In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
Indeed all praise is due to Allah,
we praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness, we seek refuge with Allah from
our soul’s evil and our wrong doings, he whom Allah guides, no one can
misguide, and he whom He misguides, no one can guide.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad the Messenger of Allah and his family and Companions and all who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad the Messenger of Allah and his family and Companions and all who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
Dear respective brother and sisters,
elders ulama in Islam, Assalamu’alaikum wa rahamatullah.
Mass
media as we all know is a means of public communication
in reaching a large audience, in the
past this is usually achieved through the use of town-criers and horse men to deliver
messages within and outside communities, those medium were less advanced and
thus subject to control and also less probable of truncating the limits of
Islamic jurisdictions.
Today
this means has gradually evolved into the use of facilities like the satellite
TV, telephones, billboard, social networks such as Facebook, twitter, and so
on. These social networks are today known as the social media because they
invariable support the spread of information and in the least controlled manner
also.
These
modern media tools will in most cases serve to promote the traditional
role of mass media as defined by the media practitioners which is to inform,
educate, and to persuade the people by providing them with the right
information and education on critical and trivial matters within and outside
their environments.
The
media can bring changes in behavior and attitude of the people by emphasizing
certain issues.
But today due to the lack of control and
rightful actions, these tools are used to de-propagate the religion of Islam by
showcasing anti-Islamic vices, promoting anti-Islamic ethics (westernization
and western habits as well as their approach to matters)
We
shall however outline some of its negative and positive impacts on Islam as
well as a best practice approach to utilizing its potentials positively
in-sha-Allah.
Negative effects of social and mass media
1.
promotion of indecency
Islam propagates the emulation of certain
manners by Muslims, these manners are without a reason to better the ummah in general,
and one of such is the lowering of the gaze as stipulated in the following ayah
where Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala said “Say
to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty:
that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with
all that they do” [Surah An Noor 24:30]
The rule of modesty applies to men as well as
women. A brazen stare by a man at a woman (or even at a man) is a breach of this
refined manner.
This
is a commendable virtue which today has been abridged by the social media
platforms we have. The expression of almost naked pictures of both men and
women on social media such a Facebook, Blackberry messenger, twitter as well as
all other electronic communication mediums has made it almost impossible for
the Muslim community that utilizes such tools to uphold such a noble command
from the Almighty Allah.
This
is ultimately because it is not easy refusing to enlarge the display picture of
that Aura exposed girls or guy on your social network profile.
2.
Unguarded
Utterances
One
of the founding principles of the media is “freedom of speech”, freedom of
speech irrespective of its effect on the individuality of society, freedom of
speech weather blasphemous in nature to
the principles of not only islam but also other people ideology in general.
This
principle of mass media practice has been transferred to the social media of
today and has caused several negative tendencies to its users which include the
Muslims in general, tendencies such the act of engaging in illicit discussion
with the opposite sex and all that care to participate, public insult/abuse of
individuals via these electronic means, display of illicit pictures of one’s
self and foes, all these are done in the name of “freedom of speech and
expression”.
Abu
hurairah reported that the messenger of Allah SAW said, “…He
who believes in Allah and the last day, let him speak good or remain silent”
Bukhari and Muslim
The
Prophet has commanded “good” in the speech of man, this is to promote good
qualities in individuals and promote peaceful coexistence beyond the right to
utter anything we like in the name of “freedom of speech and expression” which
only end in sowing seed of discourse between people.
This
prophetic manner is also an indication of the faith in Muslim for He said “…He who believes
in Allah and the last day…”
This
manner is fast becoming absent today in the way words are being exchanged
through social media. Updates of Un-godly statement are the trends of the day
on our social media.
The
spread of illicit pictures and lyrics of western songs has done no good but
succeeded in corrupting the minds of the Muslim ummah against upholding good
virtues and manner as stated in the quoted hadith above.
Reading
these messages, engaging in hearing them or promoting their subsequent
multiplication will invariably lead to a decline of iman in the hearts of any
Muslim, a danger which today drives some even out of Islam. Subhanallah
Or
how do you explain your individual “belief in the messenger and the last day”
when you have chosen bad and illicit utterances as against prophetic traditions
and manners.
We
should be aware that the things we write online are also recorded by the angels
so we shouldn’t allow ourselves to fall into a false sense of security thinking
that our anonymous comments go unrecorded.
3.
Demonization
of Islamic clerics and Muslims
Opposing
basic rights are the primary images that are repeatedly portrayed through the
media,
This creates misconceptions that portray Islam
as a religion of violence, today the western Media has launched a campaign
against Islam in the name of a campaign against terror by referring to these
clerics or the Muslims as “terrorist”, “extremist”, “radical Islamist”.
These
are all misconceptions about Islam that are due to the media’s prejudice and
ignorance mostly because not enough knowledge is always sought in Islam
Abu
Darda reported that the prophet SAW said “nothing will be
heavier on the scale of the believers on the day of resurrection than good manners;
Allah hates one who utters foul or coarse language”
At-Tirmidhi
In another
tradition, Abdullah Bin Umar reported that the Prophet SAW said “the best of
companions to Allah is one who is best to his companions and the best of
neighbors to Allah is the one who is the best of them to his neighbors. At Tirmidhi
So how does one define as “radical” a
religion that preaches the best of manners and thereby forbidden the utterance
of utter and foul language?
How
do you define as “extreme” a religion that preaches the best in a man as that
who is best to his neighbors?
So
how does one define as “terrorism” a religion that preaches kindness to animals
and even plants?
The
media today does not carry or portray all that is good in the religion of Islam
but miss-represents it mostly through doctored or one sided show in order to
influence people’s views on Islam.
The
Western media usually identifies “Islam” in Muslim conflicts. It hardly points
other religions out in their conflicts.
For
example, the news would say, "Five Israelis may have been shot, but they
were shot by five Muslims", instead of saying "Five Israelis were
shot by five Palestinians". The media often reverses this action when a
conflict is against Muslims, for example the news would usually say
"Bosnians are being killed by Serbians", but instead rarely says,
"Muslims are being killed by Christians”
The
negative impact of the media and social media in general are numerous but that
also in not without an advantage in plays in the role Muslims lives and Islam
as a religion.
Positive effects social and mass media
1.
Teaching the Quran.
Uthman
bin Affan reported that The Prophet said, "The most
superior among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it."
It is not without doubt that this is
a indeed a noble tradition, the social media no doubt today presents us with
countless opportunities to achieve this spiritual superiority before Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta’ala. Muslims today have developed countless ways of giving online courses
in Arabic, Tajweed and so on through the social media and internet.
People can now learn the language of
the Quran as well as its recitation within the comfort of their homes. Islamic
internet websites provides question and answer segments which are closely
regulated by certified clerics and Ulamas of the Deen and I don’t mean sheikh
Google and Mufti Facebook. Masha Allah
2.
The ease of propagating dawah.
During the early Islamic era, the
Sahabis and other muslims ride Horses or use other local transportation means
to travel to nations to in order to call them to Islam, the religion was
propagated through dawah in gatherings or during discussions with individuals, these
local means of communications thou not as viable and fast but nonetheless aided
successfully the spread of islam through the special grace of Allah.
The
Prophet SAW said “If Allah guides a person through you, it is better for you than all
that is on the earth.”
And in another tradition The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said "God, His angels
and all those in Heavens and on Earth, even ants in their hills and fish in the
water, call down blessings on those who instruct others in beneficial
knowledge."
- Al-Tirmidhi
We have an advanced media and other
electronic means of communications today to that can enable us achieve so much
more that’s better than all that’s on this earth before Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.
A simple message today on Islamic
propagation can be viewed and read by billions of people around the globe
through the use of social media platform and electronic aids.
This social and electronic media in
this regards provide us with the opportunity to enlighten more individuals
about Islam within a concise span of time, so therefore if used right has no
limit to extend of which the messages of islam as a religion travels to all
around the world, this can also be used to positively correct the view of islam
in the minds of certain individuals.
Methods of constructive usage of social media and electronic
aids
1.
Ensure that you limit yourself to the quest
for useful knowledge always, The Prophet
SAW said, “He
who sets foot on a path in the quest of knowledge, Allah facilitates for him the path to Paradise.
Tirmidhi.
It is therefore essential for us that if
we must indulge in the use of the social and mass media, then we should do so
in such a manner that it will be beneficial to use with respect to the
acquisition of rightful knowledge and May Allah guide us to paradise through
such venture. Amin
2.
We live in an environment dominated by non-Islamic
values and behaviors. Parents and elders should understand that Islam makes it
clear that children are a blessing, a trust, and a test from Allah, Allah says,
“And know
that your possessions and your children are but a trial and surely with Allah
is the mighty reward” (Suratul Anfal: 28)
This
remind us of a binding responsibility to ensure that we instill the path of
guidance on those we are responsible for be it our friends, brothers and sisters
as well as our children.
We
can always endeavor to educate them on the most effective ways to utilize the
media tools they find at their disposal.
3.
The social media today enables us to
bridge communication boundaries by staying in a virtual company of people from
all over the world. This is similar to a gathering of people around each other
but just with the absence of physical presence.
We
therefore stand to benefit just as much w in a social/virtual gathering as we
would in a physical one. And this is of course with reference to our contacts
on Facebook, twitter, blackberry, yahoo, google+, TUMBLR and so on.
Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “The example of
a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk, and
the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows. So as for the seller of musk then
either he will grant you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy
a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows
then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from
him.” Bukhari and Muslim
And
In another Tradition, the Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “Mix with the noble people, you become one
of them; and keep away from evil people to protect yourself from their evils.”
Bukhari and Muslim
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala says
“And
keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the
morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass
beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose
heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and
whose affair is ever [in] neglect.” [Al-Isra’i 18:28]
My dear Brothers
and sisters we can see from the hadith and Ayah the Importance of keeping good
friends and also the effect of it. If we
stay with someone for a long period of time, after some time the quality of
that person that we are with will be reflected in ourselves. We begin to talk
or act like them so if their action and lives values are not in conformity with
that of Islam, we begin to loose our
iman by gradually being with them.
It is therefore
imperative that we regulate the communication we make with people through the
social and mass media to that which will benefit us and Islam positively.
Follow @islamcreedng
Kindly note that any
mistake in the contents of this article is due to my imperfection as a human
being as only Allah Subhanahu Wa-Ta'ala is perfect in all affairs.
May Allah Forgive us our sins, guide us right from the evil of insincere intention, save us from misguided knowledge and grant the entire ummah benefit from this work AMIN.
Kindly feel free to make comments, contributions or corrections where necessary.
May Allah Bless us all, AMIN
May Allah Forgive us our sins, guide us right from the evil of insincere intention, save us from misguided knowledge and grant the entire ummah benefit from this work AMIN.
Kindly feel free to make comments, contributions or corrections where necessary.
May Allah Bless us all, AMIN
