[Khutbah – The Reflection of Friday] Muslim Influencers: Experts or Detractors?

Praise be to Allah (swt) and salutations to Prophet Muhammad (saw).

"O you who have believed! Why do you say what you do not do? It is a great abomination in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do." Surah As-Saff (61), verses 1-2

In a previous khutbah addressing the normalization of lies, we discussed the harmful role that this new category of liars—Muslim influencers—can play in shaping our perceptions of events. In recent decades, we have seen Muslim influencers on digital platforms claiming to have all the answers about Islam and Muslims. While some Muslim influencers have significantly informed us about the genocide in Gaza or the situation in Palestine, we must remain critical thinkers when it comes to granting them credibility regarding the message of Islam.

It is essential to emphasize that influencers can never replace knowledgeable Muslim scholars, those who dedicate their lives to studying and explaining authentic texts. With the current trend among young people to read less and consume social media video clips, opinion leaders, da’ees, Imams, and other khateebs who have the power to influence should prepare themselves to warn their communities about the dangers of blindly following messages from Muslim influencers.

In the field of da’wah, these self-proclaimed experts can create thousands of pieces of content to attract millions of followers—an euphemism for blind followers—spreading topics they know little about. Their primary goal is to collect as many "likes" as possible.

"O you who have believed! If there comes to you a disobedient one with a report, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, upon reflection, regretful for what you have done." Surah Al-Hujurat (49), verse 6

The Controversy: Their Preferred Field

To increase and retain their followers, influencers often stir controversy, focusing on topics they do not understand, such as hijab or feminism. They are incorrigible, repeating their mistakes later to attract a larger audience and then apologizing.

To remain relevant, Muslim influencers must constantly maintain their image and incite controversy to capture the attention of online communities eager for sensationalist content.

Part of this proliferation of Muslim content online comes from proselytization efforts disguised as da’wah, as well as product marketing that capitalizes on closeness to Islam or Muslim identity.

It is necessary to dissociate and protect the prophetic concept of da’wah from influencer culture.

The Distortion of the Concept of Ummah

The scene of Muslim influencers distorts our conception of community, as it requires divisions to maintain relevance. It is easier, and perhaps more controversial (more attention-grabbing), to criticize the length of a sister’s eyelashes or call for a reinterpretation of religion based on individual desires than to discuss an activist whose body self-destructs in an attempt to preserve Palestinian life. These influencers can also contribute to criminalizing resistance movements solely for the sake of popularity.

Should We Give a Platform to Individuals Based on Their Number of Followers?

This logic has become a true scourge for the organization of our communities. It critically accepts that if people have a broad audience, they should be highlighted to attract a larger public, even if their personality, content, and behavior are harmful. These same individuals then present themselves as advocates of a fast-paced lifestyle, offering exorbitantly priced courses for everyone to benefit from their so-called seven-figure fortune. One must pay to join their halal luxury lifestyle—essentially, a scam.

Another danger lies in these influencers encroaching on the field of halal investment. They may influence us to invest in Muslim financial companies to achieve halal revenues. Little do they know that some of these companies claiming to be "shari’ah compliant," which do not engage in the sale of alcohol or gambling, may invest in companies like Allianz and thus finance genocide. For these influencers, the manufacturing of weapons or the displacement of millions of Muslims is not considered reprehensible acts condemned by Shari’ah. Anyone with common sense can detect the conflict of interest.

Finally, influencers ensure they maintain their market and avoid contentious subjects for fear of seeing their platforms boycotted. Raising awareness about Gaza or resistance movements would impact their algorithms and their freedom to travel.

Social media has undoubtedly played a crucial role in democratizing media coverage of Gaza by traditional media, and Muslim influencers have contributed significantly. They often highlight various charities to which donations can be made, even personally getting involved. They have thus helped keep the discourse of support for the Palestinian people alive, but their freedom of expression is often limited.

Online Da’wah: A Numbers Game

It is important to remember that da’wah is the mission of the prophets. This was a mission undertaken with patience and perseverance. The messengers focused on two aspects: conveying the message of tawheed (monotheism) and simultaneously correcting societal ills. Allah (swt) invites us to do so regardless of the outcomes. However, online da’wah has become a numbers game, where the size of a subscription proves the importance of the message, contrary to the messengers of Allah (swt) who did not concern themselves with the number of adherents. Let us not fall victim to the trap of attention economy.

It is incumbent upon sincere Muslims to convince themselves that there exists another world beyond that of influencers. The world of true struggle, activism, resistance, and sacrifice for the Cause of Allah (swt) is real and remains our priority and duty.

What about journalists operating in the heat of action, young people languishing in prisons for the crime of denouncing genocide and war criminals, or standing up against the oppressive policies of their countries: these are the true heroes, but they receive very little attention.

Let us know that these people hate us. These platforms are not ours. They are tools of Big Tech for their interests and are based on algorithms over which we have no control. They are there to promote hatred in the guise of quietist diplomacy and use their narrative to promote Zionism.

"Indeed, hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater. Indeed, We have made clear to you the Ayats. If only you could reason." Surah Al-i Imran (3), verse 118

It is our duty to fight these traps of modernism and these online miscreants.

May Allah (swt) help and guide us.

Mosadeq Sahebdin