Our Responsibility as Muslimas When Using Social Media
One of the quiet shifts of our time is how normal it has become to publicly display our lives. Our homes, our children, our marriages, our routines, our joys, even our struggles—much of it is now shared with people we do not truly know. This constant exposure is rarely questioned, yet it deserves reflection, especially from an Islamic lens.
Islam never encouraged the broadcasting of one’s life. Modesty, privacy, and restraint are woven deeply into our faith. A believer was never meant to live as a public display, narrating their daily life for an audience. What we are seeing today is not harmless sharing but a cultural habit that often contradicts the quiet dignity Islam teaches.
When life becomes content, it changes the heart. Posting regularly about one’s blessings, routines, children, or personal milestones may feel normal, but it subtly shifts intention. The focus moves from living sincerely to being seen living well. Even when the intention begins pure, repetition dulls awareness, and validation quietly replaces contentment.
Social media also feeds comparison. A single post can stir envy, sadness, or self-doubt in someone who is already struggling. A mother scrolling while exhausted, a woman navigating infertility, a sister dealing with hardship—all are affected differently by what we casually share. Islam teaches us to be mindful not only of our own hearts but also of the hearts of others.
After years of observing social media, one truth is unavoidable: what is shown is rarely the full reality. Smiles hide stress. Order hides chaos. Ease hides exhaustion. Yet hearts compare anyway. Younger and more vulnerable minds are especially impacted, often measuring their worth against carefully curated images.
This is why posting one’s life as a habit should be questioned. Islam does not call us to document our blessings, our struggles, or our private spaces. In fact, many blessings are protected through concealment. Barakah thrives in privacy, and contentment grows when gratitude is quiet and sincere.
Sharing beneficial knowledge, reminders, or wisdom is not the same as sharing one’s life. One builds hearts, while the other often feeds egos, comparison, and unnecessary exposure. Before posting, it is worth asking yourself:
“Is this needed?”
“Is this beneficial?”
“Am I simply narrating my life because it feels ‘normal’ to do so?”
A Better Way Forward
1. Separate benefit from exposure
Ask yourself whether what you are sharing actually serves others or simply displays your life. Knowledge, reminders, reflections, and lessons can be shared without revealing personal details.
2. Choose privacy as a form of worship
Not everything good needs to be shown. Protect your home, your family, and your personal moments from unnecessary visibility. What remains private is often what remains blessed.
3. Check your intention honestly
Before posting, pause and ask who this is truly for. If the heart seeks validation, admiration, or reassurance, it is better to turn inward and reconnect with your Lord rather than outward toward an audience.
4. Limit consumption as much as posting
If scrolling leaves you feeling heavy, envious, or unsettled, step back. Unfollow freely. Take breaks often. Guarding the heart is part of faith.
5. Practice gratitude away from the screen
Shukr does not need witnesses. Some of the most sincere gratitude is never shared and never seen.
6. Remember accountability
Words and images linger. Influence spreads quietly. We will be asked not only about what we posted, but also why we posted it and how it affected others.
Social media does not need more lives on display. It needs more restraint, more wisdom, and more consciousness of Allah SWT. As a rule of thumb, I always tell sisters who seek advice about what to post to consider whether they would feel comfortable if the Prophet SAW saw their feed—that always gives pause.
May we learn to live fully without performing our lives, and may Allah SWT place barakah in what we protect, conceal, and keep between ourselves and Him, ameen.
Salaam, I’m Zakeeya
I believe our homes are meant to be havens of sakina—places where families feel safe, nurtured, and loved. Since 2011, I’ve been dedicated to helping Muslim women find tranquility in their roles, care for themselves with dignity, and achieve inner peace. Drawing on my years of experience as a wife, mother, and mentor, I share tools and guidance to help you face life’s challenges with more gratitude and mindfulness. Here, you’ll find Muslima, wifehood, motherhood, and lifestyle insights to make your journey as a woman more fulfilling, inshallah. Read more about me here.
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