THE QUR'ANIC COUNTER-NARRATIVE TO THE POST-TRUTH ERA: Q.S. AL-BAQARAH [2]:143 AND THE ETHICS OF RELIGIOUS MODERATION

Abstract

The post-truth era has shifted the notion of truth from factual correspondence to emotional resonance and collective identity, blurring the boundaries between knowledge, opinion, and propaganda. In the religious sphere, disinformation and illegitimate truth claims challenge both scholarly authority and the community’s critical verification capacity. This study explores Q.S. Al-Baqarah [2]:143 as a Qur’anic counter-narrative to post-truth logic by analyzing the conceptual meaning of ummatan wasathan and its ethical implications for religious moderation. Using a qualitative approach that integrates thematic exegesis and critical discourse analysis of the Qur’an, classical and modern tafsir, and related epistemological studies, the research reveals that ummatan wasathan represents not merely a normative middle path but an epistemic paradigm balancing rationality and morality. The verse carries a mandate of testimony (shuhud), emphasizing cognitive responsibility, verification, and epistemic justice as foundations for moderation. In today’s context, wasathiyah values function as public ethics capable of reducing polarization, correcting affective bias, and restoring trust in epistemic authority. The study contributes to Qur’anic epistemology by positioning ummatan wasathan as a framework to critique the modern truth crisis and provides a practical foundation for strengthening religious moderation, critical literacy, and ethical communication in the digital age.