Instagram is like life – ike our existence in this world. Instagram is both good and evil. It can promote and encourage good – it can promote and encourage evil. There are definitely evil individuals/corporations, charities and countries using Instagram. There are definitely good individuals/corporations/ charities and countries using Instagram.
Catastrophic events bring this to the fore. Catastrophic has some foul synonyms which describe it: disaster, calamity, cataclysm, holocaust, ruin, ruination, tragedy, blow, shock; adversity, blight, accident, failure, reverse, woe, affliction, distress; meltdown. Antonyms are salvation and godsend.
Bring to the fore means to move something forward; to make something more prominent or noticeable.
The disaster, the cataclysm, the adversity, with the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria are one example. Almost immediately there were Instagram scenes of the horror and devastation accompanied by pleas to donate to aid the victims. Such immediate pleas have to be evil.
You: How can you say that?
Me: Setting up disaster relief is tremendously complicated. There is no way that one can organize the people, equipment, supplies within a few hours. The money sent must enter the coffers of those who merely set up a fund to retrieve monies from caring folks.
But, on the other hand, there was illustrations of good shown to the world. Relief workers from Japan shown arriving as well as a statement from MBS of Saudi Arabia pledging mega-dollars for relief. Then also a quote from the Quran, which I cannot find at this moment and it is difficult to paraphrase. What is desperately needed is an excellent index – none of my nine Qurans have one. I know the Quran offers great wisdom on almost everything subject known, but it is difficult to find and even to paraphrase. But trust me, it is there.
The remainder of this blog shall illustrate the good found in Instagram. A recent reel offered by a scholar suggested that one should never turn to Instagram out of boredom, when that happens it is an encouragement coming from Shaytaan or Iblis. It is my viewpoint that much time can be spent and much misinformation spread through the use of Stories as they are disconnected, brief, leaving no room for communication or details. If one does respond only the ‘story teller’ receives your comments. I no longer view Stories, have told friends who use that media of my absence. When they post, I do respond to them in that forum.
Learned the hard way that responding to a negative, harmful entry is not at all useful because one becomes lost in negativity, those guys fight dirty and probably do not listen to anybody or anything other than the sound of their own voices. It did, admittedly, take (probably) years for me to learn this. Now I write responses to ONLY positive, enlightening posts. On rare occasions badger a person who has made an insulting rude remark to a positive heart- warming communication, but this is rarity.
Here is an example of a positive post, and my positive response. Yesterday morning this post greeted my day. It was from shaykh.aslam, his profile, describes him a public figure. He has 101K followers.
“The Prophet was born in the lap pf a woman. He is delicately wrapped up and nurses by a woman. The first person to see his beautiful and illuminated smile was a woman. When his mother passed away in Abwa, he tearfully came back to Makkah with a woman. When he returned from Hira, the first person who covered him was a woman and the first person he spoke to was a woman. A woman was the first to believe in him. A woman was the first to pray with him. A woman was the first to die for him. When he delivered khutba, a woman was the first to build a minibar for him. When he left the world, he left resting his head on a woman. His lineage continued through a woman; and from his final words were, “I give you counsel that you be good to your women.: So it amazes me how some of us still don’t know the rank of our women.”
I had responded to a previous post by saying:
Me: That message is of such hope. Thank you for it and it is sustaining. Bless you for offering these words to the world. I shall now read it again. Twenty-two people have already liked, hence joined with my message.
There was an reel of enlightenment speaking of the Islamic faith. The need for diversity amongst Muslims the world over. I am not able to place Instagram reels on this blog (technical problems ) but it was inspiring.
I responded. “Thank you for bringing this to us. We may not be uniform but we are united in our faith. Sixty-two people (to date) have joined this message by pushing the like button.
Shaykh Hamza Yusaf spoke of what led him to the Islamic faith. It is most moving. After a near fatal accident, at the age of 17, he discovered found the Book of Certainty written by Dr. Martin Lings. This was rather amazing to see, you shall see why.
Me: I am reading his book on Muhammed at this moment. Powerful. Speak of it on my blog. 39 people liked this and joined my message. Another woman commented directly to me, speaking of the book. “So beautiful. I cried almost the whole way through. Best Sarah version I’ve come across. Your heart swells with love for Nabi (SWT) .
Another reel of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf spoke of the unlikelihood, the strangeness of his coming to the faith as he was born in Washington State, his ancestors were from Greece and Ireland. I too am praising Allah ,and wrote.
Me: I was born in Saskatchewan of Scottish ancestors. I totally agree with you. It is rather a miracle actually. That response got 46 likes and a direct message.
She: You are indeed special, please keep me in your prayers.
This was reel was for me the most heart-rendering and heart-felt reels and response. . You may be able to link this and see the reel https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoZ4NQYOObY/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
The reel of the ability to observe Allah’s (SWT) role, was planning affairs for you, even in the midst of hardships. I received nine likes to this, with a written response from the author cloudyyyy22
I see it now. I became a Muslim at the age of 77 and blessedly realized this in the Women’s Prayer Room of the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. I realized t Allah (SWT) had planned my difficult life in order to have me with Him. I praised Him realizing it had been worth all of the hardships and prayed I would be of service to the All Mighty during the remainder of my life.
Cloudyyyy22:
Barak Allah feeki…Indeed it is a blessing to be a Muslim
Be that as it may, I can also be light hearted and funny on Instagram – in my responses, posts and occasional reels. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” comes to mind, it is a proverb that means without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring.
Wikipedia supplies more details: Though the spirit of the proverb had been expressed previously, the modern saying first appeared in James Howell‘s Proverbs (1659).[ It has often been included in subsequent collections of proverbs and sayings.
Some writers have added a second part to the proverb, as in Harry and Lucy Concluded (1825) by the Irish novelist Maria Edgewort. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,
All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.
Turning that to the situation at hand, one could say:
All seriousness and no jokes makes Alexis a dull read.
All jokes and no seriousness makes her duller indeed.
Appearances on Instagram can also be lighthearted. Just yesterday two photos were featured with the following caption.
Me: This is the best food ever and it is Halal. The Poutine Short Ribs at Brew and Bloom in my Edmonton. Swipe to see the interior. I love ❤️my life how. Who would not?? All praise to Allah (SWT). Met three amazing young women from India. We shall share out faiths speaking of how both subjugate women. Watch out world.🌎 Hahaha.
So I shall throw in some humour. A couple of cartoons I have been saving from the magazine section of The New Yorker, for just such an hour of need. One is of a guy helping with the laundry, the other is illustrates why I could never get married again. He would be saying instead: “Hey honey, are you going to stop blogging any time soon.”
The Instagram photos and cartoons will follow.
