The perception of Muslim users on reliability of Islamic websites
The Internet offers a new medium for Muslims to conduct da’wah (preaching) and it is a direct channel to obtain Islamic knowledge anywhere at any time. However, online content can be questionable unless there is a certain level of commitment to the recommendations stated in the literature. Similar...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kaerntner Botanikzentrum, Klagenfurt, Austria
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/40404/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/40404/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/40404/1/Rashid%2C_Murni%2C_AOMT_Wufliana_Journal_21_14_2014.pdf |
| Summary: | The Internet offers a new medium for Muslims to conduct da’wah (preaching) and it is a direct channel
to obtain Islamic knowledge anywhere at any time. However, online content can be questionable
unless there is a certain level of commitment to the recommendations stated in the literature. Similarly,
Islamic websites should be reliable to Muslim users as a major source of Islamic knowledge. This
paper reports the findings of a study conducted to measure Muslim users’ perceptions on the reliability
of Islamic websites. Around 50 participants answered online open-ended questions, although only 40
returns were considered. Content analysis was used to analyze the data and revealed that the reliability
of Islamic websites must be represented in the content, endorsement, interface, and references. In
addition, respondents recommended for utilizing IT technology to ensure the reliability of Islamic
websites and to make cross-cultural Islamic websites which reflect the various cultures of Muslims
from different races and nations, as well as to deliver the message to non-Muslims in various
languages. Respondents emphasized on the neutrality of the website when discussing the perceptions
of madhahāb, the availability of endorsement from well-known scholars or Islamic organizations, and
the agility and accessibility of user interface. They considered that citing appropriate references will
enhance the reliability of the content. Since, Muslims are distributed around the world and they come
from different nations and cultures, having multi-language option for the websites is considered as a
good sign of reliability. Participants suggested an application or system that could evaluate and
produce reports on the reliability of Islamic websites.
Keywords: Islamic website, reliability, user perception
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