Fiqh of Social Media: Timeless Islamic Principles for Navigating the Digital Age

by Omar Usman, Sh. AbdulNasir Jangda (Foreword)

Social media and digital technologies have changed our lives and there is no indication that things will slow down. As Muslims, we believe that Islam contains the most perfect guidance for all of mankind to follow. How do we implement that timeless advice in our unprecedented times? That is the focus of the Fiqh of Social Media.

"I am grateful and appreciative of my friend, Omar Usman, for exhausting available resources; Islamic, psychological, secular, and business, to develop the work you see before you. We have had long discussions pertaining to many of the topics covered in this book. I am confident that you will find this book to be beneficial, and I pray that it inspires more contributions on this topic." -Shaykh AbdulNasir Jangda, Qalam Institute

“With the time we spend on social media, being mindful of how we use it is crucial. This is a wonderful resource based in prophetic guidance on how to practically use social media in wise and beneficial ways.” -Dr. Omar Suleiman, Yaqeen Institute

“Reading Fiqh of Social Media is like sitting with your best friend from Sunday school and having an intellectual & spiritual conversation about the impact of social media on your life. Omar distills years of research, experience, and thought leadership in an easily digestible book that you can enjoy with a good cup of coffee (and your phone off!)” -Mohammed Faris, The Productive Muslim Company

“Having followed Omar Usman's extensive work on the #FiqhOfSocialMedia and attended the seminar by him in person, I'm thrilled to hear about this being released in book form. Behavioral experts often demarcate an addiction by its rendering of a person dysfunctional; it sabotages his/her career, relationships, health, or any other fundamental facet of one's life. Therefore, considering what the digital age is undeniably crippling in our lives, I cannot overstate the importance of availing oneself this sobering critique of social media's true costs, its pragmatic course for rehabilitation, and its showcasing of the renewed relevance of Islam's timeless principles for self-care in the most comprehensive sense of the word.” -Shaykh Mohammad Elshinawy, Mishkah University

“The Prophet (s) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say something good or keep silent.” The ability to control our tongues, how we communicate with others, is an expression of our faith. Communication has evolved and changed so much that one of the primary ways many of us communicate with others is through social media; hashtags and 280 characters. This is a long-awaited work from my good friend and Hajj companion Omar Usman who has been writing, tweeting, speaking, and teaching about the Fiqh of Social Media for years. This is a valuable work providing guidance on how to use and benefit from social media in a way that conforms to our principles and values.” -Shaykh Furhan Zubairi, Institute of Knowledge

“Ulama of the past have written on the adaab of speech and social interaction. Connecting those guidelines with the modern world of social media has been the need of our time. May Allah reward Omar for taking this task on!” -Mufti Hussain Kamani, Qalam Institute

“This is a must-read for Muslims around the globe. I can’t thank Omar enough for this work which forces Muslims to look in the mirror and answer tough questions about how social media has impacted our lives. It questions why we desire to share the most intimate aspects of our lives with strangers from around the world and provides action items to implement. These discussions need to be had within the Muslim community. We have to question how our quality of life has been impacted by the age of hyper-connectivity. Due to the fact that Social Media is the tool for creating social capital, we need to realize that speaking about the harms of constant connectivity takes a lot of courage. Thank you, Omar, for this work.” -Shaykh Mikaeel Smith, Qalam Institute

Genres: Islam, Religion, Technology, Social Media, Nonfiction

95 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Sahar · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Who we follow is the company we keep.”⁣
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Whether it’s online schooling, remote working or a virtual rendezvous, our reliance on digital services has amplified considerably in the past year, as has our social media usage. Pandemic or no, it goes without say that much of our lives are being spent online. Interactions are virtual, but impact is tangible. ⁣
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Fiqh of Social Media is a timely work that intends to bridge the gap between our online and offline personas by exploring the ways in which timeless Prophetic and Qur’anic guidance can be incorporated into virtual discourse.⁣
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“Our tradition is timeless in the sense that its teachings will apply regardless of how communication methods may change.”⁣
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The title alludes to the manners by which we behave online and the rules by which we use social media. It would be dishonest to claim that because social media is a switch on/switch off entity, it bears no significance in our real day-to-day lives, when quite the opposite is true. Though we claim to be aware of the parameters of online discourse and social media etiquette, the constant barrage of distracting content—Islamic or otherwise—makes it hard for us to be truly cognizant of our digital consumption, our actions and subsequent impact.⁣
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My own intentions and objectives have evolved. Like many of us, I have a love/hate relationship with social media; it is a source of both pain and delight. My bookstagram account itself is definitely a labor of love. I enjoy the platform, but I often find myself overwhelmed and burnt out by the constant need to catch up with what others are reading, sharing or reviewing. I definitely need to etch in some protected time to be offline and unreachable (not a doctor on-call 😉), not least because of my deteriorating eyesight lol. I also reflected on how much time I’ve wasted on other platforms and how intentions of others are hard to gauge from online personas alone.
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In all, Fiqh of Social Media is a wonderfully succinct yet comprehensive guide that empowers and encourages the reader to make better, God-conscious decisions going forward. It also includes some great practical tips at the end of each chapter which I envisage I’ll be scrambling eagerly to implement into my life from now on.⁣
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“A man is upon the religion of his friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.”⁣
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4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[heb · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally, something beyond "tiKtOk bAd" -- easy to digest, but also gave me a lot of food for thought. I liked the tone too; it wasn't too heavy-handed or moralistic, which contributed to an overall approachable and, inshaAllah, useful book

-- some quotes --

Author Michael Harris notes, “As we embrace a technology’s gifts, we usually fail to consider what they ask from us in return—the subtle, hardly noticeable payments we make in exchange for their marvelous service. We don’t notice, for example, that the gaps in our schedules have disappeared because we’re too busy delighting in the amusements that fill them. We forget the games that childhood boredom forged because boredom itself has been outlawed. Why would we bother to register the end of solitude, of ignorance, of lack? Why would we care that an absence has disappeared?”

We must intentionally choose in every single moment which connections matter. When we choose to scroll through our feeds until we fall asleep and then grab our phones the moment we wake up, we make dua a casualty of our digital lives. We aren’t able to give the remembrance of Allah the attention it needs because we dedicate our cognitive energy elsewhere...Awareness is critical. If we can't naturally find the moments to remember Allah, we have to engineer them. We have to create moments of solitude and reflection. Dua is not an item we can multitask. We have to create moments where we can pour our heart out to Allah with full attention—not partial attention.

Allah says in Surah al-Takathur, “Competition for more distracts you until you visit the graveyards."

Winning an argument online is like when people say, “the operation was a success, but the patient died.”

[Humairah Jamil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiqh of Social Media guides us on how to manage our usage and relationship with technology and social media from the Islamic paradigm. What I like about it is that there are action points concluding every chapter which urges us to apply what we have learnt, turning our awareness into tangible action.

The book is divided into 14 brief chapters, each aptly titled as a hashtag. Every point is substantiated with a relevant, timeless hadith. For eg., on the point about being on our phones while talking to someone, Omar Usman relates the hadith where our Prophet (S) would face his interlocutor with his chest and body. He was completely present by turning his face towards the person he was addressing.

He foregrounded relatable social-media-induced, first-world problems like losing the ability to reflect, battling envy, performative activism, & the hypocrisy of embodying dual personas online and offline. With conscious awareness comes the need to remedy which is completely on us to apply and see it manifest in our lives. You might treat the socmed universe as utopia and some residents as hypercritical, but as Omar mentioned, we sometimes overestimate our ability to filter. Our passivity in receiving information has a direct impact on us, unknowingly.

In The Social Dilemma and in his book, The 10 Arguments, Jaron Lanier called for the extreme - ruthlessly delete your accounts and go out to be with nature. While that remains an ideal (as technological advances are invariably irreversible), Omar encouraged us to adopt these principles that will assist us in reaping the benefits of social media while avoiding its negative effects. He summarises and shares the simple 5-step guide in navigating social media - Plant the right intention, Unplug when necessary, Unfollow ruthlessly accounts that don’t benefit you, Prioritise, Supplement with offline activities.

Ultimately, it’s a balance we’re striving for, as moderation is a cornerstone of our religion. A much-needed work that serves as a reminder to hold fast to the timeless Islamic principles, and a brilliant read for any generation in a quandary when navigating the ever-changing digital age.

[heytwentythree · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re reading this review right now, I’d suggest you pick THIS BOOK UP 🙌🏻

This was a read that was long due but well-needed. We thought we are in control of our social media, of the content we consume daily, of our time spent on it but in reality, those are illusions you unconsciously set up for yourself.

This book was an eye-opener & is highly relevant to each and everyone of us today. My favourite part has got to be the Hadiths accompanying the different chapters, that further shows how Islamic principles & teachings are TIMELESS - it was relevant then and it still IS. This book sets up a great guideline on how we can be a better & more mindful user at this digital age. 💯

[Khadijah]

My immediate reaction to Islamic scholars discussing contemporary issues tends to be guardedness and hesitance, which was true when this book was offered to me. I ended up really liking the insight and advice, and would definitely recommend to anyone interested.

[bookstacled. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookstacled Rating: 3.25⭐

Reading this book is easily a good alternative to scrolling your social media mindlessly while standing or a queue or a daily commute. 😃

This is quite a relevant topic in today's time, with the extent at which social media has engulfed our lives. Since the publication of this book, things has only escalated so maybe that's why I found this book somewhat falling short. It's managed to cover the main topics and serves the purpose of a starting point, but failed to dive deeper I feel. Like, there wasn't enough "content" to call it a book; at best an article it was. But the action points are all relevant, much needed to be taken into account.

Is it the influence of online Islamic content that made me expect more deeper a discussion seeing the word "fiqh" in the title? Or was it a "clickbait" title? I can't be sure. But I sure had found some thoughtful fatawa from rather recent scholars regarding social media or internet consumption in general elsewhere that I was expecting something similar here. Instead with the book I just found myself in an echo of my own thoughts 🤔🥲.

[Imran Pasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read for youngsters!!

[Maryam Siddiqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sooo important for the Muslims of this generation, ESPECIALLY teenagers 🫵🫵

[Humaira · Rating 2 out of 5]

For such a hyped book, I found the content pretty basic.

Unfollow, block, delete…this is all common sense that you can find in any non-Islamic book about social media.

While it raises some good points, I felt a lot of the book was just filler.

This would be a good book to introduce teenagers to social media from an Islamic perspective but for adults who are sensible…it might lead you wanting something with more substance.

[Usama Ansar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Social Media has become an almost inalienable part of our lives. At first it was messaging, then the occasional photo, then the constant bombardment of photos, and now full videos. A full simulation of senses keeping us perpetually occupied.


The Impression I always get when talking to elders about social media is usually the dismissive “it’s all a ploy of the Shaitan”. Despite very legitimate grievances among elders against the impact of social media, and despite it’s very obvious psychologically adverse effects, one can not deny that there is no escape from it. So the question becomes not how one can get rid of it but rather how can one engage with it in the least harmful manner. This is where books like Omar Usman’s Fiqh of Social Media come in.


Despite its name, this is not a fiqh book on the likes of Maulana Yusuf Islahi’s Asan Fiqh. Rather it is a set of loose guidelines and recommendations extending islamic principles (and sometimes psychological concepts) to the social media space.


I liked how the book was very balanced. It took on a lot of the most pressing issues Muslims on social media face like refutation culture, virtue signalling, envy, echo chambers and the publicization of sins but also presented reflections on the usually unwoke topics such as how social media has changed the way we interact with our family and our friends.


I absolutely loved the chapter on activism. Generally the whole book resonated with me but in particular the chapter on social media activism was amazing. Combined with the chapter on echo chambers, it laid out very nicely the pitfalls of #resistance and presented a counter-narrative by contrasting the short lived, low stakes, spontaneous activism done on social media with the more long-term one done by engaging oneself with the wider community and actually talking to people. That was the highlight of the book for me.


In general, I would say, this was a short book. There remains a lot more to be written on this topic, but as an introduction to the topic, this was amazing!

[Hannah Alkadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember the days when an office was known as the “computer room,” when Facebook was only for college kids, and the thought of working from phone - not just working from home - was impossible.

Social media is not only my method of communication, it is my leisure, my inspiration, the primary focus of my education, and also my livelihood as a Marketing Coordinator.

I studied and worked with it for so long that I became increasingly aware of its harms as well as its goods. People are beguiled by its charms no matter how educated, wealthy, or religious they are. It’s like fire - a powerful tool to be used with caution. Yet there is much good that has come and can come from it, if only we were aware of the pitfalls to avoid. Dismissing it completely is not practical.

The baker and the bread-maker don’t fear fire. They use it to benefit others, and they know not to get burned in the process.

We remember a life without social media, but there’s no way we can even imagine a life without it. So what do we do?

Omar is an actionable writer; a doctor of the disease and the cure. He informs you of the benefits as well as the harms. There is a clear roadmap for the accidents up ahead and the shortcuts we can take. There is no shaming, rather advising from someone qualified and experienced in this field.
My biggest takeaway: “Your feed is a place to exercise being selfish. If an account does not positively contribute to your life, then unfollow.”

Every Muslim should read this book. (And post about it. Haha).

[Eiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Fiqh of Social Media’ is a practical guide to help govern our relationship with social media in a healthy way. Omar Usman dedicates each chapter to a different topic, some examples including Intention, Envy, Optimism and Family.
Although social media is not something that existed at the time of the Revelation, the teachings of Islam are timeless and can be extended to all situations and circumstances. Thus, each argument is supplemented by a Hadith or verses from the Quran.

A really important point he states is that who we follow is the company we keep, while encouraging us to unfollow ruthlessly to curate our feeds. It is a reminder to maintain the same values and manners in our online interactions as we do in our offline in-person ones. The book is short, each chapter is only a couple of pages, the writing is very easy to understand, and each topic ends with questions to ask ourselves in order to keep ourselves accountable. Why do we post what we post? What do we hope to achieve when we engage in arguments in comment sections? Does our phone usage affect our real-life relationships? Do we supplement our ‘online activism’ with offline prayer? If not, then that may be a symptom of it being performative.

Sometimes I feel the hardest part is simply recognising and admitting that you lack self control. It’s easy to say that I’ll limit my time on social media but five minutes turns into fifteen and fifteen into thirty without even realising it. Sometimes a reminder is not enough to change our habits, and we may need actual tangible limits in place for ourselves. If you’re like me and frequently fall victim to the endless scroll, I’d suggest to make use of the app limits/website restrictions in the settings of your phone, or have accountability with a family member.

A must read.

[Saba Aftab · Rating 5 out of 5]

In today’s times, everyone especially every Muslim needs to go through this book and workout his own misuse of social media. I myself am an addictive to its use. I find it really hard to put down the phone once I find something relating to shopping. It is not a proud thing at all. I binge shopped for the last 4 or so years which has cost me a lot of my money and my PRECIOUS TIME. Time which is significant especially for us Muslims. May Allah gives me strength to tread on this moderate path which Allah and His Rasool SAW tells us. It is a beautiful thing, to be moderate. To do everything in moderation, and cautiously as well, as it has to do with our intention, which will be asked in the Hereafter. Our intention, which makes the basis of our actions. May Allah guide us all. Such a beautiful book and every word of it makes us relate to our social media addiction in one way or the other. Baarik Allah feek!

[Zuha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very easy read! Each chapter is about 5-10 pages and the entire book is less than 90 pages long. I was initially disappointed by this book because I was expecting (and hoping for) it to be an academically rigorous text. However, the book turns out to mostly be some pretty well-known and common-sense reminders, and some neat little actionable steps. At first I was pretty frustrated that the things I was reading weren’t that different from typical social media and mental health videos, articles, and sound-bites, but as I read on I began to feel more satisfied by the book, as the topic started to become more specific (such as spiritually and activism on the internet) and talk about things a little less talked about in the public sphere. Each chapter had a list of actionable steps to pursue on the theme of the chapter.

[Dima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really really enjoyed this.

The publicizing sin and activism chapters were superb. Much needed. I thought this would be a book lecturing about the dangers of social media, or giving strict guidelines on the theology behind social media but it was really well grounded in a great understanding of our current use of platforms and how certain hadeeth relate accordingly. I absolutely adored the action items at the end of every chapter too. So practical (at least in theory), and ties in the idea of action coupled with faith really well.

Great read, highly recommend.

EDIT: Book ban is officially in place, 1/83 done. I'm reading at least 40 more next year insha'Allah, can only buy a book if I read one off my shelf otherwise I'm just buying for the sake of it and that's a waste of privilege and $$$.

[Umm Salih · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise book about the Islamic etiquette of social media which all Muslims should read. Just as we gain knowledge about Islamic manners related to eating, sleeping and communication etc., its important that we learn Islamic guidelines related to social media and share them with our kids as well.

The author has covered significant aspects in which social media affects us Muslims (for instance, keyboard dawah and whether or not it's effective), the dangers it can pose for our imaan and how we can avoid these pitfalls. Doable action items have been given at the end of each chapter.

It's a quick read and a beneficial reminder!

[Liyana Yamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading this and it has been a timely reminder considering I see myself as a recovering social media addict.

It's a great read to reflect how we spend time on social media whether mindlessly until we miss our obligations or we could use it to empower others positively.

This book also shares action items for us think about. Five framework to guide our social media usage is to review our

(1) intention
(2) unplug by turning off notifications which I've done and it helps me a lot
(3) Curate your feed - unfollow if necessary
(4) prioritise i.e. spending your time accordingly
(5) spend time online and offline equally

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I need to have a physical copy of it to constantly remind myself on the morals and obligations of using and posting on social media as a Muslim. It tackles issues and Omar Usman gave advices on how to actually resolve those problems where he called on every after chapters on this book- “Action Items”. This book is a must-read for every Muslims who involves themselves in the virtual world. You may not know that you accumulated certain issues that you need to resolve and this book is perfect as it is inclined with the teachings of Islam.

[siso.sofy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I want to thank the author for writing this book on a very important topic.

It is a very simple and straightforward discussion that everyone can pick up and reflect on the matter.

We can’t deny that we live more on the digital world than in the real world. Our communication, our work and even our shopping activity is done through the internet.

Islam is truly the way of life, and everything in life has it own guidelines based upon our beautiful religion Islam.

[Nasaya Mafaridik · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read for anyone that wants to stay sane in this internet realm

easy to read, short and simple, and absolutely beneficial. the points are relevant and some even punched me in the face as i did many mistakes in the past. so glad i picked up this book, i pondered a lot and didn’t regret unfollowing everyone for a fresh and more intentional restart on social media. definitely will recommend to my friends.

[Syamimi Fatin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an easy read of good reflections & advice taking from Islamic teaching and wisdoms. Provided also, action items & basic plans on how to guide our usage of social media. Love the reflections & guidance so much!

"No matter how much things change, our religious principles are timeless"

Alhamdulillah for the chance to read this precious book 😊

[Norshafarina Faharuddin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiqh of Social Media.

This book is about guidance and assessment on how we use and interact with this technology. 

Topics covered in this book are intention, friendship, publicizing sins, echo chambers, two faces, and many more. 

I like how the author goes in depth on all topics with a simple explanation that is easy to understand and reflects accordingly. 

Highly recommended. 

[Sharif Faizullah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book For Muslims About Social Media

5-star for sure. Just the action items alone is worth it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who spends a significant amount of time on social media.

[Hassan Tayyab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great analysis contrasting modern issues with a spiritual lens. The book is short but mighty, touching on the key topics and some surprising perspectives. Writing style is easy to read. The author is knowledgeable and humble

[Zareen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5stars

[Ziyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening banget dan bikin keselek terus daritadi karena setiap kalimatnya ngingetin semua langkah salah yang udah aku buat. Nyesek ih. Perlu segera tobat abis ini.

[Norah Al Kasabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential for every Muslim to read.

[Heraa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote a full length review here.

In summary, I enjoyed the book - it was a short read, I do wish it was longer, but with poignant reminders and a good read to go through the action items and goals at the end of each chapter with family and friends.

[Unzila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great light read on an increasingly controversial topic in the community!

There wasn’t an extreme condemnation of social media or lengthy discourse on how it goes against all islamic principles. I think it was a good balance of criticism and idealism. The author acknowledged multiple areas where social media interferes with different aspects of our lives (prayer, personal relationships, and engagement with the broader world) and provided practical solutions that didn’t necessarily entail deleting all your accounts.

More of a “social media in our lives as almost inescapable. How can we reshape our relationship with it to allow for time and energy to focus on our deen?”

[Tarannum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely liked the second half of the book better than the first, as I felt in some parts it lacked a certain depth which I was hoping for. A lot of these points were obvious to me, and I think would be to others in their young 20s in 2021 - so maybe this book would be more insightful to older audiences. I really liked the logical flow and the surface level points were great, but when I say they lack depth I mean that I feel these points had so much more room to be unpacked further, and still keep the book short and simple, but they weren't. However, the consistent connections to Hadith and Quran verses was definitely wonderful and added a lot of value to the frame through which the information was being presented. Also, especially in the second half of the book, there were unique insights on the environment of social media and it provided great reflection points.