Friday Sermon: Bad Company and Digital Influences Pose Grave Risk to Faith and Morals
Abdul Aleem Kahteeb Nadvi emphasizes the profound impact of social circles and digital content on individual character, urging community vigilance.
Bhatkal, India – In a recent Friday sermon delivered at Jamia Masjid Bhatkal, Islamic scholar Abdul Aleem Khateeb Nadvi issued a powerful reminder about the inherent human tendency to be influenced by one’s environment and associations.
The scholar explained that human nature is deeply impressionable. He illustrated this by stating that even a child from a good family and with a sound upbringing can be negatively transformed by keeping bad company and immersing themselves in a corrupting environment over time.
Citing Islamic teachings, he stressed the paramount importance of choosing one’s companions wisely. He referenced a Quranic verse (18:28) directed at the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which commands believers to keep company with those who remember God morning and evening and to turn away from those who are heedless and follow their base desires.
“If such a crucial instruction was given to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whose character was perfected by Allah, then how much more cautious must his followers be?” the scholar asked the congregation.
He further elaborated with a prophetic analogy, comparing a good friend to a perfume seller. One benefits from their presence by receiving perfume, buying it, or simply enjoying the fragrance. A bad friend, however, was compared to a blacksmith, whose furnace will inevitably stain one’s clothes or burn them, representing the unavoidable negative influence of corrupt company.
The sermon also addressed modern-day challenges, specifically highlighting the dangers of digital “friendship” through mobile phones. Maulana Nadvi warned that the content consumed on these devices be it films, serials, games, or social media profoundly affects a person’s mind, thinking, and life priorities.
“We see promising youth, previously active in good works and business, whose lives, careers, and family relationships have been ruined after falling into the trap of harmful mobile phone content,” he stated.
The scholar concluded with an urgent call to action for parents and community members. He urged them to be seriously vigilant about their children’s real-world and digital environments who they befriend, where they go, and what they watch online.
“If we do not control ourselves and our children now, and do not care about how they are spending their time, then God help us. The future state of our society could be dire,” he warned, praying for God’s guidance for all.
Source: Friday sermon by Abdul Aleem Khateeb Nadvi at Jamia Masjid Bhatkal.
