Being Wise on Social Media

Who does not know Facebook, Youtube, WhatsApp, Messenger, WeChat, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. ? They are described as social networks that connect people around the world. Today, these networks have more than 2 billion users worldwide and thousands connect each week. And the most used of these networks is Facebook.

In Mauritius and around the world as a whole, Facebook has been growing in popularity. Everyone goes on it, even 10-year-olds. It includes all social classes: movie stars, artists, politicians, social workers, students, men, and housewives, etc.

While this network has some advantages, such as finding work and finding long-lost family members or friends, there are many dangers, especially for us Muslims. 

'Addiction' to Facebook Leads to A-social Habits

Facebook is a social network, but by doing a thorough analysis, we see that it’s actually an antisocial network. Users are often permanently connected to it at home or in the office. Some young people, addicted to Facebook, evolve almost in a virtual world, disconnected from reality. Many people prefer to eat in front of the computer (or Laptop/ Tablet/ Smartphone etc.), chat with virtual friends or play games on Facebook. They no longer see the importance of spending time eating with family, among others.

According to Wahshi ibn Harb’s report, some of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) said: “O Allah’s Apostle! We eat but we are not satisfied.” He said: “Perhaps you eat separately.” They replied: “Yes.” He said: “If you gather together at your food and mention Allah’s name, you will be blessed in it.” (Reported by Abu Dawud).

Eating together strengthens family ties, encourages dialogue, and certainly brings more blessings. Islam is a religion that is against individualism, it encourages sociability and wants all believers to live as a family.

'Siraj Makin': Agenda for Women-II

During the tour of South India in November-December 2018, Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius and the International Sadr of the Siraj Makin- the women’s collective of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- Hadhrat Ummul Mu’mineen Fazli Amena Varsally Saheba addressed the devout members of the Jamaat at the special sessions of the Siraj Makin in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala. 

To read the Text of the Special Address delivered by Hadrat Khalifatullah (atba) at the South Kerala Ijtema of the Siraj Makin, click here. 

To read the Text of the Special Address delivered by the respected International Sadr Saheba at the Ijtema of the Siraj Makin in Tamil Nadu, click here. 

Reproduced below is the Text of the Special Address delivered by Hadhrat Saheba at the South Kerala Ijtema at the historic Noor’ul Islam Masjid, Mathra on 05 December 2018 (27 Rabi’ul Awwal 1440 AH). 

My dear daughters, 

Assalamu ‘alaykum Wa rahmatullah Wa barakatuhu.

It is a really great pleasure for me today to address you some few words face to face today in your beautiful country, Kerala. I have chosen to address you today on a few precious guidelines which the Muhyi’uddin Khalifatullah had delivered to us women in the beginning of the Divine Manifestation in Mauritius. Like you know, the Khalifatullah (atba) has come also as a defender of the rights of the womenfolk, like our beloved master and prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).

'Siraj Makin': Agenda for Women

Coinciding with the recent India-visit of Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius and the respected and honoured members of the holy family, the Siraj Makin- the women’s wing of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- in Tamil Nadu, held its special Ijtima at Tenkasi on Saturday, 24 November 2018. Fatima Jasmine Sahiba, Sadr, Siraj Makin-Tamil Nadu presided over the programme, with the proceedings commencing with Tilawat-ul-Qur’an (along with its Tamil translation) by Sherin Banu Sahiba. Two Nazms, written by Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) and the Promised Messiah (as), were recited at the function by the Sadr Sahiba and Mujtaba Iynul Misbah respectively.

In her Ijtima Opening Speech, the International Sadr of the Siraj Makin Hadhrat Ummul Mu’mineen Fazli Amena Varsally Sahiba spoke on the role of, and tasks before, the believing women in the faith commune, in the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. Encouraging women believers who integrated in recent times with the Divine Manifestation of this era to recognize and deploy their God-gifted talents and skills to perfect their multiple social roles, the respected International Sadr Sahiba wishes that each one of them/us becomes role models and torch-bearers of the Light of Islam in our every-day life settings. Drawing on sacred spiritual history, Hadhrat Saheba points out that we need to study and gain many insights from the exemplary lives of the great women saints of the past- people who bore all trials and tribulations that came their way with much patience and steadfastness in their exceptional quest for God’s approval and pleasure in all that they did.

By performing their varied social tasks with diligence and constancy, prudence and wisdom, women in their varied phases of life- as a daughter, spouse, mother, grand parent; whether working at home or outside the home- can be fine role models of piety and devotion in the Divine Way. The women believers of the Divine Manifestation have a vital role to play in the larger causes of Islam, and they could and should be in the forefront of the spiritual education of their children and also join in implementing the diverse projects and initiatives of the Jamaat at every level, exhorts Hadhrat Saheba in this comprehensive discourse on 'the role of Siraj Makin ladies in the Divine Manifestation of our times'.

Read the Text of the Special Address Below:

My dear daughters,

Assalamu ‘alaykum Wa rahmatullah Wa barakatuhu.

It gives me great joy to address you today during this visit to India, and meeting you all for the first time in Tamil Nadu.

You need to understand that each one of you has a special place in the Divine Manifestation of this age. Each one of you is special with special talents bestowed upon you by Allah to help advance the cause of Allah in this great land, India, and the world as a whole. You should understand that being ladies of Islam, of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam in this present age, you need to work hard to enable Islam to reach far and wide and to derive the pleasure of Allah through it all.

The Dangers in Digital Space

The Youth of the Ummah in Peril- II

More than ever before, our times are bearing witness to phenomenal changes in technological innovations and human lives are increasingly organized around smartphones and other technology-based instruments. Thanks to the convergence of communication technologies and the consequent emergence of social media platforms in cyber-space, virtual interactions with people anywhere is easily feasible in our globalized world. Certainly, advanced technologies are vital enablers and a force-multiplier for doing good, allowing individuals and nations to come together on common platforms to discuss specific concerns and to share best practices for addressing challenges. At the same time, we need to be critically-aware of the negative side effects- the many dangers and harmful impacts lurking behind the unprecedented ‘opening-up’ made possible by the new mediums of the digital space, especially for the young people.  

In his Friday Sermon of 22 February 2019~17 Jamadi’ul Aakhir 1440 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius continues the theme of the perils affecting modern-day youth in our societies. Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) warns against the increasingly unabashed pursuit of synthetic happiness- be it in drugs and other deadly cocktails by the youth in our times, and points to the critical need for comprehensive intervention at various levels by the social stakeholders to ensure that our deeply-vulnerable young people are weaned-away from fatal attractions and dangerous choices in their lives, with profound consequences for families and societies as well.

Likewise, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) alludes to the many dangers of the new "addictions" of the youth, represented by their 'trendy gadgets', and the virtual access to social media platforms. The extraordinary reach of the new mediums to capture our emotions, thoughts as well as other inanities through photos, videos and other forms of self- expressions, coupled with the temptations of the young to share it all with both friends and complete strangers can have profoundly negative implications for our emotional happiness, psychological well-being and mental health, especially for the people who are  virtually "addicted" to these devices. As the communication devices are 'neutral' enablers, the danger of criminality and immorality are ever-present, and as such, the new challenges of ubiquitous access requires careful handling, and the prudent deployment of vital ethical teachings on decent engagements and appropriate behaviour. The task ahead for the social actors is to ensure that the youth are constantly-educated and enabled to deal with the challenges and pitfalls of the new platforms so that they may only exploit their true potential in the most appropriate and creative ways for their own progress and the social common good, points out Hadhrat Saheb (atba). 

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

By the grace of Allah, I continue today the second part of my sermon on “The Youth of the Ummah in Peril”. Last Friday I told you how young people also have a mission to accomplish. The youth are our future, and they must be protected from the harmful effects of globalisation. The Islamic faith of the youth of our Ummah must be protected and safeguarded. 

Becoming ‘Maryam’, Bearing ‘Isa’

Our body is like Mary.

Each of us has a Jesus inside.

If a pain and yearning shows up inside us,

the Jesus of our soul is born.

If there is no pain, no yearning,

the Jesus of our soul will return to its origin from

the same secret passageway he came from…

If there is no pain, no yearning,

we will remain deprived

not benefiting from that Jesus of the soul.

 

-Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (ra) in Mathnawi---Translated by Omid Safi, in Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (Yale, 2018).

 

A true believer becomes like ‘Maryam’ and is infused with the Holy Spirit

 

In Surah Al Tahrim, we read: “And Allah next compares the believers to Maryam, the daughter of Imran, she took care to guard her chastity, so we breathed into him (the believer who is exemplified here) Our inspiration while she declared her faith in the revelations of her Lord and His scriptures and she became of the devoted ones to prayers and obedient to Him”- (Surah Al Tahrim, HQ, 66: 13)

 

In this Qur’anic verse, Maryam is set as an example for righteous servants of Allah. Like Maryam, true believers- though they are not Prophets of Allah- can also be bestowed with Divine revelations. Such a servant is like Maryam and then Allah will infuse His Ruh in him and he will become the like of Jesus, a servant of God and recipient of His Revelations. According to Hazrat Khalifatul Massih Awwal Allama Hakkim Nuruddin (ra), “the verse clearly informs us that in the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), there will be people- both men and women- like Maryam, who will guard their chastity, be devoted to prayers, declare faith in the Scripture and because of being an obedient servant of Allah will receive the blessings of Divine Revelations. This promise has been given in the very first chapter of al-Fatihah in the words, “Show us the path of those whom you bestowed your Mercy”.

Surah An-Nur: A Commentary

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam- Kerala has just published a new Book in Malayalam: ‘Surah An-Nur: A Commentary’. The present book, originally written in English by  Hadhrat Ummul Mu’mineen Fazli Amena Varsally (International Sadr Saheba- Siraj Makin), is translated into Malayalam by Fauzia Jamal-Zain Saheba, Na’ib Sadr- Siraj Makin, South Kerala. This important treatise contains a treasure trove of spiritual insights and practical guidance useful for all believers who use their God-gifted faculties to study and reflect on the Word of God. The present translation is an important contribution to Qur’anic studies in Malayalam and a vital addition to the growing literature of the Jamaat in Kerala.

Read the Introduction to the Malayalam Edition Below:

‘Surah An Nur’ constitutes the 24^th chapter of the Holy Qur’an. The chapter is named after the Divine Attribute of Light (Nur) indicated in the Light Verse (v.36). Focussing on Allah’s relationship to the humans, the chapter declares that Every Light that is visible in the universe and in human souls is a bounty of Allah’s Grace and Mercy. As the Source of all Lights, mercies and laws; Allah provides illuminating guidance in this chapter for the believers- men, women and children- clarifying several social and legal questions.

The Youth and 'Synthetic' Pleasures

The Youth of the Ummah in Peril

Liberal, lawless practices of the modern era, under the influence of Westerners and Americans, mainly affect young people. If this fringe of society of non-believers does not care so much about misdeeds, damage and other major problems caused by globalization, the youth of the Ummah, on the other hand, cannot and must not remain indifferent to its influence on their way of life, their way of behaving. And especially the harmful effect it causes to their faith and piety. This is disturbing.

The Youth's Mission

Now, the youth is the future. For all, without exception. Nations, countries, organizations, communities, family. All depend on the youth of today to take over for continuity. The same goes for Muslim youth, the youth of the Ummah in the four corners of the earth. This youth has a mission. To take over from the elders. To continue to propagate the Sahih al Islam (true Islam/ true teachings of Islam) in righteousness. To build educational centres for children and adults. But above all, to fraternize with members of other communities. For it is quite clear, according to Qur’anic verses and Hadiths, that to have respect for one’s neighbour is piety.

It is through this respect for everyone that this youth, the pillar of tomorrow, can build solid foundations for the Ummah to live in peace, serenity, tranquillity, and harmony. However, the youth of this century is going through difficult times with the rise of globalization that touches all corners of the world.

The Youth's Embarrassment

This situation really embarrasses the youth of the Ummah because they seem to be caught between two fires: (1) the principle of Islam which makes the clear-cut clear difference between the lawful (Halal) and the unlawful (Haram); (2) The boundless freedom in all matters of the unbelievers in this temporal world.