One of the technological advances of this generation is the ubiquity of social media. Almost every smartphone or device can access these media, from Facebook to Whatsapp. And every Tom, Dick, and Harry is now a proud owner of at least one of these smart devices. Even young adults and children who are yet to form their convictions and could be easily amenable to different shades of opinion, from the outlandish to the bizarre, own and use smart devices and social media. While it confirms the prophecy of the Quran – when the books are spread abroad – it comes with great responsibility.
At the time of Islam’s emergence, poets and people of knowledge are highly regarded for their influence. However, for poets, there comes a caveat that most are lie-peddlers, saying what they do not know. The poets of those days could be likened to the many bloggers today who rely on social media to peddle lies. Today, gossip flies around about individuals and tribes, pitting one group of people against another.
A person who follows social media today knows that it is a jungle where lots of character assassination, rumor-mongering, lies, and demonization occur. Many operators of social media now do not hold truth sacred. Their motive is to drive traffic to their websites. In order to do this, they post half-truths on social media. As long as they get traffic, they could smile to the bank while their audience may continue to fight over these posts, insult one another’s heritage and ethnic group.
This edition is fantastic, educative and soul inspiring contents. Most especially the Friday Sermon of my beloved spiritual father Hazat Mirza Masroor Ahmad atba. Will not miss the next edition[/blockquote][paragraph addclass=”short-description”]Another ill of the social media in these days is the preponderance of bad company. Many young people have been lured and murdered by ‘supposed’ online friends. The Quran injunction that believers should keep the company with the righteous is apt for Muslim users of social media. As much as we endeavor to keep good companies in our circle of friends, so does it become necessary to keep good company online. This is among other things to avoid corrupt influence. Parents should ensure that they guide and monitor their children’s use of social media when it becomes necessary for them to use these media.
- Oh, Love this edition
- Could impress upon paper all that is living so full and warm within me
- O my friend — but it is too much for my strength
