AN ASSESSMENT OF ABUSE OF DACWAH ACTIVITIES ON SELECTED FACEBOOK PAGES AND ITS EFFECTS AMONG YORUBA MUSLIMS

Abstract

The advancement of the Internet has led to the emergence of Social media networks such as Twitter, Instagram, 
Facebook, YouTube, Whatsapp, TikTok, Zoom, Telegram, etc with a variety of functions that provide space for 
Dacwah activities. The invention of Facebook pages for Dacwah activities became expedient as Muslim scholars 
take advantage of the platform to spread the teachings of Islam to their followers. However, the abuse of the 
Facebook space in the guise of Dacwah activities has risen to its peak by some pseudo-scholars, who have usurped 
the platform and spread wrong teachings about Islam. Thus, this paper assesses the abuse of Dacwah activities on 
selected Facebook pages and its implications on the Muslim Ummah. Descriptive and analytical methods have been 
employed in carrying out this research. The descriptive method has assisted in describing the manners of abuse of 
Dacwah activities on selected Facebook pages, while the analytical method is used in analyzing the implications of 
the abuse of Dacwah activities in the selected Facebook pages on the Muslim Ummah. The paper reveals that 
Facebook pages are efficient and effective means of disseminating Islamic messages because of their easy 
accessibility as well as smooth and quick connection to followers. It also reveals that despite the significant impacts 
of Facebook on the spread of information about Islamic teachings to the followers of the creators of the pages, the 
abuse of pages by some of the handlers is undermining the progress of Islamic propagation in contemporary society. 
The paper concludes that the utilization of individual freedom without considering others is the main cause of the 
abuse on Facebook pages. Therefore, the paper recommends the application of Islamic Ethical Values as Alternative 
Dispute Resolution (ADR) in ameliorating if not eradicating enmity among them.