A Study on the Role of the Media and Its Effect on Identity of Muslims (Part 37)
Features and Principles of Media from the Quranic Perspective
The Holy Quran is the word of Allah and the divine medium that conveys Allah’s message to humanity. Therefore, the methodology of the Quran serves as the most balanced and organized model for Islamic media. The question of what principles should govern Islamic media will be addressed in several future notes, alongside the introduction of important principles and characteristics of Islamic media. Some of these principles are listed below:
1. Accuracy of News: One of the most important characteristics of an Islamic media outlet is the accuracy of its messages, information, and truthful reporting. According to the verses and narrations, a report from a single source is accepted only if the person conveying it is just, trustworthy, and reliable. Allah says about the information given by a corrupt person: “O you who have believed, if a wicked person comes to you with any news, investigate it carefully, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become regretful for what you have done.” (Al-Hujurat: 6) This verse indicates that information from a corrupt person is unreliable and does not contribute to understanding. Relying on it leads to ignorance and confusion. It should be noted that a single trustworthy report, unlike a widely accepted report, does not provide certainty but conveys a level of belief or reasonable confidence. This standard is sufficient for news reporting. Today, the practice of presenting news as widely confirmed is common, often used to spread false information as if it were accurate. Although these principles were established for the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), it should not be forgotten that receiving news without clear principles leads to many societal irregularities.
2. Right-Centric Approach: From a religious and Quranic perspective, media should present content and pursue goals centered around truth and justice. The greatest religious media, the Holy Quran, embodies this characteristic.
a. «لا یَأْتیهِ الْباطِلُ مِنْ بَیْنِ یَدَیْهِ وَ لا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنْزیلٌ مِنْ حَکیمٍ حَمید» Translation: “Falsehood cannot enter it from before it or from behind it, and it is a revelation from the Wise, Praiseworthy.” (Al-Fussilat: 42)
b. «ذلِکَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَیْکَ مِنَ اْلآیاتِ وَ الذِّکْرِ الْحَکیمِ» Translation: “These are the verses and the wise Quran that We recite to you.” (Al-Imran: 58)
In dozens of other verses, Allah uses phrases such as: «أَنّهُ الْحَقّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ» (Al-Baqarah: 26); «نَزّلَ الْکِتابَ بِالْحَقّ» (Al-Baqarah: 176); «إِنّ هذا لَهُوَ الْقَصَصُ الْحَقّ» (Al-Imran: 62); «نَتْلُوها عَلَیْکَ بِالْحَقّ» (Al-Imran: 108).
These features illustrate that the Quran’s purpose is to express and spread the truth. Based on this, it plans, propagates, preaches, announces, warns, and proclaims through all media tools and rhetorical methods to achieve this goal: «وَ أَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْکِتابَ وَ الْمیزانَ لِیَقُومَ النّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ» Translation: “And We sent with them the Book and the Balance that people may establish justice and equity.” (Al-Hadid: 25)
If religious media is “truth-oriented” in purpose and content, it should prioritize truth in its methods and tools and take steps with firmness, precision, and reasoning in news reporting and production. In this case, the media will reveal its guiding power without harm: «ذلِکَ الْکِتابُ لا رَیْبَ فیهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتّقینَ» Translation: “That is the Book, about which there is no doubt, a guidance for the righteous.” (Al-Baqarah: 2)
The Holy Quran, due to its strength, truthfulness, and reliability, lacks any weakness in providing guidance: «الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الّذی أَنْزَلَ عَلى عَبْدِهِ الْکِتابَ وَ لَمْ یَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجًا قَیِّمًا لِیُنْذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدیدًا مِنْ لَدُنْهُ وَ یُبَشِّرَ الْمُؤْمِنینَ» Translation: “Praise be to Allah who sent down the Book to His servant and has not placed any deviation in it, while it is steadfast, so that he may warn of a severe hardship from Him and give good news to the believers…” (Al-Kahf: 1-2)
If the content of the media is based on truth, no argument can withstand it; rather, it will submit to it.
If the steadfastness and firmness of the Quran depend on its “truthfulness,” then religious media in every era that follows the Quranic path must also exhibit this characteristic: «وَ قُولُوا قَوْلاً سَدیدًا» Translation: “Speak firmly.” (Al-Ahzab: 70)
The truthfulness and reasoning of religious media enable it to challenge rival and deviant media, instilling confidence and trust in “religious media” by fostering awareness of the content from all sources: «قُلْ هاتُوا بُرْهانَکُمْ هذا ذِکْرُ مَنْ مَعِیَ» Translation: “Say, ‘Bring your proof. This is the word of those who are with me.'” (An-Nabiyyah: 24) «قُلْ إِنّی عَلى بَیِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبّی» Translation: “Say, ‘I have a clear proof from my Lord.'” (Al-An’am: 57)
In this way, religious media need not rely on unreliable and unjust means. The use of incorrect propaganda methods, such as fallacies, sensationalism, creating virtual psychological spaces, distorting facts and events, and biased analyses, are signs of media that lack religious orientation.
The main problem arises when goals contrary to truth and justice are pursued, and the media is used as a means to achieve those aims—such as what is proposed today as “soft war,” where media weaken and destabilize other countries ahead of a military invasion through cultural and informational attacks. However, if the media accepts the centrality of religion, it will be shielded from this harm. The media can sometimes conceal news, direct it, exaggerate, trivialize, or hide reality within layers of reports. The Holy Quran prohibits using the media for unjust purposes in numerous verses; for example, regarding the concealment of news by the People of the Book to achieve trivial goals, it states: «وَ إِذْ أَخَذَ اللّهُ میثاقَ الّذینَ أُوتُوا الْکِتابَ لَتُبَیِّنُنّهُ لِلنّاسِ وَ لا تَکْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَراءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَ اشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلیلاً فَبِئْسَ مَا یَشْتَرُونَ» Translation: “And remember when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Book, saying, ‘You must make it known to the people and not conceal it.’ So, they threw it behind their backs and exchanged it for a small price. Evil was their bargain.” (Al-Imran: 187)
3. Knowledge and Rationality: The Islamic media is obliged to ensure that the messages and information it disseminates are grounded in rational and scientific criteria. Therefore, it must avoid conjectural messages that do not yield benefits, as Allah states: “Most of them follow nothing but conjecture. [But] conjecture does not avail [a person] in any way. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of what they do.” (Yunus: 36) He further states: “And they have no knowledge of this. They follow nothing but conjecture, and indeed conjecture does not benefit [them] in [reaching] the truth.” (An-Najm: 28) Allah also warns against entering matters with no definite knowledge or certainty, stating: “Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge; for the ear, the eye, and the heart will all be questioned.” (Isra: 36)
4. Spreading Mercy: The purpose of the Holy Quran, as a manifestation of eloquence and an enlightening medium, is to showcase Allah’s mercy and to spread it throughout existence, drawing readers toward Allah’s compassion. Other divine books also share this feature: «ثُمّ آتَیْنا مُوسَى الْکِتابَ تَمامًا عَلَى الّذی أَحْسَنَ وَ تَفْصیلاً لِكُلِّ شَیْءٍ وَ هُدًى وَ رَحْمَةً لَعَلّهُمْ بِلِقاءِ رَبِّهِمْ یُؤْمِنُونَ. وَ هذا کِتابٌ أَنْزَلْناهُ مُبارَکٌ فَاتّبِعُوهُ وَ اتّقُوا لَعَلّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ. فَقَدْ جاءَكُمْ بَیِّنَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَ هُدًى وَ رَحْمَةٌ…» Translation: “Then We gave Moses the Book (the Torah) to complete (Our favor) upon those who do good, and to clarify all matters and a means of guidance and mercy. Perhaps people will believe in the meeting with their Lord. And this (the Quran) is a blessed Book which We have revealed. So, follow it and act righteously, that you may receive mercy… Indeed, there has come from your Lord a clear proof and guidance and mercy…” (Al-An’am: 154-157)
«هذا بَصائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّکُمْ وَ هُدًى وَ رَحْمَةٌ لِقَوْمٍ یُؤْمِنُونَ» Translation: “This (the Quran) is a revelation from your Lord, a guidance and a mercy for those who believe.” (Al-A’raf: 203)
Thus, the characteristic of this divine medium is that following it leads to divine mercy. Religious media can also adopt this method as their model. Forgiveness, kindness, goodness, compassion, and tenderness, which are referred to in the Quran as “mercy,” are important principles in this divine book.
5. Simplicity and Transparency: Just as the Quran is clear and transparent, media should also embody these characteristics. The Quran itself serves as a divine medium that conveys a clear and explanatory message, and its messenger, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), employed the best methods for clarification.
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