Abdulbary Yahya – Surviving the Online Fitnah
AI: Summary ©
The internet is known as the " info highway" and can lead to feelings of anxiety and distrust. It is important to learn from the people who give information and avoid giving advice on what is important. It is crucial to be mindful of what comes out of the way of others and not to share personal information on social media. It is also important to avoid harm and be careful with sharing information.AI: Transcript ©
Dr. Medina
Allah, Allah Allah Allah Allah, Allah wa shadow and Mohammed Abdul Rasul Allah back.
We
we are living in challenging times.
We you can probably already hear every time you watch the news, that there's change coming.
There's change coming.
This year
after the elections,
we're gonna have many firsts.
If Hillary if Hillary Clinton wins
in America, we'll have the first President of the United States, who was a woman, first woman president of the United States.
If
If
what's a
Trump Nana Sanders, Bernie Sanders, a Bernie Sanders wins, we have the first Jewish president. Right? And if what's the other one
is Ted Cruz wins. We had the first Canadian president,
and also the first Latino president. He was born in Canada.
If Donald Trump wins, we have the last president of the United States.
So change is coming.
Hopefully for the best.
But we are living in challenging times.
We have many tools at our disposal to learn our Deen
and amongst the most influential of these tools that we have is the internet and the usage of the Internet.
The Internet can be very beneficial.
Yet at the same time,
it can also
be very harmful if one does not use it properly.
So what
what are the rules, rulings,
and some advices in relation to how to use the internet.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
informed us
in general about the rules
of social socialization. Because of course, the internet is what the internet is known as the information highway.
So a lot of information there.
Yet,
if you
get caught up in it, not all of that is beneficial for you. And it can, it can take a lot of your time. And sometimes, without even realizing it, you can sit in front of your computer or
with your phone in hand,
or a tablet, you can spend three to five hours and not realize that you've just wasted five hours learning about the different types of sharks
or different types of plants, or different this and that and you don't even know how you got there. Sometimes you look at the clock, and you say Subhana Allah, it's already the whole time.
And so we have to be very careful.
And so there are things that need to be avoided and things that we need to do in order for us to
benefit from it.
As I mentioned, the internet is we are living in the information age, there's a lot of information but not all information is beneficial for us.
And that's why you always we always should ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah.
Allah in the rows will be given 1,000,005 Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge. That doesn't benefit.
We have a lot of information but not a lot of knowledge. There's widespread ignorance. Why is there widespread ignorance when we're living in the information age?
Well, one of the reason is is because people don't know how to seek knowledge. people no longer know how to seek knowledge. So they end up listening to a couple of YouTube videos.
Here, they're reading a few articles. And by the way, most people, many of them don't even read the articles, they go straight down to the comments section. Because that's where all the drama is.
And you know, they don't read it because sometimes you read those comments. And if they would have read it, they wouldn't have comments like that. Because the answer sometimes right there. So some people, some people that just go straight to the comment section, because they're looking for looking for drama. That's where the excitement is. And people are
bashing this person and that person.
When it comes to manage, there's nothing that there's nothing there whatsoever.
So a person can read a few articles here, listen to a few lectures there. And sometimes people some people they think they have become, shall Islam.
They become Mufti called the
most the
Mufti of this oma Arabia like halaal, and era, they know it, yet, they don't have even the slightest idea, about even
about will do for about purification, and some of the some of the most basic parts of prayers. So
because there's so much information, many people don't know how to seek knowledge. And so they end up reading this and that, and they don't build a strong foundation. And they do not seek knowledge in a structural way.
So they don't have a strong foundation. And so they're easily led astray, easily deceived. Because they don't have a strong foundation, even though they don't feel like they're in need of knowledge.
And that's a problem, because they think they have knowledge. And
you know, if you know, if you don't know, and you don't know that you don't, and you know that you don't know It's okay, at least you have hopes you will be you learn. But if you don't know, and you don't know that you don't know, that's a big problem. And so you have a lot of people that think they know, but they don't have a strong foundation, because they've just taken here and there, it's like having junk food,
it may fill you up, but it's not good for you.
But if you eat a well balanced diet, then it gives you strength, and you become strong and healthy. So the same way with seeking knowledge. And that's why the internet is very beneficial when it comes to seeking knowledge. But you also have to
be in the company of scholars
and seek knowledge properly in a structural way, structured way.
So sometimes you have Michel Imam, giving,
giving talks, and just a few people are there,
just a few people are there listening, and he's trying to give you structured knowledge. But everybody wants not knowledge, just entertainment almost. It seems like whenever they want to, they want it quickly. And they take it from wherever they feel like they should take it not where they where they, you know, where they feel like they should learn without learning in a structured way, without even learning the core
learning the also the basic principles of Islam so you can build things upon it. And so that's, that's one of the problems of the internet is that people don't know how to seek knowledge that the thing is, you should always be in communication with the scholars because if you
depend solely on books or just the internet, one thing yet you will be missing as you will be missing the flap the manners. And that's why that's why there are some people Mashallah they know of certain ideas here and there. But then the way they present it,
they have no manners when it comes to presenting that and all they do is spend time criticizing this person and that person is speaking about this person that looking for the faults of the people, because they're not doing anything really beneficial. That's where that you know, they just want drama.
They want drama only. And it's good. They're used to like you know, they're used to drama and in from Hollywood and conflicts. And that's something that's exciting this year. Nasha is Hmoob Tanya is amongst the people of Binda. Don't listen to him, don't learn from him and the other person says
The same thing and they're just mudslinging just like the politicians nowadays, right?
Back and forth.
But nobody is really giving anything beneficial.
And if you realize that there is no one in the world, no one is perfect.
And so if you're looking for the faults of people, you're going to find it. And if you only look for faults, and you're looking for you're seeking it, you'll find it because humans are not perfect. And no one is perfect. And so you'll find it. And if you find a fault in a person, although this person said this, the person he watches TV, I would never listen to him ever again. This person does this, look at his, the way the clothing that he wears this and that I don't listen to him ever again. And then we don't have anyone else to listen to Dino who becomes your email.
The shaitan becomes your email.
Because you spend your time criticizing everyone, because you're looking for that drama all the time. Instead of spending time to try to benefit yourself and looking for things that will be practical and beneficial for your
your dunya your worldly life and the hereafter. You spend time backbiting and sometimes you trick yourself and say, let's get let's do some halaal backbiting
halaal backbiting, Laila Hezbollah. And so seeking knowledge is very important, especially in times of trials and tribulations, because this is what will keep you firmly strong and seeking knowledge from sources that from from from, from the scholars of Allah subhana wa jamara, from sources that are trustworthy, because there are some people they receive an email, if you don't pass this email to the next person, you're going to die.
And they believe this, and then they get another email. These are all the companies you should boycott, and you go to the store, there's nothing left at the store to buy.
Where are we living? Like, who is giving these rulings? What's mostly some guy sitting behind a keyboard? What credentials does he have, you don't even know where this ruling is coming from, and you're basing your religion on that.
That's why with the internet, there's so much information, you have to confirm some of this stuff that's coming to you who is saying this, who is giving some of these rulings, people who have no foundation and knowledge and Willow items, some of the things come from maybe non Muslims and the enemies of Islam. Allah knows best.
And so seeking knowledge is very important. But you have to learn how to seek knowledge. And one of the reasons why people go astray, is because they don't have a strong foundation. So they end up taking what part of Islam and making it a whole.
So you have some people Mashallah Dawa is a part of Islam. But everything is about Dawa. If you don't make the * out, and if you don't, then that was this particular way, you go out for a certain amount of debt. That's it. And that's it.
And how about those people teaching at Islamic schools? How about other people who are teaching tauheed? How about other people who are, are working very hard, but they're spending in the way of Allah subhanho wa, taala, to, to give to the Islamic centers and massages and to help. And so they make this as if it's the whole of Islam. That was a part of Islam, no doubt about it, then you have but you know, whatever you're doing, don't be late to other people who are also at the service of Islam in the Muslim not doing the exact same thing you're doing, but they're also benefiting Islam and the Muslims.
And then you have a group of people, everything they're talking about, all they talk about is establishing the hill alpha
and Jihad and things like that. And if you don't talk about that, you are more
a sellout.
a sellout. And that's all their Deen. That's all they talk about.
As if that's the whole deal. And then you have some people who speak about
spiritual things.
Rouhani
spiritual things. It's okay.
Just as long as it makes you feel good.
But that's not what the prophets of Allah did. But it makes you feel good.
Be going around spinning and shaking, you know, dancing. And I said, Allah who makes me feel good.
brings me closer to Allah. When the sources are,
hey, it makes me feel good.
So they focus on that, but they don't focus on the technicalities of prayer and the technicalities of others. All of this is part of the deen. But you have to put it as a whole, when you take apart and make it a hole, that's when you go astray.
When you take a part of the DNA, you make it a hole, that's when you go stretch. And then and the Internet has a plant has a role in it, because when you click on a, a link, it brings you to another web page. And every link on that webpage is even more devious than the previous link. And then the next thing you know, you're at, and you're in the dark corner of the Internet, and you don't even know how you got there.
You don't know how you got there. So then we have to come back to the Quran and the Sunnah. And seek knowledge from the people of knowledge and ask questions and humble ourselves and learn the deen the way it should be learned with the
with the tawheed, with the Koran, the Tafseer with the amygdala, and at the same time, establishing Islam in our daily lives. And
putting it to practice and so forth.
All of this, the internet is very beneficial. But you also have to know how to use it properly. The Internet can also be a means in which we spend a lot of time, we waste a lot of time on things that don't benefit us. You know, nowadays, some people when food is presented to them before they say Bismillah they say Instagram
before they say Bismillah they say Instagram
and everything. They put everything online. And they
try to show others that they they've done this, they've done that they've eaten this, they've eaten that they have achieved this and achieve that. And so it can take a lot of your time. And you have to be careful also, because not everything that you do, you should tell everyone about even the good things because there are some people you know you love your child, your baby. But there are some people who are jealous,
who are jealous. And that's why you should not you should not tell. You know things, even the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you don't go telling everyone, but tell the people whom you love, like if you are given a good dream,
the prophets of the Prophet Yusuf Alayhi Salam was ordered by his son, his father, don't tell your brothers about them.
If there are some people who are who don't like you, then don't go, you know, showing up showing off all these people these days, to everyone in anyone. And so you have to be very, very careful about what you what you look what you read, what you learn how you do it. And at the same time, also,
you know, there are so many things that don't concern us
that we spend so much time.
We waste our time so much that you know, some of us, and I'm not excluding anyone, including myself, if we were to pick up the hora
as much as we pick up our phones, we will all be hopeful.
And we will all be scholars, and we picked up the camera.
As much as we picked up our phones, we would have we would have we would get so much benefit from
you know, we spend so much time learning about things that don't benefit us spending time reading about things that don't benefit us. Sometimes we check our social media status, how many people have liked this post that I've put up already, back and forth, because you want people to like it, who's commenting on this, who's saying this and who is saying that.
But you have to also realize that whatever you say Will you will be accountable and whenever you write on your status, you're accountable for that also. And you know what you say may be gone more than what I say. You hear about it, you hear that? It's gone. But what you write on the internet believer that stays there for many years, and sometimes it ruins many politicians lives and many celebrities whose lives have been ruined because of a post they put up whether intentionally or accidentally
They have to apologize for this. And so be careful before you post. It is not beneficial. They don't post it.
If it's not beneficial, then don't post it. And that's why there is a, you know, there's a joke, right? Or question, Why did the chicken cross the road? The reason why I'm saying this is because sometimes you wake up in the morning, and you see, everyone is talking about something, something is trending. And it's like,
is the dress black? Or is it blue? What
is it? Like? The dress isn't black or blue or whatever? Gold? What is it? I forgot about it. Remember, like, I remember waking up one day, and everybody's talking about the color of a dress.
And the color of a dress.
The whole country is talking about it. I turn on the news and everybody's speaking about it overnight.
You know,
there's a question that we hear often a joke. Why did the chicken cross the road?
Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the other side? I have an answer from the sudden, this will end everything.
I have an answer to this joke. And this will end everything. Do you know what that answer is? The answer is the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said Midhurst in his lab in mK tariku. Ma. Yeah. And he, amongst the excellence of a person's Islam is that he leaves that was just to concern Him, who cares?
If it's not going to benefit you, Why did the chicken cross the road? Who cares? No worry about it, you're wasting your time. If it doesn't concern you, then don't worry about it.
Who cares about that good color that dress to spend your time on something that's beneficial, don't get caught up in all of this. Because our time is very valuable. And so what is the general rule in relation to using the internet in social media? I have an idea.
And it's about social media, we mentioned that the internet is called the information highway
during the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. The Companions also add their
their type their their internet or socialization social media, their social media was,
well, let me tell you, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said eoco
er Komal you lose yamaji Lucifer
stay away from these gatherings on the road. This is a This was their social gatherings. Right, their social gatherings. So he's saying stay away from those the social gatherings on the road. And they said jasola melodem.
We, but we have to have our social media. We have to have our gatherings or social gatherings or gatherings on the road side and the side of the road.
I just like how if you were to say to your children, stay away from the internet? What would they say to you?
Father, we can't mother, we can't. It's part of our life. We have to have social media, we have to be on the internet. And whenever they say, Well, I can't do my homework.
Well, you know, there's something that's called the library.
Library, what is that? Nowadays, right? You can go there also and do research there too. You know,
what, Melinda
melodem in majali Center.
We have to have our social gatherings. So the prophets of Allah hunting has have said, either verbatim illan modulus but if you have to have it, you have to remember these are this is there on the information highway, right? There's social gatherings. So if you have to have it, the others stay away from the internet.
The general rule is stay away from the internet. You have to have it. Well if you have to have it, then.
Then give the internet it's right. Give the roads right, give that information highway it's right. So what is the right of the internet?
What is the right of the road? What is the right of the road? The Messenger of a loss of a lot I sort of said
number one,
lower your gaze.
Lower your gaze don't go to those websites. Don't go around looking at sisters Facebook's pages and looking at looking at their social
Your profile pictures. Welcome, sister now Mashallah.
No, no, lower your gaze. Don't go to crazy websites, okay? Don't go to websites of haraam. Lower your gaze, you're responsible. Make sure you know what you're looking at. And don't go around, you know, just because you, you, you know it's on the internet doesn't mean you don't have to cover properly.
It doesn't mean you don't have to have the same
advocates. And so there are some people they show off everything. Even the things that they did they the previous night's, sometimes Allah subhanho wa Taala covers them up covers their sins. They've done this and they've done that and then they go on the internet, they post it, man, that was that was one.
That was one great night.
I was at this party. And I just know it's really really nice. I just really enjoyed it. Somebody asked you, you know, they might post they might ask a question. What would you guys do? I don't remember.
Really? When I was so stoned, I don't remember. Like,
you don't remember how do you know it was so great. You don't even remember what you did.
So a lot of covers it up and then they, they they tear down that curtain. And you know the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said
kulu
mahu oma will be forgiven in the Mujahideen except for those who expose themselves it will do it open the Allah covers up your sins, and you're going to go out and expose that means you you don't you're not regretful one of the conditions of repentance is that you're regretful and if you're exposing your your faults and your sins to other people, you're also calling people to that sin, and you're not regretful for it. And that's why you will not be forgiven, unless you're regretful for it. And if you're exposing yourself, what Allah has covered it up, then you won't be forget, you won't be forgiven for
unless you change.
And that's why you have to be very careful. And he said about the buzzer. And then we're careful other,
avoid harm. Use the internet, but don't use it to harm other people. You look at somebody's picture. And you say they might say things that might harm the other person.
They might hurt the other person, you might back by about another person. And sometimes people, you know, make comments and are very rude when they're communicating with each other through the social media means and sometimes they use it to harm other people. So if you're going to use the internet, don't use it to harm other people. While careful as if you're on the road speaking, don't speak over don't harm anyone. And one of the salah and responding Salaam, which means the social media as a means of communicating with each other people from very far you can communicate with even if I'm here, I'm here in Nashville, and I go back to my room, I just click FaceTime or you know one of
those programs that connect immediately with my son with my daughter, I'm able to communicate with him and talk to them as if they were right in front of me. In fact, my son, even you know, when he calls for me,
my wife turns on the tablet and he kisses the tablet. When he sees me he kisses the tie he thinks that I'm right there. And I remember one time I said Look, I have I have I have a cookie or some some food and he actually grabbed
the baby
raspberry he tries to eat it. He feels as if I'm right there all the time. All the time. It's a means of communicating and bringing us closer together use it for that. But the internet also the prophets have said if you want to give it its right, you know the same the same rights of communication should also be applied to run the seller. Well hon Maru and ordering that which is good when
ordering that which is good and forbidding that which is evil. So if you're going to use the internet use it for that. You have nothing good to say man can you give me a belay well, Yamanaka poliquin Hi, Ron Alia Smith, whoever believes in Allah and His messenger. They let him say good or let him be quiet. And so don't use these means to let's say, for example, to communicate with the opposite *, especially nowadays, it's so easy to do so I'm not saying don't email the brother. Brothers should never even our sister so far no, you can email your brother. You can email another brother or another sister if you'd like. But at least cc it to her father.
cc it to her father also
And if you're embarrassed, you should read some of the things you want to say. You might say, well, it's not appropriate, well, maybe you shouldn't be saying those things.
Maybe you shouldn't be saying those things. So sometimes you spend the whole night texting said, Hey, if you're not CCN, to somebody from Birmingham,
you know, you open up the door for the shaitan. to, to cause you to say this and say that, and sometimes the brothers are trying to, you know, you know, get get to get together with a sister and so forth. And they're trying to beat around the bush, let me tell you something, sisters, when you're looking for a spouse, you have to find someone who's trustworthy, who was honest.
Or we mean, someone who's strong is able to take care of you, and also someone who's I mean, who's trustworthy, and if he's beating around the bush is now then he might beat around the bush later on also. And that's why if a man is not man enough to go directly to your father, then maybe he's not the man for you.
That's why sometimes you use this means to communicate and so forth. You know, be look for someone who's honest, but you have to be honest, and you have to be you have to be trustworthy. And you have to use these these means to benefit us and we ask that Allah subhanho wa Taala help us in that matter. And I know that my time is probably up and I have a bad reputation. My time was already short to start with at that point. But But I also have a bad reputation in Seattle, they say Never give up. Never give a woman a telephone or to bury a microphone.
I don't want it to follow me fall for the reputation to follow me here. So shall I try to end? By the way, you know, is this a joke? Okay, the sisters are not always on the telephone.
And the brothers are also often on social media. Nowadays, also everybody is you know, it's just just a joke, so don't take it seriously. Okay. So we asked Allah Subhana to teach us that was benefits and benefits from that which has taught us with the Sacramento hydrocele Allah, Allah and Mohammed Ali.
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