Covid-19 and Intra-Muslim Polemics: Cyber Islamic Environments and YouTube Contestations for Religious Piety in Pakistan

Abstract

Although an increasing number of academic works emphasizing upon different sectarian persuasions and multifarious manifestations of Islam has been produced however, few, if any, has brought into account Ulema’s journey of technophobic to techno-prone, and how internet, especially YouTube durus are being used as a sacred site for religious proselytization during Covid-19 in Pakistan. Prior to innovations in communicational tools (cassettes, CD’s, video recordings, graphics, and social applications) and Islamicity of the technology (television and Cyberspace) for religious purposes; durus were unreceptive in nature. Recently, things have changed dramatically which turned the passive nature of durus into energetic and interactive sessions. Utilization of technological tools for religious purposes in the Indian subcontinent started in late 1920’s when an attempt was made to install loudspeakers at mosques for azan purposes. Things had never been techno-friendly among religious circles in past. South Asian Ulema used to demonise technological devices such as electronically amplified sound of loudspeaker as sawt-ul shaytan, Television as umul fitnah and Internet as a tool of fahashi to tarnish the moral and ethical structures of Muslim Ummah. However, on the eve of 21st century, considering the ‘techno-prone’ engagement of Muslim Millennial (born between 1981-1996) along with the interactive nature and ‘multifarious transformative potentials’ of the internet; Ulema reviewed century’s old technophobic attitude and re-envisaged technology as a medium to disseminate Islam’s message transnationally. Quite interestingly, in a short span of two decade, Ulema transcended centuries old traditional methods of education by establishing electronic media houses, dozens of TV Channels and started active usage of over social media applications specially YouTube for Dawa purposes. Ulema found YouTubing an autonomous source which not only provides them a medium to reach their acolytes and influence their worldview but also empowers them to dexterously avoid state’s censorship over religious groups throughout the country. Keeping in view the mounting utility of internet especially YouTube for dawa purposes, this study is an attempt to investigate how religious clerics utilized YouTube and what kind of interpretations and intra-Muslim politically competing theologies emerged over Covid-19 during the first wave of pandemic in Pakistan. Moreover, how Ulema’s interpretations over disease influenced the religiosity/religious responses towards social distancing and how religious clerics used YouTube durus as a resource to belittle western civilization, modern medical science, and opposite Islamic sects. Last but not the least this study will try to explain that how Ulema delineated their sectarian interpretations related to pandemic as ‘sahih’ Islam to gain more religio-political and financial support during the first wave of pandemic in Pakistan.