In today's digital era, various categories of content can be accessed easily through our social media. Almost every day we find something that is hot, popular, viral, trending, whatever the term.
Not infrequently a content that ends up going viral is content that contains goodness, has benefits so that we can learn from it. However, there are also many contents that provide bad examples and are contrary to the teachings of Islam.
One of the contents that suddenly hit this country is prank video content! Almost all people, from ordinary people to country celebrities, are busy making prank video content on their social media channels. Everything is uniform, replica. Talkative culture is still the main commodity for public consumption in this country, apart from drama and sensation.
Literally, prank has a meaning as a joke, joke, joke. All of these things are actually not a problem in Islam, as long as they stay within the corridors of the Shari'a, tell the truth (don't lie), pay attention to etiquette, and don't hurt other people.
But let's look at how the prank content that is currently trending? Almost all of them are filled with a scary style at first, then give a surprise that seems happy or fun at the end of the story.
Do they know that what they did was not a good thing, even though they said "it was just a joke, with a good and entertaining purpose"?
Making other people afraid even though the intention is just a joke is included in the category of sin. Once among the companions who were walking with the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, there was someone among them who fell asleep. Then some of them went to the rope owned by the sleeping person and took it. When awakened, the person who has the rope becomes worried (fearful) and thinks about the rope. Then the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said,
لاَ يَحِلُّ لِمُسْلِمٍ أَنْ يُرَوِّعَ مُسْلِمًا
"It is not lawful for a Muslim to scare other Muslims." (Narrated by Abu Daud no. 5004 and Ahmad 5:362)
Look, even this prank has happened thousands of years ago and was not liked by the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.
So how do we think of ourselves as followers of him, but we like things that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam really dislikes?
Once again through another authentic hadith, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam has also confirmed this matter in his saying,
لاَ يَأْخُذَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ مَتَاعَ أَخِيهِ لاَعِبًا وَلاَ جَادًّا
"No one of you may take his brother's belongings, either jokingly or seriously." (Narrated by Abu Daud no. 5003 and Tirmidhi no. 2160).
This is the beginning of why pranks are an unwelcome thing in Islam. This has even happened in the time of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam and then the Prophet forbade it to be done by his people until the end of time.
Remember that obeying the Prophet is the same as obeying Allah 'azza wa jalla. As Allah says,
مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ
"Whoever obeys the Messenger, indeed he has obeyed Allah". (An-Nisaa: 80)
Islam is simple my brother. Fear Allah with true piety, and ask Him to always be guided on the truth and try your best to stay away from all His prohibitions.
Barakallah fiikum.
Sunnah.
