Literasi Digital Islam dan Kemampuan Verifikasi Informasi Keagamaan pada Pengguna WhatsApp Group Komunitas Hijrah

Abstract

The expansion of digital media has transformed the distribution and consumption of religious information among urban Muslim communities, particularly through hijrah community WhatsApp Groups. The high intensity of religious message exchanges is not always accompanied by adequate information verification skills, increasing the risk of spreading unverified religious narratives. This study aims to analyze the relationship between Islamic digital literacy and the ability to verify religious information among users of hijrah community WhatsApp Groups. The research employs a descriptive qualitative approach using digital observation, documentation studies, and communication interaction analysis within several active hijrah WhatsApp Groups in Indonesia. The analysis applies digital literacy, media literacy, and digital religious communication approaches to identify patterns of receiving, disseminating, and validating religious messages. The findings indicate that the level of Islamic digital literacy significantly affects users’ ability to identify source credibility, conduct digital tabayyun, and verify religious arguments and authorities before redistributing information. Weak verification practices are influenced by emotional community ties, the symbolic authority of group administrators, and trust-based communication patterns. This study contributes to legal and digital religious communication studies by emphasizing the importance of Islamic digital literacy as an instrument for strengthening ethical religious information distribution within contemporary Muslim digital spaces.