DIVORCE AMONG MUSLIMS IN THE DIGITAL AGE: SOCIAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS IN MALAYSIA

الملخص

Technology that accelerates and broadens the flow of knowledge across the economy and society is what defines the digital era. In the digital age, it has become more typical for parties to use multiple electronic devices, including computers, iPads, and "discoverable" material. Statistics show that more people than ever are using digital devices and media.  People readily share their most intimate details and emotional posts about them on the internet. This could be particularly instructive in cases where one party to a family law dispute is not happy with their spouse. The issue is when a lot of information is shared around the world about one’s private matters that it contributes to the increase in the divorce rate. This research is in the form of a qualitative study that employs the content analysis method. The analytical study is conducted by collecting materials from primary and secondary sources which are obtained by using library research. The primary material for this study are legislation such as the Selangor State Islamic Family Law Enactment 2003 and data gathered by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia. The secondary material are books, journals, thesis, articles and the others. The findings of this research show that the influence of social media such WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and other digital platforms are factors that have led to the disruption of the family unit and have contributed to the increase in the dissolution of marriage in the current digital era. Accordingly, there is also a lack of laws that specifically regulate issues relating to online divorce.