New media in the Interpretation of the Qur’an: study of Quraish Shihab’s interpretation of Covid-19 on Youtube

Since the beginning of 2020, various parties have tried to provide answers from various perspectives, including religion, in responding to various phenomena and the impact of Covid-19. Lectures delivered by religious leaders have a considerable impact in shaping a person’s attitude in responding to Covid-19. This study examines the tendency of the content of the interpretation of Qur’anic verses by Muhammad Quraish Shihab in response to the occurrence of Covid-19. This article uses qualitative research to map and understand more deeply the interpretation of the Quran carried out by Muhammad Quraish Shihab through new media such as YouTube. The findings of this study show that there are at least three issues discussed by Muhammad Quraish Shihab in response to Covid-19, namely, the issue of prohibition of homecoming and hajj, the assumption among several Muslims that there is no need to be afraid of corona because Muslims should only fear Allah, and the issue that Covid-19 is the Army of Allah. In addition, the author found that Muhammad Quraish Shihab made efforts to carry out hermeneutic activities in the form of interpretation of the Qur’an, especially in the discussion of the Covid-19 issue.