The Internet and the Inner-Self

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The Internet and the Inner-Self

The Internet provides a whole new stage for the people of the world, and the evils of fame and glory are now accessible to every Jack and Jill. With the internet as the stage, the audience quickly soars into millions and networks and sites such as Facebook and Youtube make fame a reality for the average person. Even forums become a source of popularity and recognition. How often does one find oneself adding a 'friend' when they have little or no affiliation with the individual. Do not people boast of how many MSN contacts they have? Or Facebook friends? Is not the internet a stage for fame? Do not bloggers become well-known?

The problem is not the internet itself, but simply that - just as is the case in the 'real world' - it is very difficult to express anything anonymously and that for simplicity's sake, we tend to use the same username whenever we register on a site.

The self that exists in the online community is just as subject to the evils of the soul as is the self that exists in the 'real', wholly tangible community, and it is imperative that we safeguard ourselves from the evils of pride, arrogance and glory-hunting just as much those who are in the public eye must guard themselves from such.

A few hints and tips:

1) Think before you type ! Just as we know that we must think before we speak, similarly, we must think before we type. Every word typed, forms an image of the typer in the mind of the reader - whether implicitly or explicitly.

2) Check your intention - ALL actions are according to intentions. Even if we are typing deeni advice, we must check that our intention is PURE - that the only purpose of doing so is to teach the religion of Allah, al-Islam, to the people. Not for any recognition of our knowledge or understanding - little that it is !!! The ACID-TEST is to ask oneself, "Would I put in as much of my time and effort if I knew that the writing would be published anonymously and had no chance of being affiliated with me, i.e. no chance of me being recognised as the author?"

We seek Allah's protection from the abhorrent sin of pride, since one whose heart contains even a grain of it will not enter Jannah.

Na'oodhubillah min an-naar wa nas'aluhu al-Jannah.

And Allah knows best.

The Internet and the Inner-Self

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