OUR days are tickling with unending material concerns. Our nights become day light to surf the Internet, especially the social media into the mid night only to sleep off in the other half after we have been fatigued without any spiritual consciousness. We are living the reality of surah al –Asr (Q103). Our days are fast declining and our nights are deteriorating. 

Social media networks appear to be the most trying technology in the modern times. There is no aspect of life of the youths especially it has not affected. It is an unstoppable hurricane.

Children or students are at the cross road. They have become obsessed and immersed in this mire. There is a strong bond between them and the Internet. This is really the time when time has no value. This is the time when time flies fastest. The value which time teaches is extinct. With the fingertips of our youths on the mobile phones, nights and days have been fused into one. At the stillness of the night which the Qur’aan describes as “…layla libaasan…nawmakum. subaatan” (night as a covering and sleep as rest), our youths are on different websites to deform their characters. Only Allah (SWT) can tell when last they say the prayers before sleep or recite recommended surahs before sleep. Inside the masjid (mosque), one ought to enjoy the serenity of being in communion with Allah (SWT) but there is a heavy spiritual traffic jam caused by our various mobile phones in our pockets or fronts vibrating or ringing in their different melodies. After Salaat , time for Istighfaar and Tasbeeh is further disrupted by immediately checking our missed calls or messages on WhatsApp or text messages.



During sermons or lectures, we are physically present with our minds on our mobile phones surfing the Internet, while our fingers are busy pressing the buttons.

One of the greatest values that have slipped off our fingers is that of time consciousness and utilisation. Our appointments and schedules suffer its absence. We fix time for programme but always start behind schedule.  We go and end late.  Organisers get set after schedule. Lecturers come late knowing full well that the programme cannot start to time.  The invitees saunter in very late but feel no remorse of their injustice to time.

Our time flies like a whirlwind but we never know on what we spend it. Our lives are now regulated by the Internet. We pay it obeisance as if it is god. Our precious times are devoted to it. The psyche of e-mail, e-book, e-examination, etc is pushing us to e-Salaat , e-tilawah, e-tahajjud! We hang-out with frivolities and get fed up with spirituality. 

Can we have a momentary reflection? What shall we tell our Lord the day we will meet Him on how we spend our time? Can we confidently account for the time we spend on the Internet as being for Allah (SWT)? Has our use of the Facebook, whatsApp of great success to our soul?

Doubtlessly speaking, Internet and social media are affecting our sense of Dhikr. They deny us the real time and enjoyment of Tahajjud. It is affecting our innocence and morality. It kidnaps children from their parents. It deprives us of natural love and concern.

Its emergence is indeed one of the signs that this world is moving towards its extinction. Time is older than all of us as it keeps changing and passing away. So many things happened many centuries ago which are now antiquated. A lot of creatures – human, animals, birds, – of different kinds existed but now absolutely extinct and referred to as prehistoric. Archaeological studies have revealed a lot in this regard.
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In our not too distant time too, several things that we were used to or knew some years back are now obsolete. When such things are mentioned, children born within the last ten years find it difficult to believe. We are in a moving world. Technology is ever dynamic. We, these days, almost every day witness new phenomena. One of such is the Internet and social media networks. Everywhere in the world is agog of this technology. Most of them have facilitated communication and businesses. Their use appears irresistible. Their evils or even menaces appear to have conquered our moral inclinations. It appears people have become slaves to the Internet. Man has become so bonded with all these social media networks to the extent that his life is incomplete without it. 

This technology means a lot to a Muslim. It is a powerful potent tool to practise and propagate Islaam. It has immensely expanded his knowledge horizon but not without its attendant negative implications. To a level, most average Muslims are confused by the information overload.

The Internet affords him access to unprecedented reference materials on Islaam. But not all materials or websites give correct teaching on Islaam. Non-Muslims do also have websites in the name of Islaam and by it advertently promote their own adulterated version of Islaam. There are also others who are Muslims but still promote extreme or personal opinion on Islaam. In all these situations, only a Muslim grounded in Islamic knowledge can sieve the shaft from the grain. Thus, general Muslims and youths especially have to be guided in this era of legal rulings by different scholars.

Internet today has become a kind of a modern idol. The belief in it is so strong that if possible people will want to be observing Salaat  online! The youths are at the cross road. Social media networks have become the fulcrum of their life. They are descending from a very high sharp mountain. They keep surging forward without hindrance. They are now more devoted to their mobile phones than they are to Allah (SWT). Their days and nights are in the worship of the Internet-god. Nothing in the history of man has been so time-consuming than the Internet. It is a deep and endless ocean within which unskilled youths swim.

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There has emerged the growing tendency of self-promotion. Every individual wants to be seen, wants to be liked. Apart from profile picture, you will see people posting the most ludicrous of their pictures at different postures. Somebody will post his nude posture; another will post when he is eating chicken; another will post his new attire. This leads to show-off and promotion of self. It affects pure thinking of naturally doing things for social progress. Of course, this posting allows false representation and deception.

Through the Internet or use of mobile phones, falsehood or lying is glamorously promoted. People tell what they are not. People lie to deceive and cover up. Lying through the mobile phones has been institutionalised as it is easier to be inside your room and deceive the one in the next door. The heart tends not to feel guilty telling such lies. The Internet, use of mobile phones and social media networks have drastically reduced physical contact and reduced it to artificial or meeting behind the screen. It has removed our humanity with all its feelings, love and concern and replaced it with machine–relationship. We no longer think as humans but as machines.

Internet lacks spiritual and moral essence. It is a technology without soul. It brings men of soul and deprives them of its nature. Fake news, propaganda and make-belief find comfortable support on the social media. It takes the critical mind to sieve information. Personalities are easily damaged via the Internet. People’s minds are so at peace posting untrue, fabricated information or news about death, events, and the like. 

Another great disturbing effect of the social media is the “forwarding syndrome”. It is really a murder of intellectualism and originality. Some have become specialists in forwarding just any message. Any information, message, news is ready for onward transfer without confirming the authenticity or otherwise. Only Allah (SWT) can tell what damage this has done. A lot of people have been led in error to act against the normal. There have been cases when a Muslim will forward content with bias to Islaam.

Plagiarism is real on the Internet. Many higher Institution students’ assignments, researches or projects are nothing but glorified copied work of others’ thought. A few minutes of Google or yahoo search will complete a student’s project. 

The moral realm of the Internet via its multi-faceted platforms is calamitous. Unprintable words describing the private human organ is no more a taboo! Posting of sexual affairs, deep romance, etc has become normal. Dating or getting lovers is for free on the Internet. Cases abound on Facebook lovers. The spirit of love on the Internet is really magnetic and demonic. 

How about the distraction the Internet causes for young students in schools. Their times and minds are on the Internet while their physical bodies are in the class. The unfortunate sweating, screaming teacher is talking to himself while the learners are on the Internet. A lot that could add value to a student’s learning are on the Internet but they rather prefer other ones that will give them sensual satisfaction. 

The emergence of mobile phones shortens the road to love making. It connects so fast, bonds so easily, fixes appointment without stress, deepens love feeling and leads to sexual satisfaction. Youths become conditioned to a pattern of behaviour. It changes their character in school and at home. It promotes a life of pleasure instead of that of scholarship and modesty. 

A Muslim child is not left out in this situation. His ear pieces are handy, glued to his ears and his fingers on the buttons of his mobile phone. His heart and mind are far from his Creator. His Tilaawah suffers because he has to be on the Internet 24/7. His Salaat  has become feeble because he enters through checking his last message on whatsApp/facebook/twitter, hurriedly observes it and returns to the Internet. His mind for Dhikr is disrupted because a lot of information via the Internet has saturated him. The few suwar of the Qur’aan he memorises have slipped off. Thought for hifsul-Qur’aan has no room in his mind. Tahajjud is difficult because he will be on the Internet till the stillness of the night and wake up late. You can ask him when last he held an Islamic literature in his hand!

The son of a scholar is becoming an ignoramus. The daughter of the missionary mother is becoming a laggard. There arises confusion in the home of Islaam. Parents go to the mosque, children go the Internet, even when they are in the mosque, mothers cry seeing the lifestyle of their daughters; the latter laugh at the extremism of their mother!

The future of Islaam is here, we need not go far. We are reaping the fruit of our failure as parents because of our material engagements. The coast is murky, the cloud is intense and the future appears bleak.

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If our children, while we have not even died, are not showing satisfactory sign of being our future hope. Then, what becomes of their own progenies?  The wilderness of Internet is really thick. Enlightenment should start early enough to guide these children. Denial or non-use will not solve the problem.

This menace could be tacked by first putting Allah (SWT) first. Do always fervently supplicate that He should protect you from the evils of the Internet and all that transpire on it. Do consciously watch the time you spend on the Internet, mobile phone or social media. Consider Allah (SWT) first. Detach yourself from your mobile phone. Do at times keep it away from your days, dump it at home and live a life free from it. No amount of sermon can stop you from being on the Internet or social media. But you can help yourself by realising that Allah (SWT) is ar-Raqeeb. You believe that He is watching over you. Wherever you stay or find yourself, He is watching your time and activities. This consciousness of Allah’s presence can limit your excesses or immoral acts via the mobile phone or social media.

Your thinking of Allah (SWT) as al-Baseer can also prevent you from reading or sending unprintable messages. You believe He sees you immediately as you are about composing the love messages. Your thinking of Allah (SWT) as as-Samii cautions what you say or listen to. The air waves which carry the talks is within His purview and control. The two ends at which you are discussing are not hidden from Him. He knows where all of you are. Deleting your post or message is for you but permanent in His record. He is al-Muhsii who counts how many times you have involved in such. Why even go too far? The brains behind the Internet have a central control of keeping all messages in their box.

Two other names you can recall are al-Aliim and al-Muntaqim. The first signifies that Allah’s knowledge encompasses all that you do, where you do it and how it is done. The second calls to mind the power of Allah (SWT) to punish you anyway He likes. No one dares Allah’s punishments. All that you use are His. The bodily parts you use could be taken away by him. He could paralise the hand with which you act or any other part for that matter.

So, we must see the Internet, mobile phone and social media networks as the trials of our time. It affects us all but differently. It corrupts our eyes, ears, brains and hearts except those whom Allah (SWT) saves. Each soul surely knows how it pains or affects it. A believer cannot keep living in sin. As soon as the light of guidance shines on his heart, he must turn in repentance to Allah (SWT) and mend his ways.

Corruption of the soul is the deadliest danger to human existence. The Internet has indeed negatively affected our human moral essence. Let us all return to our Lord. We can all mend our ways. Let us stop cascading in the ditch of destruction.

Let us restore the value of our soul. The Qur’aan says:

“ Then,  He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him; indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself; and indeed He fails who corrupts his ownself  (Q91:8 – 10)

 

Every soul knows the extent it has gone in staining its purity through the Internet. Recall yourself to Allah (SWT). It is indeed a big trial of our time which shaytaan is using to weaken our spiritual potency. Eyes that have become obsessed in watching pornographic material cannot see good in virtue. The mind that is amorously sexy cannot enjoy the ecstasy of Dhikr. The heart that is religiously devoted to the social media network cannot experience the tranquillity of the heart. 

This trial should be treated like a cancer. Desperate and enlightened effort must be made to treat it. This trial is the subject matter of Q103: 1 – 3:

“By the time;  Verily! man is in loss;  except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the Truth and recommend one another to patience.” 

The solutions are clear; restoring our unflinching faith in Allah (SWT) as the All-seeing and All –knowing of our affairs; treading the path of doing good deeds via our conscious observance of the salawaat, reading the Qur’aan, observing Tahajjud, spending all our time on rewardable things; continuous calling our attention to the truth about this life and the Hereafter; and enjoying ourselves to patience as an indispensible tool to overcome the trial. This patience will mean that we will please Allah (SWT) by restraining ourselves from the evils of Internet which others have fallen in



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