Beyond Qawlan: Reconstructing Politeness Theory for Digital Ethics from Indonesian Islamic Communication

Abstract

Although it remains the most important framework in politeness studies, the model's shortcomings can be highlighted in the way that the same type of expressions can be offensive and yet elicit national outrage yet another equally offensive expression can go unmarked, and state downfalls and resignations can result. This article aims to reconstruct politeness theory built based on qawlan concept as depicted in the Qur'ān and experienced and debated in the Islamic communication in Indonesia. It was designed in qualitative interpretive method in which a thematic reading (tafsir mawdu’i) was performed on the verses of qawlans and reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on 19 news reports and official statements from the public on the Internet between November 2024 and August 2026, and complemented by published data on a comment level. It tackles the following five cases: a preacher flogging a street vendor; the 2025 protests; suspension of TikTok LIVE; a ministry's decision on a political video; and a regulation for four hours takedown. The four evaluative criteria found were: respect of the less powerful party (as perceived by the networked bystanders), veracity of contents, direction of the forceful language and amplification of the channel. Only some of these criteria are found in accounts in which the face is covered; they are not ordered as they are in the qawlan tradition. An Accountable Dignity Model is therefore suggested, that organizes the Qur'anic ethics of speech in the following layers: epistemic, relational and consequential, all based on human dignity (karamah). It brings a layer of truth to the concept of politeness, shifts from the hearer to the networked public, and connects politeness with accountability, implications for pragmatics, religious communication and platform governance.