Tuesday, August 15, 2017

5 Reasons to leave Social Media

1. Intermingling and Zina of the Eyes
As Muslims we know what’s wrong and what’s right.
We know that intermingling of genders is prohibited.
We know that in the Quraan Allaah as ordered both males and females to lower their gazes (verse 30 & 31 of surah noor).
So why is it that on social media we forget this?
We think we exempt from these thing online.
We think to do these things from behind a screen is ok, its not crossing any boundaries.
Well, its not okay.
You supposed to lower your gaze even online, looking at the opposite gender online is a sin just as it is a sin offline.
Talking to the opposite gender online is not ok either even if it is only a few words, Shaytaan tricks us into believing that its ok, that we not friends with the person or its just a once off, or its just a comment etc.
Don’t fall for this trap, avoid interaction with the opposite gender at all costs.
And if you do / did get caught up then stop, its not to late, make taubah, Allaah is most forgiving.
Be sure not to go back to it and be extra careful in future.
2. Photography and Selfies
You can say what you want, but the bottom line is that pictures of yourself or animate objects is haraam.
Abdullah ibn Masood reported that the Prophet pbuh said:
“Those who will be most severely punished by Allaah on the day of Qiyaamah will be the picture makers. (Bukhari)”
Our primary objective in life is to attain the pleasure of Allaah, our ultimate goal is Jannah.
So why would we want to take pictures and attain His displeasure and punishment? Why take the risk?
Everyone is doing it online, so we too get caught up and we think its ok.
But, remember, haraam will always be haraam even if everyone is doing it.
Firstly it’s a sin to take the picture and then when you post it online and any non mahram see it then its another sin, sin on top of sin (Allaah forgive and protect us).
Even if you have on your Hijab and / or Niqab, even if your awrah is covered its still not permissible.
We need to ask ourselves, is it really worth it?
Earning the displeasure of our Allaah just for a few likes online, by people we don’t even know?
I don’t think so…
(For a detailed article on the harm and impermissibility of photography go to missmuslimah9.wordpress.com and read the article titled Photography & Selfies)
3. Evil eye and Jealousy
By sharing everything online you expose yourself to the harms of evil eye and jealousy.
Not everyone is going to be happy for you when you get something. You get those with pure hearts who will be truly happy for you, and the you get some people who might pretend to be happy for you but actually in their heart they are bitter because they don’t have what you have (or portray that you have).
Or they not as “famous" or they don’t have the same talent.
It could be anything.
It could even happen that someone unintentionally ends up casting an evil eye.
By sharing everything online you are actually harming yourself. When things go wrong in our life we quick to blame others but maybe its because of our own doings. We choose to share everything, we forget that evil eye and jealousy are real things. So be careful.
Yes if occasionally you did something or went somewhere or ate something and you want to share it its ok.
But don’t make it a habit.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said “Be discreet in order to achieve what you want, for everyone who is blessed is envied.” (Tabrani)
4. Comparing your life to others - ungratefulness
Online we are exposed to what everyone has, we see things we can't afford or can't / don’t have
And then we become sad or depressed, often we don't realise the reason behind it.
If you think about it, your heart can't yearn for something you've never seen. So if you don't have social media and you not constantly exposed to these things you'll be more content…
Rasoolullah  صلى الله علىه وسلمsaid : look at those who are below you, not those who are above. For this way you will not belittle Allaah's bounty on you. (Bukhari and Muslim)
5. Waste of Time
We can sit hours on social media, the time just flies by and you don’t even realise it.
Its quiet a waste of time (and data ) if you actually think about it.
After all those hours what have we gained? Most of the time, nothing. Or perhaps a bit of depression and longing for things we don’t have.
In the same time we could perhaps read few pages of Quraan, do some Dhikr or even read a beneficial book.
Or sit and talk to someone instead of sitting with your phone, or play with your kids (if you have kids).
Time is precious lets not waste it behind a screen.
The Prophet  صلى الله على وسلم said: ”Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth before you become old; your health, before you fall sick; your wealth, before you become poor; your free time before you become preoccupied, and your life, before your death.” (Narrated by Ibn Abbas in the Mustadrak of Hakim & Musnad Imam Ahmad. Sahih)
Theses are just a handful of the cons of social media, there are so many more.
Each of us need to do introspection, and see if social media is doing us any good or causing more harm...
Is it bringing us closer or distancing us from Allaah?
If you can give up social media completely, Alhamdulillah.
If not then at least limit yourself, cut down on your usage.
Or cut it out slowly, Only go on once a day for a minimal amount of time, then only every second day and then only once a week, once every second week, once a month.
Its possible, its very very possible.
There are pros to it too, but that’s an article for another time, Insha'Allaah.
May Allaah grant me and all of us the tawfeeq to give up sins and live our lives in a way that is pleasing to him. Aameen.

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