Saudi Gazette report MAKKAH/MADINAH — The Ummah is passing through difficult times and it is for all Muslims to stay away from sedition and all those elements who incite hatred and propagate devilish ideas to confuse them, imam of the Grand Mosque said in his Friday sermon. Sheikh Salih Al-Talib warned the Muslims to guard against those spreading malicious propaganda on social networks and other media tools. Most of the stories appearing in media these days do not contain a shred of truth, but are mostly based on hearsay, gossip and rumor, he said. It is always better to verify any such report before jumping to conclusions or passing it on to others, he said. Muslims should always seek advice from scholars on contentious issues, he added. “In times of sedition, we see people who defame Muslims and try to confuse believers by distorting facts about the true meaning of Islam. One should be fair when giving an opinion on a certain issue,” Sheikh Al-Talib said. When seditions spread and murky times set in and the entire Ummah goes through difficult times and it becomes tough for the believers to sift right from wrong. When doubt is created in the mind, recourse to Almighty Allah is best, he said. These days, he said, some Muslim countries are experiencing political turmoil. As no one knows the true intention of those who write and spread canard on the social media, some Muslims might go astray and resort to cause commotion based on false reports, he warned. He called upon Muslims to be patient and cling to their religion and never give up hope because only the pious people are destined to win at the end of the day. He warned Muslims against fabricating news and spreading it on social media websites. In Madinah, Sheikh Salah Al-Budair, Prophet's Mosque's imam, urged Muslims to be pious and keep away from sins and seek repentance from Allah. The worldy life is short; therefore, a Muslim should not engage in trivial things and should make the best of his time in obeying the commands of Allah and following the path shown by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Sheikh Al-Budair said.
