Discussion forums were among the earliest electronic spaces for Muslim communication. Since then, the Islamic presence on the internet has expanded to include religious texts, interpretation, counselling, education, news, and community discussion. Although extremist websites and content also exist, they represent only one part of a much broader and largely mainstream online Islamic presence. Digital platforms have even adapted traditional social and religious practices, such as Muslim matchmaking for marriage and the online observation and discussion of the hajj.

These developments have contributed to the idea of a “virtual ummah,” in which Muslims can communicate across geographical boundaries. However, the internet does not eliminate differences within Islam. Distinctions between elite and popular religious practices and between conservative and liberal interpretations remain significant. The internet may therefore strengthen connections among Muslims while also making internal diversity more visible. A cohesive virtual Islamic community is consequently possible only under social and religious circumstances that allow these differences to coexist.

Read the full text by Thorsten Koch, MA, PgDip here:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334762310_Muslims_on_the_Internet_The_UK_Example_-_The_Islamic_Ummah_from_Egroups_to_Electronic_Pilgrimage_T_Koch_2019