What Is the Best Way to Deal with Cyberbullying?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
What is the best way for a woman to deal with hate & bullies online? And people who pretend to be Muslim? Should she get rid of her social media?
Answer
Thank you for your question. I am sorry that you are dealing with online bullying, and I pray that you find a way to completely disconnect from people who are not your friends and bring benefit to your life.
Bullying
Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?’ The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘By preventing him from oppressing others.’” [Bukhari]
And he said, (Allah bless him and give him peace), “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” [Ibn Maja]
Please look at these excellent tips on how to deal with cyberbullying, compiled by Unicef with the help of UNICEF specialists, international cyberbullying and child protection experts:
Cyberbullying: What is it and how to stop it
Tips
Other than the tips mentioned in the links, I recommend that you surround yourself with believers who benefit you, are empathetic and are role models.
I recommend that you gently discard any friends who don’t benefit you, harm you, and don’t bring out the best in you.
Stay on Allah’s straight path with constant supplication, especially during ausipicous times, the Prayer of Need, and, of course, by praying on time daily with some Quranic recitation.
Give charity regularly, even a little, for the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) informed us that it stands in the way of calamity.
Seek closeness to Allah Most High; He will be your most excellent Defender and Protector.
Make a daily invocation of this formula of dhikr:
حَسْبُـنا اللهُ وَنِعْـمَ الوَكـيل
Allah is sufficient for us and the best of those on whom to depend. [Bukhari]
Please see these links as well:
Is Lying Permissible to Escape Unpleasant Situations Like Bullying?
The Chosen Times Of Du’a – Adab Of Du’a 23
As You Step Into the World, My Child–A Mother’s Advice about Entering High School
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied Aqidah, Fiqh, Tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied Fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
