Bandar Seri Begawan, September 16, 2024 – The Europe Today: His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, raised concerns over the rising trend of social media addiction and the spread of unverified information and immoral content, warning that such distractions compromise cognitive health and moral integrity.
In his titah delivered in conjunction with the Maulidur Rasul celebration for 1446 Hijrah/2024, the monarch emphasized the need for robust religious education to combat these challenges, starting from childhood through tertiary levels. He urged parents, guardians, and stakeholders to take a more active role in safeguarding children’s mental health and monitoring their online activities.
“The alarming spread of information and images that contradict Islamic teachings requires us to strengthen our defenses through religious education,” said His Majesty. He expressed concerns over digital platforms promoting ideologies that diverge from Brunei’s policies and Islamic principles based on Ahli Sunnah Wal Jama’ah.
His Majesty further called for increased efforts by government and enforcement agencies to curb deviant teachings, pluralism, extremism, and radicalism, which threaten national peace and stability.
On the occasion of Maulidur Rasul, the Sultan highlighted the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) role in shaping moral values, citing Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 21, which praises the Prophet as an exemplary model for believers. He also emphasized the theme of the celebration, “Preserving the Mind based on Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh),” and stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy mind, noting the dangers of substances such as alcohol and drugs.
In closing, His Majesty called on Muslims to intensify their recitation of selawat in honor of the Prophet, seeking assistance in both worldly affairs and the afterlife.
