Dangers Lurking on the Internet

[3iraqiyya]

What we tend to overlook while on the Internet

The Internet has become a large part of life for many of the Muslims in our time. The time spent exchanging e-mail addresses, and hotmail accounts amongst us is comparable to how the Companions of our beloved Prophet Muhammad saws used to busy themselves in learning the religion of Allah (weather in studying or in action) from each other.

There are without a doubt many beautiful aspects of the Internet, and a huge opportunity exists for much good to come out of our time there. One can spend time learning about the Correct Islamic Beliefs, or one may choose to learn the correct way of praying, or one may research and learn a part of the Qur’aan, all in the span of a few moments. One may make new friends who will help him or her strive in the way of Allah, or one may choose to post in message boards learning from others or teaching them. But with all the good and beautiful things out there, we have to be serious and realize that the evil on the Internet is even more then this, and the Shaitaan, may he be cursed by Allah is lurking around everywhere looking for us, waiting for us to slip to take us further away from Allah.

After seeing how many Muslims, including myself use the Internet I have compiled a list of observations that we as Muslims should be aware of before we begin spending our time on the Internet.

Before we begin, I would like to remind all of us of one of the sayings of our Prophet Muhammad saws: “Amr ibn Maimoon Awdi (Radhiallaahu Anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) advised one person, ‘Appreciate five things before five (things): a) Your youth before old age; b) Your good health before your sickness; c) Your wealth before your poverty; d) Your free time before your involvement; and e) Your life before your death.” (Mishkat pg.441; Me’raaj)

E-Mail
The average Muslim receives anywhere from 10-30 e-mails a day, some of us even more. Many of these e-mails, though they are from friends, and fellow Muslims, contain only that which will use up your time. Weather it is spend in reading, or replying or sharing it with others, many of the Muslims find that they spend an hour or more engrossed in this activity alone! I swear by Allah, the Most High, that if we spent just half of that time reading the Qur’aan, or pleasing those whom we have Islamic Obligations to (Parents, Spouses, Children, etc.) we would see a increase in our Blessings, and would see happiness in our lives that the Internet could never give us.

Message Boards
Another popular way for Muslims to interact with each other is Message Board. Upon closer examination however, you will notice many of the postings are useless, even incorrect, filled with teachings that are contrary to the Pure Islam. The reason being everyone wants to say something, but not everyone is qualified to talk on that which they talk about. The other side Negative Aspect is that some people enjoy message Boards so much that the time they spend on it, exceeds, the time they spend on other Islamically Sound extra curricular activities, or even Obligations we have as Muslims! It has become common for a Muslim to spend time he should be spending taking care of his work, or spending at the masjid, glued to his computer screen. It has become common for the Muslim Woman to ignore her obligations at home to instead post away on a Message Board. It is not something strange that a man will come home and find his wife glued to the computer screen, reading a post on a Message Board. The house however, is still dirty and the food remains uncooked.

Chatting
Online Chatting, or Instant Messaging has become just another way for most of us to engage into idle time. You will find that some of the Muslims spend hours a day chatting on the Internet. Though it is useful for making friends and sharing information with each other, a lot of it is useless speech, which contains no benefit. Not only that a lot of it falls into that which is haram. It is common and accepted that people joke; by way of lying or that they engage in backbiting and spreading rumours. Prayer is delayed; Sunnah prayers are left off in pursuit of this wasteful activity, and sins are earned. The small good in this activity makes one feel as if they are doing something beneficial but in reality it is far away from being that which brings us closer to Allah.

Too Much Knowledge
Another terrible aspect of the Internet is possibly that you can learn too much, too quickly. The Companions of the Prophet saws used to learn slowly but they acted on what they knew. Now, with the Internet we are able to read thousands of words a day, but our actions do not increase any. The next day we are still on the computer reading more, yet acting less.

Free Mixing
Undoubtedly this is one of the most Disastrous Sins in Islam, it leads to the corruption of not only the one doing it but society in general. Most of the activities listed above, either directly or indirectly are one of the ways many of us fall into free mixing.

The Prophet saws forbade and man and woman to be alone that is not mahram, stating that the Shaitaan is the third. But now it is common for the Muslim man and Woman to spend many hours engrossed in conversation with each other, except that they think it is ok, since it is over the Internet. You find the Muslim man and woman chatting and joking amongst each other in a room filled with others. Except again, they think its ok, since they are on the Internet. You find the Muslim man knows personal details about the Muslim woman and the Muslim Woman knows personal details about the Muslim Man. The Prophet saws said that All Religions have a Distinguishing Quality and that Modesty is this Quality in Islam! Can we imagine Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, Aaisha acting in the manner that we do online?

The Amount of free missing is sickening; you find that the Men have 1,000’s of other women to compare their wife too, and that the Women have 1,000’s of men to compare their husbands too. When a man upsets his wife, she imagines, so and so would not treat me like this, and she begins to have hatred in her heart for the one Allah blessed her with. Or the man when he is upset with his wife sees the pleasing ways of other women and is quick to point that out to his wife. What is wrong with us? Should we even know the behaviour and personality of people other then our spouses? Should we be comparing them? Is this the marriage that is blessed or the Marriage that is on the brink of destruction.

The Families are becoming corrupted. We have already heard stories of people leaving their spouses for people they found on the Internet, if the Muslims who are married are falling into these trials, we can only imagine what it is like for the young people in this Ummah who are not married.

It is common these days that Muslims have girl friends, and boy friends. If you ask them where they met each other, we are not surprised that they say they met on the Internet. What can begin, as an innocent conversation without evil intentions can quickly become that which is detested by Allah.

How are we to fix this Problem?

..The the obligation falls on the Men to educate their family, possibly even restricting access. Then the Obligation falls on the Mothers of our children to stop them and prevent them from using the Internet in a way that brings them closer to the Shaitaan, instead of Allah.

In all honesty, the little bit of good that one finds on the Internet can easily be found by reading the Qur’aan, going to the Masjid, and spending time studying Islam, spending time with the scholars, striving in the way of Allah and many other things. It is sad to see that some of us feel compelled to use this service knowing that at some time most of us will fall into the harmful aspects. With every door to Fitnah, there is a larger one lurking near by, and I feel that it is better to close the door to this fitnah, and to Protect ourselves and our families from the Punishment of Allah.

Allah, the Most High Knows Best.

May Allaah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad SAWS


by Ismaael Sakkary