Qur’anic Perspective on the Right to Be Forgotten: A Conceptual Reappraisal of al-Nisyān, al-ʿAfw, and Identity Reconstruction

The “right to be forgotten” is an emerging concept in the field of digital rights, referring to the possibility of removing or restricting access to individuals’ past information within public and technological environments. Despite its contemporary origin, this concept can be reinterpreted within the theological and epistemological framework of Islam. The present article aims to elucidate the Qur’anic foundations of this right by analyzing three key concepts in the Qur’an, al-nisyān (forgetfulness), al-ʿafw (forgiveness), and identity reconstruction, and by examining their theoretical potential for the reconstitution of personal identity within society. The study also draws upon Shia traditions and supplicatory texts to explore the concept of satr al-ʿuyūb (concealment of faults) as a complementary dimension of this right. The role of this concept in safeguarding human dignity and preventing the reproduction of damaged identities is critically assessed. The findings indicate that, from the perspective of the Qur’an and Hadith, the possibility of forgetting a person’s sinful past, conditional upon repentance, is not only legitimate but essential for the preservation of human dignity and the individual’s reintegration into social life. Accordingly, it is possible to construct a defensible, indigenous Islamic theoretical model of the right to be forgotten that remains ethically and theologically grounded while simultaneously responding to the transformations of the contemporary digital sphere.

Keywords:

the Qur’an , Right to be forgotten , al-nisyān , satr al-ʿuyūb , al-ʿafw , identity reconstruction , Human dignity