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
'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.
Facebook
also brings a lot of Narcissism
Research by psychologists and linguists has shown that the personal pronouns used on Facebook’s walls are impressive: ‘me’, ‘I’, ‘myself’, compared to collective words like: ‘we’, ‘community’, ‘humanity’. The users become very self-centred and they take pleasure in putting themselves forward and giving importance to themselves. They carefully create their virtual image in order to beautify their profile on the network. There is a general decline in the concept of belonging to the community and the group. The examples of increasing individualism are certainly numerous. They often boast of (most of the time, it being make-belief) having made trips abroad, of having gone to social gatherings, sports or cultural activities in vogue. They publish “super” photos, often distorted (morphed), to say “I am even more beautiful from this angle”. They tend to value themselves, as if to say “look at me”.
Research by psychologists and linguists has shown that the personal pronouns used on Facebook’s walls are impressive: ‘me’, ‘I’, ‘myself’, compared to collective words like: ‘we’, ‘community’, ‘humanity’. The users become very self-centred and they take pleasure in putting themselves forward and giving importance to themselves. They carefully create their virtual image in order to beautify their profile on the network. There is a general decline in the concept of belonging to the community and the group. The examples of increasing individualism are certainly numerous. They often boast of (most of the time, it being make-belief) having made trips abroad, of having gone to social gatherings, sports or cultural activities in vogue. They publish “super” photos, often distorted (morphed), to say “I am even more beautiful from this angle”. They tend to value themselves, as if to say “look at me”.
Now
the definition of life for these people boils down to Facebook,
Instagram etc. They waste valuable time scrolling the indefinite
pages of their friends, family relationships and even strangers! They
comment, post photos and videos of their personal activities as if
their lives are for the public eye and not private! Facebook, and
other virtual platforms have become like a drug for people. They
cannot do without it anymore. Instead of talking face-to-face and
living a healthy life, without photo filters and Photoshop morphing,
they engage in activities that are reprehensible in Islam.
Consequences for Personal Privacy
Consequences for Personal Privacy
It
is really unfortunate to see that many Muslim women have also fallen
prey to it. They publish photos or videos where they are dressed in
their finest adornment for parties, weddings and even on the occasion
of the Eid and some wearing their Hijab
and while others not. They define their Hijab
as a toy, a casual unimportant thing! Allah, in His infinite wisdom,
has ordered women not to voluntarily expose themselves to strangers
and to show their beauty only to their Mahrams.
Examples
abound in the Quran and Sunnah, like verse 34 of Surah 33 (Al-Ahzab): “Stay
in your homes; and do not flaunt yourselves in the manner of women
before Islam (Jaahiliyah).”
Now,
it is our Muslim women who are behaving worse than in the days of
Jaahiliyah
(era of ignorance before the advent of Islam). In the past, there
were no social networks! Today, the whole world knows what our Muslim
women do, as well as all Muslim brothers!
So
how can some Muslims put themselves forward, daring to appeal to the
public who can easily access these images? They do not realize that
the world of the internet - with all the details, images and videos
of their lives - and even smartphones are tools that can be easily
hacked. They are not protected. And this applies to all users of
social networks.
Islam
advocates its followers to stay within the limits of decency, and to
apply the divine commandments so that we are protected from the pangs
of Satan. These are fundamental aspects of Islam and it is
unfortunate that they are thus trivialized.
Social Media Addiction: A Waste of Time
Social Media Addiction: A Waste of Time
Today
everyone says he does not have enough time. But do we know how to use
our time? Facebook addicts do not see the time spent playing virtual
and other games. They have become cyber-dependent, and like drugs,
they cannot live without them anymore. As any addiction is dangerous,
cases of suicides have been recorded among the big Facebook users. As
soon as they connect, it is difficult for them to get off the hook.
They become more and more curious, wanting to look for personal data
about others’ private lives and other things that does not concern
them.
On
the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) who said: “The
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Part
of the perfection of a person’s Islam is his leaving that which is
of no concern to him”
(Reported by Tirmidhi).
In
addition, gossip, false news emerge and it borders on selfishness and
even voyeurism. All of this goes against what Islam teaches us. In
doing so, we neglect things much more important, even essential, such
as Salat
at the prescribed time or the reading and study of the Holy Quran.
And
now, because much of the world has become addicted to Facebook, that
it was necessary to advocate a day without Facebook - Yesterday
Thursday, 28 February 2019 was the international day without
Facebook! But in reality we must live our lives fully, as it should,
disconnected from virtual things and stay within the limit of the
permissible.
Being Wise on Social Media
I’m not telling you that social networks are completely bad. Far from it, it can be very beneficial, but you need to know how and when to use them. Today with globalization, we Muslims have very useful tools through the internet and sophisticated gadgets of the modern era. We have the opportunity to use these tools to spread Islam, to teach the world the language of truth, the language of spirituality, and to enrich our knowledge, both spiritual and secular.
Being Wise on Social Media
I’m not telling you that social networks are completely bad. Far from it, it can be very beneficial, but you need to know how and when to use them. Today with globalization, we Muslims have very useful tools through the internet and sophisticated gadgets of the modern era. We have the opportunity to use these tools to spread Islam, to teach the world the language of truth, the language of spirituality, and to enrich our knowledge, both spiritual and secular.
So
let’s use them only to please Allah, and to build and consolidate
our Iman
(faith), not to please our ego and for ostentation. Let’s us not
waste our precious time on useless things. Let’s not look for
information that will not benefit us in this world and beyond. Let us
use this time to come closer to our Creator and to do things that
will please Him. Society needs us at all levels to help those in
distress, the poor, the orphans. Parents should encourage their
children to serve the community during the weekend or school holidays
and to play sports instead of wasting their time and energy
unnecessarily on social networks.
May
Allah help our young and old to realize the dangers they face in
using social media. Ameen.
Allah
will certainly help us, but we must make the necessary efforts to
abandon such practices which are useless and harmful to our Iman
and to do everything to establish ourselves in the fruitful
practices, which will help us in our goal of spreading the divine
message in all the nooks and crannies of the world. We have the
tools. Let’s learn how to use them. If you doubt that you will not
be able to use them without slipping away (from your main goal of
spreading the word of Allah), then it is best to stay away from all
this, and use your communication skills to do Dawa
/ Tabligh.
Go to people, invite them to Allah, to His Faith (Islam). The contact
with people is much better than the virtual contact.
May
Allah help you all understand this sermon. If you were a fan/ addict
of social networks, keep a minimum of time on it. Do not waste your
precious time in the virtual world. Live the true life that Allah has
granted you, and make Allah pleased by staying away from the
forbidden. Insha-Allah,
Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 01 March 2019~24 Jamadi’ul Aakhir 1440 AH delivered by Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.
---Friday Sermon of 01 March 2019~24 Jamadi’ul Aakhir 1440 AH delivered by Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.