Children and TV

[MG]

TV and children
Answered by Ustadha Zaynab Ansari

http://www.sunnipath.com/images/Q_Image.jpgI'm completely against watching TV due to the content shown, my wife also agrees with this principle Alhumdulillah but we fear how our attitude to TV could make our children rebel against us as it is considered the "norm" in society hence when my children do go to nursery, school, even the hospital, they will see the TV.

When we go to my parents house then there is also a TV and my son ends up watching the TV for hours on end. I have already spoken to my parents to not allow my children watch the TV but my wishes are not respected. Even to the extent that once my mother quickly switched off the TV because my mother realised that I was comming downstairs, this was witnessed by my wife. My parents have even made du'a against me saying that watch how your children treat you when they get old, they will make you cry only because I moved my wife out of the house as there was fitnah when we used to live together in my parents' house.

I have taken my son out of the TV room on many occasions but he ends up in the same room again. Me and my wife occasionally argue over this issue as she tells me not to take our children to my parents' house, she even occasionally demands for the TV to be in our house just so that my son doesn't become desperate for the TV, though Alhumdulillah this demand is quickly brushed aside with mutual understanding.

What do you advise? Should I stop taking my children to my parents' house, though I expect a hue and cry from my parents if this was to happen?

Please could you elaborate further than Du'a and discussion with parents.

Jazakallah khair
http://www.sunnipath.com/images/A_Image.jpg
http://www.sunnipath.com/images/bism01.jpg
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah.
May the peace and blessings of Allah shower upon our beloved Messenger.
Dear Brother,
This is a sensitive topic, so yes, I will still advise you to make dua and discuss the matter with your parents. Some communication is better than none at all. Make your wishes very clear with your parents, but do it nicely.
I think there are some deeper, unresolved issues here. You mentioned that your parents prayed against you for moving your wife out of their house. It sounds like your parents are upset with you for other reasons. The TV issue may just be a byproduct of the deeper issues here.
Let's look at these issues in perspective:
1. Your parents deserve your deepest love, respect, and gratitude. Allah Most High says, " Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none save Him, and (that ye show) kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with thee, say not "Fie" unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word." [Al-Israa, 17:23]
2. Your parents also must understand that your wife is entitled to her own home. Don't feel guilty for moving your wife out. Sometimes joint living arrangements work out, and sometimes they don't. Even though you don't live with your parents, you can still continue to be a dutiful son by helping them out, bringing them gifts, and visiting them.
3. You and your wife also have the right to set ground rules. Your parents need to respect the fact that you have your own parenting style. If they're culturally oriented, this may be hard for them to grasp. Nevertheless, be firm about the television. Sit down and tell your parents that you are trying to raise good Muslim children the best way you know how. Point out to them that when children watch television on a daily basis over a mere few years, they may be exposed to thousands of sex acts, not to mention violence, profanity, and murder! Psychologists have studied the effects of television, movies, video games, and computer games on children, and they are not good! Many people are really naive of the dangers of television, viewing it as harmless entertainment. Tell your parents that in Western culture the television is the number one tool for breaking down people's resistance to social ills like fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and lesbianism. We are literally opening our homes and children's precious minds to values that are completely antithetical to Islam when we sit our children in front of the television. I would also point out that children who watch television from an early age have been found to be more susceptible to learning disorders such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Furthermore, children who become addicted to television often lose their ability to engage in the imaginative play and reading activities that are so crucial to early childhood development.
4. If your parents just don't get it, or won't cooperate, then why not invite them to your house? That way, they can spend time with their grandchildren, while you can ensure that the television is kept off. If you still want to take your children to your parents' house, how about bringing them games and activities, which will hopefully distract them from the television. As a final resort, if the television must be on, then why not try to control the programming? There are some decent programs, on both video and DVD, that are educational, and made just for children. This is a better alternative to the sitcom, soap opera, or drama playing on the television.
Additionally, please visit this link on SunniPath:
What is the ruling on watching television?
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=3894&CATE=142
I pray Allah Most High brings everyone together on a solution that is beneficial to all.
And Allah knows best.

[Chained_Water]

:jkk: sis.. very good thread, it's a really rellevant issue for todays parents.. I've always wondered how parents would get around not having a TV in the house with todays kids.. Personally I'm not worried about keeping them occupied and happy in the home.. but it's more a peer pressure issue when at school, if kids are talking about "oh did you watch this film on tv last night.. oh make sure you watch this" and then perhaps being bullied or laughed at for not having a TV.. if you're a kid and your peers laugh at you and ridicule you for not having a TV, I'm sure that would make you miserable and bitter about it :(

[Na'eemah]

I'm gna be doing a "children and television" module in autumn :nuts:

[MG]

It is very scary when u actually see the direct effect tv has on children.

the words they pick up, teh actions they pick up.

I think once my sis was watching a soap once and a couple kissed but she turned it ova asap (another thing about family, wen u tell them not to watch certain programmes or the tv) but the next day my mum said to speak to my son cos he kissed my niece :rolleyes:


Please be very aware of wat your children are watching if ur going to have a tv in the house, im still trying to to wean him off but it make sit difficult wen your family dont see a problem in it...

[ibn suleman]

one of the probs is that you tell young children not to watch something or another, and whilst an adult is there it's fine, but when they're on their own their curiosity and shaytaan will get the better of them.

related
the third parent by Muhammad al-shareef (http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/contemporary/0012.htm)
(got the audio as well, if anyone wants)

[TEH]

I wish I didnt grow up with a TV...

We know some dudes and masha allah they only let their kids listen to the Quran, and now at around 4ish, thats all they do, read Quran, in the most beautiful voice ever, and they cant exactly read it, they just memorised it...

:)

[MG]

I wish I didnt grow up with a TV...

We know some dudes and masha allah they only let their kids listen to the Quran, and now at around 4ish, thats all they do, read Quran, in the most beautiful voice ever, and they cant exactly read it, they just memorised it...

:)


subhanllah it makes the biggest difference, its literally living your life differently.

[outlandish]

assalamulaikom
My sister also has gotten rid of her tv in their house,mainly because of her kids. I am a bit against it,but I do see the affect it has had on her son.
But I do think kids need their enjoyment as well,if u totally deprive them of cartoons etc,which they will learn about it in school,it will leave them feeling less/miserable thinking that they have all these restrictions in life. Ultimately kids think their religion is all about restrictions...

[islamirama]

Shaykh At-Tahhaan once told his students, “It was late at night when our phone rang one day. This Muslimah whispered into the phone, ‘Is this Shaykh At-Tahhaan?’ I said, ‘Yes it is me.’ She kept saying is it really you? And he said, ‘Yes, what is wrong?’ At that she just started sobbing and sobbing into the phone. After some time, she explained, ‘The children’s father bought a TV and video 2 days ago. Tonight I found my young son practicing the Haraam that he saw on his younger sister!’ Then she collapsed sobbing again.”

Everything starts with a look, and big fires start from a little spark...




Ruling on watching TV (http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=3633&ln=eng)

[seven]

The amount of time children spend watching television should be rationed to prevent health and learning problems, an expert is to tell MPs.

Children under three should not watch any TV, psychologist Dr Aric Sigman will argue at a Westminster conference.


He also believes there should not be any TV sets in children's bedrooms and that new mothers should be warned of the dangers of excessive viewing.


Broadcasters say television is an easy scapegoat for society's problems.


Dr Sigman wants parents to be given recommended daily TV amount guidelines by the government, as they are for salt, and said "screen media" was a major issue for public health.
He recommends that children under 12 watch no more than one hour a day and those between 12 and 15 watch a maximum of one-and-a-half hours.


He will voice his concerns at a Children and the Media conference, at the House of Commons, later.
The conference has been organised by Mediawatch-UK and will be attended by health representatives and MPs.


'Nanny state'

Studies have suggested excessive TV watching is linked to difficulty in sleeping, behavioural problems and increased obesity in children.


Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: "In theory, the principle of a ban is terrific, but in practice we think it's unworkable. TV is a fact of life, but you can limit it and you should.


"There's no doubt that children who watch TV do not exercise and they snack, mostly on foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar."


Dr Sigman, who is an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and member of the Institute of Biology, rejected claims setting down guidelines constituted creating a "nanny state".


He said: "Providing general guidance on whether infants should be watching television and how much time children should spend in front of the screen is hardly radical.


"Screen media must now be considered a major public health issue and reducing television viewing must become the new priority for child health."


He said most of the damage linked to television screen viewing seemed to occur beyond watching one to one-and-a-half hours per day, irrespective of the quality of the programme, while the average child watched three to five times this amount.


"Parents need an ideal reference point, even if they choose to ignore it or cannot adhere to it," Dr Sigman added.


But Greg Childs, from the Save Kids' TV campaign, insisted it was "unrealistic and unnecessary" to ban television for under threes, and instead efforts should focus on improving the quality of programmes.


"There are plenty of studies that indicate the educational value of programmes for children [and] the socialisation value in the way that they create conversations rather than destimulate them."


[Source: BBC] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6582385.stm)

[Ebony]

Who keeps a TV in their bedroom? Whats the point? :confused:

Kids shouldnt be plonked infront of the TV for too long, an hour a day or so is harmless (depending on what they're watching)

[MG]

i think 20-30mins in the day is max that shouldbe allowed, i dont think people realise the amount of things kids learn from tv....

[.: Anna :.]

yeah tv in bedroom for young kids is really bad! so is sitting for hours each day like a zombie or couch potato and eating bags of crisps while jst watching mindlessly. to watch limited amount of properly selected things can be okay... but have 2 b careful wit it!

[seven]

i think kids should not be allowed near a TV... give them some montessori classes instead :up:

[ImaanSeeker]

tv is not just detrimental for kids and children. frankly it is detrimental for everyone, old and young, male and female.

May Allah give us the tawfiq to limit ourselves if not completely stay away from wasting our time idly in from of a television.

[dhakiyya]

My parents didn't let me have a TV in my room ever. The first time I had a TV in my room was in university digs. (and then it was an old set where you had to wiggle the settop arial about every time you changed channel)
What is the point anyway? There is supposed to be a watershed where stuff unsuitable for kids is shown after 9pm. So if your kid's got a TV in their room, then they will be watching after watershed stuff on it. Pretty much a foregone conclusion.

[ze leetle elper]

A slideshow of children watching TV. Read the intro before viewing.

http://www.wolframhahn.de/

[urban_rose]

:( this is exactly what my cousins look like too, and they get so glued to the screen, they dont hear you aswell, so sad...JazakAllah for posting, ze :)

[Na'eemah]

=s some of them look traumatised, others look tired or sad.

I did a module on children and television. :nerdsis:

I learnt: TV closes the bridge between adulthood and childhood because children can get access to adult programmes and information. It can also be said that it leads to their innocence being lost and things like war, drugs, crime, teenage pregnancies become normal to them bcos its always shown on the telly. We also learnt that childrens past times, code of dress, etc are also increasingly being merged with that of adulthood.
Traditional past time like games are lost cos of children spending time on front of the TV, esp with the growth of television channels made specifically for children like nickelodeon, the cbbc channel etc (child centered tv).

There were some benefits we learnt about children watching TV. Progammes like Blue Peter are informative and get children involved in their local community and children have opportunities to like give to charity when they have fairs to raise money for people suffering around the world.
Newsround presspackers also allows children to get into journalism (may help their future careers?)

That's all I remember for now.

[heaven2002]

if i had kids i would only allow half an hour of telly if theyre really young then about an hour as theyre older,
and they definately wud not have tv in their rooms inshallah
id enrol them into lots of sports and clubs etc so theyre not sitting around with nothing better to do then watch telly or play on a gamestation

theres some kids i work with who watch four/five hours everyday or sit on a gamestation for that long too
children as young as four who watch big brother shows:torture:

[sunny_skies]

if i had kids i would only allow half an hour of telly if theyre really young then about an hour as theyre older,
and they definately wud not have tv in their rooms inshallah
id enrol them into lots of sports and clubs etc so theyre not sitting around with nothing better to do then watch telly or play on a gamestation

theres some kids i work with who watch four/five hours everyday or sit on a gamestation for that long too
children as young as four who watch big brother shows:torture:

I agree :) My children will not have television in their rooms, even when they're grown up teenagers!! I just don't agree with it at all.
Television should definitely be limited, there are such silly cartoons on for kids nowadays, they would be much better off reading books or doing an activity of some sort.

[ze leetle elper]

On Yahoo News
By Andrew Stern

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Watching television more than two hours a day early in life can lead to attention problems later in adolescence, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The roughly 40 percent increase in attention problems among heavy TV viewers was observed in both boys and girls, and was independent of whether a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivi ty disorder was made prior to adolescence.

The link was established by a long-term study of the habits and behaviors of more than 1,000 children born in Dunedin, New Zealand, between April 1972 and March 1973.

The children aged 5 to 11 watched an average of 2.05 hours of weekday television. From age 13 to 15, time spent in front of the tube rose to an average of 3.1 hours a day.

"Those who watched more than two hours, and particularly those who watched more than three hours, of television per day during childhood had above-average symptoms of attention problems in adolescence, " Carl Landhuis of the University of Otago in Dunedin wrote in his report, published in the journal Pediatrics.

Young children who watched a lot of television were more likely to continue the habit as they got older, but even if they did not the damage was done, the report said.

"This suggests that the effects of childhood viewing on attention may be long lasting," Landhuis wrote.

Landhuis offered several possible explanations for the association.
One was that the rapid scene changes common to many TV programs may overstimulate the developing brain of a young child, and could make reality seem boring by comparison.

"Hence, children who watch a lot of television may become less tolerant of slower-paced and more mundane tasks, such as school work," he wrote.

It was also possible that TV viewing may supplant other activities that promote concentration, such as reading, games, sports and play, he said. The lack of participation inherent in TV watching might also condition children when it comes to other activities.

The study was not proof that TV viewing causes attention problems, Landhuis said, because it may be that children prone to attention problems may be drawn to watching television.

"However, our results show that the net effect of television seems to be adverse," he wrote.

Previous studies have linked the sedentary habit of TV watching among children to obesity and diabetes, and another study in the same journal cited the poor nutritional content of the overwhelming majority of food products advertised on the top-rated U.S. children's television shows.

Up to 98 percent of the TV ads promoting food products that were directed at children aged 2 through 11 "were high in either fat, sugar, or sodium," wrote Lisa Powell of the University of Illinois in Chicago.

[ze leetle elper]

http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155297

[MG]

jazakallah sis, this is quite interesting

[abdulhakeem]

Life through a lens: how Britain's children eat, sleep and breathe TV

· 'Multitasking' youngsters surf net while watching TV
· 63% watch programmes in bed before going to sleep

Lucy Ward, social affairs correspondent
The Guardian,
Wednesday January 16 2008

A generation of "multitasking" children are living their daily lives - including eating and falling asleep - to the accompaniment of television, according to a survey of youngsters' media habits.

The flickering of the screen accompanies most of them before they go to school, when they return home, as they consume their evening meal and then - for 63%, far more than read a book each day - in bed at night. The study of five- to 16-year-olds shows that four out of five children now have a TV set in their bedroom.

So ubiquitous has television become that many children now combine it with other activities, including social networking online, flicking their eyes from laptop to TV screen and back again. Even if they are focusing on the television, young people are now reluctant to commit to one programme, with boys in particular often flipping between channels to keep up with two simultaneous shows at once.

The findings, from the market research agency Childwise, will fuel concerns that childhood is increasingly about private space and sedentary activities and less about play, social interaction or the child's own imagination.

The government's recent Children's Plan, while attempting to calm panic over claims of "toxic" childhood, focused on improving play facilities as a means of ensuring a more balanced life for screen-bound youngsters.

Today's survey findings indicate a revival in television-watching among children after three years of decline, driven mainly by more girls watching soaps such as Hollyoaks and EastEnders.

Internet use - now that the social networking bug is biting younger than ever - is also continuing to grow at a far greater rate than the brief fall-off in TV viewing. That means British children spend an average of five hours and 20 minutes in front of a screen a day, up from four hours and 40 minutes five years ago.

The rise may have come at the expense of reading books for pleasure, which, in a development that will alarm many parents, continues to decline as a regular pastime. While four out of five children read books in their own time, only a quarter do so daily and 53% at least once a week.

The report, based on interviews with 1,147 children in 60 schools around England, Scotland and Wales, found television viewing now averages 2.6 hours a day across the age group, though one in 10 say they watch more than four hours daily.

The survey, which has been conducted annually for 14 years, asked for the first time whether children watched television while eating dinner or in bed before going to sleep. It found that 58% watch during their evening meal, while 63% lie in bed watching the screen (rising to almost three-quarters of 13 to 16-year-olds). Two-thirds - particularly the youngest children - watch before school, and 83% turn on the television after returning home.

Rosemary Duff, Childwise research director, said television was now "almost woven into children's lives", but added that the quality of viewing had changed. "A lot of television viewing has lost the 'pay it attention' feel it used to have. It used to be less ubiquitous but much higher in its importance whereas now it is widespread but just part of the background, not just at home but wherever you go."

The Simpsons remains children's favourite programme for the third year running, followed by EastEnders, Hollyoaks and Tracy Beaker, but viewing is fragmented with few "must see" shows.

Anecdotal evidence indicated that children now multitask, keeping one eye on the television as they flick through magazines or use the computer, Duff added. Boys asked by the company to choose between programmes on different channels frequently refused, saying they would "watch both". "They flick from one to another and cannot conceive that they should have to make a decision. They are puzzled that you should put them in a situation of having to make one or anther choice."

Computers are also now a key part of children's private worlds. "The internet is now an essential part of most young people's lives," says the study, with 85% of five to 16-year-olds accessing the net, and over a third (including a quarter of five to six-year-olds) owning a computer or laptop of their own. On average, they go online just over four times a week, spending two hours each time.

The survey shows a rise in internet use, particularly among younger children, driven primarily by a boom in the use of social networking sites, primarily Bebo. Communication, says the report, "has overtaken fun (eg online games) as the main reason to use the internet and study is now far behind".

Almost three quarters (72%) of children have visited a social networking site, and over half have set up their own profile - sometimes lying about their age to sidestep minimum age safeguards. Children as young as eight are now signing up.

Kathy Evans, policy director of the Children's Society, which is conducting its own inquiry into modern childhood, said there was now "mounting public and professional concern about the potential impact of children's TV and internet viewing habits". The inquiry will report next month on children and technology as part of its two-year investigation.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/16/television.socialnetworking

[al-ghazalli]

this topic scares me lol...I see some of my younger cousins who just sit in front of the tv all day or if they're making too much noise the parents will tell them to watch tv.

I think one solution is to make sure your kids are busy with extra curricular activities to keep them away from the TV.

Besides that I don't no what else we can do as future parents...

[seven]

get rid of the TV... the solutions will present themselves! :D

[dhakiyya]

We don't have a TV, so Ruqayya doesn 't watch TV. Our computer has a DVD player so if we did ever want her to watch something educational we can get it on DVD inshaAllah. All the kids programmes have websites these days, and books. She likes James the Red Engine cause my mum got her the book so she's also seen the "en-na-da"s (her word for engines :inlove: ) on the internet mashaAllah. She's too young for the activities but she loved watching me do them and she loved pointing at the "en-na-da"s and having me tell her about them.

The internet and childrens books require much more interaction between parent and child so they are much more beneficial for them. So they can have all the fun from a kiddies TV programme but instead of staring blankly they can be interacting with an adult and also learning in a much more active way.

[Al-Farooq]

Kids : :rotfl: + :scratch: + :banghead: = :inlove:

Erm, that's it, really. Back to work *cough*

:outta:

[carol_au]

Perfect formula .. 10/10 for the answer. :up:

but on topic..

I would never have a tv without a dvd player. I personally don't like the tv too much and much prefer to be in contol of what I watch.. and the same was true with my sons.

They have their own guidelines about what they will watch and not watch. and they turn the tv off if there is something they consider is not suitable to watch .. alhumdulillah


I think if you start setting a standard yourself and turn it off when its worthless, and be choosy about what and when you watch they will watch you and insha'Allah imitate you as they grow older.


I also believe its good to watch it with them to help them make their mind up about it's suitablity.. talk to them about it and help guide their decision making as to whether or not they should be watching something.

And never use the tv as a babysitter.. it's so much better to invest time in your children. They are young for such a short time.

[.: emerald :.]

The Third Parent

by Muhammad al-Sharîf
This post was sent on as-sahwah.com (http://www.as-sahwah.com/)'s mailing list

http://www.sunnahonline.com/images/bismi9.jpg


As Allâh - the Most High - states, it is part of our belief that we shall be questioned and are responsible for the following: Verily! Hearing, Sight, and the heart, all will be questioned (by Allâh). [Al-Isrâ (17):36]
And as the Rasul'Allâh - sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam - said, on the Day of Repayment, no one will move until they are asked about three things ... "And his youth - what he exhausted it with?"



A close friend of mine told me his experience when leaving Canada to go overseas and study Islâm. He said that he went to a person's house to say salâm to the family and as he left he noticed the son - who was 7 years old at the time - slacked out on his stomach, chin locked in his two hands, staring deathly at the TV. He says, when he returned after a full 4 years, he entered the same house and found the same boy slacked out on his stomach, chin locked in his two hands, staring deathly at the TV - only now he was 4 years older.



Today - insha'Allâh - we would like to speak about TV and it's dark side. It is not our intention to make you race home to throw the TV off the balcony - although that would be nice. It is our hope that you will leave today insha'Allâh with a better understanding of the destructive nature the TV has on a persons life and hereafter, not only his own, but also his family and children.



In Qawâ'id Fiqhiyyah there is a principle that says, 'Al-Wâsâ'il ta'khudhu Hukm al-Ghâyât' that 'The means takes the same ruling as the intention of what is trying to be attained.' A Television set, with the wires, screen, box, and plug is nothing more than a means. It is what is trying to be attained by that box that makes it Harâm or Halâl. Similar to a gun, something that can be used for noble purposes, such as defending one's land from aggression, or can be a means of considerable harm - especially when given to a child.



In an Arab ESL class, the teacher - as his opening class - would ask the students what English words were taken from the Arabic. A few hands would jerk up and say things like, 'Chemistry from Kîmiyâ', Algebra from AlGebr, Physics from Fîsiyâ', etc.' Then he would interestingly ask them what Arabic words were taken from the English, the answers come quick, 'Râdiyo from Radio, Dosh from Satellite Dish, and of course Tilfâz from TV.'



What did the west take from us, and what did we take from them?

Hence Shaykh Ibn Bâz (may Allâh have mercy on him) said in al-Fatâwa 3/227:

With regard to television, it is a dangerous device and its harmful effects are very great, like those of the cinema, or even worse.
We know from the research that has been written about it and from the words of experts in Arab countries and elsewhere enough to indicate that it is dangerous and very harmful to Islâmic beliefs ('aqîdah), morals and the state of society.
This is because it includes the presentation of bad morals, tempting scenes, immoral pictures, semi-nakedness, destructive speech, and Kufr.


It encourages imitation of their conduct and ways of dressing, respect for their leaders, neglect of Islâmic conduct and ways of dressing, and looking down on the scholars and heroes of Islâm. It damages their image by portraying them in an off-putting manner that makes people despise them and ignore them.
It shows people how to cheat, steal, hatch plots and commit acts of violence against others.


Without doubt, anything that produces so many bad results should be stopped and shunned, and we have to close all the doors that could lead to it. If some of our brothers denounce it and speak out against it, we cannot blame them, because this is a part of sincerity towards Allâh and towards other people.
In Sahîh al-Bukhâri, when Gurâyj was praying and his mother called him, he said to himself, "O Allâh, my Salâh or my mother?" He did not know whether to continue his prayer or discontinue it and reply the wishes of his Mother. She cursed him. And her curse was one that we may inadvertently be doing to our children the day we sanctioned the introduction of the third parent called TV. She said, "May you see a prostitute!" She did not say, may there be any relationship between you and a prostitute, no she just said may you see one. HOW many times has the main theme of prime time TV revolved around prostitutes? HOW MANY TIMES have our children witnessed it? How many times have they been cursed to be in such a situation?



Abdullâh ibn 'Umar - radiallâhu 'anhu - once passed by some people killing time by playing chess. He became shocked at what was happening and angrily said to them - quoting the verse of Qur'ân, "What are these IDOLS that you are standing in vigilance over?" What would he think if he saw the Ummah and it's welcomed hug in most Muslim homes.



When a Muslim nation watches their country play in the World Cup, over 3 million Muslims from that one country tune in. Times that by the duration of the match, 3 hours, and you'll have 9 million hours of the Ummah's time wasted on a football game. In one sweeping night. If Karl Marx said in 1844 that 'Religion is the opium of people', then what about TV?



Dear brothers and sisters, Rasul'Allâh - sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam - said, "The person shall be (on the day of Judgement) with those that they love." Tell that to a Muslim child, that on the Day of judgement, if they love Michael Jordan so much they'll get to be with him on that horrific day. It's sad, but most Muslim children would get happy and excited about the prospect - isn't that enough to strike fear into our hearts? Who are the Muslim children really going to be with on the Day of Repayment? Most of them cannot tell you the names, just the names, of those people that we hope them to be with!



Let's ask ourselves, if we gave a chance for our sons or daughters to put up a poster of their hero, the one whom they think is the 'coolest' - would it be their father or mother? Would it be the Prophet or his Companions? OR would it be a basketball player that he saw on TV? Or an actor (even cartoon) that he saw on TV? Or a model that she saw on TV? Or a musician that he/she saw on TV? Who would it be?



Ok, the TV is monitored in the house by the parent, correct? (95% of parents with children 8 and up don't monitor). Now what happens if the parent dies on the way to work one day and the children inherit the TV? Rasul'Allâh - sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam - said, "There is not a single shepherd (Ameer) that Allâh entrusted with a flock - who dies and in a state where he cheated them - except that Allâh shall forbid him from entering paradise!" The 'Ulamâh would quote this hadîth in light of the father in a Muslim country that would allow a Satellite Dish to enter his family which Allâh entrusted him with.



Dear brothers and sisters, we are not here on earth to entertain ourselves to death. We are an Ummah with a Risâlah! When Rib'î ibn 'Âmir - radiallâhu 'anhu - stood in the hands of the king of Persia, he announced the message as clear and as proud as every Muslim should, "Allâh sent us to rescue humanity from slavery to slaves - to the slavery of the Lord of all slaves; And to rescue them from the choke of the material life to the expanse of this life and the next, and from the corruption of the cults to the justice of Islâm!"



If we don't know how to read Qur'ân, why aren't we registering for the Qur'ân institute here at Al-Huda. If we don't know the language of the Qur'ân and Sunnah, why aren't we registering for the Arabic institute? If we don't know about the life of Rasul'Allâh - sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam - and his companions - radiallâhu 'anhum - why aren't we coming to the Sîrah and Fiqh classes on Fridays and Saturdays?



Doesn't Allâh - the Most High - tell us in the Qur'ân:

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do. [An-Nûr (24):30 ]
How do reconcile those verses with the television that assaults our eyes with Harâm almost every second that it is on? How do we reconcile it?

Have you heard of Cupid? Of course we have. They portray Cupid in cartoons and comedies as a chubby child with wings who is supposed to be the Angel of Love, shooting arrows of 'love' when the male looks at the female. Rather dear brothers and sisters, it is Iblîs! For Rasul'Allâh - sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam - told us,


"Verily the 'look' is a poisoned arrow from the arrows of Iblîs!"



Shaykh at-Tahhân once told his students, "It was late at night when our phone rang one day. This Muslimah whispered into the phone, 'Is this Shaykh at-Tahhân?' I said, 'Yes it is me.' She kept saying is it really you? And he said, 'Yes, what is wrong?' At that she just started sobbing and sobbing into the phone. After some time, she explained, 'The children's father bought a TV and video 2 days ago. Tonight I found my young son practicing the Harâm that he saw on his younger sister!' Then she collapsed sobbing again."

Everything starts with a look / and big fires start from a little spark.

[.: emerald :.]

Turn OFF TV, Turn ON Life



After a gruelling first year in the Faculty of Sharî'ah, I came home to Canada where I spoke to a friend whom I hadn't spoken to for over a year. In the conversation he said, "Last night on TV Seinfeld said ... " I was puzzled and realized that for an entire year I had not heard anything other than Imâm Shâfi'î said, and Imâm Abû Hanîfah said. It was an ignorance that as Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin al-'Abbâd would say 'that we ask Allâh - the Most High - to increase us in it's ignorance.'



Some people argue that TV is just a harmless avenue of entertainment and that there should not be a big deal made about it. It is interesting however that we see in Sharî'ah that what is more deadly than Harâm is Bid'ah. Why you ask? Because when someone does Harâm like eating pork, he knows it is Harâm and that one day it is hoped that knowledge will lead him to fear Allâh and refrain. Bid'ah - on the other hand - is something a person does with the hope of reward from Allâh, something that the person considers to be 'harmless'. It is deadlier because the chances of this person correcting the situation are less due to the ignorance which causes lack of motivation.



Other people will say that we have a TV for the news and Islâmic or educational programs? Dear brothers and sisters, is there no other avenue to get the news? Is there no other means by which a child can be educated and stimulated to learning?



Didn't anyone ask why we get all this 'FREE' TV? What does the TV sell? No it doesn't sell Coke or Nike or McDonalds burgers, it sells the AUDIENCE TO ADVERTISING COMPANIES! Why do you think they charge $1 million for 30 seconds of advertising in a Superbowl game?



Consider these facts:



Brand loyalty starts at age 2 - they can snatch a child into a lifetime of allegiance to their product from that tender age. How old were you when you started loving Coke or Pepsi?



On average, a viewer watches 20,000 commercials each year. If we repeated a page of Qur'ân to you that many times, do you think you would memorize it?

This is just for the products, what about the 'Aqîdah that they are being taught, a whole stack of beliefs that gets fed to them every time they sit to listen to their third parent. Where are the horrific stats for that?



To give just a simple example that we all know, go to a lecture where the Imâm is talking about women's rights in Islâm. Listen to the Muslim males and females debate with the Imâm. Where did they get their points? Where did they become so hostile to anything that contradicts the Western view of women's rights? Why is there no hostility to the Western view?



Most of it was learnt on TV, the rest was learnt in the public school curriculum.

If this is the programming, the brain washing of our youth, then where shall they be reprogrammed when they prefer the TV over anyone else. Dear brothers and sisters, it is a fact that more than half of American children would rather watch TV than spend time with their mother or father.



After surveying a lot of young children and asking them what is the one thing that they would sacrifice their favourite TV shows for, many replied that if there were some sort of outside activity they would give preference to that. Meaning, if someone took them by the hand and organized some after school activities they would embrace the idea.



Here are some other things that you can do instead of being shackled to the TV, the option is yours:

- Play outdoor games
- Build extra curricular skills, such as martial arts or calligraphy or sewing or
- Visit the library.
- Take on a job where they one can become serious about life and work.
- Do acts of worship such as reciting dhikr and wird, salâh, reading Qur'ân, fasting, and thinking about the signs of Allâh in His creation.
- Adopt an Islâmic cause in the place where you live, and take part in it, such as teaching Muslim girls.
- Support an Islâmic magazine by sending articles, statistics and useful information of interest concerning Muslims in the West.
- Take part in charitable projects to help Muslim orphans, widows, divorcees and elderly, or joining a committee to help organize social programs and celebrations for Muslims on 'Eid.
- Find righteous friends to meet with and good neighbours to visit.
- Read Islâmic books in particular and useful stories in general.
- Take part in da'wah activities, men or women's activities and preschool programs in Islâmic centres.
- Listen to tapes and lectures, write summaries of them, and distribute the summaries to anyone who could benefit from them.
- Do arts and crafts.
- Cook items to be sold to raise funds for the Islâmic centre.
- Take an interest in computers and computer programs. This is a vast field that can fill a lot of time, and the computer can be used to do a lot of good things as well as providing entertainment in the form of permissible games.
- Spinning, weaving, cutting out and sewing.
- Gardening.
- Exercising outside or at home.



In conclusion dear brothers and sisters, today is the beginning of a new day. Allâh gave us this day to use as we will. We can waste it or use it for something good and beneficial.



But let us know that what we do today is important because we are exchanging a day of our life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; and in it's place shall be something that we left behind ... lets let it be something good and something beneficial.


--~--

[carol_au]

Salaam alaikum

JazakAllah khair sis, I can't rep you again.. but marvellous post from my perspective.

So much there for us to consider and so much sound advice insha'Allah

I

[Cartman]

from what I noticed, eventually people come off the television one way or the other...

I used to be a television freak, but I rarely watch it now except for some sporting events or the news or discovery channel....you get tired of it....and you have more important things to do like work and school

[naila-k]

Have you actually watched cbeebies? most of the programmes encourage the children to get up and sing and dance along, and are educational, many teach about the enviroment, numeracy and literacy and that sort of things, some, like in the night garden are totaly stupid but a lot of it can be good if you are watching it with your child and encouraging them to get up and do the moves, or get a piece of paper and copy the drawings etc, even things like dora the explorer encourage the child to learn spanish and to develop their skills of memory and logic. Obviously a child needs to have real experiences as well as those on tv, so if you take your kids to the farm or the sea side, or teach them how to grow plants they wont have to watch it on tv!
I never had a tv in my bedroom, we had only one tv in the house and it was great because it encouraged the family to sit together rather than seperate.

[lubnaa]

Some Islamic schools have a tv for the Pre k & k kids and they put it on to watch cartoons.