Conceptual mapping of the background and research problem in Islamic education during the digital and post-truth era

Abstract

The rapid development of digital technology has fundamentally transformed the ecology of knowledge, communication, and education. Alongside these technological advances, the emergence of the post-truth phenomenon has challenged the credibility of knowledge by privileging emotions, personal beliefs, and algorithmic popularity over evidence-based reasoning. These transformations have created significant implications for Islamic education, particularly regarding epistemic authority, pedagogical practice, and the construction of religious discourse. Although numerous studies have discussed digital transformation in Islamic education, limited attention has been given to mapping the conceptual background and research problems underlying this phenomenon. This study aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual mapping that explains the relationship between the digital era, post-truth dynamics, epistemological disruption, and the reconstruction of Islamic education. This research employed a qualitative-descriptive approach using literature-based conceptual analysis. Data were collected from classical Islamic scholarship, peer-reviewed journal articles, and recent theoretical literature concerning digital literacy, educational philosophy, communication studies, and Islamic epistemology. The analysis was conducted through three stages: conceptual reduction, thematic categorization, and theoretical synthesis. The findings indicate that Islamic education currently experiences three interconnected crises: epistemic fragmentation, pedagogical disruption, and narrative polarization. These crises collectively weaken the authority of knowledge and the ethical function of education. To address these challenges, this study proposes the Mediating Narratives Framework, consisting of epistemic mediation, pedagogical mediation, and narrative mediation as an integrated conceptual model for reconstructing Islamic education in the digital and post-truth era. The framework bridges Islamic intellectual traditions with contemporary digital literacy and ethical communication, enabling Islamic education to restore truth, critical spirituality, and social cohesion.