#216: Ruling on Managing Mass Information
QUESTION
ON MANAGING MASS INFORMATION
“What do you advise on managing phone/Internet and co and our studies because what you have said is obviously the truth, personally it has seriously affected my karatu (seeking knowledge) and in general most of the brothers that are conversant with the Internet they don’t even attend karatu(seeking knowledge) to talk of
even managing the both…please advise us.”
ANSWER:
Alhamdulillaah!
May Allah also grant you steadfastness and success; and may He reward you abundantly too for your efforts and the trust that you have put in us; Aameen!
. To proceed to answer your question, we must first caution ourselves that learning in Islam has to be attached to an Aalim and it is not permissible to restrict oneself to internet forums and outlets unless where there are no alternatives aside it.
Secondly, dealing with the mega information that is present in the datasphere of the internet in the adequate manner can only be done by someone who is highly disciplined. In the Hadith, the Rasul – salallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam – said: “Of the perfection of the Islam of a person is that he abandons that which does not concern him”.
What that means is that a believer cannot be said to be at the level of perfection of his Islam unless if he is efficient and disciplined enough to pick only what he needs and abandon that which is not of his need and goal. It is our advice that you specify for yourself everyday of your time that which is stipulated and will not intrude into the other aspects of your life that deserves that you apportion time to. You could apportion for the Internet about 40mins everyday and stick resolutely to that schedule so that you don’t spend your entire time on that.
We ask Allah to assist us all and to grant us all Tawfiq and Sadaad, Aameen!
Jazaakumullaahu Khayran; Baarakallaahu feekum!
