- Intention (Niyyah) – Set a Clear Intention:
Make a sincere intention to reduce cellphone use for the sake of Allah (SWT) and for improving your productivity and well-being. Nabi ﷺ has mentioned “Actions are but by intentions, and every man shall have only that which he intended.” (Sahih Bukhari) - Moderation (Wasatiyyah) – Practice Moderation:
Use your phone in moderation and avoid excessive use. Islam encourages balance in all aspects of life. Allah Ta’ala says, “Thus, have We made you a justly balanced community.” (Quran 2:143) - Time Management – Prioritize Your Time:
Allocate specific times for phone use and avoid using it during important activities such as prayers, family time, and work. - Avoid Idle Talk (Laghw) – Minimize Useless Activities:
Avoid engaging in idle talk and useless activities on your phone, such as excessive social media scrolling and gaming.
Allah says, “Successful indeed are the believers, those who offer their prayers with all solemnity and full submissiveness, and those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allah has forbidden).” (Quran 23:1-3)
- Mindfulness (Taqwa) – Be Conscious of Your Actions:
Be mindful of how you use your phone and ensure it aligns with Islamic values and teachings.
Continue to review and monitor your usage and how you highlight which areas you need work on. This could be through daily or weekly review and then devising plans how to tackle the slip ups.
- Gratitude (Shukr) – Show Gratitude:
Be grateful for the technology and use it wisely. Overindulgence can lead to neglect of more important blessings.
One tends to gain contentment and satisfaction when one uses the bounties of Allah in positive and fruitful avenues. This helps in making habitual changes in using these bounties to gain their real purpose, i.e. pleasure of Allah.
- Seek Beneficial Knowledge – Use Technology for Good:
Use your phone to seek beneficial knowledge, such as reading Quran, listening to Islamic lectures, and learning new skills.
This also mean that one should continuously be on the outlook of beneficial apps which will help curb one’s incorrect use, and continue gaining fruitful outcomes of one’s interaction with the technology.
- Set Boundaries – Create Limits:
Establish boundaries for phone usage, such as no phones during meals or in the bedroom to ensure better sleep and family interaction.
There are apps to minimize one’s screen time; monitor one’s weak habits, or to restrict certain activities of the cellphones to give you more control over it.
- Reflection and Self-Assessment – Regularly Reflect:
Reflect on your phone usage and assess whether it is affecting your spiritual and personal growth. Make adjustments as needed.
Sometimes one needs to change the viewing angle to realize the effects of things. While one may not be able to realize the negative effects of phone addiction to one’s time, one might get the realization of deterioration in one’s spiritual growth because of it.
- Engage in Physical Activities – Stay Active:
Engage in physical activities and hobbies that do not involve screens to reduce dependency on your phone and improve overall well-being.
Some Practical Steps to Handle Cellphone Addiction
- Create Phone-Free Zones
Designate specific areas in your home, such as the dining room and bedroom, where phone use is not allowed. This helps reduce dependency and encourages face-to-face interactions. - Set App Limits
Use built-in features or apps that allow you to set daily time limits on social media and other non-essential apps. This helps you monitor and control your screen time effectively. - Turn Off Notifications
Disable non-essential notifications to minimize distractions. This helps you focus better on your tasks and reduces the compulsion to check your phone constantly. - Schedule Regular Breaks
Plan and take regular breaks away from your phone. Engage in activities such as reading, walking, or praying to disconnect and recharge. - Accountability Partner
Share your goal of reducing phone usage with a friend or family member who can help keep you accountable. Regularly check in with them about your progress and challenges. - Take a break from cellphone completely for a short period
One off days turn your phone off, or keep a secondary minimalist phone for the entire day while taking assistance of some friends or family to go for an outing where coverage may not be there.
A casual drive in the mountains, or camping may help sever the connection you have with constant need for dopamine from social media and internet connectivity.
Just as any other addiction, cellphone addition is also real and has negative effects. Recognize, realize and chalk out a plan to tackle it. If the plan fails, find another plan.
Remember that pleasure of Allah is not always in the results, rather in the exertion and effort done to gain those results.
May Allah assist you in gaining control over your addiction and bringing your life back on track into servitude and pleasure of Allah. Ameen
Wallahu A’lam
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi
Shaykh Mufti Faisal bin Abdul Hamid al Mahmudi was born in Pakistan. In his teenage years he travelled to Canada for higher education in Accounting and Finance. He did his Bachelors and Masters from University of Regina, Canada. Thereafter he chose to move to South Africa to pursue islamic studies in traditional seminary. He studied under the tutelage of auspicious ulama at Madrasah Ina'amiyyah, Camperdown, South Africa (www.alinaam.co.za).