Using mobile phones instead of Books

Question ID: 
2059
man***@man.com asks:

Question

Assalamoualaikoum Mufti Sahebaan
We have noted that the books have been replaced by a mobile phone in Jummah Khutba.
I am not against it but taking into consideration that our elders used to write books with their Mubarak hands, in Dar ul Uloom, we are still using books and writing down notes, for Kiraat, our Quran is full of notes. Our Dar Ul Ulooms are still using old methods to teach while they could have switched to electronic devices. Would not it be better that our ulemas used the books of khutbah or read it by heart.. this would have a better assraat on the public...
The old persons in the masjids are not a 'laise' with that...
Do you think our Ulemas like Mawlana Asraf Ali Thanvi (RA) or Mawlana Abdul Rashid Gangoho (RA) or others of their level would have accepted or tolerated the use of a mobile device for khutba...
Note that am not against the use of these devices.... but I personally see it much nicer to hold a kitaab instead of an Electronic Device mainly for Khutba which is part of a very important ibadaat..
Jazakallah

Answer

Walaikum salaam warahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Respected brother,

We understand your concern with regards to using mobile phones instead of the books. Even though you put forward some valid reasonings, we should also take into consideration how the society is evolving as well as how everything is being digitalized nowadays. Every time something new was introduced, we did find that there was always some people who were unaccustomed to it and found it to be very odd in the beginning. But, as time passed, they also got used to it. We can give the example of clocks, loudspeakers, Microphone etc. Even our Islmic books nowadays are being changed from hand written manuscripts to computer print.

However, we do acknowledge the blessings that existed in the ways of doing of our pious predecessors. If one can still abide to these ways, then that should be given preference.

And Allah knows best

Answered by:
(Mf) Bilal
For the Jamiatul Ulama of Mauritius