TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS AND THE PRESERVATION OF SEERAH: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

The Seerah, the biography of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), holds immense significance for Muslims worldwide, serving as a vital source of spiritual and historical knowledge. In the digital age, technological tools have introduced new opportunities for preserving and disseminating the Seerah, ensuring its accessibility to a global audience. This paper explores both the opportunities and challenges associated with using technology to safeguard and share the Seerah. Key opportunities include the digitization of ancient manuscripts, which preserves these invaluable texts while making them more widely accessible, as well as the use of multimedia presentations, which can enhance engagement through videos, animations, and interactive content. Furthermore, open-access platforms and social media allow for the Seerah to be shared globally, fostering a wider understanding of Islamic teachings across diverse cultures and regions. However, these technological advancements also present challenges. Ensuring the authenticity and reliability of digital resources is crucial, as there is a risk of misrepresentation or manipulation of the Seerah in digital formats. Copyright and intellectual property concerns further complicate the balance between protecting scholarly contributions and providing open access. Additionally, the need to preserve cultural sensitivity and context in digital formats is essential to avoid superficial interpretations or cultural appropriation. Technological limitations, such as data storage and accessibility issues, also pose challenges, particularly for under-resourced regions. This paper concludes that while technological tools offer great promise for the preservation and dissemination of the Seerah, careful attention must be paid to these challenges. Through collaboration between scholars, institutions, and technologists, and by adopting ethical and inclusive strategies, the Seerah can be preserved and shared in ways that maintain its integrity and relevance for future generations.

Keywords: Seerah, Technological tools, Digital preservation, Islamic heritage, Digitization, Open access