Mufti Menk – Islam and Social Media

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			Salatu was Salam O Allah, Allah, Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi
		

			always we praise Allah subhanho wa Taala we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam May peace be upon him, his entire household, all his companions and all those who
have struggled through the generations, in a way that today we are seated here, we thank Allah
subhanho wa Taala for it. And indeed We are greatly blessed my brothers and sisters, seeing that the
time is quite short, I will dive straight into the topic is learn and social media. If you take a
look at the definition of social media, you will find that it is the interaction amongst people in
which they create, share or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. And
		

			if you take a look at Islam, Islam, appreciates and welcomes all forms of advancement for as long as
it does not go against the teachings of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and what Allah subhanho
wa Taala has revealed. So in a nutshell, we as Muslims, our mission is to learn to put into practice
and to convey and as for the medium of conveying, we need to use whatever is at our disposal, to
convey the beautiful message so that the whole world can taste the piece that we are enjoying, and
we thank Allah for granting us the beautiful example of Muhammad May peace be upon him when it comes
to this and this is why my brothers and sisters if you take a look at the time of Muhammad, peace be
		

			upon him. Most of the people were unlettered, Allah says in the Quran.
		

			Allah says, It is he who sent an unlimited a messenger who was unlettered amongst the unlettered
which means the bulk of these people were Unlimited, they used to rely on memory, so much so that
they knew the lineage of their cameras going back seven generations. You know, I sit and I think of
this, I don't even know my own lineage, seven generations going back. And I don't think most of us
99% of us would probably not even know their lineage. So this is the type of technology they had.
They rely on their own mind. They had powerful memories. They were poets, they were eloquent. But at
that time, when the message was to be delivered to the leaders of the globe, Muhammad sallallahu
		

			alayhi wasallam chose to write the message to get those who will write it on his behalf because he
was unlettered. So from the few who are educated, he told them what to write Bismillah Ar Rahman AR
Rahim, and so on, and he sent the message all across. So this shows us that he used something that
was not the norm in his own area, because he had to get the message across so much so that when this
message was to be delivered to the Romans, the Sahaba informed him that you know what, they're not
going to read what you have sent, because they doesn't have a seal, it needs an official seal.
Immediately, he said, okay, let us get the seal. Let us make sure that we see that letter, he did
		

			not say Oh, that is their style, which is their method. Let's not use it, because what was at stake
was guidance, what was at stake was the message itself, it had to be sent. And the reason why I
stopped this way is because today we find ourselves with technology advancing in leaps and bounds if
I am not going to use that technology, and you are not going to use it positively, then it will be
used in a disruptive manner in order to promote that which is incorrect, right, which is invalid,
and that which will earn the Wrath of Allah subhanho wa Taala. Perhaps * away the piece from
our lives. So we have all come to the agreement that it is permissible and in fact, it is necessary
		

			for us to make use of whatever the latest technology is, in order to beam the message of peace
across the globe. The problem is, if you are to read statistics, you will find that these social
networking sites and the social media is the cause of the snatching away of the peace of a lot of
people you find why it's complaining. You find husbands complaining children complain, they are
orphans, orphans, why
		

			Social media offers it means mum is busy with her phone, dad is busy with his. And why we say phone
is because although it includes the internet at large, the phone and the mobile has become the
device of the age. So much so that the s5 before it came up, we had already ordered some of these
phones. And if I were to tell you the six is almost on its way, you will probably Google it and find
out in a few minutes what's happening. Now Allah subhanho wa Taala grant is understanding of the
power of this technology so it has swept the whole globe. Remember it governs how to use it, it's
like a knife, you can use the knife to chop up your meat so that you can cook it in proper Mashallah
		

			little cubes that I enjoy eating as well, you know, which are cooked beautifully and soft and tender
when you chewing them. Or you can actually use it in a wrong way a knife can be used as a weapon. It
depends how the person uses it, and Islam says use it in the correct way. Make sure that you use it
in the proper way so that the day I meet with my maker who is the source of all peace, I will get
from amongst those who have who has not left the single stone unturned in trying to reach out to the
people in a beautiful way. So how did I make use of the social networks that were at my disposal,
you take a careful look at technology.
		

			on many different forms. You have the social media for example, there are magazines, the internet
forums, web blogs, the blogs, the social blogs, micro blogging, the wikis, social networks,
podcasts, photos, videos, the ratings, social books, and so many other things that you may actually
have
		

			not only the ability to source, but even to be a part of its making our creation. So make sure that
you have used it in the correct way. And this is how Allah subhanho wa Taala will bless you and I in
this world and the next if you take a look at the word social.
		

			Islam has indeed given a very great importance to social interaction, but within limits and for the
right reasons. If you look at
		

			the congregational prayer,
		

			that Salah in congregation is better than Salah read individually, then 27 times 25 times it means
so many fold more. The reason is that interaction you meet the people who smile at them, the
physical meeting is far more important than anything else. And the social networking if we were to
take the internet out of it and make it physical than Islam has promoted it from the very beginning.
You have for example, the Juma that is compulsory upon us. As Muslim men we need to know that that
is a gathering the EAD is a gathering It is something important to go out to visit the stick is
highly rewarding. Today, you can just send a WhatsApp message and say, you know what I heard you are
		

			unwell, I am praying for you and so on. And do you know that you will get a similar reward if the
person is far away, you would have visited them have they been near but because of your busy
schedule or whatever else it is, you are only able to message them so you have a beautiful, I always
say that there was a time when we could invite one person, you know, I can talk to you interact with
you, brother, this is the goodness this is what it is. This is the piece. This is what Islam is all
about. Or, you know, I can share some good moments with one person, two people, perhaps a group of
people whereas Allah subhanho wa Taala has made it so easy for us to earn a huge reward just by the
		

			touch of a button. Let's ask ourselves, are we doing that? Or are we earning the wrath of the
Almighty by the touch of the same button
		

			because in the same way that I can press, just some knob on my phone or a little, perhaps part of my
touchscreen as it is today. And I can reach out to hundreds of millions of people with the correct
message. I can do the same with the bad message. So ask yourself, Allah has made it easy for you to
earn reward, pack as many rewards as possible before you meet with Allah subhanho wa Taala my
brothers and sisters, it's extremely important to know to know that this social interaction in Islam
is definitely an act of worship if it is done correctly. And this is when it comes to the physical
relation. You know to spend time with your parents and with your children and so on is extremely
		

			important. If you've gone away somewhere further away from home. How many messages do you send home?
How many WhatsApp messages do you send home? Do you Skype your children? It's a question but we are
quick to use all that when it comes to wrong sometimes because the devil is also as powerful.
Remember, * is something that will destroy your peace. It is something that might be your
last that is inside but as a result the
		

			cactus that grows around your heart is so huge because it snatches away peace, so therefore stay
away from it.
		

			And worse than actually engaging in perhaps looking at something derogatory is to forward it to
others just as a joke. And this is where Islam comes in my brothers and sisters.
		

			Whoever sets a bad example, whoever has started a bad trend, they will have, they will bear the
burden of it and the burden of everyone else as a result, who has been affected by it or who drops
into it up to the last day, and that would be not decreasing the burden from any one of them. And
this is something very dangerous. So remember, do not just forward something that is perhaps
*, something that is bad, something racist, something of the nature where we are earning
the anger of Allah or we It is something sinful, because click of the button could mean great
detrimental to us, it could mean great destruction to us, we ask Allah subhanho wa Taala to save us,
		

			it is something extremely important.
		

			Also, what Islam has done is it has given us rules and regulations regarding so many things, you
know, if I have to have, for example, a Twitter handle or a Facebook page, or for example, on
Instagram, WhatsApp, BBM, whatever else it is, the first thing I need to do is choose a name and a
profile. It is extremely important as muslimeen the bearers of peace that you choose a profile
befitting whom you really are in terms of your link with a lot, because sometimes it is these
profiles that are made in such a way that automatically they be a lot of *, a lot of
negativity, and as a result, what will happen to our inner and outer peace, what will happen to the
		

			peace of this world and, and be honest with yourself, you know, sometimes people want to hide, so
they create a profile with a dubious name. And this brings me to the point I wanted to raise people
are on social networks for different reasons, some are there to spread goodness, others are there
just to have fun, and some are there to con you and to do you and others are there just to abuse
you. So we can let us not be from amongst those who are doing wrong. Let us be from amongst those
who are there in order to maintain perhaps our family ties, perhaps to find out what's happening to
our friends in a beautiful way. And to spread the message of goodness whenever we have a chance and
		

			in whatever way we can for as long as it is thought of quite clearly. And it is the best chosen
method as Allah subhanho wa Taala says
		

			when you call towards the path of the Almighty choose the most wise of all methods. And when you
engage people in discussion, make sure it is the most powerful or the best of ways. So this would
apply even when we are interacting with one another when it comes to the social networking and so
on. The difficulty we have after we've created a profile we have so we choose friends, we allow
friends and people befriend us, the type of friends you choose extremely important, it will shape
your pc or it will break it. This is why those who have chosen bad friends to kind of protect us all
from that. It is important for us to realize if they're having a bad effect on us and they probably
		

			will, then we need to get ourselves out of that as soon as possible because Allah subhanho wa Taala
speaks about it in the Quran.
		

			Tomorrow, Sunni Sabina
		

			Adina
		

			any
		

			beautiful verses of surah Allah speaks of the one who will regret because of his bad company and he
will say oh, I hope I had taken the path that the messenger has taught. And I hope I did not have so
and so as a friend of mine, because he has led me astray after the goodness was made manifest to me.
How can that happen? So make sure even your online friends are those who are people reminding you of
goodness and turning you away from that which is bad for you. If they encourage you to do something
bad you need to take a step back. And you need to ask yourself what am I doing to help him May Allah
subhanho wa Taala use us to help
		

			Another very important aspect after speaking about the type of friends, extremely important for us
to know the character, the language we use the type of person we portray ourselves or we come across
as, and the type of comments we make when it comes to other people's perhaps pages or Twitter
accounts, handles and so on the type of comments we make, we need to carefully think of them.
Remember one thing these comments will last forever and ever. Not like a long time ago, you make a
mistake. And you can just say I'm sorry to the person you made a mistake towards but now it will be
across the whole globe being retweeted and shared and perhaps multiplied so many times before you
		

			know it, the whole world has been affected by your mischief or deed, we don't want that to happen.
We'd rather be from amongst those who can use that for peace and that to inshallah encourage people
to do that which is
		

			extremely important. The time and the limitations that I spend
		

			on these social networks, and the social media and so on. Allah subhanho wa Taala has taught us to
be mindful of time Look at what Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says, He says
		

			there are two gifts of Allah that a lot of people have been duped, about. A lot of people are
deceived about what are those two, health, your time, your free time many people you know, you're
healthy and you end up doing all the wrong things not realizing one day your health will go it has
to go. May Allah protect us and make it easy for us on that day. And when we are free, we just waste
the time nowadays. Even when we are engaged in the most important of things, you find something
happening. Very important. And such a big irritation. Do you know how irritating it is? It is so
irritating the most important of issues I may be engaged in. And next thing I find Subhanallah
		

			I'm busy on WhatsApp. such an important event. So many people watching me and I'm busy trying to
		

			that's my phone.
		

			Give me a second. Salam aleikum.
		

			Oh my brother to be honest with you. I am very very busy right now. I'm speaking to 1000s of people.
And you know what? You have to believe me? I don't really have so much time my brother. They're
waiting for me. Each one of them has a minute. My brother, can you call me in about half an hour's
time perhaps?
		

			Can you
		

			it's a very important Okay, mine is more important. Okay. Okay. I'll speak to you later. I'll give
you a call later.
		

			How irritated were you that was planned by me before I came here?
		

			To show you how bad it is how irritating I'm sure some of you must be just
		

			what just happened? It's real life. I'm talking to you reality. My wife is suffering because I'm on
WhatsApp up to three in the morning with some woman whom I'm never going to see perhaps, and I'm
just smiling.
		

			That's what's going on in my home my brother's
		

			social media. Please know the time limitations. Switch off your phone and talk to your wife. Please,
switch off your phone and spend time with your husband. That's all we need. Because we are Muslim,
we have the ingredient of peace. We are here at a beautiful peace conference. We want peace in the
house. If you do not know how to govern your own life, and how to have rules and regulations in your
own life. How on earth is the peace going to emanate through the globe? When in my own home? There
is a disaster because I don't know how to use the internet.
		

			It is the most beautiful gift of Allah. Can I tell you why? We have online lessons where you can
become a strong Muslim. Do you make use of that those those scholars who are teaching you the dean
or any other education you would like to receive it is disciplined. They will tell you 45 minutes,
that's the time they will tell you 20 minutes, that's the time and you will stop at that time but it
is only the social waste of time. Sometimes Sometimes that would actually destroy a marriage. And
remember, I have come across cases where people have gone through divorce and they've gone through
someone else and then they were busy with a third party because it does not
		

			Islam says, discipline yourself inshallah you will be the happiest person in this world. My brothers
and sisters, there is so much to talk about on this beautiful topic. I have already touched on
* I've touched on the disaster of the phone. Yet it is a great gift of Allah. I want to
end because obviously we are restricted for time by reminding you my brothers and sisters, it is
your duty to make sure you are not overtaken by technology in a way that you become enslaved. But
rather stay above it, make sure you use it in the best possible way so that your wife can be so
happy when you come back. home after a day of work, you've sent her 20 messages with flowers and
		

			roses and so on. And your children know that dad loves
		

			them, and even mom so some of the moms are guilty of the same my brothers and sisters This is
something extremely important. We need to know it. I want to end off by saying one thing. Never ever
be duped by emoticons. Do you know what is an emoticon? How many of you have used the term owl owl
when you have not loved at all? Can you please raise your hands? How many of you look at that. How
many of you have used you have not loved we saw the hands. This shows that sometimes these are
actually just a way of calling you do not be conned by the media. Let us make sure
		

			we use for the best for the best to spread goodness and peace to earn rewards to inquire about the
secret and the others to pray for the whole world and to make sure we reach out as best as we can.
Not only to our family members but to one and all metal Atlantis goodness was Allahu wa salam ala
nabina Muhammad