SHAFAQNA- Alkafeel: The Supreme Religious Authority determines the most important religious and ethical norms of publishing materials on social media. And stressed that such norms, if followed, would be useful, and in case of violating them, there would be harm to the cultural, moral, and social security of the society.
These were the important points stated in the second sermon of Friday prayer of the 6th of Sha’ban 1440 AH corresponding to April 12, 2019, which was held in the holy shrine of Imam al-Hussayn (peace be upon him) and led by his eminence Sheikh Abd al-Mahdi al-Karbala’i, in which he stated:
Dear brothers and sisters, in the second sermon, we will show what are the religious and ethical norms to use properly the social media, such as Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and others. What are these norms? And what will happen if we follow them or violate them to the cultural, moral and social security of the society?
Among the graces of the Lord on us in the current time, is the good services people now use to facilitate their lives in an incredible speed, large capacity of publication and acquaint others with the various human sciences and knowledge, as well as the rapid way to exchange ideas and opinions; namely internet.
And particularly the social media started to predominate over the rest of the traditional means. And so it is natural to be accompanied by a lot of problems and social, cultural and psychological risks, which turn this grace into a curse if it is not framed by religious, moral and ethical norms through which we can use properly and with great benefit these systems.
Therefore, it is necessary to define the specific norms that ensures the moral, cultural, social and also the national security. Which are:
First: One should not share whatever they think is good on social media, and before sharing a material, one should think and meditate if that material offends or pauses a threat to a person, a tribe, a community, or a religion. And then there is no possibility to rewind what you have shared: {but it was not a time for escape.} (38:3)
The rational, conscious and religious person must think and ask before sharing, if his post is a true or wrong, will it be hurting anyone, is it for the good or will it be a source of sedition and hatred? One has to put what he wants to share on the scale of reason, ethics and human conscience. As with one click, your post can reach millions. And according to the Hadith: “If you are thinking to do something, meditate on its results, if it is reasonable, go for it, and if it is a nonsense, then stop it.” We can think that a pen is like a bullet that has missed its target, which might hurt others. And we know that the internet is full of people’s opinions that could be right and could be wrong.
Second: Making certain of any material before sharing it with other people on social media, as internet is full of fictitious and anonymous sources used by the misguided, ignorant or corrupt people. And the following Quranic verse emphasise on this point: {O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.} (49:6), and in another verse: {When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous.} (24:15). Therefore, we must be certain of the material before sharing, so I do not participate in such lies.
Third: To not harm other with the material publication, for there are those who disclose people’s privacy. As we should not be oblivious and disclose people’s private secrets, especially women’s private secrets, some of which are dangerous, if they are disclosed, because they concern women’s honor—and disclosing them threatens men’s and women’s reputation to the extent that it may lead to bloodshed.
The perilous use of social media in terms of exercising social obloquy: Lies and deceptions – if used to defame an entity on social media – reach a large number of people, and they are able to make gullible people believe them, noting that defamers also attempt to underestimate the intellectual leaders (clerics) and isolate the society from them by causing them to lose their social values and significance.
It should be noted that some allege that some narrations have allowed mocking the people of innovation in religion, and social humiliate them, so their word does not affect people, It is not true, as what should be done and what is understood from the narrations is to face and confront the people of innovation in religions and misguidance by clear evidence that show their stupidity and confusion, as shown in the Quranic verses: {Have you not considered the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord [merely] because Allah had given him kingship? When Abraham said, “My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death,” he said, “I give life and cause death.” Abraham said, “Indeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west.” So the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.} (2:258).
The slander and obloquy are not a legitimate means in intellectual and doctrinal discussions, rather it is necessary to confront with evidence and argument.
Sometimes, even if the information, videos, images, documents or data re correct, but their publication leads to multiple damage. And we all know that a true Muslim is the one from whose hand and tongue other Muslims are safe.
Fourth: Do not turn the social media pages to pages of insulting others, profanity, obscenity and dissemination of corruption and obscene qualities. The negative use of the social media can lead to the phenomenon of e-bullying.
Some, under the banner of freedom, employ the social media to satisfy their evil tendencies and hateful satanic and forbidden desires, by hacking others’ accounts to use them in order to blackmail them or to publish their private data to humiliate them in front of others. And many were obliged to flee with their families after the impact of social embarrassment.
Therefore, brethren, do no give the excuse to those who have diabolical motives to exploit your privacy to publish them to the public, which leads to great harm to you socially and morally. So be aware of such satanic intentions and be careful to protect your psychological and social stability.
We ask the Almighty Allah to bestow upon us the success for what pleases Him. And, the latest of our prayers is; praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and Prayers and Allah’s Peace be upon Mohammad and his pure and virtuous lineage.
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