Today Muslims are flooded with Islamic literature in the form of newspapers, books, magazines and posting Islamic Messages. Everyone or anyone can write an article on his perspective or open a website or send a “please forward” email or even start up an Islamic newspaper or magazine.
It seems like we have an ideal vibrant society that has a free press where religion can be discussed openly and freely. Is this the ideal situation, or are we missing something?
With the name of Allah most Beneficient, Most Merciful.
Let’s go back to that moment when the Sahaba Ikraam (RA) debated whether to print the Holy Qur’aan or not. They were not debating about printing an article with their own subjective views, neither were they debating about printing the traditions of the Holy Prophet (SAW) but they were debating about printing the purest and greatest aspect of Islamic literature, the Holy Quraan which is the words of Allah Tha’ala.
To compound matters further, these were not ordinary Muslims or ordinary sahaba ikraam but they were the best of the Muslim Community at that time because of the knowledge and the close ties that they had with the Prophet (SAW).
If there is anything that we can learn from this incident, it is this: we should be extremely careful as to what we do when it comes to Islam espicially when it comes to teaching Islam, printing books and posting Islamic Messages. There are obviously good reasons for this caution.
Firstly, we might unknowingly spread the wrong message which could mislead many people. Let’s take the following hadis as an example of how easily the wrong message could be sent:
“Ayesh (RA) said: “I and the Prophet (SAW) used to take bath from the same vessel (placed) between me and him. He was more hasty than myself, till I used to say: Leave (water) for me, leave for me. She said they were both impure (at that time). Al Hadis chapter on baths.
What anyone could gather from this hadith is that it is acceptable or even sunnath for the husband and wife to take a bath together.
Stop for a moment and imagine taking a bath with your spouse….
In yet another Hadith, Aysha (RA) reports: “Never have I looked to (or seen) the private part of the Mesenger of Allah (SAW). This hadith is from the same person in the same Al Hadith book but it is reported in a completely different section, the section on Parda.
How then was it possible to take a bath together and not see the others private parts. The translator to Sahih Muslim, in a note to the first hadith, states that the Prophet (SAW) and his wife used to take a bath at night in a bathroom that had no light.
He says that it was a wholesome, pure act with no sexual connotations or lewdness attached to it. Imagine bathing with your spouse in this manner and comparing it to what you imagined before.
Developing haya or modesty is a very important aspect in Islam. The Prophet (SAW) was extremely modest and bashful. He would never expose his private parts even to his wives.
Once, prior to his prophethood, his “lungi” came off while he was carrying a rock to build the Khaaba and it shocked him so much that he became unconscious. In Sufism, even when you are alone, you do not walk around shamelessly but one must always be aware of oneself.
This constant awareness of oneself develops a sense of modesty. Inculcating modesty is very important in Islam, it’s a part of faith.
There are many, many such examples of how easily it is to misunderstand our religious teachings. The point is that it is so easy for us to send off the wrong message even when we quoting Hadith and Quraan.
Instead of doing good, we could do much more harm, not only to society but also to ourselves as well. (A person would be held responsible by Allah SWT for the wrong that people learn from him).
A lot of what we print and post today is quite often not Quraan, not hadith, not even views of renowned writers, but views and articles of sometimes unknown people who quite often write to make a profit out of their publications or to make a name out for themselves. The focus is not religion – the focus is name or business, and business thrives on using any means to make a quick buck.
Secondly, because there is just so much that is available to read, a person hardly gets a chance to go through it all. Most of the time we flip through the pages of a newspaper or read the headings of e mails without reading further.
In this way we sometimes miss important information contained in emails or articles and it is all due to the excess, superfluous material that is being shoved onto social media.
Bottom line, we have to stop posting. Islam always teaches us to practice control, moderation and self restraint.
“And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good fortune.” 41:35
End.
Peace and Salutations be upon Muhammad Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi in 2010. Author: Mohammed Hassan Gaffoor (WhatsApp +27849101486)