Social Media as Mirror and Mediator: Analysing Intra-Faith Dynamics among Youth in Peshawar, Pakistan within an Islamic Framework

Abstract

The paper investigates social media functions as both a reflective medium and a modifying intermediary for Muslim youth interfaith interactions in Peshawar, Pakistan, by studying Islamic moral principles and digital religious traditions. The investigation centers on how online platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, convey faith interpretations while navigating sectarian divides to shape digital religious identities among the urban Pakistani population. This analysis explores Islamic principles of adab al-ikhtilaf (etiquette of disagreement), ijtihād (independent reasoning), and ummah (community) to examine how social media both facilitates Islamic pluralism and exacerbates inter-Muslim polarities through algorithmic promotion, alongside symbolic separation practices and doctrinal conflicts. Digital spaces show opposing trends by allowing religious devotion and inter-sectarian unity to coexist with fragmented ideologies and practices of takfīr and performative religious acts. Internet platforms demonstrate their ability to transform doctrinal contests while reshaping religious leadership structures through dual operation systems. The study applies digital Islam theory and mediated sectarianism to explore knowledge shifts and faith-based ethics in youth interfaith communication within South Asia’s digital public spheres.

Keywords: Social Media, Intra-Faith Dynamics, Islamic Ethics, Youth, Digital Religion, Sectarianism, Digital Islam, Pakistan, Adab al-Ikhtilaf, Online Piety