Analysing The Islamic Concept Of Mass Communication Religion Essay

Abstraction

Today is the age of communicating, where effectual communicating can play a critical function in act uponing the public sentiment. This paper attempts to show the Islamic Model of Communication, which states that the communicating should be for the improvement of the society and to promote good workss. It forbids its followings to utilize communicating for negative intents. The paper concludes that the Islamic Model of Mass Communications can play an of import function in set uping peace and harmoniousness in the society.

Keywords: Communication, Mass Communication, Islam, Quran

Adversely trapped in the confederacies of anti-Islamic powers, the Muslim Umma is soon facing batch of problems and jobs. From political and societal jobs to fiscal and economic issues and from scientific and proficient instruction to defence schemes, we are depending upon western states. In these fortunes, where this is the clip for the Muslim intellectuals to believe, there is an utmost demand to invent some new waies and ways, following which, the Muslims might win in acquiring their lost prestigiousness and the dreams of the poet-philosopher of the East ‘Allama Iqbal ‘ for the Renaissance of Islam might come true.

Today, if we have a sight over our locality and justice the grounds of the debasement of Umma, we see that the western universe has flourished due to the conquering of nature, that is, cognition and research and Muslims have lost their past glorification and prestigiousness due to draging involvement in cognition. The confederacies of enemies and careless attitude of our ain leaders are besides the causes of failure of the Umma.

Today is the epoch of communicating, which is the lifeblood of any organisation or establishment. Western states are claiming to keep the full universe in their house grip merely due to the effectual communicating backed by effectual war-technology. To confute the truth and vice-versa is in their custodies. All the major resources of mass communicating are occupied by western states and they do non lose even a individual opportunity of mortifying Islam and its followings.

The major broadcast medium institutes of the universe like BBC and CNN are occupied by Jews. On the other manus, international intelligence bureaus like AP, AFP and Reuters are besides under the control of anti-Islamic powers. Furthermore, the newspapers, wireless Stationss and telecasting channels of the universe are publishing and airing intelligence released by these bureaus once more and once more. The mass media of the Muslim states are wholly dependent on these international intelligence bureaus.

In these fortunes, it is the clip to believe that the Muslims of the universe should do advancement in mass communicating engineerings and alternatively of going portion of these confederacies of enemies ; we should contradict them through strong statements.

What is Communication?

The word communicating is derived from the Latin word ‘commun ‘ , which means to portion something. When this communicating is directed towards general populace, this is called as ‘Mass Communication ‘ .

Different intellectuals have defined ‘communication ‘ in different ways. Some have defined it as to make common understanding while others have declared communicating as a manner to understand one another ‘s feelings. George A Miller in his book ‘Language and Communication ‘ has defined communicating as “ Communication means to reassign information or message from one topographic point to another ” .

In Urdu lexicon, the word communicating has been defined as to convey or circulate the message. But in Islamic society, the word ‘Communication ‘ is linked with fidelity, cleanliness of bosom and head, honor and prestigiousness. Welfare for all and prophesying for the religion in Allah are constitutional constructs in the Islamic construct of Communication. In Islam communicating requires truthfulness & A ; veracity as good. We should ne’er indulge in cheating and lead oning others thro ‘ false communicating. Nor should we lose trust in the procedure of communicating.

In the visible radiation of Quran and Hadith, the duty of prophesying and communicating has been assigned to Prophetss. However, after the terminal of prophet-hood, this mission has been assigned to every person of the Umma and now it is the duty of the Muslims to contend against evil and preach for virtuousnesss through effectual communicating. Of class, it is expected that our actions would talk louder than words & A ; there is no spread between our profession & A ; our pattern.

Theories of Mass Communication

The issue of the freedom of look has remained of import in all the epoch, due to which, different theories of mass communicating evolved in different ages.

In fifteenth century, when the print news media took its start, there was an epoch of emperorship and absolutism all around the universe, go forthing the news media being nursed and nourished up in the lap of emperorship. So, it was supposed that whatever the newspapers would print should be in congratulations of emperors. This theory was named as ‘Authoritarian Theory of Communication ‘ . Plato is said to be the laminitis of this construct, while Machiavelli and Hegel were his followings. Harmonizing to this construct, some people are by-birth superior to others and, hence, they have right to govern others. In this theory, all the communicating media are disallowed to disrupt the province personal businesss. To beef up the Authoritarian theory, the British Emperor Stewart and Gallic Emperor Todor remained its precursors. As this theory was backed by the Pope, it besides made popism the right manus of the autocratic swayers. Under this theory, the societal freedom was wholly suppressed. Even in present age, where, there is emperorship, there is the same manner of mass communicating. This phenomenon can be seen in the states like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Libya.

Second theory of Communication is ‘Libertarian Concept of Communication ‘ , which grew as a reaction to the autocratic construct. This theory emerged as a doctrine in seventeenth century and became popular throughout the Europe. This theory was based on the philosophy of philosopher John Locke Rousseau & A ; others that the existent powers of the province remainder with the people and every individual has right to make up one’s mind that what is right and what is incorrect. Initially, America and Britain opted for this theory and subsequently on, other states besides followed them.

Soon the lurid effects of the absolute freedom resulted from the Libertarian Theory got outstanding. The eternal freedom of the mass communicating wholly disturbed the personal lives of the people and many secrets of the authoritiess were captured by communicating media. This limitless freedom gave birth to many jobs, due to which this theory lost its prestigiousness amongst the people.

After failure of the Libertarian theory, the ‘Social Responsibility Theory ‘ took birth. Harmonizing to this theory, many duties rest with the Communication Media. This theory believes that the imperativeness should be representative of the norms and values of the society and it should ne’er acquire off from the truth. The theory gives right to the communicating media to knock authorities sections and functionaries with solid cogent evidence.

Fourth theory of communicating is the ‘Communist Concept of Communication ‘ , which originated in 1842. Karl Marx was the laminitis of this construct, which was later on brought up by Lenin. Lenin upheld this construct from 1870 to 1924. This theory had two intents at that clip. First to acquire rid of capitalist economy and 2nd to extinguish category system from society. The laminitiss of this theory believed that it was necessary for societal justness to unclutter the society from capitalists. In communist system, all the communicating media are necessary portion of the province, hence, newspapers were declared national belongings in Soviet Union. This theory stresses on media to back up the authorities policies. Soviet newspapers largely carried intelligence of communist party and no newspaper was allowed to publish even a individual line against the authorities. However, with the terminal of the Soviet Union, the theory besides came to its terminal.

Islamic Concept of Communication

Islam is the last resort of justness and peace for the humanity. Islam is non the adult male made system but is revealed by God, who is the Creator of the whole existence. Man made systems could give nil but a batch many jobs to the humanity. But the system of Allah Almighty is the beginning of peace and public assistance for the full humanity.

In Islam, the basic intent of communicating media is to distribute public assistance and to stop struggles. It is the duty of communicating media to give right information to people and to prophesy the true message of Islam. Islam gives complete freedom of look on the status to utilize this chance to distribute peace and public assistance alternatively of coarseness and infidelity. Islamic construct of the freedom of look is wholly different from the western construct. Islam is the faith of fidelity and promotes peace, kindness and compassion in society, while western construct is booster of coarseness and indecency. Islam gives high prestigiousness and honor to adult females but western media nowadayss adult female as a salable trade good of the market.

Freedom of look to advance good workss and public assistance is non merely a right but is due on every member of the Muslim society. Denying the right to people is against the Torahs of Allah. Similarly, to forestall people from incorrect behaviors and coarseness is besides due on every person of Umma.

Mass Communication in the Light of Quran

Quran stresses on the freedom of look and mass communicating. In present scenario, many communicating media print and broadcast intelligence without confirmation and many intelligence even do non hold any base at all. Printing of sham and groundless intelligence has become a common pattern for the media. Quran purely prohibits this attitude. Allah Almighty says in Koran:

“ O, you who believe, if a wicked individual comes to you with any intelligence, ascertain the truth, lest you harm people unwillingly and afterwards become full of penitence for what you have done ” ( Al-Hujrat: 6 )

Islam is non against interfaith duologue and argument but recommends that this treatment should be conducted in a nice mode and through statements.

“ And do n’t challenge with the people of the Book, except with better agencies ( than mere debate ) ” ( Al-AnKbut: 46 )

Islamic construct of communicating besides says that there should be some people, who must stay busy in distributing the cosmopolitan construct of Islam throughout the universe. Allah says:

“ Let there originate a set of people ask foring to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and prohibiting what is incorrect ” ( Aal-i-Imran: 104 )

In the same Surah, Quran asserts:

“ You are the best people, evolved for world, enjoining what is right, prohibiting what is incorrect, and believing in Allah ” ( Aal-i-Imran: 110 )

Supporting right workss and eliminating evil workss is the footing of Islamic construct of communicating, which means that it is the duty of communicating media to prophesy good workss and to fight for the remotion of immorality from the society. Allah has said in Surat Al Hajj:

“ ( They are ) those who, if we set up them in the land, set up regular supplication and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid incorrect ” ( Al Hajj: 41 )

Those who do non believe in the truthfulness and earnestness of the Islamic construct of communicating and advance misconceptions about Islam have been mentioned in Quran as:

“ The dissemblers, work forces and adult females, ( have an apprehension ) with each other. They enjoin evil, and prohibit what is merely ” ( Surat Toba: 67 )

Harmonizing to Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, to order for good workss and forbade from evil behaviors is really necessary in the universe. Now, if any organic structure does non order for right workss and does non prohibit from incorrect workss as per order of Allah Almighty, so such individual will be disobeying Allah and His Prophet ( S.A.W ) .

In today ‘s developed universe, there is a loud voice everyplace for freedom of look but Islam is the first faith, which has accepted this right. History has witnessed that in different state of affairss, the Holy Prophet ( S.A.W ) used to discourse the affairs with his close 1s ( Sahabas ) and even accepted their suggestions in many instances and preferred their recommendations to his ain determinations.

After the sad death of the Holy Prophet ( S.A.W ) , the Khulfa-i-Rashideen besides continued the pattern of freedom of look and they were even accountable before a common adult male. After taking over as Caliph of Muslims, Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique ( R.A ) said to people “ Oh world, obey Allah Almighty and assist me in execution of orders for good workss. You are non supposed to help me if perchance I depart from the Quran & A ; the Sunnah of the Prophet.

The information or intelligence of a journalist is really a informant, whose hiding from public is a wickedness. Allah says:

“ And do non hide grounds ; for whoever conceals it, his bosom is tainted with wickedness. And Allah knows all that you do. ” ( Al-Bakra: 283 )

Allah has further said:

“ And cover non Truth with falsity, nor conceal the Truth, when you know ( what it is ) ” ( Al Bakra: 42 )

Another of import facet of the Islamic construct of communicating is that wisdom and saneness have particular importance in communicating. Allah says:

“ And invite towards your Rab ( Allah ) in a nice manner and when you debate, do it in a good mode. ”

Harmonizing to the Islamic construct of communicating, freedom of look has been given for sermon of the instructions of Islam and non for distributing evil, struggles, terrorist act and coarseness. To maintain the communicating in conformity with the moralss and decency, Islam has imposed certain limitations, which are summarized as below:

Islam has secured the private lives of Muslims. Cipher including communicating media and authorities has a right to step in in the personal lives of the people.

Particular attention has been recommended in affairs associating to adult females. Now-a-days, the dirts of adult females have become a common pattern in media, which is against the instructions of Islam.

Respect for humanity is the footing of Islamic society and Islamic construct of life. It is the duty of media to abstain from humiliation of humanity. Quran has besides forbidden utilizing bad names for each other.

To avoid backbiting and misperception is the responsibility of every Muslim. Media should besides obey this order and anybody, organisation or establishment should non be accused without any solid cogent evidence.

Islamic construct of communicating does non let publication or broadcast medium of intelligence without any research or cogent evidence to make suspense. Quranic instructions besides forbid from hyperbole.

The major responsibility of communicating media in Islam is to enjoin good and forbid immorality.

Islam does non let its followings to indulge in spiritual extremism and same should be true of communicating media. Quran has even forbidden Moslems from utilizing bad names for graven images of non-Muslims.

Decent conversation is really of import in Islamic construct of communicating. Islam alternatively of hatred gives the message of love and brotherhood. Media should be really responsible and nice in intelligence coverage, columns, essays, analysis and columns and should be ethical and moderate in traffics.

It is the responsibility of communicating media to avoid coarseness and indecency. Islam has blessed adult female with great regard and prestigiousness. It is the great quandary of today ‘s universe that all media is in race of distributing coarseness and indecency. Islamic construct of communicating is against this pattern.

Decision

Today ‘s universe is the universe of communicating and there is no option but to concentrate on this facet. One of the biggest grounds of isolation of Umma is its retardation in communicating and media. It is the responsibility of Muslim states to pay particular attending to level the evil dreams of non-Muslim powers. The false propaganda of anti-Islamic establishments like BBC and CNN should be replied with due bravery. We should follow such a scheme that may assist us to contradict the label of terrorist act on Islam and to advance the existent Islamic instructions of peace and public assistance for all. If the swayers of Islamic states, make conjunct attempts for the Renaissance of Umma, so a really large positive alteration could be brought approximately in the universe through mass communicating. It is non possible to remain off from mass communicating in this universe scenario because it is the biggest beginning of alteration in society. It is besides the duty of Muslim media to follow Islamic construct of communicating and portray the existent image of Islam before the universe.