# What does Islamic law say about the harms of social media?

*Social media's harms: fiqh is out of sync and needs to catch up*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/38/
- Date: 2021-01-12 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #197 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (2:51:22–2:52:39)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=10282s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/

**Topics:** Social media; Legal theory and method

**Question as asked:** Don't know if you've seen The Social Dilemma. I wonder if you could explain whether fiqh has any relevance to this phenomenon, and in what manner it might be classified, given that secular society is only just beginning to discuss the damaging impact of these?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth agrees fiqh is out of sync with problems like social media's harms and needs updating.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says fiqh is definitely out of sync and needs to catch up and be updated.

**Evidence, his words at 2:51:22:** “yeah ferc is definitely out of sync it needs to catch up it needs to be updated” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=10282s)

## Longer summary

A Patreon question, prompted by the documentary The Social Dilemma, asks whether fiqh has anything to say about the damaging impact of social media and how it might be classified, given that secular society is only beginning to discuss it. Mufti Abu Layth says fiqh is definitely out of sync and needs to catch up and be updated, and that one of the opportunities that came out of Salafism was a wake-up call to fiqh. He then reads the next questioner's two questions.

## Sources and names cited

- fiqh

## Transcript (machine tier, 2:51:22–2:52:39)

[2:50:42] mean why they say that i mean from what i've understood they're saying it to explain away free will so god is kind of dependent on creation as creation is dependent on god that isn't the quranic worldview so i'm not sure what is the benefit of of advocating that so yeah nick hobb says salam mufti don't know if you've seen the social dilemma um so i wonder if you could explain where the fec has any relevance to this phenomenon what uh software and what manner might it be classified given that secular society is

[2:51:22] only just beginning to discuss the damaging impact of these who may be waiting a while for fit to catch up yeah ferc is definitely out of sync it needs to catch up it needs to be updated uh 100 and you know that is and i think it's a one of the opportunities that came out of this salafism was that it it kind of gave a wake-up call to thick so i think that there's definitely a need for that what god says two questions from me uh first one do you think it's unfair that some people were born muslim whilst others weren't and that god says in the quran that he guides whom he wills

[2:52:00] um right also that the fact that some people have different personality traits some people may enjoy murder did i just read that right some people may enjoy murder i don't know about the kind of people you're hanging around with are you messaging us still from that same house block in prison [Music] i don't know about people enjoying murder um some people have bad traits um my second question

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment 1zgHntbMPis/s/38. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/38/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.