السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
It’s Sunday 19th April 2020. Today, I wanted to talk about The World of WhatsApp.
I don’t remember exactly when, but I think I bought my first mobile phone about 20 years ago. A simple phone, which allowed me to make phone calls and send text messages. A few years later, the smartphone came out. This had lots of features, including WhatsApp. Today I use my phone quite a lot, to make phone calls, send text messages, use WhatsApp, and a bit of email.
As regards social media, that’s about it really, no facebook, instagram, twitter, or any other social media platform. If you ask me whether a mobile phone with its features is beneficial or harmful, I would say it is 95 percent harmful and only 5 percent beneficial.
Anyway, for those using WhatsApp, I would like to mention five golden rules.
Number one: DO NOT forward any message before you yourself have read or viewed the content. If you haven’t reviewed it, then why forward it? What’s the purpose? That message or video may contain false information which may go viral because of you forwarding it in the first place.
The famous Ḥadīth comes to mind: Our Beloved Prophet (صَلَّىٰ ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said very clearly, to the nearest meaning: ‘It is enough for a man to prove himself a liar when he goes on narrating whatever he hears‘. (Muslim)
Why do we want to fall into the category of a liar according to the above Ḥadīth? Adding the words ‘forwarded as received‘ is not enough. Just don’t forward, simple!
Number two: Once you have read the message or viewed the video, ask yourself, why do you want to forward it? What is the purpose? Why are you choosing so and so to send it to? These are key questions.
Number three: On group chats, have you first read all the messages on that chat, and if necessary, replied to any issues or questions raised? Many times we just send, and send, and send messages without reading and replying to previous messages.
This is completely out of order. Are other colleagues in the group just wasting time asking you questions when you just ignore that question and continue with your messages? We all need to ponder upon this.
I would also advise all brothers and sisters that if you must, then please DO NOT send more than one message a day, whether it’s an Islamic saying or anything else. Imagine you send a verse of The Holy QurꜤān and the recipient deletes it because he is fed up of being bombarded with messages? Will you be rewarded for it?
Number four: Again on group chats, if someone has sent an important message then allow time for everyone on that group to read and contemplate on that message. By sending message after message the importance of some previous messages is diluted. Wait a while and then send your message.
Finally, Number five: This is right from the bottom of my heart. This mobile phone is the biggest fitnah of our times. Males and females are regularly in touch with each other. Illicit relationships are formed because of the mobile phone. Hardly any one is spared. One of the main reasons for marriage breakdowns and domestic disputes today is the mobile phone.
Therefore, if you are from the minority 5 percent for whom the mobile phone is beneficial, then keep it. However, If you are from the other 95 percent, for whom it is harmful, then start minimising its use and try and get rid of it.
How do you decide if you are from amongst the 5 percent or 95 percent? I leave it with you.
I’d like to take this opportunity to guide you towards some useful complementary resources:
https://www.at-tazkiyah.com/index.php/selected-articles/49-mobile-phone
Almighty Allāh first and foremost give me the correct understanding, Āmeen. Please share.
جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا
Request for DuꜤās
وَالسَّلَامُ Hanif Dudhwala