The use of the Internet to propagate Islam
Part-I
In the beginning of the year 1969 CE, in the state of California, people were able to transfer data between two personal computers which were few metres apart via a telephone line, and this was the first such connection to be established anywhere.
Before this incident, such a link was only a concept which was to be implemented in the computer laboratories of the United States Department of Defence as part of their Star Wars program. The aim was to have a network fit for military use.
The number of people who connected to this initial network increased rapidly and developed at a very rapid rate, such that the number has reached more than billion people today, who are connected through millions of personal computers globally, and this, in the opinion of many, was the most important invention of the twentieth century. Allaah Says (what means): “[Allaah] Taught man that which he knew not.” [Quran 68: 5]
Allaah has made mankind a successive authority upon the earth, wherein man lives and worships Allaah; He has granted man great ability of mind and has created for him upon the earth things which he can invest in and utilize in the obedience of Allaah; so glad tidings for the one who utilizes the earth's resources in the obedience of Allaah and woe to those who utilize them in His disobedience.
One cannot help but be surprised when he witnesses the development of the Internet in light of the Hadeeth of the Prophet
which was narrated by Abu Hurayrah
in the book of Imaam Ahmad and others
; he
said: “The Hour will not come until trials appear in large numbers, lying becomes widespread, markets converge and time shortens.”In another narration, he
said: “Until time shortens and Harj increases.” So a companion of his asked: “What is Harj?” and he
replied: “Countless killing.”
In the past, the scholars such as Ibn Al-Khattaab, Al-Khattaabi, Ath-Thawri & Ibn Hajar
have interpreted the shortness of time to mean that time will lose its value and people will feel that there is not enough of it to do anything. Contemporary scholars like Shaykh ibn Baaz
said commenting on the book Fath Al-Baari of Imaam ibn Hajar
: “This can be interpreted to be the contraction of distance and the time required to travel it due to aircraft and cars, as well as the closeness that people feel regarding events due to radio (which broadcasts these events).”
However, if we take a look at the invention of the Internet, we will see that it best fits as an interpretation for this narration, because the Internet has made everything seem closer and turned the entire world into a global village. As for the closeness of markets, Shaykh Mas’ood Ad-Dakheeli
said: “It seems that this is referring to how the distance between places has shortened during our time due to the various means of transportation via air and land, and due to the electronic devices, like radios and televisions, which transmit sound and images and have made the markets in different parts of earth seem near to each other, so that traders know about any changes in price anywhere in the world, and consequently raise their prices in their own locations accordingly, or decrease them if they drop elsewhere.”
Therefore, the closeness of markets is in three ways: firstly, the speed of transfer of market data, secondly, the physical proximity due to modern transportation methods, and thirdly, the similarity in prices between markets.
Anyone who is well acquainted with the Internet will realise just how closely it fits the abovementioned prophetic narration.
There is one website, for example, that has three million items and runs an international auction on a number of these items. One can buy anything via such websites, and there are very many of these on the internet. Also, one can also display on such websites what items he himself has to sell, and this is an indication that we are living at the end of time, close to the Hour, as in the aforementioned narration, and that the minor preconditions of the Hour are taking place and that there are about three of them still left to occur. After these, the ten major preconditions will start occurring. It is worth mentioning that there is nothing to prevent a major sign from occurring concurrently with some of the minor signs of the Hour, as some of the scholars noted.
The point here is the closeness of markets and the shortness of time, which is fulfilled by the Internet, and is another proof of the prophethood of the Prophet
who informed us fourteen hundred years ago about things that are taking place during our time.
Other narrations related to the preconditions of the Hour include the saying of the Prophet
: “Before the Hour, dealing in trade will become widespread.” Electronic trade has overwhelmed the markets and is in the billions of dollars. He
also informed us that of these signs will be: “…the spread of adultery and fornication” as in the narration in the book of Imaam Bukhaari
. In the narration of Imaam Al-Haakim
he
said: “Immorality will spread…” - In excess of four hundred thousand pornographic websites are present on the Internet which spread immorality worldwide.
Another relationship between the Internet and the preconditions of the Hour is highlighted in the narration in the book of Imaam At-Tabaraani
where the Prophet
said: “Before the Hour, dealing in Ribaa (i.e., interest and usury) will become widespread.” It is well known that on the Internet, dealing in Ribaa is widespread and many banks have established websites and set the cost of a customer transaction via the Internet as only ten cents, whereas the cost of a live transaction inside a bank building costs one dollar and seven cents; this is an indication that as time passes, dealings inside bank buildings will become obsolete and all banking transactions will be done via the Internet by people who are at home or in their offices. These banks are institutions that have been established on Ribaa and their proliferation on the Internet has become evident. Additionally, the use of credit cards on the Internet is also widespread. The prohibited use of cards like Visa, MasterCard and American Express, all of which entail dealing in Ribaa, causes the wrath of Allaah to befall the one using them.
Part-II
Another matter regarding the Internet which is associated with the preconditions of the Hour is the saying of the Prophet
as in the book of Imaam Ibn Hibbaan
: “Lying will spread.” A liar will be punished in his grave by having his face ripped down to his rectum, because of how his lies spread among people. Nowadays, one can lie and publish this on the Internet, and it would spread from the east to the west in an instant.
A recent survey states that the number of users on the internet are more than billion people, and the number is increasing extremely rapidly. 77% of the Americans say that they have benefited from it, 44% say they cannot live without it, and 87% use it to call and contact their relatives. The Internet has entered the Arab and Islamic world, but there are two obstacles which obstruct it from being used freely in these countries:
1. The lack of technical knowledge on an individual level.
2. The lack of knowledge of the English language.
On the other hand, the Internet is potentially very beneficial; I am not trying to market the use of the Internet here, but I am simply displaying its benefits as well as its dangers. There are many benefits such as:
· It facilitates purchasing and brings within reach the display of any item one desires to buy or order, such as books etc.
· It facilitates running a business.
· It is inexpensive to make calls via it.
· It makes contacting international research centres an easy task.
· It enables the swift sending of mail.
· It enables people to listen to the radio, watch medical programs and participate in discussions.
· It contains many means that one can take advantage of in the propagation of Islam and calling people to Allaah.
A question arises: how can we benefit from the Internet in the field of propagating Islam? Our presence on the internet is very weak, which is a shame for a Nation that is supposed to be the best nation ever sent out to mankind. I am addressing here those people who have a real concern for spreading Islam, and not just anyone.
There is no doubt that there is a spiritual vacuum in the west as well as the east, and that people lack a system which can establish justice. The world is full of injustice and oppression; it is also filled with corruption and enmity. People live the law of the jungle where the strong eat the weak; this is a world whose evil knows no limit. This world is full of people who commit suicide, have nervous breakdowns and many other disorders which reflect the vacuum we mentioned earlier, and people will never live in justice and peace except through Islam.
Islam is a religion which is a mercy to mankind; it is the only religion which Allaah accepts from people as Allaah Says (what means): “Whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him.” [Quran 3: 85]
If we acknowledge that Islam must become the international religion which all people should adopt, we must convey it to mankind using all available means and methods. We will not reign supreme if we fail to utilize all means to make this religion dominate, or else we will be forsaking Islam and not supporting it. We are commanded by Allaah to explain Islam to the masses and we must have the sense of responsibility to spread this religion worldwide, to the best of our ability.
Spreading and propagating Islam via the Internet is something which cannot escape us. Even with simple planning and limited resources we can establish projects to propagate Islam and present them to people, which will have very beneficial results. Thus, we must have the eagerness to address the hearts of people and try to convey to them the light of Islam.
With regards to spreading Islamic knowledge:
First: We need a huge amount of resources and careful planning and entities to adopt mammoth projects and see their successful completion.
Second: We need to establish huge databases for the different Islamic sciences, in addition to advanced search engines in Arabic, because what is available on the Internet now is insufficient as well as substandard.
Third: We need to connect the masses to the lectures of scholars via the Internet.
Fourth: We need specific channels for academic lectures, where the scholar delivers them and people can instantly see him from their home - worldwide, because despite the fact that some of us are blessed to be around scholars and be able to attend their lectures, there are many others who are deprived of this bounty as they do not have either scholars or students of knowledge living in their area; this would open a way for people to seek knowledge, the reward for which is, as the Prophet
said, Allaah opening a way towards Paradise for the one who does so.
Fifth: we need to make the Fataawa of the scholars reach the masses people and enable them to inquire about matters directly via the Internet by setting aside certain times for them.
Sixth: Islamic universities should teach students around the world via the Internet for a small fee to cover the expenses of such a project, as is already the case with universities in the United States and Europe that teach worldly subjects … we must join the caravan.
Seventh: Another idea is to publish on the Internet Masters and PhD degree theses in Islamic studies and organise them with efficient indices, which would facilitate searching by Muslims and even non-Muslims who may thereby benefit greatly; there is a yearning to learn about Islam nowadays among the non-believers worldwide. The era that we live in has seen a revolution in the field of data and communications, and we must take advantage of this to spread Islamic information which will benefit those who search the Internet. There are many out there who compare the world's religions. There are people who would like to read the Quran, or the translation of its meaning, as well as prophetic narrations in order to know the nature of Islam, its economic, political and religious system, as well as all other things related to this religion.
Part-III
It is sad to note that when a researcher looks through some of the international libraries available on the Internet in order to find information and references regarding any type of data he requires, he finds what he is looking for indexed in a very accurate manner, but, at the same time, we as Muslims do not have a single library about Islam that would serve as an encyclopaedia on the Internet for researchers to find any data they require about Islam, save it to their personal computers, and print it out. Are we not the ones with the superior system of life? Are we not the ones referred to in the saying of Allaah (which means): “You will be superior if you are [true] believers.” [Quran 3: 139] If we are the ones upon the truth and our religion is superior, then we must realistically establish this loftiness and superiority. If are unable to conquer the disbelievers by means of weaponry, then the least we can do is conquer them by spreading this religion via the Internet.
When one takes a look at some international radio stations, he finds the likes of Monte Carlo, which spreads Christianity day and night and is upon falsehood with claims such as Allaah is one of three (i.e., the concept of trinity) and that Allaah is ‘Eesaa the son of Maryam, or that he is the son of Allaah. They utilise titanic resources to broadcast such deceitful information to the world. On the other hand, we Muslims do not exert any effort to propagate our faith - even amongst the workers who live among us such as our drivers and maids. Indeed, this is a great shortcoming which Allaah will hold us accountable for.
We must exert all efforts and utilise all means within reach to teach our religion and spread it, because Allaah Says (what means): “You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind.” [Quran 3: 110]
Why are we the best nation? Allaah tells us in another verse of the same chapter where He says (what means): “[Due to your] inviting to [all that is] good.” [Quran 3: 104]
Where is our invitation of people to goodness? Where are our students of knowledge? What happened to the duty of conveying the message of Allaah? Where is the duty of conveying on behalf of the Prophet
? Anyone can convey what he knows about Islam; we are not suggesting that people without knowledge should shoulder the responsibility of propagating Islam, but one may know something and can convey that to others. What effort are we exerting to convey Islam?
The disbelievers are working day and night, as are the innovators who spread their ideology that Allaah is the sum total of everything in the universe - and that therefore, even pigs contain Allaah, Glorified and Praised is Allaah above what they claim; these sects have many sites on the Internet translated into various languages. Some of their websites contain clear infidelity, and they have their homepages in many languages such as Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese …etc. while on the other hand, the Muslims, who are the followers of Islamic Monotheism, are still lagging behind in this regard. There are websites for all the different deviant sects, such as the Ismaa’eelis, Qaadyaanies (who claim that Ghulam Ahmad Mirza Qadyaan was a Prophet after Muhammad
), Bahaa’ies and Satan worshippers. When one searches for the word 'Islam' with the major search engines on the Internet, the first website that is listed is that of Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam – the group that has destroyed the image of Islam. Moreover, the search will also list other websites that call to and encourage evils such as committing suicide.
We must present the pure Islam to mankind – the Islam which is based on the Quran and the Sunnah with the understanding of our righteous Salaf
. We must present it in place of the misguided rationalists who claim to be intellectuals and twist the texts of the Quran and Sunnah in order to fit their desires and please the disbelievers - some of them by rejecting the texts in the Sunnah. There are others amongst them who claim that the Jews and Christians are our brothers, and that it is permissible to exchange gifts with them during their religious holidays. They pass odd Fataawaa in order to please the disbelievers; They make statements under pressure such as that it is permissible for women to take charge of ministries and the judiciary, thereby rejecting the statement of the Prophet
in the book of Imaam Al-Bukhaari
in which he
said: “Never will a group of people succeed if they make a woman in charge of their affairs.” These people spread their garbage via their websites and their Islamic rulings spread misguidance, just as they do on some of the satellite television channels.
Misguidance after misguidance, where is the Jihaad by means of the tongue? We must spread sound belief and faith, we must spread the pure understanding of Islam according to the understanding of our righteous Salaf
we must propagate the real Islam in place of what is being done by these misguided people who spread their falsehood in the name of Islam, and who collect millions for their websites so as to enable themselves to publish and broadcast their garbage.
Jihaad is of different types which Muslims must carry out. Establishing websites to propagate Islam and call the disbelievers towards Islam, which gives them the chance to ask questions and have them answered is an obligation that we must fulfil, It is also an obligation to call the Muslims to Islam when they stray away whilst living in disbelieving countries, dissolving into western communities and thereby regressing into becoming Muslims in name only - them and their children. These people need help and instruction, and experience has shown that the method of using Islamic Propagation via the internet is a highly successful one.
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