Following the Crowd
It is an extremely depressing matter that in today’s times many Muslim Brothers and Sisters have established a very disturbing and un-Islamic custom in their lifestyles.
This custom is: Following the Fashion
Yes, they tend to follow the ongoing fashions.
What is ‘fashion’?
Fashion is to do what most people do. It is a distinctive and often habitual trend to imitate others in the ways they dress up, the jewellery and other decorative items they put on, the make-ups they apply, the manners in which they behave with other people, the ways in which they walk, the styles in which they talk, the language they use, etc.
Many Muslims, with their families, go and settle in other countries and they follow the cultures, the styles and the fashions of the people living in these countries. They do what these people are doing.
They are actually following the saying: ‘In Rome do as the Romans do.’
In short, we can say that today’s Muslims are actually following the crowd!
Many Muslim youths actually feel proud to follow the crowd!
They do not understand that the modern fashion has stood as a challenge to them because most of the fashions and cultures of a large number of the countries of the world do not support Islamic teachings, practices and beliefs at all.
We can term them as totally un-Islamic!
In spite of this fact many Muslim youth are still developing the tendency to follow these fashions. Some of the fashions adopted by Muslim youths of today are:
- Many boys and even men are now in the habit of putting on shorts that expose their knees, and at times, even their thighs. In our Shariyah the thighs and also knees are parts of our ‘awrah’ (theintimate parts [satr] of the human body) and we are not allowed to expose them.
- When many of the young men and women, boys and girls go to the swimming pools or to the beaches to swim they put on various types of swimming costumes and at times many girls even wear bikinis which expose their intimate and private parts (Awrah).
- Some have also developed the custom of shaving / trimming their beards which is against the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam.
- Quite a few Muslim women, when leaving their homes without a veil, abaya or a hijab, apply make-ups, perfumes and also keep their hair exposed.
- Then there are some Muslim women who have the practice of putting on sarees, which is a part of Hindu culture.
- There are many Muslim girls and boys who befriend members of the opposite sex. We Muslims should be fully aware that it is haram for a man to have a girlfriend and it is haram for a woman to have a boyfriend!
(source: https://islamqa.info/en/answers/1114/is-it-haram-to-have-a-girlfriend-or-a-boyfriend).
This practice has increased tremendously after the advent of social media in smartphones.
- A trend has also caught up with many Muslim men and women to attend mixed gatherings. This is prohibited in Islam.
- There are some Muslim families who, during the Nikahs of their children, have un-Islamic gatherings and functions where music is played, videos are taken, and also dances take place.
- Then there are quite a few Muslim men and women who celebrate non-Muslim and Kuffar festivals like New Year, Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi, etc. It is absolutely wrong for Muslims to do so.
- The Topi has taken-off from the heads of many Muslim men today. They enter the Masjid bareheaded and even offer the Salah bareheaded! Did our Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam always offered Salah bareheaded? The answer is: OF COURSE NOT! The Topi is actually the Crown of a Mumin!
- Many Muslims do not follow the Sunnah of entering / leaving homes, going to bed, eating food, going to the washrooms, etc.
Our Perfect Role Model
For the Muslims, Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) is the perfect role Model. He has shown us ways in the light of which we can lead our lives in the manner that would please Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
Our Prophet was the walking Qur’an, therefore, any action which He undertook in His life would be the reflection of the Glorious Qur’an, and hence those Muslims who wish to grow closer to Allah Ta’ala should try to follow the Sunnah of our beloved Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam with profound love and sincerity.
When we have been presented with such superior bounties, then why are we disgracing and degrading ourselves by following the habits / cultures / fashions / sayings the Kuffar are following?
Just think for a while how much time, energy, health and wealth are used to get involved in such activities and to purchase things required. Isn’t it much better to use them in activities that would please our Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala?
It is very depressing to note that instead of the Muslim youths becoming the role models for the non-Muslim youths, the non-Muslim youths are becoming the role-models for Muslim youths.
Some even go to the extent of considering the Sunnah of our Beloved Nabi Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam as old-fashioned and outdated, nauzubillah. They actually forget that the Radiance and the Fragrance that the Sunnahs of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam have, nothing else in this world can have!
We should always remember:
By adopting the fashions and the customs of the non-Muslim and the Kuffar,
From the Mubarak Deen of Allah, we are actually going away very far!
…and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best!
By: Haqqseeker