MORAL BOUNDARIES OF HUMOR IN DIGITAL DA‘WAH: AN ETHICAL ANALYSIS BASED ON MAQASID AL-SHARI‘AH
Abstract
Contemporary Islamic Da’wah faces a complex ethical dilemma due to mediatization pressures demanding entertainment (engagement) while simultaneously maintaining moral integrity. This research aims to examine the ethical limits of humor (mazhaka) and mockery (istihza’) in Da’wah through the lens of Moral Philosophy. The method employed is qualitative normative-philosophical analysis, examining ethical imperatives based on Maqasid al-Syari’ah and Imam Al-Ghazali’s Tazkiyah al-Nafs theory. The findings confirm that Istihza’ (mockery) based on the principle of Superiority, such as disparaging social status or profession, constitutes a direct violation of Hifz al-’Irdh (protection of dignity), which is categorized as dharuriyyah (primary necessity) in Shari’ah. Philosophically, Istihza’ is a manifestation of the failure of riyadhah al-nafs (spiritual discipline) and contradicts the principle of Tawhid and the ethics of Ihsan which demand humility (tawadhu’) and the application of the Golden Rule of Ethical Reciprocity. Controversial cases in Indonesia serve as empirical evidence that the risk of collective harm (mafsadah), amplified by digital viral dynamics, outweighs the purported benefit of entertainment. Therefore, digital Da’i are mandated to implement Predictive Ethical Consequence Analysis to maintain authentic moral authority.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29300/iz.v2i2.8434
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