POTENTIAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF WAḤDAH AL-WUJŪD IN DIGITAL DISCOURSE IN MALAYSIA: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR DIGITAL CREEDAL LITERACY: POTENSI SALAH FAHAM WAḤDAH AL-WUJŪD DALAM WACANA DIGITAL DI MALAYSIA: SATU KERANGKA KONSEPTUAL LITERASI AKIDAH DIGITAL

Mohd Aiman Barudin

doi:10.64757/alqanatir.2026.3510/1523

Authors

Mohd Aiman Barudin Universiti Al-Quran Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah Pahang (UNIQSAAS)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64757/alqanatir.2026.3510/1523

Keywords:

waḥdah, digital, Islamic, Sufism, discourse

Abstract

The discourse on waḥdah al-wujūd is among the most complex issues in Sufism, as it is closely related to questions of tawḥīd, the relationship between God and creation, and the polemics of ḥulūl and ittiḥād. Previous studies have examined this issue from the perspectives of history, fatwa, turāth works, Sufi figures in the Malay world, and the epistemology of terminology. However, there remains limited discussion that connects the polemic of waḥdah al-wujūd with the challenges of digital discourse, particularly from the perspective of digital creedal literacy. Therefore, this article aims to develop a conceptual framework for evaluating the potential misunderstandings of waḥdah al-wujūd in the digital sphere through the approaches of terminological semantics, Islamic epistemology, critical theological and intra-Sufi perspectives, and the principle of tafsīl before taḥkīm. This article employs a qualitative-conceptual approach through a literature analysis of waḥdah al-wujūd, fatwa polemics, Malay Sufism, digital media, and online religious authority. This article does not empirically analyse digital discourse data. As a conceptual synthesis, it proposes a preliminary model of digital creedal literacy comprising terminological tabayyun, reference to authority, contextual understanding, the ethics of judgement, assessment of digital mafsadah, and tafsīl before taḥkīm. The conceptual synthesis suggests that potential misunderstandings of waḥdah al-wujūd in digital discourse may arise not only from differences in Sufi interpretation and fatwa discourse, but also from features of digital religious communication that can simplify, viralise, and polemicise metaphysical terminology without sufficient scholarly context. By integrating the semantics of Sufi terminology, Islamic epistemology, and digital creedal literacy, this article offers an initial analytical approach for evaluating issues of creed and Sufism in digital discourse in a more ethical, authoritative, and balanced manner.

Abstrak

Perbahasan waḥdah al-wujūd merupakan antara isu tasawuf yang kompleks kerana berkait dengan persoalan tauhid, hubungan Tuhan dengan makhluk, serta polemik ḥulūl dan ittiḥād. Kajian terdahulu telah membincangkan isu ini dari sudut sejarah, fatwa, karya turāth, tokoh sufi Alam Melayu dan epistemologi istilah. Namun, masih kurang perbincangan yang menghubungkan polemik waḥdah al-wujūd dengan cabaran wacana digital, khususnya dari sudut literasi akidah digital. Justeru, artikel ini bertujuan membina satu kerangka konseptual bagi menilai potensi salah faham terhadap waḥdah al-wujūd dalam ruang digital melalui pendekatan semantik istilah, epistemologi Islam, perspektif kritikal teologi dan intra-Sufi, serta prinsip tafsīl sebelum taḥkīm. Artikel ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif-konseptual menerusi analisis literatur berkaitan waḥdah al-wujūd, polemik fatwa, tasawuf Melayu, media digital dan autoriti agama dalam talian. Artikel ini tidak menganalisis data wacana digital secara empirikal. Sebagai hasil sintesis konseptual, artikel ini menawarkan model awal literasi akidah digital yang merangkumi tabayyun istilah, rujukan autoriti, kefahaman konteks, adab penghukuman, penilaian mafsadah digital dan tafṣīl sebelum taḥkīm. Hasil sintesis konseptual ini menunjukkan bahawa potensi salah faham terhadap waḥdah al-wujūd dalam wacana digital boleh timbul bukan hanya daripada perbezaan tafsiran sufi dan fatwa, tetapi juga daripada ciri komunikasi agama digital yang cenderung meringkaskan, memviralkan dan mempolemikkan istilah metafizik tanpa konteks ilmu yang mencukupi. Dengan menggabungkan semantik istilah sufi, epistemologi Islam dan literasi akidah digital, artikel ini mencadangkan satu pendekatan analitikal awal bagi menilai isu akidah dan tasawuf dalam wacana digital secara lebih beradab, berautoriti dan seimbang.

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Author Biography

Mohd Aiman Barudin, Universiti Al-Quran Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah Pahang (UNIQSAAS)

Pelajar Sarjana

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