10 advices for the users of Facebook

Facebook is a social network that is considered the most important virtual society on the Web.

It was released in the 4^th of February 2004, and the site is subordinate to the same company "Facebook." The site allows its users to join several sub-networks within the same site, such as: Groups in certain geographical area that helps to discover more people in the same category.

This site contains 64 million subscribers from September 2006 to September 2007, and the site rank went up from 60 to 7 according to Alexa Website.

The site is also considered one of the hugest personal picture uploading sites on the Web where more than 41 million pictures are uploaded daily.

Taking into account that increasing approval, fast registration, and great subscription of youth boys and girls in this site, I loved to write some advices for myself and for others.

The first advice is:

Facebook is a huge global network such as the Internet in general which contains good and bad materials.

Hence, you realize that absolute corruption of the site is not correct and absolute goodness is not true. So, whoever wants to achieve goodness and benefit from this technology either personally or in the field of Da`wah (call to Allah) has found a proper place for himself and whoever pursuits evil will find it there.

I ask Allah to grant you and me success to do good and I seek refuge with Allah against confusion and straying.

The second advice is:

The conditions and guidelines which the administration of the site has set should be fully known, understood, and translated into Arabic so as the participants would know and realize what they are facing and so as not to commit anything against these conditions and laws and to avoid the shutdown of their accounts.

The third advice is:

Talking about using that site by intelligence or it is a nest for spies or the moving center of the Mosaad is funny and is not based on evidence.

However, we should draw your attention that it is not proper to publish privacies and family secrets so as a member would not become a victim of sick people; my advice is especially directed to Muslim sisters.

The fourth advice is:

Beware of what is called (the addiction of Facebook),

because using this service a lot will lead to a kind of addiction.

Sister Hana' Ar-Ramly mentioned in her research some of the symptoms of that addiction, of which:

• Spending a lot of time on the Facebook in communicating, playing, sending messages, following up videos, chatting, and subjecting to personal tests which the Facebook gives to its members.

• When you log out the Facebook, you feel that you want to log in again.

• Total or partial negligence for social life, family, and functional liabilities.

• Negligence of other interests and beloved hobbies which a user used to practise.

• After severe fatigue of surfing the internet and the Facebook, a user resort to deep sleep for a long period.

• Appearance of psychological disturbances such as tremble and moving fingers continuously.

• Excessive worry and thinking about Facebook and what is happening on the site when you are away from the Computer and the Internet as well as the feeling of sadness and depression if you stay away for a long period.

• Concentration of thinking on Facebook to the extent of craziness and talking about it with friends and people when you are away from the Internet.

• Repeated tries have failed to reduce the number of hours which you spend on the Facebook.

• Previous repeated cases of addiction in the usages of the Internet.

These are separated advices to protect from the addiction of Facebook; they are useful after asking the help of Allah and relying on Him, of which:

* Abide by certain time to browse Facebook for at most half an hour daily.

* Set the alarm or timer to alert you when your time is up and to warn you about the time you spend.

* Review your usage daily and evaluate your performance and the gained value.

* Do not make Facebook the only mean for filling your free time and amusement or a way to escape reality and life pressures.

* Practice the beloved activities and hobbies to make life more diversified.

* Indulge in social life and avoid solitude and loneliness.

* Train yourself for the skills of physical and mental relaxation and practicing meditation for the comfort of the nervous system and to renew the mental and physical energy .

* Break the routine and liberate from stereotypy in life and do new actions such as changing the time of using the Internet.

* Write short notices to remember the proper usage of Facebook to avoid its bad effects and excessive use.

* Follow a healthy life style according to regular times for waking and sleep and setting timetable for meals.

The fifth advice is:

Both sexes get to know each other on the site, exchange porno pictures, and fall into the diseases of the heart. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "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 Well-Acquainted with what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.)"

A boy and girl have to keep chastity and religion, and keeping away from anything that may harm them.

The sixth advice is:

Spreading rumors, pursuit of privates, and spying on people are deniable acts which a believer should not do. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And do not spy." The Prophet (peace be upon him) who was the most truthful said: "A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands."

The seventh advice is:

Facebook is a chance to contact the callers of Allah, the knowledge seekers, writers, media men, and those who affect directly in the society.

There are a huge number of Da`wah pages and useful cultural and media pages. So, it is important for the Facebook user to benefit from that by showing good friendship to the knowledge seekers and benefit from their writings to have great goodness and huge cultural storage.

The eighth advice is:

Facebook is the hugest site in exchanging pictures where more than 41 million pictures are uploaded daily, so beware of publishing pornographies but publish the good portraits which are permissible to publish or spread useful Da`wah cards.

The ninth advice is:

Facebook allows its members to write short words and publish them on the site, so be keen to write what is beneficial and avoid bad words.

Use this service to publish the authentic Hadiths, useful views of scholars and the seekers of knowledge, and remind people of virtuous actions and good sayings. Publish audio and video files which disseminate optimism and determination in the souls of friends and followers. Remembering: "Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)."

The tenth advice is:

In this wide society (Facebook) there is a golden opportunity for knowledge seekers and those who call to Allah and those who enjoin good and forbid evil where it is good to log into these sites for Da`wah, education, benefitting people, and changing deniable acts.

It is also beneficial to create appropriate Da`wah and social pages because they have proved its importance and benefit in more than one situation.