Catfishing as a Manifestation of Al-Khida: A Perspective from Tafsir al-Maraghi
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33511/alfanar.v9n2.102-112Keywords:
Al-Khida, catfishing, digital ethics, identity manipulation, Tafsir al-MaraghiAbstract
The rapid expansion of digital communication has transformed patterns of social interaction while creating new opportunities for identity manipulation in cyberspace. One of the increasingly prevalent phenomena is catfishing, the use of fictitious online identities to deceive others for emotional, social, or personal gain. Despite extensive discussions on the psychological and social consequences of catfishing, its ethical and theological dimensions remain underexplored within Quranic studies. This article aims to examine the concept of al-khida’ in the Quran through the perspective of Tafsir al-Maraghi by Aḥmad Mustafa al-Maraghi and to analyze its relevance to contemporary catfishing practices. The article employs a qualitative approach using content analysis. Primary data consist of Quranic verses related to al-khida’ and their interpretations in Tafsir al-Maraghi, while secondary sources include scholarly literature on Quranic exegesis, Islamic ethics, and digital communication. Data were collected through documentation techniques and analyzed using descriptive-analytical content analysis within the framework of adabi ijtimai exegesis. The findings reveal that al-khida’ represents a process of self-deception and manipulation characterized by the loss of moral self-awareness, tazyin (self-adornment), and the construction of false security. These characteristics correspond closely to the fabrication of virtual identities and misleading self-representation in catfishing. The study contributes a Quranic ethical framework for understanding digital deception and highlights the urgency of strengthening value-based digital ethics in contemporary online environments.
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