To reap the blessings of Ahmadiyyat, it is essential to adopt the restrictions required by Islam and obey the commandments of Allah the Exalted. In this regard, Huzoor-e-Anwar(aba) said:
“Sometimes, after reaching a certain age some young girls feel that religion may be imposing certain restrictions on them. I have said do not watch certain television channels and websites that are obscene and frivolous. At times, under the influence of others, questions are raised as to what is the harm in watching these and that ‘we do not repeat the acts that are shown on TV channels.’ Always remember that after watching these two, four or six times, the same actions start manifesting. Some households were destroyed merely as a result of asking, ‘what difference does it make?’ Those households lost not only religion, but worldly benefits and their children as well. Thus, the question of, ‘what difference would it make? There should be some freedom’ is extremely detrimental. When Allah the Almighty tells us to protect ourselves from ‘all that is vain’; it is because He is well aware of the nature of His creation. He knows all that can occur in the name of freedom. Always remember that Satan openly challenged Allah the Almighty that he would come to lure all beings who are the descendants of Adam in every possible way, except those who are Ibaad urRahman [the servants of the Gracious Lord].
Thus, the misuse of some current technological inventions is one of the satanic attacks. Hence, every Ahmadi girl should endeavor to protect herself from it. Always think that you are an Ahmadi and in order to remain an Ahmadi, you should refrain from these profanities. Always remember that we have believed in the truthfulness of Ahmadiyyat, considered the Promised Messiah(as) to be truthful and have entered his Bai’at, considering him to be the absolute truth. Hence, we should try to refrain from all such things which Allah the Almighty has prohibited. Only then will we be able to partake of the blessings promised by Almighty Allah to the Promised Messiah(as).”
(Address at the Annual Ijtema Lajna Ima’illah UK 04 November 2007 at Baitul Futuh Mosque, London. Published AlFazl International 09 December 2016)
Chatting on Social Media and Immodesty through Pictures of Women
Increasing mutual connection and exchange of pictures of females is against our moral values and should be absolutely avoided by Ahmadi youth, girls and children. Huzoor-e-Anwar(aba) warned regarding this important issue:
“These days a new method of introduction has been created on the computer and the Internet called Facebook. Though it is not that new, but it was introduced in the last few years. I had previously discouraged you from this practice. I had said in my sermons that it encourages immodesty. It shatters the boundaries among people, boundaries from one another, boundaries around secrets. It exposes secrets and invites indecency. The creator of this site has said, ‘I have created this and I believe that whatever a man is on the outside and inside should be exposed to others.’ In his view, exposing someone means that if someone wants to post a nude picture of himself, he may and even encourages others to comment on it. This is allowed! Innalillah [“To Allah we return”]. Similarly, anyone can post about anything he sees. If this is not extreme moral regression and degradation, then what is? In this state of moral regression and degradation, an Ahmadi has to teach the high standard of morality and virtue.”
(Concluding Address Jalsa Salana Germany 26 June 2011. Published AlFazl International 03 July 2015)
Similarly, Huzoor-e-Anwar(aba) instructed mothers to provide alternative activities to young girls to safeguard them from the ill effects of Social Media. He said:
“These days many ills are developing through Social Media. Young boys and girls, sitting in front of their parents, are silently chatting where pictures and messages are being exchanged. New accounts are being created in new programs and the entire day is wasted on the phone, iPad or computer etc. This leads to worsening of morals and gives rise to irritability in character and the children quickly become out of control. All these matters need attention and there is need to impose limits. For this, you will need to think about creating alternative means of occupying their time. Keep them involved in house work. Involve them in serving the Jama’at and develop means of occupying them that are positive and beneficial to the society. This is a very important responsibility that Ahmadi ladies have to fulfill.”
(Message for Annual Ijtema Lajna Ima’illah Germany 10 July 2016)
Purdah – saves one from overt and covert Fahsha (foul deeds)
In a Friday sermon, Huzoor-e-Anwar(aba) warned members of the Jama’at of the horrible outcome of the spread of indecency through various means. He explained in detail, the Islamic teaching in this regard, referencing verses 152 and 153 of Sura Al Anam. Huzoor-e-Anwar(aba) said:
“Allah the Exalted says do not approach foul deeds. This means to stay away from all those things that incite one towards foul deeds. In this age, many different means [of foulness] have been created. There is the Internet which has lewd films on the websites; TV also has vulgar films. There are vulgar and indecent magazines. Voices are being raised against indecent pornographic magazines that such magazine should not be displayed openly in shops and stalls as it has an adverse effect on children’s morality. They have realized this today, while the Holy Qur’an gave the teaching 1400 years ago to stay away from indecency. The indecency makes one immoral, distant from God and religion, and even makes one break the law. Islam does not only forbid obvious and apparent foulness, but also hidden immorality. The directive of purdah is such so that purdah and wearing modest clothes create a safeguard against open and informal connections between men and women.
Islam does not state as the Bible does that do not look at women with bad intent. In fact, it states that seeing a woman will create affection which will create immodesty and you will not be able to distinguish between good and bad. According to Allah and His Messenger(sa), when a boy and a girl, a man and a woman openly meet with each other, then the third among them is Satan. {Sunan AtTirmazi Kitab urriza bab ma ja fi kiraheyaatil dakhool alal mugheebat hadith number 117}
I have given you the example of the Internet. Chatting on Facebook and Skype are included in this. I have seen many families break up because of this. I have to say with great regret that such incidents are found even in our Ahmadi homes. We should always remember the commandment of Allah not to even come near foulness; otherwise, Satan will overtake us.
The beautiful teaching of the Holy Qur’an does not just forbid women from looking [at the other gender] or avoiding eye contact, rather it commands both men and women to lower their gaze. A lowered gaze precludes open mixing [of men and women] and watching lewd films. The commandment also says not to socialize with people who pursue such interests in the name of freedom, who relate their stories and try to incite others to their ways. Men and women should not chat on Skype and Facebook and look at each other and should not make these a means of connecting with each other. God states that these are all open and hidden foul things and they result in one getting carried away with emotions, losing one’s sense and judgement and eventually incurring God’s displeasure by disobeying His commandment.”
(Friday Sermon delivered 02 August 2013 at Baitul Futuh Mosque, London. Published AlFazl International 23 August 2013)
Caution in using Facebook
Answering a question regarding Facebook from a girl during a Waaqifat-e-Nau girls’ class, Huzoor(aba) said:
“I did not say that if you do not give it up, you will become a sinner. Instead, I said that it has more harms and very few benefits. These days, those boys and girls who have a Facebook page, reach a place where immorality begins to spread. Boys try to make connections. In certain cases, girls are trapped into posting their unveiled pictures on Facebook. At home, under normal circumstances, you share your picture with a girlfriend, she further posts it on her Facebook, and gradually it spreads from Hamburg to New York (America) and reaches Australia, and from there connections are initiated. Then, groups are formed of men and of women and the pictures are altered, which may be used for blackmailing. Therefore, it is safer not to go there at all.”
Huzoor-e-Anwar(aba) also said:
“My task is to advise. The Holy Quran says to keep on admonishing. Those who do not pay heed, their sins are their own burden. If Tabligh (propagation) is to be done on Facebook, then do tabligh through it. It is present on Al Islam website; it is used for tabligh there.”
Huzoor-e-Anwar said:
“Girls are easily fooled. Whoever showers praise on you, you will say no one is better, but if parents offer genuine advice, you say we have been educated in Germany while you have arrived from some village.”
Huzoor-e-Anwar mentioned a hadith and said:
اَلْحِکْمَۃُ ضَالَّۃ المُؤمن
“Wisdom is the lost property of a believer”
“This means you should take up a good thing wherever you find it. All their inventions are not beneficial. Those girls who do not heed my advice, later write to me crying, that they stumbled, and have been trapped in such a situation… The person who created Facebook himself admitted that ‘I designed it so I can expose everyone to the world.’ Does an Ahmadi girl want to be exposed? Those who do not listen, it is up to them.”
(Waqifat-e-Nau Class Germany 08 October 2011 at Baitur Rasheed Mosque. Published AlFazl International 06 January 2012)
Girls should do Tabligh only to girls
Huzoor-e-Anwar(aba) has repeatedly advised us that Ahmadi girls should only do tabligh to girls. In this regard, he advised the office holders of Lajna Ima’illah and said:
“Lajna Tabligh department should make teams of women and girls and use them for tabligh. However, it should be clearly remembered that girls should only do tabligh to other females. Some people make tabligh contacts on the Internet. Tabligh contacts on the Internet should only be established with women and girls. Leave tabligh towards men for the men, because [otherwise] this causes some issues. It is said that we are doing tabligh; however, what has generally been seen and experienced is that these Internet connections lead to some results that are not appropriate for an Ahmadi female. Girls who are studying in college and universities should talk to other female students about themselves and Islam without any hesitation, embarrassment or inferiority complex. Tell them who we are and, in this way, introduce them to Islam.”
(Address to Ladies Jalsa Salana Australia 15 April 2006. Published AlFazl International 12 June 2015)
Many girls use Internet for the purpose of tabligh (preaching) and think that this is safer and more effective as compared to direct tabligh. However, soon thereafter, negative consequences manifest themselves. Therefore, Huzoor(aba) gave an important advice about applying Islamic teachings on purdah to current technology. Huzoor-e-Anwar(aba) said:
“Now I would like to say something pertaining to chatting on the Internet, which also comes under the category of non-observance of purdah. Casually, you connect online and start chatting without realizing with whom you are talking to. Our girls are chatting without knowing whether it is a girl or a boy sitting at the other end. Sometimes boys hide their identity and pretend to be girls to talk to girls.
It has been brought to my attention that our girls talk to boys considering them to be girls and start introducing the Jama’at to them. Our girl, in her mind, is happy that she is calling them towards Allah. She does not know the intentions of [the boy posing to be] the other girl. Even if you have a good intention, you don’t know the intentions of the boy sitting at the other end. How would you know? Gradually, it goes to the level where pictures are exchanged. Now, showing your pictures is the extreme of immodesty. In some situations, it has even ended up in a marriage. As I mentioned that it has led to frightening results. Most of these marriages failed within a short while.
Remember, if you would like to preach, then girls should only preach to girls. Girls don’t have to preach to boys. Leave it to the boys to do that. As I mentioned earlier, this is a societal ill and we are facing very frightening results.”
(Address at Annual Ijtema Lajna Ima’illah UK 19 October 2003 Baitul Futuh Mosque, London. Published AlFazl International 17 April 2015)
Marriages outside the community and their tragic results due to wrong use of the Internet and Social Media
A few Ahmadi girls and ladies married non-Ahmadi men resulting from relationships that started on the Internet. However, within a short time frame such marriages failed and resulted in dangerous consequences of taking future generations away from Ahmadiyyat. Huzoor-e-Anwar warned Ahmadi ladies in this regard and said:
“Today, there is the Internet. In the past, wherever a woman married a man who did not belong to the Jama’at, later wrote expressing regret and embarrassment that it was a mistake to marry men outside the Jama’at. Boys are more attached to the father and in particular to a non-Ahmadi father as they grant more freedom. Even if the girls maintain some connection with the Jama’at under the influence of the mother, the father insists on marrying them outside the Jama’at. Some girls raise their voice against their fathers. Some write that they should be helped as they do not want to marry outside the Jama’at. Others are forced into it. Thus, mothers and fathers should pay attention that there should be no contact established through the Internet. You should explain to them in a calm and loving manner. Those girls who have reached an age of maturity should understand the matter. Otherwise they should remember that they would be giving children, from the womb of Ahmadi mothers, to those outside the community. Why are you committing this injustice against yourself and your future generations?”
(Address at Annual Ijtema Lajna Ima’illah UK 19 October 2003 Baitul Futuh Mosque, London. Published AlFazl International 17 April 2015)