Unable to read or listen no more..

[Nájlá]

Hope all is well Inshaa'allah.

So I've had this problem probably since having a smartphone which is a long time ago.

Over the years it has gotten so much bad. I'm finding it very hard to hold a book again and read, I cannot sit and watch a lecture or even listen to it. I'm unable to finish reading a long article. Anything that requires thinking I'm easily put off, so I never read I just skim through.

Now I know I'm not the only one, especially the youth of today. I'm finding this scary to be honest. Knowledge is dying. And we are unable to gain knowledge because of our lack of interest. Sometimes I have to force myself to read something.

Now I know people would say put your phone down. But it is not that easy, although I do very much agree phones are really killing our abilities, skills and many many things. The phone has become part of our life to the point we check on it every 5 minutes probably.

Those who don't have this problem, what do you think is best to do, to be able to go back to read again, reflect and articulate. Not simply just for reading. We can read but it is as if we never read anything.

This is really a real problem btw.

 

[ardianto]

:wa:

If you don’t like to read book and unable to read long article, it’s not because smartphone, but because lack of curiosity. What happen to you is not new phenomenon, but already happened since long time ago, before the era of digital tech.

Do you know sis?, what make people love reading is curiosity. They curios to know about the things that not formally taught to them in school. So they try to find out from books and article. Even what makes people love to read long fiction novel is curiosity too. They curios about the stories of these novels, so they read.

So sister, if you want to love reading you must rise up your sense of curiosity. If you curios to know further about cultures, history, technologies, etc, then you will be interested to learn more through reading. In Shaa Allah.

 

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Perceptive points being made. I agree that engaging in digital media for long periods of time can really have negative effects as mentioned above. For me its the numbing of the mind, inability to concentrate for long periods of time.

Some books on the subject.

Blurb

Television has conditioned us to tolerate visually entertaining material measured out in spoonfuls of time, to the detriment of rational public discourse and reasoned public affairs. In this eloquent, persuasive book, Neil Postman alerts us to the real and present dangers of this state of affairs, and offers compelling suggestions as to how to withstand the media onslaught. Before we hand over politics, education, religion, and journalism to the show business demands of the television age, we must recognize the ways in which the media shape our lives and the ways we can, in turn, shape them to serve out highest goals.

Blurb

For most of us the Mass Media is the focus of our lives - it provides the material which is discussed and debated, it articulates our responses, and it provides the framework by which a vast potential volume of material is filtered, prioritized and interpreted. Headlines and sound-bites vie arbitrarily for our attention: famine relief in an African country, the sacking of a celebrity; honouring a sports hero; a Royal Wedding; the wonders of a new computer, a tax on 'carbon'; the trial or indeed knighthood of a sexual offender... With the pace of its growth and advances of technology, the Mass Media affects us by its system properties that is by its attention-grabbing ability, its addictiveness, its pervasiveness; its whole way of evaluating and presenting stimuli to which we become first assimilated, then addicted. The reality is that anything can be treated as overwhelmingly important, urgent, desperate, demanding of action now, but as easily forgotten. The medium has outgrown the message. The overall fact of this massive communications system has become more important than the details of its communications. Stimulated by the horrific revelations of the Jimmy Savile affair at the BBC, with its implications of wholesale Establishment corruption and a sustained Media cover-up; this book diagnoses the fundamental problem of the modern world as addiction to the distractions of the Mass Media and points to the only logical end-point for its expansion: the destruction of society itself.

 

[ardianto]

Perceptive points being made. I agree that engaging in digital media for long periods of time can really have negative effects as mentioned above. For me its the numbing of the mind, inability to concentrate for long periods of time.

Problem of sister Najla is she has lack of interest for reading, I can’t say it caused by smartphone because I already found cases like this long before the era of smartphone and internet. In fact, many smartphone owners nowadays still reading, and even buy books.

 

[Nájlá]

:wa:

If you don’t like to read book and unable to read long article, it’s not because smartphone, but because lack of curiosity. What happen to you is not new phenomenon, but already happened since long time ago, before the era of digital tech.

Do you know sis?, what make people love reading is curiosity. They curios to know about the things that not formally taught to them in school. So they try to find out from books and article. Even what makes people love to read long fiction novel is curiosity too. They curios about the stories of these novels, so they read.

So sister, if you want to love reading you must rise up your sense of curiosity. If you curios to know further about cultures, history, technologies, etc, then you will be interested to learn more through reading. In Shaa Allah.

I agree with you, I have truly lost my interest and Curiosity. Because it has not always been the case, before having a smartphone I was very much into reading especially non fiction. I loved to read, I remember when my mum used to call me down I would come down while holding the book reading. I wasn't able to put it down.

Now I'm unable to read a page or two without having to check my phone, I do blame the smartphone in my case.

So even if I have curiosity and I want to find out something and read for example online. If the article is not interesting from the first sentence I wouldn't continue to read.

There's been a reduced in number blogs. No one likes to read no more. Everything now has to be short and catchy in order to grab attention especially to the youth of today.

- - - Updated - - -

Salaam

Perceptive points being made. I agree that engaging in digital media for long periods of time can really have negative effects as mentioned above. For me its the numbing of the mind, inability to concentrate for long periods of

Many people are beginning to realise this around me (i'm guessing others are too). They are trying to make a change. But we are unable to or rather we don't know how.

I think it will take a long time for people able to have the ability to turn their screens off. If our own students as young as 5 years old everything from school to the house include a screen. When are they able to approach a non or less screen life? Kids nowadays spend more time on the screens than playing outside

 

[Abz2000]

A question of focus, i do believe the smartphone has a lot to do with it in that there is so much stimulation involved and always new and unanticipated information from various sources also via audio visual assistance, the tendency of the brain to drift off during audio visual information consumption is a little more enhanced in comparison to reading books since reading speeds can be adjusted to the pace of thought processing - whereas with audio visual consumption, "oh i didn't catch that too well", or "God knows what he/she means but the next part is here so i'll let it fly" is a very common happening - and there is a possible link to adhd when one thinks fundamentally on the issue.

On the other hand, audio visual information makes it easier to skim through huge amounts of information though many fine details in any given motion picture (where tens to thousands of still shots are played in fast succession) are usually missed in order to keep pace.

I emphasise the need to read books to my children and explain that they have to make their own imagery and it increases their ability to "imagine" , to pause and reflect, to "invent" , and to sandbox within the brain based on little textual information which usually must be fleshed out and built upon.

Books are important, and so are smartphones, so to each their credits.

 

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Problem of sister Najla is she has lack of interest for reading, I can’t say it caused by smartphone because I already found cases like this long before the era of smartphone and internet. In fact, many smartphone owners nowadays still reading, and even buy books.

Yes of course its not a new phenomena, digital media amplifies the problem.

 

[MazharShafiq]

Yes of course I agreed its not a new phenomena, but digital media amplifies the problem.

 

[Nájlá]

I emphasise the need to read books to my children and explain that they have to make their own imagery and it increases their ability to "imagine" , to pause and reflect, to "invent" , and to sandbox within the brain based on little textual information which usually must be fleshed out and built upon.

Books are important, and so are smartphones, so to each their credits.

This is one of the best thing you can do for your children. I tried reading to my daughter but she is just not interested. Maybe because she's still very young. But anyway we are ummat iqra. It's part of our religion to seek knowledge and read.. If this dies.. then everything else will fall.

 

[Abz2000]

Another little observation, when books are read over the course of usually between three days to a month - memory and attention spans are hugely increased.

Processing speeds are also taken into account.

1347. It was narrated from
'Abdullah bin 'Amr that the
Messenger of Allah said: "No
one properly understands who
reads the Qur'an in less than three
days." (Sahih)

https://archive.org/stream/SunanIbn...nIbnMajahVol.2-803-1782EnglishArabic_djvu.txt




Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2949), Abu Dawood (1390) and Ibn Maajah (1347); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

https://www.google.com.bd/amp/s/islamqa.info/amp/en/answers/156299

 

[Nájlá]

Another little observation, when books are read over the course of usually between three days to a month - memory and attention spans are hugely increased.

Processing speeds are also taken into account.

1347. It was narrated from
'Abdullah bin 'Amr that the
Messenger of Allah said: "No
one properly understands who
reads the Qur'an in less than three

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2949), Abu Dawood (1390) and Ibn Maajah (1347); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

https://www.google.com.bd/amp/s/islamqa.info/amp/en/answers/156299

SubhanAllah I never knew that. JazakAllah khayr for sharing

 

[azc]

What is said about Shafi’e (may Allah :swt: have Mercy on him) that he used to finish reading the Qur’an during Ramadan 60 times, is reported by Ibn Abi Hatem and ibn Assakir in his book ‘History’ from Rabi’ bin Sulaiman through many sources, who said that Shafi’e used to finish reading the Qur'an during Ramadan 60 times. Even if there is a hardship in doing so, but it is not impossible.
One of the contemporary people of knowledge, who is Sheikh Said bin Musafir Al Qahtani said that he completed reading the whole Qur'an from Fajr to just before Asr. On this basis, one can complete reading the whole Qur'an twice in 24 hours.
http://library.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/86935/

 

[Abz2000]

There's a huge difference between what untruths are said about imam shafi'ee and the truth, i already posted you the sahih ahadith regarding the father who came and told the Messenger of Allah that his son was overpushing himself, the advice of the Prophet :saws: to the son was one month, the son bargained it down until it got to three days, after which the Prophet :saws: refused to budge.
If anyone thinks foolish extremism is good, they should study and think twice before burdening themselves with it, but should beware of giving foolish advice based on patently false attributions to imams which are based on nothing more than wishful thinking and exaggerations, Allah :swt: will most likely hold to heavy task anyone who causes fitnah via unnecessary burnout.

See also: https://www.google.com.bd/amp/s/islamqa.info/amp/en/answers/156299

(The scholar who replied also mentioned the claim, but did take care to mention the doubtfulness of the claims first.
reading it twice in a day also goes against the command "wa rattil al Qur-aana tarteela"
It is a dhikr and not a magic mantra.
Maybe take the time to count the number of hours contained in the compiled recitations of the various qurraa of makkah and al madeenah - and then ponder).



Surah 20. Ta-ha

1. Ta-Ha.

2. We have not sent down the Qur'an to thee to be (an occasion) for thy distress,

3. But only as an admonition to those who fear ((Allah)),-

4. A revelation from Him Who created the earth and the heavens on high.

5. ((Allah)) Most Gracious is firmly established on the throne (of authority).

6. To Him belongs what is in the heavens and on earth, and all between them, and all beneath the soil.

7. If thou pronounce the word aloud, (it is no matter): for verily He knoweth what is secret and what is yet more hidden.

8. Allah. there is no god but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names.


10 hours :01 minute :06 seconds -
NON STOP

Al- Quran By Abdul Rahman Al Sudais Part 1/2

11 hours :31 minutes :56 seconds -
NON STOP

Al- Quran By Abdul Rahman Al Sudais Part 2/2

Total
21 hours :33 minutes : 02 seconds -
NON STOP


And even then, one has to sometimes pause and think for a long while when a verse, or incident described in multiple verses suddenly stands out.



Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al `As:
My father got me married to a lady of a noble family, and often used to ask my wife about me, and she used to reply, "What a wonderful man he is! He never comes to my bed, nor has he approached me since he married me." When this state continued for a long period, my father told the story to the Prophet who said to my father, "Let me meet him." Then I met him and he asked me, "How do you fast?" I replied, "I fast daily," He asked, "How long does it take you to finish the recitation of the whole Qur'an?" I replied, "I finish it every night." On that he said, "Fast for three days every month and recite the Qur'an (and finish it) in one month." I said, "But I have power to do more than that." He said, "Then fast for three days per week." I said, "i have the power to do more than that." He said, "Therefore, fast the most superior type of fasting, (that is, the fasting of (prophet) David who used to fast every alternate day; and finish the recitation of the whole Qur'an In seven days." I wish I had accepted the permission of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as I have become a weak old man. It is said that `Abdullah used to recite one-seventh of the Qur'an during the day-time to some of his family members, for he used to check his memorization of what he would recite at night during the daytime so that it would be easier for him to read at night. And whenever he wanted to gain some strength, he used to give up fasting for some days and count those days to fast for a similar period, for he disliked to leave those things which he used to do during the lifetime of the Prophet.


حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ أَنْكَحَنِي أَبِي امْرَأَةً ذَاتَ حَسَبٍ فَكَانَ يَتَعَاهَدُ كَنَّتَهُ فَيَسْأَلُهَا عَنْ بَعْلِهَا فَتَقُولُ نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ رَجُلٍ لَمْ يَطَأْ لَنَا فِرَاشًا وَلَمْ يُفَتِّشْ لَنَا كَنَفًا مُذْ أَتَيْنَاهُ فَلَمَّا طَالَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ ذَكَرَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏ الْقَنِي بِهِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَلَقِيتُهُ بَعْدُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ كَيْفَ تَصُومُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَكَيْفَ تَخْتِمُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةً‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ صُمْ فِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةً وَاقْرَإِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ صُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَفْطِرْ يَوْمَيْنِ وَصُمْ يَوْمًا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ صُمْ أَفْضَلَ الصَّوْمِ صَوْمِ دَاوُدَ صِيَامَ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارَ يَوْمٍ وَاقْرَأْ فِي كُلِّ سَبْعِ لَيَالٍ مَرَّةً ‏"‏‏.‏ فَلَيْتَنِي قَبِلْتُ رُخْصَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَذَاكَ أَنِّي كَبِرْتُ وَضَعُفْتُ فَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ عَلَى بَعْضِ أَهْلِهِ السُّبْعَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ بِالنَّهَارِ وَالَّذِي يَقْرَؤُهُ يَعْرِضُهُ مِنَ النَّهَارِ لِيَكُونَ أَخَفَّ عَلَيْهِ بِاللَّيْلِ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَقَوَّى أَفْطَرَ أَيَّامًا وَأَحْصَى وَصَامَ مِثْلَهُنَّ كَرَاهِيةَ أَنْ يَتْرُكَ شَيْئًا فَارَقَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَيْهِ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ فِي ثَلاَثٍ وَفِي خَمْسٍ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ عَلَى سَبْعٍ‏.‏
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5052
In-book reference : Book 66, Hadith 77
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 61, Hadith 572
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Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr:
The Prophet (ﷺ) asked me, "How long does it take you to finish the recitation of the whole Qur'an?"
حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ لِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ فِي كَمْ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ ‏"‏‏.‏
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5053
In-book reference : Book 66, Hadith 78
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 61, Hadith 573
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Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to me, "Recite the whole Qur'an in one month's time." I said, "But I have power (to do more than that)." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Then finish the recitation of the Qur'an in seven days, and do not finish it in less than this period."
حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ شَيْبَانَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، مَوْلَى بَنِي زُهْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ ـ قَالَ وَأَحْسِبُنِي قَالَ ـ سَمِعْتُ أَنَا مِنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ اقْرَإِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي شَهْرٍ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً حَتَّى قَالَ ‏"‏ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي سَبْعٍ وَلاَ تَزِدْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ‏"‏‏.‏
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5054
In-book reference : Book 66, Hadith 79
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 61, Hadith 574
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[Dont.know]

Hope all is well Inshaa'allah.

So I've had this problem probably since having a smartphone which is a long time ago.

Over the years it has gotten so much bad. I'm finding it very hard to hold a book again and read, I cannot sit and watch a lecture or even listen to it. I'm unable to finish reading a long article. Anything that requires thinking I'm easily put off, so I never read I just skim through.

Now I know I'm not the only one, especially the youth of today. I'm finding this scary to be honest. Knowledge is dying. And we are unable to gain knowledge because of our lack of interest. Sometimes I have to force myself to read something.

Now I know people would say put your phone down. But it is not that easy, although I do very much agree phones are really killing our abilities, skills and many many things. The phone has become part of our life to the point we check on it every 5 minutes probably.

Those who don't have this problem, what do you think is best to do, to be able to go back to read again, reflect and articulate. Not simply just for reading. We can read but it is as if we never read anything.

This is really a real problem btw.

I know how u feel its a terrible affliction. best solution would be to downgrade to the worst phone possible like an Alcatel or a brickphone - then spend more time in the real world cooking, talking, exercise and going out or whatever