internal control when there is no human oversight.<\/p>\n
With ihsan, a person will be more careful in receiving and spreading\ninformation. They will not easily forward news whose truth is unclear.\nThey guard their tongue when writing comments. They do not use social\nmedia as a place to expose the faults of others. They also consider the\nimpact before creating and sharing content.<\/p>\n
The Prophet\u2019s character thus has increasingly strong relevance in the\ndigital era. Honesty is needed when information is so easily\nmanipulated. Guarding one\u2019s tongue is needed when everyone has a\nplatform to speak to the public. Concealing others\u2019 faults is needed\nwhen a person\u2019s private life can easily become public consumption.\nCompassion is needed when differences of opinion can easily turn into\nhostility.<\/p>\n
Technology is essentially only a tool. It can become a path to\ngoodness when used with faith and responsibility, but it can also become\na means of wrongdoing when detached from moral character. Artificial\nintelligence can assist education and Islamic outreach, social media can\nexpand fellowship, and various digital platforms can serve as means of\nspreading knowledge. All of this depends on the values that guide their\nuse.<\/p>\n
The spirit of KH Ahmad Dahlan teaches that religion does not stop at\nknowledge, but must be manifested in action. This principle is highly\nrelevant in digital life. A person\u2019s religiosity is also reflected in\nhow they use their mobile phone, how they speak on social media, how\nthey treat people with different views, and how they behave when no one\nis watching.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, what people need in the digital era is not a return to\nthe past, but rather bringing the Prophet\u2019s character into the\nfuture.<\/p>\n
The more advanced the technology, the greater the need for\nself-control. The wider the digital space, the more important moral\nawareness becomes. And the easier it is for people to hide behind\nscreens, the stronger the need for ihsan.<\/p>\n
For true character is not only when a person is seen by other people,\nbut when they still choose goodness.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/what-everyone-needs-in-the-digital-era-1787755973", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }