Fareeha Aleem, Canada
From time immemorial, it has been proven repeatedly that humans pay the price for falling for superficial glitz and glamour. Whether it was the fall of the Roman Empire, the sinking of the Titanic, or simply a loss from investing, humanity has always grieved its quickness to fall prey to worldly inclinations.
Humanity has progressed exponentially in technological advancements in this age. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet and social media, things that were unthinkable just 20 years ago are now a crucial part of our daily lives. The harms of such advancements are apparent if we pay attention to them, and further harmful effects will no doubt surface in later years, specifically the impact of social media.
To navigate this world, we as Ahmadi Muslims have been given a treasure of guidance from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, who is constantly advising us on how to conduct ourselves online in a way that keeps us clear of unnecessary harms while making us proud members of our Jamaat.
Huzooraa mentions the benefit of the Internet in the following words:
“The entire world has become inextricably linked in a way that has never been seen before in the history of mankind. For instance, it is now possible to see and talk to people living in the far corners of the world, thousands of miles away, in the blink of an eye. Technological advancement has also enabled people to exhibit and promote their beliefs, values, and culture to people across the world.” (Address at the Lajna Imaillah UK National Ijtema 2021)
‘This is not the objective of your lives’
However, with the good comes the dangerous, as we have established. Social media apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), and WhatsApp are widely used by the majority of teenagers all over the world. As this is such a delicate age, the constant use, likes and posts have a detrimental effect on the users, with many scientific reports emerging proving a rise in depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts among people who have these apps on their phones.
Social media also leads us to take part in the very harms that Islam teaches us to avoid for our betterment, such as jealousy, addiction, idleness and bad health. Regarding these societal ills, Huzooraa has warned us to keep the true aim in mind before falling for such things:
“These days, the glitz and glamour of this world, vain vulgarities, and many societal ills are standing in front of us trying to ensnare us and take us away from morality; though these are not considered ills by Western standards, these are ills according to Islamic teachings.
“As I said before, some wrong acts are done in the name of broad-mindedness, but then they keep pushing us towards evil. This is neither entertainment nor freedom; rather, these are pits of fire in the name of entertainment and freedom. Allah the Exalted, who is extremely Gracious to His people, has clearly explained to the believers that this is fire.
“This is a fire; save yourself from it, and save your children from it. I say to the young men and women who live in this society that this is not the objective of your lives. Do not think that the purpose of your life is to get involved in these vain pursuits, that this [lifestyle] is all there is for us. Through the status of being an Ahmadi, there should be a difference between you and others.” (Friday sermon 23 April 2010; Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 8, p. 194)
Guidance for Lajna Imaillah
Hence, before going down this hole of perpetual anxiety and endless screen time, we have been given guidance from our beloved Huzooraa. But for the girls who have accounts and are actively using these apps, Huzooraa has also graciously provided us with countless suggestions on how to properly use social media in a way that is beneficial and proper for us, whereby we will not fall prey to its dangers.
Regarding chatting online, Huzooraa has said:
“Men and women should not chat on Skype and Facebook and look at each other, and should not make these a means of connecting with each other. God states that these are all open and hidden foul things, and they result in one getting carried away with emotions, losing one’s sense and judgment, and eventually incurring God’s displeasure by disobeying His commandment.” (Friday Sermon 2 August 2013; Khutbat-e-Masroor, Vol. 11, pp. 429–430)
Concerning pictures displayed on the Internet, Huzoor’saa guided the Jamaat:
“Women should not display their pictures on their profiles – not only the girls [but also] grown-up women, those who are mature, those who have attained their age of maturity because that can harm them. There are quite a number of men who are not of good nature, they can take advantage of their profile pictures by using them somewhere which is not appropriate.
“This is why I say women should be very much careful as there is hijab and purdah essential for women, not for men. Men have only been asked that they should lower their gaze, keep their eyes low. They should not see the women without any restriction. But women have been asked that along with lowering their gaze, they should also cover their faces.
“This is why this is the Islamic teaching that you should not permit men to misuse your profile, your picture or they blackmail you somewhere or they contact you and then you will be in trouble. This is the only thing.”
Do not violate your moral compass
When an Ahmadi goes online or goes outside, the one thing that they must remember is that they are representing Islam and Ahmadiyyat to the world. Any wrong move may seem like nothing at the time, but ultimately, it has a huge effect on the way people will see Islam.
Islam does not stop anyone from living their life, from education, career, travel, or integrating into the society they live in. However, this does not mean that one should compromise their morals in the process. Huzooraa mentions this while addressing Lajna at their Ijtema in the UK:
“You should seek to integrate, but as I have said in the past, integrating and contributing to your country does not require you to violate your moral compass and forsake your religious values; rather, the way to successfully integrate into Western nations is to contribute to the success of the nation while maintaining your religious identity.” (Address at the Lajna Imaillah UK National Ijtema 2021)
Although Huzooraa has said to use social media sites such as Facebook as a tool for tabligh, it is important to note that girls should be doing tabligh to girls only, and boys should be doing it to boys only. Huzooraa has guided us regarding this in the following words:
“Lajna Tabligh department should make teams of women and girls and use them for tabligh. However, it should be clearly remembered that girls should only do tabligh to other females. Some people make tabligh contacts on the Internet. Tabligh contacts on the Internet should only be established with women and girls. Leave tabligh towards men for the men, because [otherwise] this causes some issues.” (Social Media, pp. 39‐40)
Do not post everything on social media
As mentioned in the beginning, it is easy to fall into the glitz and glamour of the world. However, one must remember the true purpose of our creation, which is repeated to us time and time again – to worship our Creator. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.” (Surah adh-Dhariyat, Ch.51: V.57)
This is our actual purpose in life. It is very easy to get caught up in life and overlook what our real goal is in this life. Life is very short and fleeting. Just because everyone around is taking part in something immoral or pointless, doesn’t mean you have to do so as well. Rise above the temptation and keep your eyes on your true aim.
During a virtual mulaqat, a Lajna member stated that human privacy has been significantly impacted by social media and asked for a solution. Huzooraa explained that in the past, when people heard something about someone, they would pass it on to others. However, the extent of spreading rumours was limited at that time. He observed, “Now, with the advent of social media, rumours spread rapidly and widely.”
Consequently, Huzooraa advised that that was the reason he had previously suggested turning off cameras, phones, and other devices during Jamaat events, especially for Lajna, and cautioned against unnecessarily posting everything on social media.
Furthermore, Huzooraa added that Allah the Almighty has prohibited engaging in gossip, spreading false information, and speaking ill of others. It is essential to refrain from indulging in such negative behaviours.
If you are going to be up late watching TV or scrolling through social media and then wake up tired and late, what kind of namaz can you offer in the morning?
Therefore, it is imperative for us as Ahmadis to be exemplary in our actions and focus on the true goal in life, as Huzooraa has highlighted. A rise in our spiritual well-being is much more important than a rise in our follower count. More importantly, since we have such a plethora of advice and guidance from Huzooraa, there should be no reason for us not to be the best Muslims that we can be, whether that is online or offline. May Allah help us achieve this.