TV: Impact on Islamic Life

TV’S HARMFUL EFFECTS

Today, by the grace of Allah, Allah has given me the Tawfiq to continue the second part of my Khutba Jummah on ‘The Harmful Effects of Television’.

Through TV, the Islamic dress code is disappearing, to such a point that there are some who consider the Islamic clothing as uncivilised dress code and only good for ancient times!

Islam has put great restriction concerning sexuality so that the social life of our community remains clean and far away from prostitution, homosexuality and other social maladies. As for TV, it not only removes that restriction through the means of its dirty films but it also incites young people to satisfy their carnal desires (sexual needs/ passions) in an immoral and illicit (Haram) way.

Islam is a religion which teaches Muslims men as well as women to cultivate shame (Haya) in them because shame is a quality which helps cultivate mutual respect. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) has even made us know that Allah (swt) has joined shame (Haya) together with faith (Iman). As long as someone has shame in him, his faith shall be alive, but if he loses his shame, he loses also his faith, and he begins to act like an animal. Through the various obscene TV channels proposed to people, television has taken away shame from that community (the Ummah of Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh)).

Long ago, a Muslim girl used to be shy, full of shame if ever her head has been uncovered before a mahram. But today, she is quite happy to let strangers admire her and she attracts their attention through her way of walking and talking. Long ago, a Muslim girl used to become red with shame if ever her headscarf came off by accident and uncovered her stomach. But today she finds it normal to leave her house with just a transparent piece of cloth as a headscarf, or even she will home with any headscarf and Islamic/Indian leggings (thusse/sarwar etc.).  Married ladies do not find anything wrong if they go to the bakery everyday in their nightdresses, and even to do house chores in this kind of clothing.

As for Muslim schoolgirls, there are those who before the parents cloth themselves in hijab and and long coat, but before coming to the Bus-stop, remove their coats and hijab, concealing them in their bags. One cannot even imagine now the bad behaviours of these schoolgirls be it in the bus, school, tuitions, gardens and Sports Day events! 

And there is no doubt that if these married women and schoolgirls are acting in such shameless manners, it is the men also which are responsible for all these, for men nowadays have lost their manly dignity! Can we quality those men who let their wives and daughters admire indecent movies as real men? Are those real men who forbid their wives from putting on the burqa? Instead of encouraging them to clothe themselves in decent manner (Pardah), these men appreciate that their wives and daughters clothe themselves in indecent clothing, mini dresses and T-Shirts and trousers! Can we call those kinds of men as real men and good husbands and fathers? So with TV, it is not just modesty which has been removed from our Muslim girls, but their very femininity has disappeared.  As a result, a Muslim man now feels that he is not living with a girl/ woman, but with a man like himself instead!

Islam is religion which asks from us to be aware of the reason for which Allah has sent us on earth, so that this may help us live in the obedience of Allah. Today, with all these kinds of indecent songs and music which exist, these are ruining our youths completely. They are following the trends and dancing those indecent dances and this in fact is one of the principle reasons they have forgot the reality of their existence on earth, they have forgot why Allah has created them. Concerning TV, it is the youths who are falling prey to all its projected programs, and their minds are taking off to faraway imaginary places, thus handicapping their minds completely.

Nowadays, we find our youths are not only fans of actors, male and female, but also singers, male and female whom they call “Stars”. These singers have won a place in the hearts of our youths. Instead of learning to recite the Quran by heart, these youths, especially in their spare time are singing the songs of these singers by heart, and they show themselves very interested in these matters. There are even those who take part in singing competition, and they have reached such a stage where they say that they cannot live without singing, dancing and music in general.

Islam teaches us to lower our gaze so as to preserve our hearts from bad thoughts. The more a Muslim lowers his gaze, the more he shall enjoy tranquillity of the heart. Likewise, the more he admires the beauty of the actors/ actresses on TV or big screen, the more this provokes a desire in him to disobey Allah. As for TV, how can you watch TV if you lower your gaze?

Therefore TV causes you and your children to admire indecency and immorality on the screen. Islam has not just ordained us to perform Salat (prayer) 5 times a day, but it has also ordained us to perform these five times prayers on time and in congregation (Jamaat) in the mosque.

As for TV, if it has not been able to make you leave your prayers completely, it has at least the power to make you forego going to the mosque (to perform prayers) and to miss performing prayers in their specific times. Nowadays all kinds of films are projected during prayer time to restrict people from attending to their prayers on time!  How many Muslims, for the love of football do not go to the mosques to perform Salat (prayers) in congregation? How many Muslims keep watching TV till late at night and afterwards do not wake up for the Fajr prayers? If with all these (negative things) your heart does not die, then when shall it die?!!! Islam has taught us to keep remembering Allah a lot so as to keep our hearts alive.

As for TV, it does not just prevent you to do Zikrullah while watching television, but even prevents you from thinking of Allah all the time. During the day, (instead of Allah) you think about which program you have watched last night and what movies are waiting for you tonight etc. When people watch these kinds of films, they are so plunged into them that even when you talk to them, they do not hear anything. These are the harmful effects of TV effect which are spoiling our youths nowadays. And I am sure that when they meet up with friends, they talk about the movies which they have seen and if the friend has not seen the movie, then explanations over explanations will ensued to fill him up on what he missed. Besides watching movies on television, they go fetch movie VCDs and DVDs as well.

They have transformed their houses into a cinema hall wherein there is no blessing at all. They have lost the divine blessings. There are houses wherein the inhabitants neither recite the Holy Quran nor pray voluntary prayers. There are no Zikr (of Allah) and no Islamic teaching (Quran and Sunnah) imparted. These kinds of parents do not even encourage their children to study Islam, or to attend functions in the mosque and listening to the words of Allah. They are not even harsh towards them to wake them up for the Tahajjud prayers and to perform duahs. After Tahajjud prayers, there are also the Fajr prayers. These kinds of parents do not encourage their children to devote themselves in both obligatory and voluntary prayers and they do not advice them to at least read 2 Rukus of the Holy Quran every day, with translation.

Nowadays these parents are not attached to spirituality, and thus how can they possibly make their kids attach to spirituality? For this kind of parent, if his child gets a good job, is driving a car and he is regularly bringing in money in the house, even though that child is leading an immoral and indecent life – and putting on unislamic clothing – this does not mean anything for that parent, as long as he is well off materially!

Woe to these kinds of parents who do not know how to guide their kids in the right path. They are also responsible if their children have taken such wrong paths. When those children were small, they were not interested in awakening their interest and teaching them spirituality. They did not encourage those kids to do their five times prayers  as well as reading the Holy Quran, Zikr, Kalima, duah, and attributes of Allah before going to bed.

Like a planter, if he has planted a plant/ tree and the plant, and he lets the plant grow in a distorted way, without correcting it, then its branches shall spread in a distorted way also in the different direction, without any control. Had he straighten the plant/ tree, then the plant would have grown well and he would have known how to control the direction of its branches.

So, the education of your child does not start in the school or in the Madrassa (Islamic school); it begins with yourselves (the parents). You are their first teachers. His first education must be provided by none but you. 

So try to understand my message to you and besides, my Friday Sermon does not end here. Insha Allah, Allah gives me the Tawfiq to continue the third part of my Khutba on the ‘Harmful effects of television next week, Insha Allah, Ameen.

---Extracts from the Friday Sermon of 11 December 2015 ~(28 Safar 1437 Hijri) delivered by Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.