Ahmadi Youth on Facebook

In the Friday Sermon of March 11, 2011 Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius called the attention of the Muslims, especially the Ahmadi youth, to the   moral dilemmas and ethical perils associated with the mindless usage of contemporary social networking sites, including the Facebook. Alarmed with verifiable and recurring reports about the  indulgence of Ahmadi persons in immoral practices over the social networking sites, the Messenger of Allah for our times reminded the current head of the Ahmadiyya Community on his patent and abject failure in reining in the erring members within the fold of his regulatory control and appealed to his better sense and moral consciousness: “...fear Allah O Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, fear Allah and wake up from your long sleep of ignorance before it is too late for you!” 

Read the Extracts from the Friday Sermon:

Since some time we are constantly witnessing the emergence of newer and so-said social networking which is to connect people all round the world with colleagues, friends, family etc. Facebook, being the major e-company to have the larger part of the social networking market has over 500 million people connected to it. Created in 2004, it has over the years become so popular that now all and sundry have access to it, and instead of doing good use of such internet and communication facilities, people are more and more sharing such vital information and personal photos, including intimate and even indecent ones which makes a fracas to morality and decency and it questions the purpose of religion and the responsibility of religious leaders to bar such en masse decadence.

It is a pity that the Ahmadiyya youths have fallen prey to such attractions, and it is even more a pity that their caliph cannot make them leave these sites and concentrate on more religious matters. As a matter of fact, religious matters have become secondary, while mundane attractions, such as chatting, involving oneself in illicit relationships, through public chats with Non-Mahram women and men; all these are the truth which have unfortunately seized the once pure Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (on him be peace) and the Muslim Community as a whole. The decadence of the Ahmadi people is ever on the front.

The Jamaat which was once pure from all impurities and blemishes have gotten out of hand because of the people inside it who have turned to mockery the vital teachings of Islam. Ahmadi parents are no longer the guides of their children. Instead these parents let their children do everything they like and when it is too late, they are powerless to guide aright their children, and remove them from such evils such as drugs, music, consumption of alcoholic drinks, pornographic businesses, and gambling.

Till this day, Ahmadi parents indulge their children in whatever they like, and even let them free to roam the internet, and get into contact with non-Islamic literature and information. It is a fact now that Facebook, along with netlog, Hi5, and a lot more social networks are such a base for all these kinds of unislamic involvement that the situation is becoming quite alarming, be it for the Ahmadi Muslims and the other Muslims as well.

The Messenger of Allah (sa) has said: “The best of your youth are those who resemble your old people; and the worst of your old people are those who resemble your young people.” (Kanzul ‘Ummal, Hadith 43058)

Now, youth is a period of ignorance and obsession, and thus, if a young person succeeds in combating his passions and disregards the attractions of this world so as to seek God and His pleasure, such a one not only has done one of the greatest Jihad (to control his inner self) but he accomplishes such an exploit, which encourages him to further his good example into the full bloom of manhood or womanhood. That is what the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) means when he said that: “The best of your youth are those who resemble your old people”, for the old people are viewed as wiser people, having undergone the harsh experiences of life and knew better as to the need to approach God instead of indulging in this very temporary world.

The next part of the Hadith however is an eye-opener as what is happening to not only the youths of this century but also the elders or old people. Nowadays, the tendency is for middle-aged or even old people to hide their looks and poise as young people, feeling young and getting the grip of youth, and such sites like Facebook brings them to the front as to what is forbidden for them as per the sayings of the Messenger of Allah (sa):  “the worst of your old people are those who resemble your young people.”

Each category of people should stick to their own degree of agedness. Old people copying young people, especially in indecency and evils – now this is very condemnable in Islam, but if these elders or old people take what is good from the good example of young people, now this is a different matter. But all in all, Muslim youths are encouraged to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) and to follow to the letter the wisdom of the Holy Quran.

Facebook:  the name itself says it all, for one has to present to the world one’s face or body parts, or other picture to depict and describe oneself to other interested parties. This social network calls for connection with friends. If someone wants to connect to another person, even though the other person does not know him or her, therefore, the connected party can either refuse or add the guest as friend. Unfortunately, strangers are befriended nowadays on a daily basis on such sites, and it gathers together girls, boys, women and men of all age group, and put them in such a frenzy that they cannot go without Facebook or connecting with their friends in other social networks.

Ahmadi people, be them old or young are connected to such sites, and readily portray themselves in different photos to be accessed by all their “friends” and I must say that these friends are: (1) not all of them Ahmadi or Muslims (in general), (2) All pictures are allowed for the users to input as their profile photos. Thus, if someone, let’s say a Christian (or any other religion) who have liberated ideals, and who portrays herself or himself half-naked, then if this person connects to let’s say a religious community Facebook user (for example, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community), then all and sundry, be them Ahmadi and others get access to all these degrading photos (profile photos), even if the said liberated person entered the Facebook profile of the said religious body to obtain information on religious issues. But the “face” of the whole “book” is visible for all users to see, especially if the religious community Facebook profile is for public viewing,

(3) Moreover, when one clicks on one user (even if their photos are respectable (Islamic)), but if one clicks on the friends list of these so-called respectable persons, one would find that his or her friends are not so respectable, and thus this forms a vicious circle, and thus religious bodies which have connected them with Facebook face such dilemma, and that is also true for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community which supposedly has for foundation the Islamic teachings and the additional explanations on Islam given by the Promised Messiah (on him be peace).

It is a shame that known Ahmadi Muslims are much alive and present in Facebook, portraying their photos and in society, they are foremost considered as very good Ahmadi people but if one looks at their activities on social networking, one would be appalled at their anti-Islamic mentality, and this applies for both the young and old ones, who like the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) specified try to imitate the youths so that they also may be considered as on the same level as them. Instead of saving these ignorant youths from such dangers which social networking represent (more evils than good!) these elders and parents are readily lending them a helping hand in casting them alive in the fire of hell, both in this life and in the life to come.

The Ahmadi people relies on the “eternal” institution of Ahmadiyya Caliphate; they think more or less like the Christians who say that they can indulge in all sorts of sins, because Jesus Christ has borne the weight of the world’s whole sins; that the suffering which he had undergone, now the Christians are free from all sins and can indulge in whatever they like (and forbidden) for they shall be forgiven by the Christ afterward. Likewise the Ahmadi people have reached more or less the same frame of thoughts, by deluding themselves into believing that their caliph is their intercessor to Allah, that their caliph is their visa to Paradise.

Thus, whatever they do, they have a caliph to endorse the blame upon or whatever excuse they use to extricate themselves of all situations. But the fifth caliph as he says so himself, extricate himself from such ideas which the Ahmadi Muslims have on him by saying (in response to a letter dated 16 May 2010), I quote: “Dear Abdul Aleem Sahib, I have received your letter raising your concern about the various social sites on Internet which are instrumental in young people engaging in immoral friendships. Site like Facebook, twitter and others are all wrong and inappropriate. I am constantly addressing this subject and cautioning the Jamaat about engaging in these sites, but if people are least bothered and themselves wish to destroy their integrity, what can one do? Yours Sincerely, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V.”

It is clearly evident that the fifth caliph of the Ahmadiyya Community cannot be held responsible for the abased acts of his followers, yet, the Ahmadi Muslims are adamant to take the words of their caliph (the negative instructions) as the words of the Gospels, but as for the good advices, they turn their backs to them, preferring to take their caliph as an “excuse” to commit evil. But the fact remains that the fifth caliph of the Ahmadiyya Community said “what can one do?” Oh, a lot can be done!

When his so-called Amir of Mauritius informed his predecessor and himself about this humble self receiving revelation from Allah, what did both caliphs do? One expelled this humble self from the Community and the other think that his predecessor has done the right thing and think himself (as the caliph of the messiah) to be the one rightly-guided and from divine waters. And he says, “What can one do?” – Why doesn't this caliph (being head of a divine community as he puts it) take severe actions against the Ahmadi “faces” of this Facebook Saga?

When someone says he comes from Allah, he ignores him and the divine message and thinks himself to be superior, and now he admits he is powerless when on the other hand the Ahmadi Muslims take him as All-Powerful and make other Ahmadi people fear him lest he takes such actions to expel them from the Jamaat. And now, he says he cannot do anything if these people want to head towards their own destruction! Humanly speaking, to each his responsibility in action, but as the head of a Jamaat by human elections, instead of sitting down and doing nothing to bring about a reform in the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (on him be peace), why doesn’t him do a profound analysis and research of all Ahmadi Muslims which are Facebook users and are present in other social networks? Why doesn’t he expel them?

For divine revelations he is prepared to go against Allah and His Messenger, and for “immoral friendships” he is prepared to hide the sins of the so-called Ahmadi Muslims and act as if the Ahmadiyya Community and all its members are pure and do not need reform? When Allah sent this humble self as Warner and Messenger unto this world, what does he do, he turns his back completely to Allah and His Prophet preferring to hold fast to his mundane seat of caliphate, a so-called seat of power and honour, but does he not know that Allah honours whom He wants and humiliate and bring to naught whom He wants? So fear Allah O Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, fear Allah and wake up from your long sleep of ignorance before it is too late for you!

It is a pity that the responsible heads of the auxiliaries of the Ahmadiyya Community are doing nothing to remediate the situation. What kind of work they are having with the young Khuddam, Lajna and the Atfaal and Nasirat. Instead of spying on others and putting their nose in that which does not concern them, let them go and educate properly these youths. There are girls there who are taking violin courses, there are other girls who are devoid of spirituality, but are rather going to take dancing and Karate courses. On such sites like Facebook and Hi5, you would see how some put their photos and names, and describing their likes such as favourite artists, male and female. There are even some “Lajna” (women in such Jamaat) who readily put their names and indecent comic photos on such sites. Do you think that Allah will leave this situation like this? Do you think that Allah is blind to all this degradation and making fun of the teachings of Islam?

I have once told this, and I am repeating myself. The Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam must not become like the other Jamaat and especially the Jamaat Ahmadiyya (generally speaking). When one looks at the outcome of these young boys and girls and what they are doing on the internet on such sites like Facebook, Hi5 etc, one develops disgust and also sadness because of what they have rendered the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (as) to be. On the other hand, the parents of these children are declaring themselves to be great defenders of Islam, some of them being in the Central Committee of the Association. Moreover, they believe themselves to be great intellectuals and God-fearing people, but if you happen to know their personal lives and the actions of their children, this will bring shame to Islam in a general sense, and particularly for the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (as) where they pretend themselves to be good followers of the Promised Messiah (as).

So all you people, if you were in such sites, then close them and turn in repentance to Allah, for in Allah is your life, honour, death, and everything! Should all Muslims (whatever their Jamaat) and humanity listen to the messages of Allah, and act upon them and fear Allah like He should be feared, and instil in their hearts, exquisite love for Allah, therefore Allah is full of mercy and He verily turns with forgiveness to whomsoever He wants, should the person be sincere in his quest for Allah and thirsty for reform and divine love. (Update: In the aftermath of this speech, on July 14, 2011, Khalifatul Massih V Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib officially banned members of his Jamaat from being active in Facebook and other social networking sites). 

The Friday Sermon is available here.