Hermeneutics of hadith in the digital era: Challenges and applications of the double movement method in understanding the intent of isbal hadith amid the era of disinformation

Abstract

The development of digital media has significantly changed the way hadiths are produced, circulated, and understood by Muslim communities. Hadiths circulating on social media are often presented in a concise manner, taken out of their historical context, and understood literally, making them susceptible to misinformation and manipulation of meaning. This condition points to an epistemological crisis in hadith literacy, where the authority of understanding has shifted from scientific methodology to the logic of virality and algorithms. This article aims to analyze the problem of understanding hadith in the era of digital disinformation and to offer Fazlur Rahman's hermeneutics of hadith with the Double Movement method as an alternative approach. This study uses a qualitative method through literature study with descriptive-analytical analysis techniques. The results show that the Double Movement method, through the analysis of the historical context of hadith and the contextualization of its universal moral values, is able to prevent ahistorical literal readings and restore hadith to its ethical and transformative functions. The case study of the hadith on isbal shows that the main problem does not lie in the text of the hadith, but rather in the failure to understand its normative intent. Thus, the Double Movement method is relevant and applicable for building a contextual, critical, and responsive understanding of hadith in the face of the challenges of digital society.