Zainub Razvi, Sumaira Dada and Hafsa Ahsan explore the diverse aspects of cyberspace and guide regarding the Islamic rules applying to it.
Cyberspace,
like this world at large, is a delicate testing ground for the
practising Muslim. On the one hand, there are enormous benefits that can
be gained from the wealth of knowledge at one’s disposal via the
information superhighway, but on the other hand, one is exposed to a
murky world of temptations and addictions, which has few parallels in
the real world.
When
Muslims go on the Internet, they either tend to ignore certain aspects
of the Deen, or they feel that Islamic teachings do not apply to
cyberspace at all. This mindset then leads them to do things which they
would never do in real life – after all, it is all virtual isn’t it?
Following are some of the common uses of the Internet, along with how the Islamic teachings apply to each of them.
Chatting
Chatting
today is not just text-based – there is voice chat, video conferencing,
etc. which takes chatting to a whole new level. Fahad Iqbal has coined a
new term for chatting with non-Mahrams - cyber-Khalwa. “When two people
chat, they’re in Khalwa” (i.e., there’s no third person between them
that knows what is going on). “As Muslims we’re required to not be in
Khalwa with non-Mahrams, and if we have to be, for some reason, then
there are strict guidelines that ought to be followed.”
Online,
the hesitation of chatting with the opposite sex is overcome to a large
extent. What is the Islamic guidance in this regard? Dr. Muzammil
Siddiqi, former President of the Islamic Society of North America,
states that Internet chatting is very similar to writing letters or
talking to someone on the phone. Hence, Muslims have to observe the same
rules whilst chatting. Intimate conversations are not allowed. In fact,
it is forbidden for a non-Mahram Muslim male and female to indulge in
long conversations with each other, unless it is necessary for education
or for business.
Chatting
is also very addictive. Time simply whiles away, especially when
discussing any unsuitable topic or wasting too much time in casual
chit-chat. Time for a Muslim, like everything else, is a blessing from
Allah (swt) that he/she will be questioned about on the Day of
Judgement, so it ought to be used wisely.
Sheikh
M. S. Al Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer, says that in chat
rooms a Muslim must be on guard, as he is dealing with a large number
of unknown people. He should boycott the sites of Biddats and not engage
in any discussions on these websites. He also says that the
enthusiastic youth must not engage in matters of which they have little
knowledge. In this regard, Allah’s (swt) words need to be remembered:
“And on the Day of Resurrection, you will see those who lied against
Allah (i.e., attributed to Him sons, partners), their faces will be
black.” (Az-Zumar, 39:60)
Blogging
A
blog is an online diary. In chat rooms, you have a considerable degree
of control over who can interact with you and how. It is much more
complicated if you maintain a blog, which may be regularly read and
commented on by virtually anyone in the world, which includes
non-Mahrams. Hence, writing very personal entries on those blogs must be
avoided, and if possible, blogs must be made private, accessible only
to the blogger’s chosen audience.
Muslim
bloggers also ought to make sure that they do not post unverified
Islamic information, and they should especially think twice before
making any remarks about anyone’s personal attributes or character
traits in their posts.
Those
who leave comments on the blog must be wary of committing grave sins,
such as slander, backbiting and fighting. Muslims should be careful,
because every word they utter will be recorded, even if typed in
cyberspace. As a general rule, we ought to tell ourselves that if we
wouldn’t say something to someone in real life, we ought not to on the
Internet as well.
Social and Professional Networking
Social
networking websites work by asking you to register and set up a profile
page, then allowing you to add people you know, join groups, play
games, take quizzes, put up photos, share links and do a host of other
activities.
Because
these websites ask you to put sensitive information online, it is very
important to know how to use their privacy settings. Failure to use the
right settings can seriously compromise your online privacy, disclosing
your private information to complete strangers and third party companies
without your knowledge. Avoid altogether putting up any private data
that is prone to exploitation, such as your work history, your phone
numbers or residential address. Once again, determine early on where to
draw the line, because social networking is very prone to addiction.
Also,
while there’s certainly no harm in keeping up with friends, it’s
important to define not only who are our ‘friends,’ but also just how
much time we ought to devote to ‘keeping up’ with them, and what
actually constitutes the exercise of this ‘keeping up.’ Indulging too
much into the private lives of others, even if they have put it up for
everyone to see, violates Islamic teachings, which require us to refrain
from spying and being over-curious.
Online Islamic Guidance
While
there is no denying that the Internet is an extremely easy way to
access Islamic literature, it is not the best place to go for ‘Fatwah
hunting’. There are a lot of bogus ‘Islamic’ websites out there, which
do not have authentic scholars and rely on casual Internet users to
compile information they have heard, read or gathered from other online
sources. We must be especially careful not to mistake genuine Islamic
websites run by Dawah organisations with casual Internet message boards
set up by ordinary Muslims, where one may find numerous contentious
Fatwahs and Wazaif, which are often completely without proper
references. Even when using websites claimed to be run by scholars or
genuine organisations, we should do a background check on the particular
school of thought the scholars and/or organisation ascribe to and make
sure that they come from a reliable background.
The Youth Trap
Today,
children as young as 4-5 years old can be seen using the Internet on
their own. Quite a few children have their own email accounts, an
instant messenger ID and social networking account by the time they are
in school. Peer pressure can drive children to all sorts of dangerous
activities online, from the relatively innocuous Internet overuse to
such more serious tendencies as viewing pornographic and other sexually
explicit content.
“Sending
your children on the Internet alone is like sending your kid on the
highway alone,” warns Tasneem Ahmed, a mom of four. Her husband Anwer
Ahmed, a university professor, nicely sums up the needs of online
supervision. “Parents should do their best to be aware of what sites
their kids are visiting and whom they are communicating with. It is very
important for them to have open and frank communication with their
children, without threat of retribution.”
Completely
prohibiting the Internet can backfire, as children can then be more
tempted to taste the forbidden fruit. Sheikh Abdul-Majeed Subh states
that one must teach children the sense of differentiating right from
wrong, instead of enforcing exclusive prohibition. He quotes a Hadeeth
regarding the principle of Ihsan (Perfection) in worship: “To worship
Allah (swt) as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of
devotion, then you must consider that He (swt) is looking at you.”
(Bukhari) Parents also need to educate their children about the fact
that Allah (swt) is looking at them, while they are surfing the net.
Chat
rooms should be strictly off-limits, and parents ought to supervise or
monitor other chatting routines, even if they are sure their kids do not
have any non-Mahrams on their contact lists.
Finding a spouse online
The
use of match-making websites has increased. Are these services
permissible? Dr. Salah Al-Sawy, the Secretary General for the Assembly
of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA), says that if correspondence takes
place with a faithful and honest mediator running the service and
Shariah regulations are observed, then he hopes that it will be
permissible (after all, Allah (swt) knows best).
Direct
correspondence, however, requires a lot of precautions. Nevertheless,
if it is necessary, interaction should be normal, and a trustworthy
third party should be present. Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi states that while
looking for a spouse online, elders or responsible friends should be
involved in investigating or negotiating on one’s behalf.
The Final Word
Ultimately,
whatever the medium, be it blogs, social networking websites, instant
messengers, email, Muslim merchandise websites or Islamic information
portals, whether their harms outweigh their benefits depends on how we
use them. So like in all our other daily activities, the reward or sin
for our actions online too will be judged based on our intentions for
engaging in those activities.
Every click is recorded!
While
one is sitting on the Internet, it is very easy to get lost in the
numerous activities. There are simply too many websites to visit, too
many emails to read and too many friends to keep up with on social
networking websites. At times like these, it is imperative for Muslims
to remember that every click of the mouse is being recorded and will
have to be accounted for on the Day of Judgement. Hence, wastage of time
in useless activities must be avoided, and each click must serve some
constructive purpose.
The Constructive Clicks
What can one do to serve their Deen in cyberspace? Here are some quick suggestions:
1) Make
your status messages on social networking websites meaningful – you can
write a short Ayah or Hadeeth, or simply something informative.
2) Provide links to Islamic websites, which have authentic information.
3) Pledge
to send a daily or weekly email to all your contacts – again, with some
meaningful information pertaining to how Deen can be practiced in daily
life.
4) Stay away from all controversial arguments on non-issues – they waste your time as well as that of others.
5) If you maintain your own blog, use it to propagate the true face of Islam. Write meaningful posts.
6) Educate yourself – visit authentic Islamic websites and learn more about Islam.
7) Join websites as a link manager, and add quality Islamic website to search engine directories.
The Useless Clicks
What activities do NOT serve the Deen in cyberspace, though they seem to do so? Here are a few:
1) Useless arguments on controversial issues, which do not have any purpose.
2) Hacking anti-Islamic websites – it is always best to promote Islamic websites than to hack the opposing ones.
3) Chatting with the opposite sex on the pretext of preaching Deen to them.
4) Being careless while posting Islamic information – even the slightest slip can cause a widespread Fitnah.
What is Cyberspace?
The
Internet has aptly defined “cyberspace” as “a computer network
consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks” and “a world of
information through the Internet.” In layman terms, when you are on the
Internet, connected to the world through your computer, laptop, cell
phone or any other gadget, you are in cyberspace.
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