Being a Muslim on Facebook?
Written by : MoodyGuyBeing a Muslim in today’s modern world has become a struggle for lots of people. They often get to hear various reasons from individuals who would try to make everything morally correct despite it having all the features of something one should stay away from. Ofcourse everything has its downside when used excessively and Facebook is no exception.
But what is it about Facebook that is turning our Muslim friends more and more onto this network and away from the teachings of Islam. What we are doing on Facebook has a lot to do with the kind of mindset we have when we use the platform in the first place.
Idea behind Facebook
Facebook is an amazing platform with countless people as members from all walks of life. When that is said, that’s exactly what makes it a platform that can also harm your faith as a Muslim if you use it for the wrong reasons. Facebook has the basic idea of growing your network with as many friends as possible that you might know personally. But that is not how it’s used, currently people might have hundreds and thousands of «friends» they never met or never will.
The human nature
We humans are made up such that when someone appreciates something about us we want to do more of it, and in this case I am referring to pictures being uploaded by our very own Muslim sisters and brothers that sometimes are even more «modern» than non Muslim members of Facebook.
First we have to keep in mind that being a Muslim we have to follow what our Propet Muhammed PBUH taught us about modesty, and keeping safe from the opposite gender. As he said that when a man and woman are alone, satan is always there. And so true is that. We often see the reality in this whole thing when we see various heartbreaks and non Islamic relationships blooming from one Facebook status to the other.
Pictures and the intention behind uploading them
Those sisters who wear the hijab, need to first respect the very reason behind it. It’s to stay covered and protect onself from the opposite gender. Are we clear on that? Ok, secondly if you are posting your face on Facebook and enjoy na-mehram people clicking on «like», then ask yourself if the purpose behind your hijaab is being served or not. Is such action something our Prophet Muhammed PBUH would have liked. You know the answer very well.
The other kind of Muslim sisters we have on Facebook are those that feel the need to have the opposite gender’s approval when it comes to their looks or their «model like features». The more nice comments they get their ego and camera clicks even more spitting out more pictures. They don’t really see that Satan is winning everytime a female picture is liked by a na-mehram guy (na-mehram is a person who the female CAN get married to, parents and brothers aren’t na-mehram).
Consider this scenario:-
You are outside with your parents. A guy walks past and whistles at you and says «hey beautiful, you are looking so cute». Then after a few minutes another guy walks past saying «lovely girl you are» and so on. Would you consider that morally and ethically acceptable? How is posting a picture on Facebook and having guys do just the same thing any different?
If you stood next to such a girl outside who is being vowed and whistled upon by guys would you consider such a girl someone you would vouch for if you ever had the chance to talk about her being a modest Muslim girl? And what about you Muslim guys, would you allow any guy to talk to your sister in the way you comment on other Muslim sister statuses and pictures?
Can Facebook be dangerous to my Imaan as a Muslim?
Most of us Muslims on Facebook don’t consider keeping a time limit on our usage. But when spending countless hours on Facebook becomes a very normal thing that’s when we are at loss. We might miss out on our prayers, and quality time with our family. Remember that family is a very important institution in Islam and the rights and duties one has on their family outweigh a lot of things in our daily lives. That’s the beauty of Islam, it touches each part of our life.
As a Muslim remember the following things when you are on Facebook!
- Are you using Facebook to spread the message of Islam and peace or just using it to chit chat and backbiting about your friends in school, work of family? Remember backbiting is the act of satan and no backbiter will enter heaven. It’s in the Quran.
- Are you uploading your images being aware that your pictures CAN be misused like thousands of girls who have no idea how their pictures ended up on various dating sites? Are you willing to take the chance?
- Are you really that «moderate» as a Muslim that the teachings of Prophet Muhammed PBUH about keeping yourself safe from the opposite gender mean nothing because in your view «your intentions are not bad». It’s not about intentions, as I mentioned before it’s about the way the whole network platform is built up. It’s to promote as much gender connections as possible.
- Is your Facebook usage really benefiting you as a Muslim and if it isn’t do you realize the very reason why you are in this world? For the average life of around 50 – 70 years we spend countless years to succeed in a worldly position of either an engineer , a doctor or anything for that matter to feed our family and sadly our ego.
Remember one very important thing that performing the five time prayer is not going to benefit Allah because as a Muslim we believe that everything is praising his day in day out so the prayers are for your own good. If you believe in Allah, his Prophet and the Holy Quran then isn’t believing in the Heavens and Hell also something to keep in mind? Do you really think that we will enter the heavens on the basis of how many friends we had on Facebook and how much time we wasted on such platforms that made us lose our prayers? Do you remember that the first question in the grave will be about the prayers? What will you say?
We HAVE to make a choice now. We either use the things we are blessed with in a modest Islamic manner or ask ourselves if we really don’t want Jannah as our final destination.
Satan did promise Allah that he will sway all mankind into everything bad and Allah responded that his people will stay on the right path no matter how much he tries. Ask yourself if you are keeping Satan happy or the Allmighty who blessed you with the senses that allow you to see this beautiful world he made just for you and I.
Do you have any idea of how many breaths you have left in you before your soul departs your body? Because my dear brothers and sisters.. I don’t!
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Peaceful