Blogs - not permissible in Islam.

[Saleel]

Recently, many people have been asking about the permissibility of blogs, i.e. online diaries - I'm sure many of us have seen and read them. I submitted a question to Mufti Nawalur-Rahman about them, the answer can be heard here:

http://www.shariahboard.org/viewfatw...uestionID=2280

Allhamdullilah.

The translation for non-urdu speakers (provided by brother salman):

Going to websites like these will not be permissible, because they contain personal matters and also they specify names/identities which can create a path for bay-hayaai (shamelessness), and unlawful relations, and It is a source that may leak out the faults/kharaabiyan "aayb" of muslims. It will not be permissible.

Edit: added translation.

[eat-halal guy]

I read the question and listened to the answer yesterday. In essence, I think the answer suits the question posed, however, I'm not sure if it can be generalized to all blogs. I don't believe it's such a cut-and-dry issue, though I do think it's one that ought to be dealt with in detail. I'd say that blogs would probably have to be classified as different types, and then each type would probably have its own ruling.

Insha-Allah, I might try to work on it a bit.

[Saleel]

In essence I agree with both the above replies. My question was posed perhaps more towards the type of blog slowly emerging today. I did, however, make a note to mention that many of the blogs do contain Islamic content as well as the blog entries, yet the answer seemed pretty clear-cut.

However, I'm not quite sure we can classify blogs into categories? Surely, if the site only contains Islamic articles (such as Sidi Faraz Rabbani's), the only real resemblance it would hold to a blog is having "blogspot" in the URL, and quite possibly it wouldn't even be being referred to in the fatwa above? Allahu Alam. (I have spoken to Sidi Faraz on the issue of blogs.)

I don't want to be making generalisations, but unfortunately is most of what I described in the question not the reality for the vast majority of muslim blogs?

Finally, I just wanted to make a pertinent point . I think we can get very caught up in dissecting the fatwa and trying to make it apply to only certain types of blogs etc. The end result may well be that everyone will have a "valid" excuse as to why their blog does not fall into the verdict given, and no changes will be made. Or, like the period after the Sahaaba (ra), we may jump from one scholar to another, asking, re-asking, until we find a fatwa that suits our naffs? we should try our best to prevent ourselves from falling into this incorrect, and dangerous, methodology.

Wallahu Alam.

Hafiz - I will translate the fatwa (or someone else can?) when I get access to a computer with audio later on.

[haqq]

In essence I agree with both the above replies. My question was posed perhaps more towards the type of blog slowly emerging today. I did, however, make a note to mention that many of the blogs do contain Islamic content as well as the blog entries, yet the answer seemed pretty clear-cut.

However, I'm not quite sure we can classify blogs into categories? Surely, if the site only contains Islamic articles (such as Sidi Faraz Rabbani's), the only real resemblance it would hold to a blog is having "blogspot" in the URL, and quite possibly it wouldn't even be being referred to in the fatwa above? Allahu Alam. (I have spoken to Sidi Faraz on the issue of blogs.)

I don't want to be making generalisations, but unfortunately is most of what I described in the question not the reality for the vast majority of muslim blogs?

Finally, I just wanted to make a pertinent point . I think we can get very caught up in dissecting the fatwa and trying to make it apply to only certain types of blogs etc. The end result may well be that everyone will have a "valid" excuse as to why their blog does not fall into the verdict given, and no changes will be made. Or, like the period after the Sahaaba (ra), we may jump from one scholar to another, asking, re-asking, until we find a fatwa that suits our naffs? we should try our best to prevent ourselves from falling into this incorrect, and dangerous, methodology.

Wallahu Alam.

Hafiz - I will translate the fatwa (or someone else can?) when I get access to a computer with audio later on.

I couldn't have said it any better.

[salman]

Salamu Alaikum

I will reserve judgement for now although i agree with Saleel.

Wallahu A'lam

[IlyasLahoz]

Assalamu 'alaikum,
I don't disagree, and in fact many blogs are no more than public diaries. The medium itself though can be useful (like Shaykh Faraz's blog) and, at any rate, is no more problematic than message boards/ forums.
What's needed, as in nearly all instances of Western Muslim life, is self-restraint. Particularly apt in this blessed month

O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may gain piety 2:183

And Allah Knows best
Wasalamu 'alaikum

[Live for Islam]

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah,

Jazakallahu khair for opening a much needed topic which does need to be addressed, brother Saleel.

I think to give a blanket statement such as 'blogs - not permissible' is definitely not the correct thing to do, nor do I believe it to be correct in ALL instances. Let's look at the websites which are present today...a lot of them contradict the teachings of Islam...so is it right for me to term all websites as being 'not permissible'? Let's look at forums now...again a lot of forums even the 'Islamic' ones contradict the teachings of Islam..with the free-mixing, the topics under discussions and so forth...would it be right for me to classify ALL forums as 'not permissible'? If so then sunniforum is 'not permissible' as well. This forum shouldn't even exist then. And let's look at email addresses and Msn/Yahoo messenger...the contact that some brothers and sisters even the 'so-called' religious ones initiate through these means of communication is wrong, and also leads to a lot of fitna. But can I say that for every single person...it is impermissible to have an email account and to download Msn messenger and so forth? No we can't say that...and why? Because it is a big generalisation. Thus the same goes for blogs.

I would say that rather than claiming that ALL blogs are impermissible you try and make them 'permissible' (i.e. make them so they don't contradict the teachings of Islam) and try and initiate a change. If you want to see a change in something...you bring about that change...in the correct manner and adaab obviously.

And Allah (SWT) knows best.

Wassalam.

[salman]

Salamu Alaikum

What people have failed to note in the question, aswell as in the Fatwa issued, is the types of Blogs that have been discussed.

Sidi Saleel said in his question:

Blogs are websites where people write their thoughts about everyday issues on to the Internet - it is like a Internet based personal diary, which everyone can read.

This is a general definition of what a "blog" is although not all blogs constitute the intimate details of ones "everyday issues" a perfect example would be Sidi Farazs who usually just posts links to Nasheeds, lectures and other Islamic material, strictly avoiding discussing his personal life.

Further, it should be noted that Mufti NAwal clearly stated in his Fatwa that "It is impermissible because it consists of (talkign about) personal matters...which may lead to Be Haya..." which applies only in the case if a person is using his/her blog to talk about his/her personal matters and/or welcoming sisters/brothers to visit, read and comment about these details. Blogs such as Sidi Farazs do not fall into such categories and therefore cannot be categorized as impermissible under the above stated reasons.

On the whole - although i personally stay away from Blogs and "shout Boxes" and "comment" booths and all these other things, which i consider to be harmful due to the fact that interaction between the opposite sexes is very possible, i would not categorize the above Fatwa as a general statement on the impermissibiltity of all Blogs althgh most (as is evident from the Muftis wording)- Rather it is regarding specific types of Blogs that lead to specific outcomes, which are certainly Haram. At the same time, it would be better to keep ones blog simple and use it only for religious purposes without these means of interaction. As the Ulema say, "Whatever elads to haram becomes Haram itself."

wallahu A'lam

[Saleel]

As respected Sidi Salman has mentioned, if we must dissect the fatwa, I think it comes down to definitions. The 'Ulema say that clear definitions are integral when pertaining to fiqh. My question was as clear as I could make it - it was referring to those blogs which choose to discuss the blogger's daily life events... not those which are solely portals to Islamic/relevant articles.

Sister Live for Islam, did you actually read the question (and listen to the answer) or just read the subject of this post? If the later, I recommend you click the link as hopefully it will makes things clearer .

I think the analogy offered of blogs being similar to discussion forums isn't a truely valid one; they are fundamentally different, especially sunniforum.com. We do not need to list the methods SF implements, as I'm am sure these are known to all by now. And once again, coming back to definitions, the fatwa isn't to do with discussion forums. Allahu Alam.

Once again, I'll re-iterate, lets try to implement the fatwa to those blogs to which it applies, and not sidetrack our thinking . If we read the question, and listen to the answer, it is clear that those blogs which are harmful, are not jaiz to visit, and therefore would not be permissible to write. And Allah swt knows best.

[faqir]

Asalamu alaykum,

This is the way I see it at present [let me know if I am incorrect]: if the content of the blog were Haram then the blog would obviously be Haram - otherwise as far as I can tell it is just like any other medium of communication - and the word blog in this specific question (and answer) could easily have been replaced with any such medium. Or, does anyone disagree? And if so, (dare I ask), why?