The Role of Media and Students of Knowledge in Guiding the Ummah
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Question:
Shaykh Salih, there is no doubt that the media plays an important role in guiding people and influencing them, both negatively and positively. How do you view the importance of participation by students of knowledge and scholars in the media, especially in this time which is called the age of media?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, there is no doubt that guiding the Muslim community in the present age is the most important task undertaken by two parties: the first party is the educational sector.
The second party is the media sector. It is obligatory for both of these parties to know their respective responsibilities and their impact on the Muslim society. The educational sector must fear Allah the Exalted and Most High, and direct the Muslim youth and the sons of Muslims toward what is in their well-being and the well-being of their society. They must take care to guide them in the correct direction in their creed, their worship, their dealings, and their morals. This is done by maintaining the straight curricula that were established by the scholars of knowledge and have continued for a long time, and from which benefit is derived in the field of education. It is incumbent upon those responsible for education to preserve these sound curricula established by the scholars of knowledge and those with expertise, so that the beneficial and good output continues. The second aspect is the media sector, and the media is also important from a certain perspective.
Education is more important from the perspective that it focuses on the youth and the young generation, providing them with correct information and warning them against incorrect and bad information. It is for a specific group of people, namely the youth. As for the media, it is more important from the perspective that it is comprehensive, covering the youth and others, and both the urban and rural populations.
Because it enters homes, enters shops, and enters land, sea, and air vessels, it accompanies the person in all his states, even in his bed. So the media...
...is an important sector that penetrates into homes and any place, accompanying people: males and females, old and young, urban and rural. Therefore, those in charge of the media sector must fear Allah the Exalted and Most High, and they must scrutinize the media curricula or programs. They must scrutinize the media programs and employ them in what is beneficial and useful for people in their religion and their worldly affairs. And they must keep the media programs away from what is bad, what is deviant, and what is a waste of time. If the media is sound, it guides the Muslim community in the best direction. If there is a defect in it, the defect affects all people. And the greatest share of the sin in that lies with those who are in charge of the media, because they are the ones responsible before Allah the Exalted and Most High. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every one of you is a shepherd, and every one of you is responsible for his flock." So there is no doubt that those in charge of the media are shepherds over what Allah has entrusted to them, and they will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection. If the media is directed in a sound way, it becomes a useful and beneficial tool. If it is directed in a bad way, its harm extends to all people.
As for the scholars and callers to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, it is obligatory for them to enter this field. It is obligatory for them to enter into media programs and participate in them, because it is a great means among the means of calling to Allah the Exalted and Most High. So they must seize this opportunity and not leave it to others. Rather, they must seize the opportunity, enter this field, and participate in it with the greatest possible contribution, so that benefit is achieved for the Muslims in their education, in issuing fatwas, in answering their problems, and in guiding them toward what is in their well-being and the well-being of their religion. In warning them, in warning them against evils, against approaching fitnah (trials, discord or temptation), and against misleading propaganda. For this is the domain of the scholars of knowledge and the domain of the callers to Allah. Yes.
The presenter:
You have done well, may Allah reward you, Shaykh Salih.
Shaykh Salih, there is no doubt that the media plays an important role in guiding people and influencing them, both negatively and positively. How do you view the importance of participation by students of knowledge and scholars in the media, especially in this time which is called the age of media?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, there is no doubt that guiding the Muslim community in the present age is the most important task undertaken by two parties: the first party is the educational sector.
The second party is the media sector. It is obligatory for both of these parties to know their respective responsibilities and their impact on the Muslim society. The educational sector must fear Allah the Exalted and Most High, and direct the Muslim youth and the sons of Muslims toward what is in their well-being and the well-being of their society. They must take care to guide them in the correct direction in their creed, their worship, their dealings, and their morals. This is done by maintaining the straight curricula that were established by the scholars of knowledge and have continued for a long time, and from which benefit is derived in the field of education. It is incumbent upon those responsible for education to preserve these sound curricula established by the scholars of knowledge and those with expertise, so that the beneficial and good output continues. The second aspect is the media sector, and the media is also important from a certain perspective.
Education is more important from the perspective that it focuses on the youth and the young generation, providing them with correct information and warning them against incorrect and bad information. It is for a specific group of people, namely the youth. As for the media, it is more important from the perspective that it is comprehensive, covering the youth and others, and both the urban and rural populations.
Because it enters homes, enters shops, and enters land, sea, and air vessels, it accompanies the person in all his states, even in his bed. So the media...
...is an important sector that penetrates into homes and any place, accompanying people: males and females, old and young, urban and rural. Therefore, those in charge of the media sector must fear Allah the Exalted and Most High, and they must scrutinize the media curricula or programs. They must scrutinize the media programs and employ them in what is beneficial and useful for people in their religion and their worldly affairs. And they must keep the media programs away from what is bad, what is deviant, and what is a waste of time. If the media is sound, it guides the Muslim community in the best direction. If there is a defect in it, the defect affects all people. And the greatest share of the sin in that lies with those who are in charge of the media, because they are the ones responsible before Allah the Exalted and Most High. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every one of you is a shepherd, and every one of you is responsible for his flock." So there is no doubt that those in charge of the media are shepherds over what Allah has entrusted to them, and they will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection. If the media is directed in a sound way, it becomes a useful and beneficial tool. If it is directed in a bad way, its harm extends to all people.
As for the scholars and callers to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, it is obligatory for them to enter this field. It is obligatory for them to enter into media programs and participate in them, because it is a great means among the means of calling to Allah the Exalted and Most High. So they must seize this opportunity and not leave it to others. Rather, they must seize the opportunity, enter this field, and participate in it with the greatest possible contribution, so that benefit is achieved for the Muslims in their education, in issuing fatwas, in answering their problems, and in guiding them toward what is in their well-being and the well-being of their religion. In warning them, in warning them against evils, against approaching fitnah (trials, discord or temptation), and against misleading propaganda. For this is the domain of the scholars of knowledge and the domain of the callers to Allah. Yes.
The presenter:
You have done well, may Allah reward you, Shaykh Salih.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، سيرة ذاتية – في موكب الدعوة -10-أهمية مشاركة العلماء وطلبة العلم في وسائل الإعلام|صالح الفوزان — youtube.com (0:13)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.