1 . أَخْبَرَنَا ذَاكِرُ بْنُ مَعْرُوفٍ، قَالَ: أَهْدَيْتُ إِلَى الْمَنْصُورِ آلَةً مُحْدَثَةً لِرَاحَتِهِ، فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْهَا وَقَالَ: إِنِّي لَغَنِيٌّ عَنْهَا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنِّي لَأَكْرَهُ كَثِيرًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْآلَاتِ الَّتِي أَحْدَثْتُمُوهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا، قُلْتُ: لِمَ ذَلِكَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ؟ فَقَالَ: لِأَنَّهَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ، وَأَنَّهَا تُؤْتِيكُمُ الرَّاحَةَ وَتَسْلُبُكُمْ شَيْئًا كَثِيرًا.

Translation of the saying:

Zakir ibn Ma‘roof informed us, saying: I gifted Mansoor a modern device for his convenience, but he did not accept it and said: “Indeed, I have no need of it.” Then he said: “Indeed, I dislike many of these devices that you have created in the life of the world.” I said: “Why is that? May I be sacrificed for you.” He said: “Because they are play, amusement, adornment, boasting among yourselves, and the pursuit of ever greater wealth, and they give you comfort but take much away from you.”

2 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ وَعَبْدُ السَّلَامِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْقَيُّومِ جَمِيعًا، قَالَا: كَانَ الْمَنْصُورُ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَمُسَّ نَقْدًا بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّمَا يَسْتَقْذِرُهُ، فَيَقُولُ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: خُذُوهُ، وَكَانَ لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى التِّلْفَازِ إِلَّا مِنْ ضَرُورَةٍ، وَكَانَ لَا يَحْمِلُ مَعَهُ جَوَّالًا، وَكَانَ أَشَدَّ شَيْءٍ كَرَاهَةً عِنْدَهُ الْإِنْتِرْنِتُ، فَقُلْنَا لَهُ: أَحَرَامٌ هِيَ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا، وَلَكِنِّي أَجِدُ مِنْهَا قَسَاوَةً فَأَعَافُهَا.

Translation of the saying:

Abdullah ibn Habib and Abd al-Salam ibn Abd al-Qayyum both informed us, saying: Mansoor disliked touching money with his own hand, as though he considered it impure. So he would say to his companions: “Take it.” And he would not watch television except out of necessity, and he would never carry a mobile phone with him, and the most detested thing to him was the internet. So we said to him: “Are these things unlawful?” He said: “No—but I sense harshness from them, so I keep my distance.”

Explanation of the saying:

From this, it is understood that the use of mobile phones, the internet, radio, television, satellite receivers, and other modern devices has no ruling in and of itself; rather, its ruling follows the ruling of what is seen, heard, or done through them. Nevertheless, it is preferable to restrict the use of these devices to cases of necessity; for their production and promotion today are carried out mostly within the framework of the capitalist system and colonial objectives, and they are among the most significant sources of income for the holders of power and capital, as well as the means to spread their culture and stimulate thinking and action in accordance with their desires and malicious policies. Therefore, His Eminence Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani (may Allah Almighty protect him) disapproves of using such devices for those who are not in pressing need of them, and he himself avoids them as much as possible out of pious caution, without declaring them unlawful as the rigid traditionalists do.