Ali Albarghouthi – Islam & Social Media
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AI: Transcript ©
Bella y shadow Allah ADA in La La Hua hula Cherie kala wonder Mohammed and Abdullah who are a pseudo sallallahu alayhi wa early he was so happy he was
a MOBA Dova in the Hyrule Hadith Nikita bola heeta Allah. Well, here Al had you had you Mohammed in sallallahu alayhi wa salam, or shahrul Ohmori Madatha to her coulomb data teen vida, aku, la vida ATeam Dada, Allahu La Cala T infinity and my bad.
Today,
social media had become so widespread,
that it permeates many aspects of our lives. In fact, it can dominate them and alter them.
And something would such an influence requires from us constant revisions and reminders. So that we understand the reason why we are engaged with those mediums and how to engage with them.
What is the character
and the lack the manners that we supposed to possess, and how we are possibly being changed by all of that, and ways to counter it. So this insha Allah is going to be a humble reminder for myself first and then from everybody else, to take those steps and to try to make that engagement.
Something that is pleasing to Allah azza wa jal and not as harmful.
So let's focus first in sha Allah on consumption and then later on, on production on the output.
But first of all, whether it is for consumption or production,
on social media or anything that is online,
the first thing that matters is the intention.
Muscle Allah He saw a lot he was Selim says in the famous Hadith in Namibia, a man who beneath actions are bought by intention, every act has an intention and that intention determines the validity or invalidity, the righteousness or lack of righteousness of such an act, so may always have to have a conscious intention of why am I doing this? So the first thing is to ask ourselves, why am I there?
Because when you have an intention, that intention can regulate your consumption, can regulate your presence, can determine what you take, and what you reject. So the more conscious you are of why you are there, the more that you able to disengage when the Wi Fi no longer fulfills your purposes. So why am I there? So it has to be ultimately to please Allah azza wa jal, or at least not to displease him.
You can wander aimlessly, and say, whatever they will give me I'll consume, whatever they'll recommend, I'll take whatever popular is popular, I'll watch and listen to, you can wander aimlessly like this, because this invariably will lead you to the displeasure of Allah azza wa jal and will ultimately you and change you. So you must be in control. They cannot be you're in control. The platform, the advertisers, the followers, the viewers cannot be in control of what you consume. Just like if you go to a restaurant, you don't tell them cook, whatever and give to me.
But you say this is what I want to eat. And this is what I'm allergic to. And this does not work for me. Give me what I need to eat. So your consumption online should follow the same pattern, be pleasing to Allah azza wa jal, and some people will say, Well, I'm bored. I want to go online and just consume whatever that is detrimental. You can be bored. That is a common feeling. You can go online, social media to consume things that are entertaining, as long as that is halal. That is helpful as well. But don't let them drag you because you don't have an intention drag you into sinful scenes,
and sounds just because you don't know what you're doing there. So always ask yourself, Why am I there? What purpose is this filling? And the next point? Is this beneficial or not?
Rasulullah Alayhi Salatu was Salam said a Harris Allah Mayan folk. Seek what benefits you
seems logical but we don't do that. Seek what benefits you
meaning stay away from what what harms you? And he said Ali is Salatu was Salam In another Hadith McPherson Islam in model II, Turku, Humala
Any of one's being a good Muslim is for him to leave aside, what is not a concern of his something that is really doesn't matter to you doesn't enhance you in religious or worldly terms. It doesn't really pertain to you. You don't need to be engaged, you don't need to be interested in it, you don't need to run after it.
So look at what you are consuming online through that filter that the Prophet Alayhi Salatu was Salam gave us throughout our lives.
Is this beneficial?
If you say no, then why are you consuming it?
Halal entertainment is beneficial because you need it to, to provide the balance in your life. But I'm talking about things that consume your time without giving you much in return. Is this beneficial? Does this matter to me or not? So you can go online and find an argument between people political, economic, soccer, basketball, this and that, and you could be so engaged in it, follow it to the every smallest detail.
And then after an hour or two of consuming all of that you come back with what did it help? Did it elevate?
Did it bring you closer to Allah azza wa jal or at least benefit you in worldly terms? This is not beneficial, or Leia Anique. And subhanAllah, even some times some religious discussions that could take place online, are not beneficial. Because they don't fit my on your level. They're so advanced or so obscure, or two people fighting. And then you ask yourself, if I know this, will it help me? Am I at that level to consume that? Or should I focus on something that is more beneficial.
So those who will be prosperous in life will be the stingiest with their time.
And those who are most generous with wasting their time will not be prosperous, not only in the dunya, but also in the era because Allah azza wa jal had given you this life, and he had asked you about it,
had asked you, I will ask you about it late at night.
But you had to use armory, he FEMA if now your feet will not be moving will move will not move from their place on the day of judgment until Allah will ask you, how did you spend your life and we look down on 510, half an hour,
an hour or more of things that we waste every day. And there are those who are living among us today.
Who will say I read
this stuff See, often tell him volumes on more. You wonder how did you read it? He says, I took advantage of the time between event and your karma in Fajr. That's it 10 or 15 minutes, but every single day.
I'll read in that tip. See if that's it, then I'll close the book. And four months, five months, six months, I finished it.
So you look at it, that seems what?
Impossible, but because you divided over time, few hours, a few minutes every day, that thing became something monumental later. So you say I could waste hours each day, but you don't know that you're spending it on something that is either harmful or at least non beneficial. So you want to consume, consume, but restrain yourself and don't waste your time and life on it. Take what you need, and leave the rest. And that is also because and this is the third point because most of the content over there is displeasing to Allah azza wa jal, right, most of what is being produced and what is being consumed is haram. So the more time that you're going to spend on these platforms, the more
likely that you're going to be led into something that Allah azza wa jal hates, you can't avoid it. So you have to pull back and say I'll spend 10 minutes I'll spend 15 minutes I'll spend half an hour but then enough is enough. Take yourself out, disengage and do something else. Something that is physical, something that is on something outdoors, something that involves people social, really social, something that will help you in your dunya or in the earth era. But staying away from the Haram by the way is a burden. And before you consume that thing, ask yourself
if I were sitting next to my parents next to my spouse next to my children, will I watch this?
Allah as the judge says yes, the phone I mean a nursery what is the phone? I mean, Allah he will Who am I home? He says they hide from people, but they don't hide from ALLAH and he is with them.
They hide from me
Because I will never let people watch what I'm watching, or let them know that I'm watching this. So I'm hiding from people but not from Allah azza wa jal and you think you're alone but Allah is with you. As you're watching and as you're listening and you're using the name of Allah azza wa jal in those
moments that displeased him
and he said also subhanho wa Taala
Allah in the home, if no one else will do RAW home Lee as the foreman who Allah Hain is structuring a Thea the home yeah, Adam Omar, you said Runa Rama, your Linoone it says they are bending, that the non believers are describing the non believers that they bent their bodies to hide their chest believing that they can hide this from Allah azza wa jal, he will not know what they have, in terms of thoughts and emotions, when they bent and they hide their bodies. Allah says it when they cover themselves with their own clothes. Allah knows the secret and what is plain that even if you hide under covers inside your house, Allah knows what is happening with you.
So if it is haram, you need to avoid it. And as we said most of it is haram.
And the problem with that
is that that will normalize haram for you.
What would be reprehensible before because you've consumed it once and twice and 100 times is no longer objectionable. And this is how sin grows and look at society look at Western society and rewind Western society 50 years from now 50 years in the past, some of the things that are public today that people are proud of 50 years ago were taboo. No one would mention them, no one would talk about them. You would be criticized severely for adopting such a sin. Not today. How did that happen? Because slowly you expose people to sin, and slowly they start accepting it. So if you're watching those sins on social media, eventually in a year or two or five, you will say what is wrong
with it? It'd be normal. If you see it on the outside, you were in bed at night, not just normal now, why? Because they have taught you they've conditioned you through all of this. Again, there was no intention on our part. So if we don't have an intention, they have an intention. So they've conditioned you to accept all of that.
So you have to willingly when you see the moon curve, the Haram say haram and that includes profanity includes * includes disbelief in Allah azza wa jal, atheism, innovation, all that is haram, you have to stay away from it. And know how to consume, know how to consume you want to consume something religiously, consume it from people who are reliable, it's not enough for a woman to have a hijab on that she's a spokesperson for Islam, and you just simply listen to her. Or a person has a beard or is talking about Islam, that you simply listen and lend his your ear to them. injecting into your heart and mind whatever they wish. And that could be very infectious and very
dangerous. If you don't know them to be reliable, you don't consume.
You don't listen, you don't share.
And you ask is so and so reliable, if yes, listen, if not, then you don't if you don't know yet, then discard and listen to so those who are reliable, because this is after all, your religion. So don't share things that you're not sure of. And don't consume things because they are controversial.
Or they have a lot of use.
So avoid the Haram
and for that to happen for you to have the strength to do that. You must balance your time online with a time that is close to Allah azza wa jal
that is say to yourself 15 minutes on this platform equals 15 minutes with the Quran because otherwise how will you have the Eman to say stop? I don't want to watch the Hara. How are you going to build up your Eman? If most of the time you're watching this, but there is no Salah and there is no Quran and there is no thicker so this an hour on social media must equal also an hour with Allah azza wa jal and only then will your iman would be strong enough to say I'll consume Khaled and stay away from the Haram otherwise, there will be no willpower. There will be no willpower. And speaking of willpower, teenagers preteens and teenagers have no business being on social media.
Because they have no willpower.
And because their personality is being formed and their minds are being formed and as you are influencing as a parent. That platform is also changing them.
And it doesn't matter if everybody's doing it. It doesn't matter if your neighbor has the children of your neighbor has phones and your children feel left out. It doesn't matter. You're the one who's raising your
Children, not your neighbor, not society, you and Allah will ask you, not them.
So your children as long as they are teens have no business having a phone of their own, have no business being on social media. And if they already afflicted with that, you monitor and you regulate no more than these number of minutes each day, and I must have access. It's not an issue of trust. It's an issue of not trusting the medium. You understand? You're not trusting the medium, it's not about the children, as you don't trust the medium and those who are in habit that medium. So avoid the haram. And also you have to avoid the harmful. That does not look like It's haram, but it should be an IS.
So those who gossip
or spread secrets, talk about scandals, or prank other people, pranks, by the way, where you go and you demean others, make fun of them, lie to them. Any content that is based on lies is not one that is supposed to be halal. And the problem with it is that you may say, well, it's fun to watch. And I can agree with you that it's fun to watch. But I want you to understand the consequences of watching something like that.
First, you're supporting that content, right? That the person who is engaged in that type of foolishness is doing it because of yours. And the more that you've used, the more that he gets what he wants. And then the more that he is going to repeat that project because he says people are interested in this. So if you watch your supporter of that foolishness,
that's one
second of all,
they say that Majelis will hum car to refill hunk.
He says sitting with idiots breeds idiocy.
That is if you sitting around idiots you become yourself an idiot. And the car if the opposite of that is true. If you're sitting around the wise you yourself will become what? Wise. So if you're listening to someone who's an idiot, doing idiot things, your vocabulary, your behavior, your reactions, what you see as funny and what is not changes. Because you put yourself with the foolish in time, you will become foolish as much as they are.
But if you sit next to the wise, you will absorb their words, their sentences, their thinking their behavior, and you will become wise like them. So now you're actually making a choice. If you're with the idiots, you're an idiot. So the spread of idiocy today in society is because of what in part because of the spread of idiocy online. The consumption of that idiocy.
So stay away from it to preserve your sanity. And subhanAllah it was it had become so extreme that there are people for the sake of content and views, they will go and harass other people insult other people simply because they get a reaction.
And that is a collapse of society. If we allow this to happen, you have to boycott those people. For Allah sake, and for your sake and for society's sake.
A couple of other points insha Allah before we finish the first hotbar is to say this engage on those platforms from speaking and talking to the opposite *.
Because it's not happening in real life, people might take it easy. I can talk to her, I can talk to him, we could joke we could exchange this and that. But understand that when the walls come down in the virtual world, they were coming down in the real world as well. And when you do this, you will start developing feelings and attraction for that person, even if the only thing that they give you is just a thumbs up. Oh, she did this because she likes me He did this because he likes me. The shaytaan is there. And if you allow this to happen, it will grow into something that you will hate very much later on.
So disengage from it and only talk if there is absolute need with limitations and immediately disengage from that conversation. Once there is no need for it.
And social media is not a place for love. It's not a place for finding love.
Someone may be on social media and they want to catfish you they want to scam you and you are being very vulnerable. Because you are looking for someone to love you you are looking for approval. So someone who starts expressing his love, his admiration, his praise, and you get so attracted to them that they can start taking advantage of you in so many ways and there are so many stories like that. If there there is kind of like a hey,
point of attraction, a hint of a connection. You take this to your family I'm talking here whether you are male or female, because even as a male you need the protection of your family around you so that you don't get deceived. You bring it to the open. Everybody knows about this and follows the channels of Islam. But online that is not a place for seeking love or not a place for finding love.
Oh, look, holy ha That was the hula hula you wanna confessed?
hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen Hamdan cathedra and even with our confy who also li wa salam, O Allah rasool Allah Muhammad wa ala early he also happy he was salam
Aloha mai Now let the critical issue critical has Neva tick.
If you're going to produce not simply just consume but produce something online.
First of all, you have to know that you must have an intention as well. And it must be pleasing to Allah azza wa jal min Cara you Amelia he will do me a favor the UK will hire smoke the one who believes in Allah and then the last day you either say hey what is good or you be quiet? So before you write something, come and share whatever you are going to do online. Ask yourself, is this higher or not? If it is higher, proceed with Allah's help and guidance? If not, then stop. If you're in doubt, then stop until you know.
So you must have an intention and know that Allah azza wa jal will ask you, as he asked you about what you say will ask you about what you write every letter, every word that you write, and it has consequences. And it's not simply because we don't see these consequences in real life that they have no consequences. They do. You say the wrong thing in front of a person in real life they could punch you you could see the consequence. When you see it online, you be feel that you are detached, but you are not detached from Allah azza wa jal, first of all, in his observation, second, you could severely harm other people by what you say. You may not see it, but they have to live with your
comment live with what you're sharing. So you have to be responsible if you're going to say something.
And you have to also keep in mind that you shouldn't seek fame and wealth through Baghdad participation. You know, you don't want to become an influencer.
Why? Because first, seeking fame in Islam is discouraged on its own.
In Allah, your hip will update taka yell Vani yell coffee, he said Daddy is Salatu was Salam o Allah azza wa jal. He loves His servant to be what? Turkey has Taqwa? Rani Richard Hart, and Kofi anonymous. Meaning he doesn't seek fame, he doesn't seek recognition, he doesn't seek phrase, what is threa except doing things for the sake of people and their eyes and their praise. So you cannot do you cannot publish simply for the sake of likes, simply for the sake of us. This is not for Allah azza wa jal. This is for the dunya. And this is very pernicious, very pernicious when you tie yourself and your production and you sell forth to people likes and dislikes to what they will say
about you, that is in fact becomes a disease in time.
You're not the influencer. They are you're being influenced. You're being shaped your followers, your viewers, the advertisers and the platform is changing you with every post, you don't see it, but it's happening.
So you have to be strong enough and say, I'm above
likes and dislikes, or number of views, or followers.
I'm above that. So I'm not seeking fame. Do the best and ask Allah for the best and don't also seek money thinking that you're going to be rich doing all of this because think about it. Where does that money come from? Advertisers products
is this halal? When you're looking at most advertisement, is this halal? Because it's being they're paying you because of that the products are they halal. So when the you receive this money with suspicious
origins would you be able to use it will not this be tainted?
So this is not a halal source of income. And this is not a medium for you as we said to find admiration and love and praise and self worth. It is very diseased
post whatever you want to post for Allah sake, or if it's beneficial in worldly terms, but then disengage and don't let it dictate who you are. Don't let it change you. And if you find yourself becoming more superficial,
more obsessed with your body and appearance and what you are wearing
What's your driving more obsessed with the duniya and the House and the car and the brand? More obsessed with your body? How thin how fat you are, how tall? How, how fair how dark you are. If you find yourself increasingly depressed because of it, if you find yourself, comparing yourself to other people, and it's causing you and your family harms because of that, then know that this is toxic. Your time on that platform is very toxic, it doesn't help you. So again, disengage from all of that, and spend your time on things that please Allah azza wa jal and actually help you and benefit you. What is the advantage of spending five hours or so on a medium after which you feel
worse about yourself and about your family? versus doing something for two and three hours in the house of Allah azza wa jal in the gym running, exercising, developing a hobby that makes you feel a lot better about yourself. And then Amazon Allah azza wa jal, why are we trapped by these platforms, and all don't see an alternative to them.
And also don't live online.
Some some of us actually live online today, I went here today I ate that today, we're going to travel here and ask yourself, Is this really beneficial knowledge? When I see a picture of what you ate, for lunch or dinner? This is beneficial in any way? And if it's not beneficial, why share it?
Why share it? Why do I need to know that? And know that this is harmful? harmful? In many ways, one, those who don't have what you have? What are we supposed to do with your accomplishments? And your successes and the food? And the destinations you're traveling to? What are they supposed to do with that information? Feel bad?
Second of all, don't you think that you actually easily could be envied because of these things?
Are you so cavalier about hasit? You don't really care about any of that.
Second of all, do you want to just share the herds obsession with food, with travel with the dunya you don't have anything better to say no better contribution, you just doing what everybody is doing? Everybody's dances, the trends, everybody dance. When someone starts a trend, everybody dances, somebody tries to rank everybody does it. That's a herd mentality. Like animals, they all move the same direction, do the same thing. You don't have something unique to say something beneficial to say. So don't share your life on social media. Don't live on social media. And for sisters also emphasize that even more. So. Even if you are wearing hijab,
even if you are wearing niqab don't take a picture of yourself and post it on social media.
Don't do that. And some sisters put their picture out there for their profile. They take their picture put it for their profile. They say no. You see why? They say when you present a picture to anybody what you're asking them to do.
To look at it right? That's the normal reaction. Or they should look the other way. Yes, we should look the other way. But you're presenting every single male on the planet with the opportunity to look at your face. Why do we need to say that? Do we need to see it? We don't need to see it. So even if you are wearing niqab I would say no because why? Because they could look where your eyes
oh, she looks like this and that? Why the speculation why what why is it needed? And if she's wearing hijab, all your faces being exposed most of your Zener is in your face and some sisters May Allah guide them the post with makeup on.
Even if you don't have makeup on even if not your zine or your beauty is in your face. And you're telling us to do and look at your face constantly.
And you know what people could do with pictures today? Right? How they can manipulate pictures today. Especially with AI you want your picture to be manipulated like that. So preserve your integrity, your your higher as a woman and as a male as well and only share what is needed.
So may Allah azza wa jal or hamara hai mera Bella Bella Mia and there's more that can be said but I hope inshallah this can be a reminder for all of us just to actually take few steps back and assess what we have been watching and what we have been posting. May Allah azza wa jal rabbil, Alameen or hamara Hemi and guide us to what he loves and give us the strength and power to stay away from what he hates. Yeah, Allah Allah Allah Allah mean makers of those who say and do what is pleasing to you. And stay away from what is displeasing to you. Make us herbal Allah mean of those who use their life and things that are beneficial, and stay away from the harmful make us herbal Alameen of those who
hear the best of advice and follow it and hear and hear about the worst of advice and hear about the worst of things and avoid it was terrible Alameen to make us of the people of Ghana and out of the people of
hellfire, you ask you allow me to forgive us all of our sins, the sins of the eyes and the ears and the hearts era but Al Amin, we asked you to forgive our parents forgive our spouses, their children, and the OMA Muhammad Ali his Salatu was Salam Aloha Marina for dunya Hassan Orfila karate Hassan Okinawa na la miam kaliber Cordoba Bitclub Anna Anna de Nicola may also refer Kulu Bizzarri Fluvanna alata Arctic Aloha Marina de Chiricahua Shoukry Ko office near Ebert attic. Yo Yo yaka UN will be automatic en esta leave us la Helena shenana kula what are the kin Ilan fusina Tata I welcome you sir.