Television and Time

Television undoubtedly dominates the free time or leisure of millions who have become addicted to it. Hours of precious time are daily squandered in the presence of the TV set. This malady of wasting hours daily doing 'justice to the TV screen' is so serious that even necessary and important work and activities are neglected, especially when the TV program or serial clashes with the time when a particular work has to be done. The Eastern Province Herald dated 23rd October 1975, states in a report:

"Britons spend more time with television than with radio, books, theatre and newspaper combined."

"The average person watches television nine hours and six minutes a week in winter and seven hours 42 minutes in summer but these estimates seem conservative."

''Three-quarters of homes in one British Midlands industrial area found to have the 'telly' on the entire evening every day and in one national survey many young viewers claimed to watch for up to 46 hours a week."

''When early in 1974 the Government put 10:30p.m. curfew on television to save electricity for several weeks the outcries were loud and long.''

A recent survey conducted by the Audio-visual Centre of Sydney Teachers' College (Australia) revealed that the average child watched over 21 hours of TV a week. Mr. Tindall, Director of the Centre asked: "What does TV offer the child in exchange for about 1,100 hours of almost undivided attention each year?"

Time in Islam is of great importance. So important indeed is time that Almighty Allah in the Qur'an takes an Oath by Time, and says: "Wal-Asri" - By the Token of Time.

A Muslim is not permitted to waste time, even more so when the wasting of time is a result of an institution portraying vice and evil, and when the wasting of time on a practice or 'past-time' involves interference or neglect with ones duties to Allah and man. The addictive grip of television over its viewers is so powerful that the viewer becomes a helpless victim wasting sacred hours glued to the TV screen, thus neglecting his Salat, his family duties and his social duties. The student, undoubtedly neglects his studies and learning. In a survey, teachers have said that a direct link exists between television and the failing standard of literacy, particularly among lethargic children continually sitting up late in front of the "goggle box".

"By Time! Man is indeed in loss! Except those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth, and exhort one another to patience." (Al-Qur'an, Surah Al-‘Asr: 1-3)

Should anyone be watching television?