Group Chat : Avoiding Major Sins Today

Technology is neutral in value, if it is used for good, it becomes a means to get reward, and vice versa, it can turn into a means of committing sin if it is used for evil.

Technologies that have emerged in recent years, for example, WA groups, Telegram, etc. they can be an effective tool for team work, but also a very easy tool to commit major sins without the perpetrator knowing. What are some examples of major sins?

Three major sins that appear very easily in group chats without us realizing it are jidal, backbiting(ghibah) and slander(fitnah). Jidal tends to occur in heterogeneous group chats where different people in it tend to disagree about something that is being discussed. Jidal is an attitude, conversation and action that leads to debate, dispute and enmity, which is accompanied by a lust of anger, even though it is on the grounds of fighting for the truth and defending rights.

While backbiting generally occurs in homogeneous groups, they agree in the group about something but talk about other parties or people outside the group. Backbiting is gossiping or talking about the disgrace of our brother without his knowledge, even though the disgrace being discussed is true. If the disgrace that is being discussed is not true, it will fall into another major sin, namely slander.

So how can we avoid the major sins mentioned above so that they don’t slide from our fingers?

First, create or join a group chat with clear goals for goodness, for office work, team work, charity projects, etc.

Second, remind if there are group members who get off track from the purpose of the group being created. Generally most groups are created for good, so defend this goal with all efforts you might have.

Third, if the purpose of creating the group is not obeyed by the participants, the initiator or group administrator must be able to control it starting from reprimands, blocking up to stopping the group chat if it is like an out of control pandemic.

Differing opinion is natural, but it should not be accompanied by anger. Unity of heart is commendable, but don’t use it to gossip about your own brother/sister. God willing, we can be free from the major sins of today.