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Tag: Social Media

  • Social Media as Sadaqah Jariyah: A Reflective Piece 

    Social Media as Sadaqah Jariyah: A Reflective Piece 

    In an age where a single post can reach thousands in seconds, it becomes impossible to ignore the powerful influence of social media. What was once created for connection and conversation has evolved into one of the greatest tools for impact, awareness, and collective upliftment – if that is what you seek on these platforms. For Muslims, this digital age presents a unique and often overlooked opportunity; the chance to turn our online presence into sadaqah jariyah, a continuous charity, a reward that can last long after we’ve logged out and left this world. 

    As someone who has spent years using social platforms, I’ve always saved room to bring attention to humanitarian work, one of my passions. I’ve seen firsthand how a share, comment, or donation link can change lives. But my journey also taught me that using social media for good is not accidental, it is intentional, and rooted deeply in our faith. 

    Understanding Sadaqah Jariyah in the Digital Era

    Islam teaches us that charity is not limited to wealth. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “When a person dies, all of his deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity (sadaqah jariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.” (Sahih Muslim) 

    This hadith summarizes which deeds continue to benefit us even after death. We often think of a few certain deeds when we hear sadaqah jariyah, such as building a well, sponsoring an orphan, planting a tree, or projects like constructing schools or masjids. But today, we have new spaces where our efforts can live on, and one of the most unique is social media. 

    A post offering the opportunity to give in charity, a reminder of kindness, or a Quranic verse that inspires someone to get closer to Allah, can become an ongoing stream of reward too. The domino effect is real. One person shares, ten others see it, two donate, one volunteers, and then suddenly, a chain of good has been formed, all starting by a single post on social media. 

    My Journey from Sharing Posts to Witnessing Impact

    When I first began posting on social media, circa 2007, it wasn’t about charity work, it was more like a shared diary of posted pictures and thoughts. I didn’t really have a plan or understand the magnitude of what social media could do. At the time, my intention was simple: spread inspiration, share my poetry, opinions, and pieces of my life.  

    Eventually, I realized I could create bigger and more impactful change. That’s when I began to assist organizations, spreading awareness so more people could support humanitarian projects I believed in. What’s more, as the posts gained traction, I began receiving messages from strangers across the world telling me a video moved them to donate, a caption pushed them to pray, or a photo reminded them to be grateful. There were moments that left me speechless, honored, and, at times, unworthy of this feedback. For me, I was simply sharing things I was passionate about.  

    A single Instagram story once helped raise money for a divorcee who hadn’t eaten properly and needed to flee an abusive husband. Another post brought in enough support for a mental health organization to stay in business. Sometimes, it wasn’t even the video or effort I put in, it was seeing others repost, comment with prayers, or encourage their own circles to give. It was building communities and alliances. It became clear to me that even if I could not physically be everywhere, my message could spread far and wide.  

    That is one of the gifts of our time. Social media isn’t just a tool, it also can be a bridge between those who need help and those who are able to give it; a bridge between awareness and action, between intention and impact. 

    Spreading Good

    Allah (SWT) reminds us, “Whoever guides someone to goodness will have a reward like the one who did it.” (Quran 4:85) 

    This isn’t limited to in-person guidance. In our day and age, “guiding someone to good” often happens through screens. Consider this, when you share a fundraiser link, remind someone to give, or spread knowledge that leads to charity, you also are guiding others toward good deeds. Every action they take can add to your scale of good, without diminishing theirs. 

    In another verse, Allah says, “The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven ears; in every ear is a hundred grains.” (Quran 2:261) 

    Now imagine this multiplied through social media. One post becoming seventy, then seven hundred, then thousands. The rewards become unimaginable! 

    Four Reasons to Embrace Social Media as a Platform for Continuous Charity
    1. Small actions lead to huge impact. You don’t need millions of followers to make a difference. Sometimes the right message reaches the right heart at the right time. One reminder to donate $5 might feed a family, and one repost might inspire someone else to fund an entire project. 
    1. Knowledge spreads faster than ever before. Sharing a Quran verse, an authentic hadith, a reflection, or a reminder of compassion can reach people who are struggling, distant from faith, or looking for direction. 
    1. You can unknowingly create ongoing benefit. Your content stays online, people may find it weeks, months, or even years later, and each time it inspires good, your rewards continue, inshallah. 
    1. It allows you to fulfill your duty to uplift the ummah. Social media connects us to the suffering of the ummah in real time and gives us the ability to respond immediately.  
    Your Voice Matters

    If you’ve ever wondered whether your posts make an impact, or if your small efforts are seen, just keep hope in Allah (SWT) that someone will see your post and act on it, that someone will be inspired, someone may give, and someone will help, and that chain reaction of good might continue long after we’re gone. 

    This is one of the ways we can leave a legacy behind. 

    So let us use our platforms with purpose. Whenever you can, fil your timelines with reminders of compassion. Let’s raise awareness for those who cannot speak for themselves. Let us turn some of our scrolling into sadaqah, service, and our platforms into pathways of mercy.  

    May Allah (SWT) accept every sincere effort, every post shared for good, and every action taken to uplift His creation. And may our social media, often seen as a distraction, become a source of ongoing reward in this life and the next. 

    Allahumma Ameen. 

  • Using Social Media for Our Benefit While Avoiding Its Harms

    Using Social Media for Our Benefit While Avoiding Its Harms

    The times we live in make it imperative to understand the underlying mechanisms of social media, what benefits and harms it poses, and how to use it wisely and in accordance with Islamic principles. These social platforms have come as a blessing to us as we can instantly reach out to our friends and families across the world. We use Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc., to talk to them and share information with them, most surprisingly, without any cost. Nonetheless, as the saying goes “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch,” and we do pay a “price” for it, an invisible but hefty price.

    To understand that fully, we have to understand the business model of social media. It is built on the economic model called “attention economy” and we pay the price through our “attention.” The other leg of this economic model is the network effect, i.e., we empower it by being connected to it. “Attention” and “connectedness” are the foods for this beast. The more they can capture our attention, the better they can sell us to their customers, the advertisers.

    It’s very difficult to not fall into the trap of the carefully designed “algorithms” that grab our attention, but we can try a few strategies and techniques that can help us to dodge the harmful snare. First, to understand if you’re a victim of this business model, see how many of these symptoms apply to you:

    • The app’s notifications are turned on and you have the urge to check instantly at the buzz of a notification
    • The first thing that comes to your mind in the morning is the number of reactions to your post.
    • You feel the urge to “tell” everyone what you had for breakfast, lunch, or dinner — day after day.
    • You can’t wait to return home from your vacation to post all the “cool” pictures of amazing food, fun activities, and places you visited during your trip.
    • Your app’s video feed has auto play enabled, thus hooking you for hours.
    • You can’t resist a day without publishing a post even if it’s something relatively meaningless, or a personal status like “feeling lonely” that should be expressed to a family member, good friend, or counselor, not the public.
    Enormous Benefit

    If used appropriately, however, social media also brings enormous benefit. Never in human history have we been so connected in such a convenient manner. Each and every one of us is like a live broadcaster. We can reach out to our families and friends across the world. We can share ideas and information with others. We have access to a wealth of knowledge and varying content, an availability that was unthinkable in past human history. You can get all the top-ranked universities’ lectures or join their live classes from across the world. One would have to be a fool to deny the benefits of it. But what we don’t realize is that the social media companies intend to predispose us to virtual relationships rather than face-to-face relationships. These companies are making billions of dollars as they constantly preach to use their tool and replace our real life with their virtual reality (e.g., the metaverse). Make no mistake, it comes with enormous risks that can destroy the fabric of society and every individual from the inside.

    Following are some of the risks:
    • Access to so much content in a short time narrows attention span. It’s hard for an individual to stay focused on a particular topic for more than a few minutes. One is constantly allured to the “next cool” thing on the side — be it a recommendation or an advertisement. To feed “the beast,” it will ensure that you are hooked into their platform with “must see” baits such as, posts, pictures, memes, and videos.
    • The deliberate design of social media feeds this diminishing attention span and ability to concentrate. Humans are built with peripheral vision. It allows us to see the surroundings even when we’re focusing on a particular thing in front of us. This is a mechanism of self-protection against unexpected harm. Social media technologists know that very well and they frequently pop things up on the screen to allure you to the place that benefits their business. Once your brain gets used to that frequent interruption, then it becomes your patterned behavior. This is devastating for you regarding your knowledge acquisition, ability to focus, or living a life with intentionality.
    • Everyone tends to share their carefully curated “polished” persona with the world. So, you will be seeing the best of everyone: their most attractive selfie, stunning vacation place, the luxurious food, the awards they receive, the highest promotion at their job, the number of likes they get with their posts, and on and on. Imagine you have a few hundred “friends” and you constantly see their “success” stories only. That will prompt you to set unrealistic goals to be best at everything and be happy all the time. This creates psychological issues as you are constantly comparing yourself to this one or that one, or to the sum total of your friends’ “successes.”
    • Social media platforms are designed to flood you with information so you don’t get time to check the validity or authenticity of the information. Moreover, they make it easy, often with one click, to share with any social media platforms and groups. This may sound trivial on the face, but this has an enormous impact on society. As Muslims, we are commanded to act responsibly and to not share anything but verified and authentic information (Quran 49:6 and 24:15).
    • The most deliberate attack is by the advertisements. You may say, “what’s the big deal?” You are used to newspaper, TV, or billboard ads. Yes, those also have psychological and emotional effects, and even subliminal influences; but it’s like comparing raindrops to a cyclone. Most importantly, artificial Intelligence algorithms use individualized data to target and drag you where they can best make a profit (i.e., using your personal data and connections to promote goods and services to you in a personalized way). It hooks you to the screen for a long time by showing you one-after-another “interesting” post that allows them to charge higher prices to their advertisers. Ads are intended to make you think you need their product and therefore throws you into the material rat race.
    • Another subtle but consequential impact of social media on our society is that we become numb. Repeated sensationalized, fast-moving images and news may numb our senses and exhaust our emotions. If we get used to watching on a screen tragedies and incidents of violence or oppression and reacting virtually with a simple click of the mouse, then we might no longer seek to take action in real life in support of social justice, no longer making effort to relieve the suffering of others.
    Using Social Media Responsibly

    So how do we benefit from the power of social media? Until the social media companies change their business model from the attention economy into something less harmful, we can take back some control in our own hands and create a fence around some of the harmful aspects of social media. Here are some suggestions:

    • Define your social media goals. Here are a few examples of beneficial use of social media — to connect with family and friends who live far away, to access educational resources, to engage in commerce, to carry out activism and awareness campaigns. The bottom line is to make sure that you use these platforms to advance the goal you set forth. Frequently check if you’re staying within those boundaries. If you find yourself drifting away from that goal, get back to the “lane” immediately.
    • Time is the most scarce commodity we were sent to this earth with. Use it wisely and with extreme caution. This alone will help shape your success or failure in life. Set aside a certain time in the day to use social media. Another alternative is to select certain days in the week instead of every day. Make your boundaries and stick to the plan.
    • If your kids need to use YouTube/social media for learning, have them use it in an open space at home where other family members can monitor what they are accessing, and remind them of the importance of moderate use.

    With the internet and social media, we can reach countless individuals across the globe. We have access to all knowledge and to an enormous number of opinions on any topic. Two things are good to keep in mind, however. Regarding the business model of social media platforms, as mentioned above, we want to ensure that we don’t become willing victims to their snares of profit-seeking. We do that by responsibly and deliberately using social media in a moderate and highly conscious way.

    And secondly, as Muslims, we also want to make sure we don’t disseminate information that is untrue, biased, or harmful. It is important to check what you find on social media. There is often “the other side to the story” that is being ignored or untold. Seek out alternative views and weigh what each side is saying as you try to discern the truth or reality of the story. One technique that is used in formal research is called “triangulation.” It facilitates the validation of data by using three or more sources. While use of triangulation in regard to social media is certainly more casual than the triangulation that is used in formal research, it highlights the need to avoid hearing or reading some claim made online and “running with it” without checking out its validity or reliability.

    Only as astute and responsible users of social media can we benefit from it while avoiding its harms.

  • New Media Trends of Social Networking

    Social media sites offer a virtual space where people can foster discussion and promote open dialogue while reaching out to a broad audience. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and various other social media platforms provide an interactive space where one can share perspectives on prominent issues or acquire detailed information about some niche hobby.  These platforms give people a voice, especially when and where communication and free speech are restricted.

    Let’s be optimistic and choose to believe that the greatest good can come from the trends inaugurated by electronic media and social networking

    One has to accept that “what comes with the territory” of a free-for-all  space in a virtual environment is that any and all views are out there floating in cyberspace.  Thus the opponents of Islam are also utilizing the opportunity to spread their views. To counter any misleading and/or disinforming propaganda, we can reach out to non-Muslims directly and provide accurate information as well as refutations of false, hypocritical, or stereotypical arguments.

    The positive changes that the world has seen in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and many other countries are clear evidence that political repression cannot stop truth and justice from laying claim to the course of history when people rally in solidarity and determination to bring about change. These uprisings of the will of the people could not have been possible without the social media playing a crucial role in informing, mobilizing, and connecting people.  In fact, as Nadine Jurrat points out in Citizen Journalism and the Internet, “In repressive countries, eye witness reports and images taken by ordinary citizens are often the only testimony available and can help influence international politics.” Yet social media networking can just as well be a simple, positive experience for Muslims — to hang out, to interact, to experience a different culture, or best of all, to create a global Muslim culture.

    We can use social media to advantage in various ways: 

    1. Increasing message awareness and building relationships;
    2. Debunking myths and misunderstandings about Islam;
    3. Learning about other Muslim groups, cultures and organizations so as to promote understanding and appreciation of the diversity within Islam; and
    4. Making our organizations and centers more inclusive of Muslims across race, nationality, gender, age, and schools of thoughts.

    For greatest effectiveness in using social media networking, Muslims should abide by the best standards of online conduct and personal integrity. This includes being careful not to engage in or express biased perspectives; making sure that we care about justice across the board so we don’t fall into the trap of crying out for the redress of grievances only when the affliction is our own, and keeping silent when others are oppressed;  when participating in discussions or posting a blog, abiding by right-minded standards of “citizen journalism” like never plagiarizing others’ material, being sure of our facts, and avoiding the further spreading of unsubstantiated rumor or hearsay.

    The Internet has given ordinary citizens the ability to transmit information globally. That was a power once reserved for only the very largest media corporations and news outlets. People can now participate in “citizen journalism” with little to no professional skills, with only the willingness and enthusiasm to engage and interact with others.  ICNA has its presence on almost all the social media networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.  However, many Muslims still do not use these sites frequently and effectively. 

    Following are a few examples of networking sites that give us access to a variety of good causes and  outreach from a diversity  of Muslim individuals.  AmericanMuslimMom.com is an online blog community whose stated mission is “To enlighten, educate, and empower moms, especially American Muslim moms living in America and abroad to take action.”  It is designed to “help Muslim moms raise the next generation of pious believers in Islam.” Muslimvoices.org aims “to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims through podcasts, videos, public events, art exhibits and discussions.”  Alwahy.com claims to be the largest Muslim social media site created for the modern needs of the ummah.   These are but a few examples from among the hundreds of social media networking sites operated by Muslims.  The traditional media will continue to provide news and information, to influence people, shape opinions, and too often, create myths and reinforce stereotypes.  However, the new media techologies and various social networking sites offer tremendous opportunities for ordinary people to become “citizen journalists,”conveying their views and sharing their perspectives with others. 

    What is needed is the clarity and commitment to strive for the high-mindedness of those mentioned in the Quran: “And who is better in speech than the one who prays unto God and does righteous deeds and says ‘I am a Muslim’” (Quran, 41:33).  We can strive for that objective knowing that “Indeed, Allah loves it when any one of you acts, so let him perfect it (reported by Al-Bayhaqi in Shoua’ab Al-Eman).