Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I ask Allah to raise the rank of the Prophet ﷺ. I testify that nothing deserves to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the messenger of Allah.
Allah revealed in the honourable Qur`an in Surat At-Tawbah Ayah 105:
وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُوْلُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ وَسَتُرَدُّوْنَ إِلَى عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُوْنَ (105)
This means: [And say to them (O Muhammad), act, for indeed Allah sees your actions, and so will His Messenger and the believers. And you will be brought back to be Judged by Allah, the knower of `al-ghayb (the unseen) and the seen, and He will inform you of what you used to do].
We live in an era of considerable technological and mechanical advancement, whereby such devices have invaded homes, institutions and companies. So much so that the lives of many people, on several fronts, have become closely connected to machines and modern-day technology. To the extent that those who live in the far east could converse with those in the far west, whether in writing or over video communication, as though they are sitting in a single room, despite the vast distances. Also, there is a significant transformation in the means utilised by people on the level of transportation, conversations, media or even trade and manufacturing. Such advancements have not ceased to grow, day-by-day, and we do not know where these technologies, accomplishments, and discoveries will lead to in the future.
Furthermore, if we were to undertake a simple comparison between our present reality and the historical past, we would be genuinely amazed. This is because none of the aforementioned means/platforms were known in the era of the righteous Salaf. Despite that, they were more knowledgeable, pious and experienced in worldly matters as well as being more capable of governing people, safeguarding general interests and protecting countries and citizens. Today, we find that despite these means, we are less capable in regards to the aforementioned. Let alone the fact that a lot of people have become detached from the religion and good manners and took off the robe of righteousness. Therefore, it is clear that machines and technology alone are not sufficient in elevating the state of mankind, neither is technology – in its own right – a sufficient tool for the progression of peoples and nations. Certainly, this does not imply that we are calling people to disregard all technological advancements and scientific achievements. Instead, we call people to work towards benefitting from them and utilising them in whatever benefits the community. Nonetheless, we have found that a lot of people who use different platforms – be it: WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter – they became immersed in them and have gone astray. This is because these platforms have punctured the hearts and minds of our youth and have become an integral part of our homes, as if they are among the essentials of life. [One should evaluate the benefit of something in reference to how it would benefit one for one’s Hereafter].
Today, we have come to witness a generation that is not experienced in earning a livelihood and is not aware of the magnitude of responsibilities that the youth bear. A reason for this is that they only examine life through the lens of the internet and its platforms, and consequently many are not being raised in accordance with the expectations that their parents had. For instance, we notice that people use these platforms for different reasons, with the majority utilising these platforms for no good purpose, which leads to wasting time. On the other hand, others use it to afflict pure harm on individuals, thereby causing a young man or a young girl to easily fall as one of the prey of the devil, who is deprived from any goodness. There are many examples that attest to the levels of corruption, ignorance, loss and deception in this era. It is an era in which many people have fallen for those who plot against the glories of this `Ummah, and this is due to fact that they have been corrupted by some so-called civilisations, in addition to their keen following and misuse of these platforms. As such, many people – particularly the youth – have become addicted to sitting in front of screens, and this, in turn, led them to missing out on important matters. How many people have disregarded the prayers and left out the obligations ordained by Allah, such as obeying one’s parents and maintaining ties with their kin, or other obligations?
Moreover, we have seen many people falling into destruction as a result of the bad company with whom one connects with over the internet. Due to this relationship, they have become immoral and addicted to joining adulterous chatrooms as well as following the news of some prostitutes, let alone the acts of deceit and extortion to steal money or result in dishonour to one’s family. Furthermore, the internet has become the backbone for some extremist organisations who have spread instigating and suspicious calls, resulting in misguiding the youth and attracting them under the designation of jihaad as well as other goals. Some people have gone to join forums that use encrypted messaging to communicate with misguided groups, thus leading the ignorant person to become affected by what these devils cast to him. As a result of this, some were drawn to committing enormous sins or blasphemy, or even playing some harmful games. We have recently witnessed this, particularly with the spread of some electronic games such as “The Blue Whale”[1] or another game by the name of “Mariam”[2]. The simple-minded ones have been deceived by these games, thus becoming captivated by them, rendering them insane and leading them to suicide. We have learned of several suicide cases because of these games in some Arab countries.
In addition to the above, internet addicts have become negligent towards their social lives, as well as disregarding their obligations towards their children, spouses, or parents. Internet addiction also leads to some mental disorders, such as anxiety; due to staying up late and not having sufficient rest for one’s body to function properly. Further to this, we have noticed some of the gravest of dangers, that is numerous people have abandoned religious knowledge sessions and ceased to seek out what would fulfil their religious needs. Instead, now when they need to learn of a religious judgement or understand an Islamic matter they would rush to Google and search on the internet for their religious needs. It is as though these tools have become a righteous witness as to who is reliable in affirming religious fatwas!
Let it be known that many of those whose recordings and responses are at the top of online search results are not only unreliable, but some have never studied religious knowledge and are not qualified to teach. Some of them belie the Qur`an and the Hadeeth by denying the torture of the grave, while other ignorant laymen claim that Prophet Musa, ^alayhis-salaam, was ignorant about his Lord and that he asked `Allah saying, ‘O God, do you sleep?’ Some have claimed that Allah did not create evil, thereby belying the statement: laa `ilaaha `il-lallaah and ascribing a partner to Allah, and another wicked person defended Iblees and claimed that Iblees did not blaspheme, thus belying what Allah revealed in Surat Al-Baqarah (S2) Ayah 34:
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَآئِكَةِ اسْجُدُوْا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوْا إِلَّا إِبْلِيْسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَـانَ مِنَ الْكَـافِرِيْنَ
This means: Allah ordered the angels to prostrate to Adam (out of respect) and they did so, but as for `Iblis, he refused and was arrogant and was of the kafirs.
All of the above statements are documented and confirmed as part of voice recordings. Such statements are clear misguidance and render one outside the Muslim nation.
The above is not but a portion of the great dangers that are brought about through the internet, which evokes us to firmly tackle them through giving advice and raising awareness depending on the need. We should also accustom ourselves and our children not to use these platforms except on a need basis, for a specific time of the day, and in a manner that allows one to dedicate one’s time to other priorities. We should do so in the hope that whoever came up with these platforms will not be able to control us or our offspring – before this evil becomes more severe!
d to be a ‘game’ in which a series of tasks are assigned to players by administrators over a 50-day period, initially innocuous before introducing elements of self-harm and the final challenge requiring the player to commit suicide.
[2] [?A game about a girl living in the Middle East in the 18th century who has a relationship with ghosts.
