The Fitna Of Television

The life of this world is but play and amusement: and if you believe and guard against Evil, He will grant you your wages, and will not ask you (to give up) your possessions [Muhammad:36]

The television represents one of the biggest forms of corrupting the ummah today. After looking at the moral degradation of the ummah, we need to address a major source of this degradation. The western values and the values of the kuffar are invited daily into Muslim homes. These values (via television) are being invited by us Muslims and not by the kuffar. We have an option of refusing to watch these satanic values. We, as Muslims spend hours watching television and neglect our basic duties to our Creator (S.W.T). We choose to watch television in preference to our obligatory duties like Salaah and choose to spend hours watching things that do not benefit us and also makes us unmindful of Allah (S.W.T)

Continued activity of anything makes one accustomed to it and abstinence from certain activities makes one reluctant to action it. In the same manner Television has become part of our daily life and slowly the Islamic way of life is being neglected and even being ignored. Some Muslims have complained about not having time to perform their Salaah on the excuse of not having enough time in their busy schedules, yet they spend an average of at least 21 hours a week in front of the television.

Due to the prolonged exposure of viewing television, the love for things shown on Television enters the heart of a Muslim and the actions and behavior become the norm. One of the biggest fitnas of television is the way women are paraded and dressed up with the deep-seated sexual messages present in them. The Prophet (S.A.W) has forbidden looking at non Mahram females in a narration as follows:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
I have not seen a thing resembling 'lamam' (minor sins) than what Abu Huraira 'narrated from the Prophet who said, "Allah has written for Adam's son his share of adultery which he commits inevitably. The adultery of the eyes is the sight (to gaze at a forbidden thing), the adultery of the tongue is the talk, and the inner self wishes and desires and the private parts testify all this or deny it." (Bukhari Volume 8, Book 74, Number 260)

Allah (S.W.T) commands us in the Holy Quran:
And come not near to adultery: for it is an indecent (deed) and an evil way. [Al-Isrá 17 –32]

In this verse Allah (S.W.T) prohibits us from even approaching adultery, thus any action that leads up to a haraam act is also haraam.

The content of television shows is nothing short of destruction for a Muslim’s Imaan (faith). The movies on television contains anti Islamic values and behavior that amounts to watching haraam. Although the viewer is not involved in the lewd behavior, the viewer nevertheless watches the haraam activity.

We could justify these activities all we like but we must remember that we present ourselves to the kuffar and ask them to serve us with their corrupt and godless values. We have now become consumers of corrupt values and a mind that is developing to one that is similar to that of the kuffar. We, as Muslims are people that invite others to the beautiful lifestyle of Islaam and not us being invited to Kufr and Shirk that is presented by television programmes.

The watching of television is used to waste our time in worldly activities. Sports on television will get us addicted for hours to satisfy our appetite for consuming a sporting spectacle. These spectacles and activities are televised to instill a behavior and character that promotes a lifestyle that is anti Islamic. The sport personalities have become superstars to us, our children and the whole ummah. These people are now dearer and beloved to us then Allah(SWT) and his Messenger (S.A.W.). Our children know more about the sporting personalities, actors and politicians on television than the personalities of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali (R.A). These so called super stars and heroes display a lifestyle that is displeasing to Allah and the Prophet (S.A.W). How can we as Muslims watch these enemies of Allah (S.W.T)!!!

The Television is also a major inviter of MUSIC into our homes. The musicians with their satanic rituals give a visible expression of their satanic agendas

The most dangerous instrument that is being used today to prepare mankind for the coming of Dajjal, is the television. The television networks announce their viewer ship for all major events to be in the billions, which indicates the ability to influence so many people all at once. This shows the ability of disseminating information (true or false) to billions of people. We cannot allow ourselves as Muslims to be influenced or corrupted by television if we wish to be able recognize the fitna and fasaad of the Dajjal.

What should we, as Muslims, be doing?

We should be spending our precious time in an environment that promotes the consciousness of Allah (S.W.T) and fulfilling our object of our existence on earth. As Allah mentions in Quran:

I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. [adh-Dhariyat 51:56]

We should abstain from leading a lifestyle that promotes all sorts of corruption including the corruption of the Deen-ul-Islam. If we wish to be able to recognize the fitnah of the liar, Ad-Dajjal then we should refrain from the activities and pastimes of his followers.

Only true believers will be able to recognize the fraud and deceit of the Dajjal. So we should strengthen our imaan and also be vigilant of the plots of Shaitaan, who wishes to distract us from the remembrance of Allah.

There are many methods and schemes employed by Shaitaan to distract Muslims, to lead us astray. Initially it is to distract us and thereafter to lead us to commit shirk and kufr. The Quran exhorts us with the following:
"And befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice (ie. Songs, music and any other call for Allah’s disobedience), make assaults on them with your cavalry and your infantry, share with them wealth and children (by tempting them to earn money by illegal ways of usury, or by committing illegal sexual intercourse), and make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit. [Al Isra:64]

Allah (S.W.T) describes this world in the Quran as follows:
“And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the house in the Hereafter for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious). Will you not then understand?” [Al-An’am:32]

Allah (S.W.T) warns us of being heedless of our religion Islaam, and being deceived by this world as follows:
“And leave alone those who take their religion as play and amusement, and whom the life of this world has deceived. But remind ( them) with it (the Quran) lest a person be given up to destruction for that which he has earned, when he will find for himself no protector or intecessor beside Allah, and even if he offers every ransom, it will not be accepted from him. Such are they who are given up to destruction because of that which they have earned. For them will be a drink of boiling water and a painful torment because they used to disbelieve. [Al-An’am:70]

Let us not be of those who Allah (S.W.T) has blessed with five senses (i.e. sight, hearing, speech, touch and smell) for the disobedience of Allah. We should be using these blessed senses in the pleasure of our Creator (S.W.T). It would certainly be a sign of ingratitude if we were to use our senses, time and our wealth in the disobedience of Allah (S.W.T). In this regard Allah (S.W.T) mentions in the Holy Quran:
Verily the ear, the eye and the heart – with regard to each of these it will be questioned. [Al-Isrá: 36]

It is clear that that this verse indicates towards the great responsibility attached to the correct usage of the senses.

Muslims are urged to change our ways and to make sincere taubah (repentance) for our past sins.

Allah has granted us choices of good and evil in this world; let us use it for the good. We should try and refrain from entertaining ourselves with television and enjoy the HALAAL activity that is pleasing to our Creator (S.W.T).

May Allah Guide us, and forgive us all. Ameen