The Influence of
Television
By Hazrat Maulana
Yunus Patel Saheb (Rahmatullahi 'alayh)
One of the many Sunnats
of the Ambiya[1] (عَليْهِمُ السَّلام)[2]
is that of Hayaa – shame and modesty : a quality which is sorely missing in
the lives of the majority of Muslims today and which should otherwise be an
outstanding characteristic and feature of all Muslims, whether married or
un-married. The Hadith states : ‘Hayaa is a branch of Imaan.’
Television is such an evil that if
our society only understood its reality, then they would find no excuse to
watch. Its spiritual harm is that it takes away the hayaa and shame of our men, women and children.
The content of most television
programmes is nothing but immodesty and indecency, which invites nothing but
immodesty and indecency – into our homes, into our lives and the lives of our
children.
However, this truth and reality
seems to just pass over the understanding of even those Muslims who have some
link with Deen. Many are regular with Salaah, they are seen in the Masjid, they
are wearing the garb of the pious and yet they will be the ones to present
flimsy and feeble excuses to view television programmes.
Let us consider this situation of
sin from the following view – which Alhamdulillah[3], has
been a means of many getting rid of the television.
Ø If
a person has to knock on your door and tell you : ‘I would like to use your lounge to commit
adultery.’
Ø Or a group of some friends have to request you : ‘We would like to
use your home to gamble and enjoy our liquor.’
Ø Or a group of youngsters have to tell you : ‘We have chosen your home as a venue for our partying, dancing,
drug-taking and fornicating.’
Ø Or a Christian family has to request you : ‘We would like to use your home as a venue for our church ceremony :
The marriage of our daughter as well as the baptism of our grandchild. We have
already obtained the consent of one of our priests.’
Ø Or some idol-worshippers have to suggest : ‘We would like to carry out some of our religious rites in your home. We
would like to bring our idols also. You are more than welcome to observe or
participate in our rites. ’
Many Muslims, on hearing such
requests, will get very angry; will express disgust – if not swear and curse
such suggestions.
However, these very same Muslims,
who will even resort to swearing and cursing such proposals, invite into their
homes all of the above by the switch of the television, by hiring English and
Hindi films and DVDs and downloading porn and other films from the Internet.
There is so much of adultery, partying and other filth that we seem to just
welcome into our homes – least realizing the consequences.
Just to give you one example and
this is but the tip of the iceberg – and it is said with the intention of
removing the blindfold that most parents wear :
A father of four children
mentioned to me that he had got rid of his television and he thereafter
explained why. He said that late one night he heard strange noises from his
children’s room. On opening the door of their room, he found their television
switched on. […This is our concept of modesty : parents must have their own
television, to view all kinds of filthy programmes in their privacy, and
children must have their own television to view all kinds of indecency in their
privacy (Na-uzu Billah).]
The father mentioned that there
were dirty and obscene scenes of naked people on the television screen. He
mentioned that it was filthy and that it shocked him; but what had him even
more shaken was that his children were all undressed, engaging in the same kind
of indecent acts. They were imitating the pornography they were viewing. He
said himself, that until then he had not considered the harm of television. It
took this kind of incident to wake him up. …This is just one example of so
many. Do we wish to face something similar?
…Do we care to even know what our
sons and daughters are doing in the secrecy of their rooms? The fact that many
demand that no one ‘invade’ their space and privacy to the extent of having ‘No
Entry’ signs on their doors, should have parents a little more than
worried… especially if they are viewing
television and are surfing the net or have free access with cell phones.
Many have written, that after
watching certain films or programmes, the desire came strongly into their
hearts to take drugs, drink liquor, murder their parents, indulge in
homosexuality, engage in adulterous relationships, commit suicide, rape, and so
much else – and many of them do so.
Moreover, with sins like
television and evil, lustful glancing, Allah Ta’ala removes the love between
husband and wife, and even ones children become disobedient.
There are many husbands who
entertain thoughts of and fantasize of other women when with their wives, and
they will, especially when they are watching different actresses and television
presenters. Many wives are guilty of the same infidelity having seen or
socialized with ghair-mahareem. Many
women are so infatuated and obsessed with some soccer player or cricket player
that they become dissatisfied with their husbands, and spend their time
fantasizing.
Had the person not viewed all
those ghair-mahareem on the television screen and computer screen, and had
lowered his gaze in real life situations, then he would not have desired that
which he cannot have, and there would not have been dissatisfaction with his
(or her) spouse.
Moreover we complain : There is no barkat[4]
in our homes; there is no barkat in our wealth; there is no barkat in our time.
Our children are rebellious. The husband is having an extra-marital relationship.
The daughter has accepted Christianity. The son is on drugs … and the list of complaints does not end.
Then who is to blame except the
one who brought all of this Haraam into the home by purchasing the television
and exposing the family to so much of sin.
…Great ‘Ulama became Bay’t upon
the hands of Maulana Hakeem Fakhrudeen (Rahmatullah ‘alaih). He mentioned that there was a time, that with the
rising and setting of the sun, he saw nothing but noor in Surat[5].
The atmosphere was one of Noor. The day commenced with Salaah, Tilawat,
Zikrullah…
After the cinemas and television
and videos flooded Surat, there was
nothing but ‘zulmat’ – darkness. With
the distraction of such entertainment, Ibaadah becomes a forgotten duty.
One Wali of Allah Ta’ala, on
visiting a home, mentioned that he perceived the sin of Zina (adultery) from
the walls of that home. He was able to recognize this due to the purity of his
heart. The residents of that home were not indulging in adultery but they were
watching the sin on television.
When fire burns against a white
wall, it blackens the wall. The Ahle-Dil, with their purified hearts, see the
fire of sins which has burnt and blackened the white hearts of the Muslims.
Would that we take lesson and take
measures to protect ourselves and our children… Insha-Allah.
[1] Ambiyaa : Prophets
[2] Alaihimus Salaam : ‘May peace be upon them’.
[3] Alhamdulillah : ‘All praise is due to Allah.’
[4] barkat : blessing
[5] Surat : Well-known city of
Gujerat, India
