The advances in communication technology over the past half century have ushered in a world in which the news media are playing a dominant role. With vivid alacrity they tell us what is happening in places near and far. In the past, sometimes a war continued for months after the generals had negotiated a settlement simply because the news had not reached their troops. Today the media have acquired the capacity to bring the world to our doorstep instantaneously, with sounds, pictures and narratives.

With all this speed and efficiency they also offer great entertainment. There is never a dull moment on the machine. Round the clock there is a story to be told and there is a compelling storyteller. It is slick, seductive and even entertaining. It is therefore, hardly surprising that the media has come to occupy a central place in our daily lives. They define what is important and what is not important, what is good and what is bad. They shape our ideas, our thoughts as well as our view of the world. We have become so captivated by all this razzle-dazzle that we forgot to ask the basic question: "What should our relationship be with the media?"

The first thing to note is that the machine that is always engaging our eyes, our ears, and our minds, is not of our own making. We did not design it, neither are we running it. It talks to us and about us, but it has its own agenda. It claims to be knowledgeable, objective and honest, but suffers from its own brand of malice and prejudice. It turns molehill into a mountain when it suits them yet it chooses to ignore some monumental issues when it would serve their purpose.

Unfortunately, for all practical purposes, it has become our main source of knowledge not only about the world but also about us. It follows then, that the first priority of the ummah in this regard has to be to develop our own news media that would be free from corruption. Islamic media with their own eyes, ears, and mind that would set the discourse, instead of perpetually reacting to someone else’s prompts. Media that would tell the truth instead of unraveling someone else’s lies.

Until that happens, the rest of us will have to live with the current media machine. We cannot shut it off, but we cannot continue the business as usual either. For this interim period we do need to become wise - not just intelligent but wise-consumers of the media.

Islam does provide guidance to us in this area, as in all other areas of life. And we can certainly follow it to our own good. Here are three essential Quranic teachings in this regard.

"O you who believe! If a liar (fasiq) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you smite some people in ignorance and afterwards repent of what you did" (Q Al-hujurat 49:6). This warns us against becoming passive consumers of the news from any unreliable and unverified sources.

What about the "prestigious international news organizations?" Are we to disregard every report we receive from them? No, not really. We should, however, engage our critical faculty to discriminate and recognize when reports have been planted with the objective of creating mischief.

It is well known that the even so called "prestigious" news organizations, despite their claims, do get involved in putting out their stories that are nothing but propaganda. Every day there are cases of deliberate omissions, slanting, distortion of the truth and even resorting to outright lies when it comes to reporting.

It would not be unreasonable to assume that these are unreliable resources for reports about the Muslim world. It follows then, that our widespread practice of faithfully reproducing these reports and of reacting to them on the assumption that they are true, is wrong and in violation of this command.

It is sobering that so many of us, who are supposed to be in the know, swallow these lies without pause or hesitation. However, we can avoid being taken for a ride and making a fool out of ourselves, if we keep in view the common sense rules laid down in Islam.

The Quran says: "And pursue not that of which you have no knowledge, for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of feelings in the heart will be enquired into on the day of reckoning" Al-Isra,17-36. Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Usmani says in his commentary: "Do not say or act on something without ascertaining the truth behind it. This includes bearing false witness, leveling false allegations, and developing hatred and malice against someone based on unverified reports". It is also a strong reminder that we must protect our ears, eyes and thoughts from the obscenities that have become an integral part of the modern media.

Many us get un-nerved when the propaganda machine goes on attack. While it is our job to respond to the allegations and portray the correct image, nevertheless it is not right to panic and start appeasing to "correct the image". We must not be intimidated by false propaganda, no matter how ferocious. The Quran mentions it as a quality of the believers who love Allah and are loved by him that they strive in his path "fearing not the blame of any blamer". It assures us that the propaganda will continue as part of our test. "You shall certainly be tried and tested in respect of your possessions and lives, and you will certainly hear many hurtful things from those who are granted the book before you and those who have associated others will Allah in his divinity. If you remain patient and guard against evil, this indeed is a matter of great resolution." (Q Al-Imran, 3-186.)