Kashmiris Use WhatsApp to Spread Islamic Teachings
“I have been closely watching the changes in social life of Kashmir and sudden transformation of the mind-set of young generation to such an extent that they always keep themselves changing so far as social standards are concerned,” Ghulam Mohd Kumar, a retired history teacher from south Kashmir, told OnIslam.net.
Kumar recalled the old days when Muslims in Kashmir were watching movies till late hours in cinema Halls. As the turmoil hit the district in late 1990, the movie Halls were closed leaving people to TV and radio for entertainment.
There were no other means of communication, except for few landline telephones in main parts of the valley.
Soon after the cell phones, TV cables and other services like internet were introduced in valley, people, particularly young boys and girls, got changed and choose to entertain life differently, dragging into various unacceptable activities.
This all changed later after youth found a better usage for the long-awaited social media applications.
“After retiring from services, I am enjoying the old and new experiences with my family. I have three sons and find myself happy while seeing my grandsons using whatsapp not for entertainment but to share religious information with their friends," Kumar added.
“Every morning, one of my grandsons, who is pursuing engineering degree, shows me at least one hadith on whatsapp and some religious sermons which really fresh up my mind and take me to the early time of child hood when I used to learn same in local Madrassa,” he told onIslam.net.
Muslim youth praised those behind religious applications for Qur'an, Hadith, Sunnah and stories of Prophet and Sahaba for helping youth to find a worthy usage of the fast growing technology.
“I as a Muslim Kashmiri girl and a whatsapp user very much believe that the youth nowadays are turning more and more hi-tech. Be it entertainment, infotainment or religion for that matter whatsapp is used in all spheres,” says Arifa from north Kashmir's Bandipora district.
“Even the Waaz (speeches of scholars) in the form of video and audio are spread via whatsapp. This includes speeches of internationally renowned scholars viz Dr Zakir Naik, Dr Asrarul-Haq, Dr Tariq Jameel,” she told OnIslam.net.
New Life
Some Kashmiri youth revealed that the new applications have in some way changed their life to the better.
“I have been using cell phone since last ten years and internet from 2010, with fast growing of the technology came through some apps and make good use of whatsapp,” Nisar Ahmad, a newly appointed teacher from south Kashmir, told OnIslam.net.
“From last one year whatsapp has changed all of my habits and now I use free time to chat with friends and we do exchange one SUNNA every morning which helps us in day today life,” he added.
Another Muslim girl of south Kashmir’s Kokernag, who spreads Islamic information through whatsapp on a daily basis, feels that while doing so she feels satisfied.
“I am almost pass on more than fifty Sunnah every day to other Muslim brothers through my cell phone and am satisfied with using the internet for Islam I belong to and feel proud of myself,” Shazia Tabasum told onislam.net.
“The days when it was difficult to share religious information by the girls are over now. With the help of cell phone and internet, even girls do their best to participate in such activities,” she added.
“Those who are not having the services do hear the sermons on peace TV and other Muslim channels and share the same among other members of their families,” Shazia told OnIslam.net.
Though surfing internet might be dangerous for young boys and girls, Kashmiri youth are carefully doing this by using the apps in a right direction.
“Qur'an, the Holy book of Islam has given us all the scientific ways much earlier and some are coming in practice slowly with the passage of time,” Moulvi Mohd Shafi told OnIslam.net.
He said, if Muslims will abide by the Sunnah of prophet Muhammad (PBUH) all the solutions lie itself in the Holy Qur'an.
“The present trend of using latest technologies like cell phones, whatsapp applications, Facebook etc for spreading awareness of the basic principles among Muslims will definitely add to the knowledge of young Muslims,” Moulvi Shafi told OnIslam.net.
He said that these applications have proved very successful in making young Muslims aware of the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and same is being done by recording sermons of religious scholars.
“I am observing from the last three years that these type of computer applications have proved beneficial in making people aware so far as drive is concerned,” he said.
“Even online Quran is available and same is provided by some religious organizations through internet which help them in reciting Quran in all languages as well as learning Arabic.”
