Misuse of Electronic Media

Almighty Allah has granted human beings the

treasure of knowledge and distinguished humankind

over all other creation. Human beings do have the

instinct of following others, but at the same time they

also have the urge and ability to explore, to perform

research and think out things. It is because of this

urge and ability that human beings have been

progressing on the path of knowledge since time

immemorial. This journey is still going on. In every

era, human beings have progressed as per the needs

of that particular age.

In the last couple of decades, human beings have

progressed exponentially in the field of technology

and communication. There have been wonderful

inventions and astounding discoveries, i.e. TV,

internet, cellular phoning, etc.

Because of these new inventions, life has become

much more comfortable. Particularly in the field of

communications, many comfortable and dependable

means of communication have been developed.

Through TV, internet and other electronic media

within seconds a message can be sent around the

world. Now directions, distance and the like don’t

pose any problem at all. Distances have been bridged

over. It is as if we are meeting someone face to face.

Through these facilities, business also has been

transformed from a local or at most regional scale to

an international scale. Investors can gain the required

information about any company, the schemes and

other details of investment in a matter of minutes.

They can invest in their money as per the Shariah in

whatever business they want. There are no difficulties

in transfer of funds, etc. Neither is there any need for

travel for this purpose nor any fear of money being

laid to waste en route.

Internet is the biggest means of communication.

Contacting people living in different parts of the

world, educating/instructing them, business on an

international level, contact between banks and other

financial institutions worldwide, all this is done

through the internet. An individual can sit in a corner

of the house and go through the libraries of the world

which are present on the internet. Thus, there are

many individual, social and economic advantages of

the internet and it has become an international

necessity.

There are many advantages of electronic media and

similarly, and in fact more than this, are those harms

which occur because of the misuse of electronic

media. Communications, telecasting, broadcasting,

webcasting, etc. have become really fast. These are

those tools which are judged as per the way they are

being used. If they are used for good purposes, then

their use is good. If they are used for evil purposes,

they become means of evil.

TV is a means of audiovisual communication.

Programs which have lewdness and indecency are also

telecast through it and similarly, religious, educational

and cultural programs are also telecast through it. If

one absolutely avoids the indecent and lewd shows

and only religious, educational and cultural programs

are telecast on the television, then there is no harm in

keeping a TV and watching it. This aspect of watching

TV is beneficial to all. However, if it is used to watch

movies, lewd and indecent programs then it is harmful

from the worldly and spiritual point of view,

impermissible and forbidden.

For this reason, the method Islam uses to stop

corruption of the society is to close the very sources

from where indecency spreads.

Watching TV is like using our eyes. The way using eyes

to see something permissible is permissible use of

eyes and seeing something indecent and lewd is to

use the eyes for wrong purposes and thus

impermissible and forbidden, in the same way the

Shariah ruling for TV, internet, etc. will also depend on

its use. If what they are being used for is permissible,

then using them is permissible and if they are used for

forbidden and indecent things, then their use is

forbidden.

There is a universally accepted principle of Fiqh

(Islamic jurisprudence):

Translation: Affairs are with their aims. (Al Ashba Wan

Nadhaair, Pg. No. 22)

In whatever way these things are used for good and

permissible things in the society, at a much faster rate

than that, they are being used to promote indecency

and moral degeneracy in the society. Through this

lewd literature is being promoted. Indecency and

nudity are being spread. Vulgarity has become

rampant in the society. Modesty does not seem to

have any place in the electronic media at all.

The adage is that the world has become a global

village. This is no doubt true, but the big question is to

what extent our society has drawn benefit from it.

Through this, western culture has been spread

effectively. Even among those people who were not

touched by this, the electronic media has vitiated their

atmosphere.

There has been much harm because of indiscriminate

use of internet and using it against the principles of

the Shariah. Culture and society both have been

marred. The moral standard of the society has been

lowered considerably and the minds have been

polluted.

Misuse of radio

Each and every tool of electronic media is proving to

be harmful instead of beneficial. In this era of

globalization, protecting against misuse of electronic

media is highly necessary to create a virtuous society.

Radio has once again become popular. FM radio

seems to be popular all over the world. It is freely used

when people are in leisure or waiting at bus stations,

waiting rooms, like traveling in a bus, etc. As this

comes very cheap, it is even more freely used.

At various times in the day youngsters spend their

valuable time in listening to these radios as “time

pass,” as a result of which they become careless in

their responsibilities and their time is being wasted in

listening to indecent songs, etc.

Misuse of TV

There is a huge network of TV channels which

promote indecency/nudity at every step. Every

program, movie and even cartoon has a plot of

romance between a guy (male) and a girl (female) and

their mutual relations. Due to all these, sexual anarchy

is spreading among the youth of the society.

Are cartoons fine for children

Even cartoons, which are made especially for children,

have indecency. They have plots involving romance.

Childhood is such an impressionable age, that

everything the child sees is imprinted in the mind and

the heart. Whatever the child listens to, he/she starts

repeating it. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa

sallam) has instructed us to take special precautions

for children so that their minds are not polluted. He

(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has instructed us to

separate the beds of the children when children reach

the age of 10. As given in the following Hadith:

Translation: You order your children to offer Salaat

when they reach 7 years of age. At the age of 10,

punish them on not doing so and separate their beds.

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 495)

Even though at the age of 7 the Shariah is not binding

on them, for their instruction and training, they should

be ordered to offer Salaat and other forms of worship

so that performing worship becomes second nature to

them and they acquire the habit of standing before

their Lord Almighty and prostrating before Him. If at

the age of 10, children are careless about Salaat, they

should be dealt with strictly and should be beaten

lightly.

In the same Hadith, the orders of separating their beds

i.e. making them sleep separately, is also given. This

shows that not only they should be taught good

deeds, but also precautions should be taken to save

them from all forms of indecency so that children

grow up with chastity and virtuousness.

There are no two opinions about the fact that

regardless of religion, race, community, every person

realizes the importance of instructing the children in

morals and ethics. If there are no morals it will surely

result in corruption, quarrels and even fights in the

society. Families are separated and bad traits start

taking root in children themselves. Reformation of

which is impossible except with virtuous character and

true ideology.

It is very important that along with teaching children

high morals, they should also be protected against

bad traits and habits. They should be saved against

sexual licentiousness, lewd gazing and movie

watching. If children fall prey to any of these habits,

especially watching movies, it will no doubt hurt their

religion and the inward aspect of their being (Batin)

will also be tainted but apart from all this the children

will also be debased in the eyes of the world.

If by watching cartoons, our children start entertaining

sexual thoughts at that young an age or start loving

the semi-nude dresses, it is not entirely out of question

that by the time they reach adulthood, they will be on

the brink of the abyss of moral anarchy. These buds

will lose their fragrance even before they turn into

fully grown flowers.

TV channels are harmful for women

It seems as if special arrangements are made to spoil

the character of women. There are umpteen

programs on the TV channels wherein the inside

happenings of a household are shown, the intimate

relations between a husband and a wife are portrayed,

the domestic wars between the daughter-in-law and

the mother-in-law are shown. In all these channels,

the characters, the story and everything else are

fictitious.

In programs, non-Mahram men are shown. Only this is

enough to spoil an Islamic society, but what is worse is

that these programs spoil the thinking of the women.

That lady who was all obedience and respect to her

husband and mother-in-law is now learning how to

disobey and taunt them. The lady who would not hurt

anybody is now ready for (useless) argumentation.

Today in the name of equality and independence,

these TV programs lead women to believe that their

stay in the house is akin to being imprisoned in 4 walls

with iron chains. They are persuaded to come out of

this “imprisonment” and walk along with men and

become equal partners in each aspect of life.

With these tempting slogans, women have been

brought out from the peaceful and chaste atmosphere

of the home and are exposed on the roads, in markets,

clubs and parks. Women are excessively burdened

with various exhausting works in the offices and call

centers. They have been reduced to a means of fun in

shops and hotels and a source of advertisement for

various products. It is worth mentioning that women

on whom Islam had placed the bejeweled crown of

greatness and majesty, who had been given the

garment of modesty and other great qualities, who

had been given the robe of honor of chastity, alas! this

same woman has been reduced to a showpiece and a

toy in newspapers, TV, Internet and other media.

They have been exposed in theaters, parks and clubs

and have been made a source of sexual entertainment

and a means of fulfilling the base desires of the flesh.

It is doubly unfortunate that she has been made to do

all this in the name of women’s freedom.

When the woman stays in her own house like a queen

and takes up the responsibilities of caring for her

husband, children, parents, brothers and sisters, then

it is labeled as an imprisonment, but when the same

woman goes out of the bounds of modesty to cook for

other men, clean the rooms of non-Mahram (people

with whom marriage is possible) people, serve

unknown people in hotels and airplanes, welcomes

customers in showrooms and supermarkets, gathers

their necessary items, obeys the whims and caprices of

the superior officer in offices, then it is called freedom

and honor!

If somebody sins considering it a sin, then it is only a

sin. However when women are exposed in the name

of freedom, then the magnitude of the sin increases

greatly.

Harms of TV for youth

Youth are the asset of any nation. Small children and

old people do not have the requisite strength and

capability to do great things. However, the youth are

perfectly endowed with strength and capability to

complete missions. The changing of times does not

put a dent in their courage and enthusiasm. But what

would happen if the same youth forget their

responsibilities?

TV has everything that is needed to destroy the

character and more. Be it news, drama, film, ads or

anything else, the TV screen is never free of indecency.

Almighty Allah has ordered us to not even approach

any indecency:

And do not draw near to shameful deeds (whether)

open or hidden. Surah An‘aam-151

There are strict warnings for those who want to spread

indecency. Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

Indeed those who like that lewdness should spread

among the Muslims, for them is agonizing punishment

in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows

(the intentions of such people) and you do not know.

Surah Noor (24:19)

As lewd gazing leads to many sins, Almighty Allah has

prohibited us from that.

There is a Hadith in Musnad Imam Ahmed:

Translation of Hadith: It has been narrated on the

authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Almighty

Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet

(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Every part of the

body plays its part in adultery. Eyes commit adultery

and their adultery is by watching and seeing, hands

commit adultery and their adultery is by holding and

grasping, legs commit adultery and their adultery is by

walking, the mouth commit adultery and their

adultery is by kissing. The heart desires and lusts and

the private parts confirm it and commit adultery or

refuse it and refrain from adultery. (Musnad Imam

Ahmed, Hadith No. 8752)

Young men are naturally attracted to women. When

they see indecency, theirs minds are affected by it.

These TV programs attack their minds multiple times

in a day. Slowly, their young minds start relying on it

for their enjoyment and satisfaction. The result is that

their bodies and their minds become weak.

Ill effects of Internet

The benefits of advantages of internet are no doubt

huge, but it is also a staggeringly huge means of

spreading indecency. Using internet, a girl very

conveniently starts a “relationship” with a non

Mahram guy. Through e-mail and chatting, their

“relationship” becomes even more intimate. Even

members of the family are not as close as this guy and

girl get close to each other. Islam has declared even

(unnecessary) talk between a non-Mahram guy and

girl as prohibited. We have to greet someone with

Salaam before we talk, but in light of the Holy Quran

and the Hadith, the Fuqaha (jurists) have declared

greeting a young girl/woman with Salaam as

forbidden.

Even the voice of women is included in Hijab, but

through voice chatting, non-Mahram boys and girls

talk to each other without any reservations and don’t

feel any shame in doing so.

Not only this, but during chatting, they comfortably

see each other. Modesty is being destroyed this way,

but their eyes are not lowered. Alas! Nomadic life

would have been better than use of internet in this

manner. Rustics who live in villages are many times

better than these “sophisticated” people.

In the same way through video calling of mobile

phones, boys and girls see each other. For this neither

computer, etc. is needed nor any other trappings.

All this is being done in spite of the fact that the Holy

Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has warned

against lewd gazing. There is a Hadith in Kanz Ul

Ummal of Imam Ali Muttaqi Hindi and in Jame’ Ul

Ahadith Wal Maraseel of Imam Suyuti (May Allah

shower His mercy on them):

Translation: Hadhrat Abu Umama (May Almighty Allah

be well pleased with him) narrates from the Holy

Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that He said: You

keep your gaze down and guard your private parts,

otherwise Almighty Allah will change your faces.

(Mo’jam Kabeer, Hadith No. 7746; Jame’ Ul Ahadith

Wal Maraseel, Hadith No. 18309; Kanz Ul Ummal,

Hadith No. 13082)

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

Translation: Whoever looks at a non-Mahram woman

with lust, on the Day of Judgment, molten lead would

be poured in his eyes. (Hidayah, Kitab Ul Karahiyya,

Vol. 4, Pg. No. 458)

The warnings mentioned in these Hadith for a man

seeing a non-Mahram woman also hold good for

women who express their beauty before a non

Mahram man and allow him to see their beauty.

These relationships formed through the internet

become so strong that they don’t stop at mere talking

or chatting but things come to such a turn that they

meet each other and even form sexual relationships.

Those matters which started with use of free time in a

manner not permitted by the Shariah, ultimately lead

to serious transgression of the rules of the Shariah.

Boys and girls having relationships (sexual or

otherwise) with each other is strictly forbidden. Be it

the use of internet or any other method, the rules of

the Shariah cannot be broken at all.

Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

These are the limits (set) by Allah. So, do not exceed

them. And those who exceed the limits prescribed by

Allah, it is they who are the wrongdoers. Surah

Baqarah-229

There is a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:

Translation: When an adulterer is committing adultery,

he is not a true believer at that time. (Sahih Bukhari,

Hadith No. 2475; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 211)

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has

expressed the vile nature of adultery by declaring it

the worst sin after Shirk (associating others with

Almighty Allah). He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

Translation: After Shirk, there is no sin viler than the

drop of semen which was cast into a womb, which was

not lawful for that man by the Shariah. (Jame’ Ul

Ahadith Wal Maraseel, Hadith No. 20456)

Having sexual relationships without Nikah is a grave

sin and angers Almighty Allah.

Factors which encourage sexual licentiousness

• Lack of Islamic education.

• Carelessness in raising children.

• Company of such people.

• Sexual education in schools.

• Watching TV and films.

• Misuse of internet.

• Misuse of voice chatting.

• Misuse of webcam.

• Misuse of cell phones, etc.

If sexual licentiousness is not curbed entirely, then

apart from the spiritual loss, there is a very serious

chance of getting incurable diseases. The Holy

Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has said:

Translation: When indecency increases in a

community/nation to the point that they perform

indecent acts publicly, then plague and other such

diseases will spread among them which were not

present in the times of their elders. (Sunan Ibn Majah,

Hadith No. 4009)

Western countries have made sexual licentiousness

and nudity very common. The way all members of a

family gather for eating at the table, in the same way,

fulfilling sexual needs before one another is not

considered wrong at all.

The sexual licentiousness and sexual crimes in

American colleges and universities is setting new

records. From the statistics published in the

newspapers and other places we know that every year

thousands of children are born out of wedlock, a large

percentage of them are girls who were less than 20

years old and were students.

Misuse of electronic media and waste of time

Be it radio, TV, cell phones or internet, the person who

starts using them ends up wasting a lot of time on

them. Using them as per necessity is of course fine,

but using them without any purpose leads to other

harms among whom wastage of time is a major one.

There is a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari:

Translation: It has been narrated on the authority of

Hadhrat ‘Abdullah Bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well

pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu

alaihi wa sallam) said: There are 2 bounties of Allah

about whom most people remain heedless, one is

health and the other is leisure. (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith

No. 6412; Zujajatul Masabeeh, Vol. 4, Pg. No. 148)

The word “Maghboon” mentioned in the Hadith has

been described to have 2 meanings. One is that about

these two things most people are in loss and are not

drawing benefit from them as they should. They

waste their invaluable time and end up suffering

losses. The second meaning is that most people are

heedless about those two bounties of Allah. They

don’t realize that these 2 things are in fact bounties of

Allah. That’s why they spend their time doing useless

things.

Electronic media and responsibility of parents

It is a very important responsibility of parents to keep

the moral education of the kids in mind, they should

not give them things that acquaint and familiarize

them with indecency. Parents should safeguard their

eyes from the nude visuals of the TV. If TV is being

used for educational or religious purposes, then the

parents should make sincere efforts to reduce and

block its harmful effects. The parents should

proactively block those channels and cut out those

programs which show and promote indecency.

In the same way, the kids should be protected from

the ill-effects of the internet. Having an internet

connection in the house without any pressing reason

is harmful for the morality and character of the kids. If

at all an internet connection is necessary, then it

should be properly secured so that the children don’t

use without the supervision of the parents. If the kids

are raised in proper Islamic fashion, by the time they

grow up, they will be so strong morally that even

when alone they will not go towards anything

indecent. If they are faced with indecency, they will

turn away from it.

It is a responsibility of those who Muslims who are

associated with the different electronic media that

they should use them as per Islamic precepts. They

should not give children and their subordinates all

these facilities and leave them unsupervised.

Responsibility of Muslims about electronic media

Today, electronic media is considered to be more

potent than print media. If indecency, lack of morality,

etc. is being promoted through all these channels,

Islam does not decree that these things should not be

used at all. Instead, it instructs us to use the same

things for promoting good.

It was the custom among the Arabs that when they

had to convey any important message, they would

stand atop the mountain of Safa and do so. The Holy

Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) used the same

method when He gave the general call to Islam. Apart

from Safa, other mountains were also present. Instead

of them, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

used Safa only for this purpose. Through this, the Holy

Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has instructed us

that we should use those methods which convey our

message in the best manner to the largest number of

people.

Thus, it is necessary for Muslims to use all the modern

means of communication. Print media and electronic

media should be used to promote good. The

promotion of indecency is going in the whole world in

a very systematic manner. Thousands upon thousands

of magazines, books, websites, etc. have come into

being to cater to this. To quell this, we have to have at

least the same number of magazines, books, websites,

etc. to promote the pure teachings of Islam if not

more. If every major media outlet is used to promote

Islamic teachings, then slowly but surely, we will

achieve our goal at least to some extent and within a

couple of years, this world will change for the better.

*********