The misled and misleading: Some reflections on the "guides" in today's world

 Introduction

There are a number of statements of the Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), as reported in the hadeeth literature, that speak on the dangers posed by corrupt leaders in the latter times (Akhir uz zamaan). While it is true that a number of them are clearly (when studied contextually) making reference to political or secular figures, there are others which illustrate that the religious scholars are the objects of discussion!

Thus, while the below may indeed have application to the secular figures, our primary focus is the religious leadership, which are usually self-appointed, delusional and prone to dangerous, harmful activities. Tradition ascribes the twin attributes of "misled, misleading" (Daal wa Mudill) to such folks. 

With the advent of the internet, coupled with the emergence of affordable video streaming services, a brick-and-mortar headquarters are no longer necessary. With a little bit of technical savvy, background (which no longer need to be physical, it can all be done using technology) and charisma, a voice can obtain millions of views and followers, generate wealth, all the while delivering incorrect or useless information.

Below, we will look at some examples of this rather sorry spectacle, as well as relevant Islamic information that will deliver us proper guidance. 

(1) The Unqualified Imam

The United States Muslim community has a situation unlike any other place in the world, wherein an actual mosque, properly built and situated, can have an Imam that is not even remotely qualified. To quote one African American Muslim activist, the only qualification such a person has is the ability to spell the word I-M-A-M! 

This is understandable when taking a look at the American religious culture, deeply influenced by protestant Christianity, which largely approaches Christian scripture from an unregulated, opinion-based, "inspired" individualized readings, with no other considerations. A motivated person "feeling inspired by the Holy Ghost" can easily open up a space and begin preaching and getting followers. He (or she) does not need to be bothered with joining a particular denomination, nor have certification, training or even a grounding in the details of the faith. With enough articulation, a person can become very successful.

There are some caveats necessary to address. An Imam will always be questioned regarding their qualifications and abilities and be open to attacks by critics. A prime example is Shaykh Yasir Qadi, a graduate of Islamic University of Madinah, with both bachelor's and master's degrees, coupled with a doctorate in theology from Yale University, (currently working as head Imam in a large Texas mosque) is still dismissed as simply lacking simple qualifications by his opponents. In addition, even for those who seemingly have no grounding, there is much room to simply ignore those things if the person is deemed sincere, humble and worthy by those who support him.

By unqualified Imam, we mean the person who has taken the title for himself yet has no abilities to do the simple things such as leading prayers, funerals, yet deems himself able to implement religious changes, advocate destructive views, with no consideration for those who follow him. 

The unqualified Imam is one who does not recognize his weaknesses nor seeks to rectify them. He is the one whose ego gets in the way of his growth as a professional as well as human being. If you find such a person and can't change that situation, simply move on to a better suited (for you) Imam.

(2) The Unmosqued Imam

Although the term unmosqued refers to a Muslim who doesn't feel comfortable in any masjid setting (usually because of personality, cultural or sectarian nuances), there is also the case of people who- in some cases- have never worked as an Imam or in any capacity within a mosque or Muslim community who attach the title (or a similar title such as "Shaykh" "Ustadh" etc) to themselves. Such persons feel motivated to deliver lectures from the comfort of their bedroom, in which their main thrust is to attack Muslim community leadership, personalities, and preach "an enlightened Islam" that bypasses tradition, scholarship, and even knowledge generally.  

Such personalities often speak from frustrations, projecting wrong motivations onto others, and has a track record of emotionalism, trouble making and ambition.  We advise caution when listening to a speaker who, as the proverb goes, is a rebel without a cause! It is worth noting that there is much intersection between the first two mentioned above, and to a certain extent #4!

(3) The young idealist

In the age of podcasts and livestreaming, voices can share as they see fit. The young idealist has love for his religious (and cultural) identity, he (or she) thinks that they have been able to understand all there is to the chosen subject matter, and (in search of views and sometimes income) and engages in debates with theological opponents- both within and outside of Islam.  

I have been watching such livestream events lately, noticing the lack of wisdom and humility, and a plethora of ego, anger and arrogance in the presenters. The people of wisdom (wisdom usually coming with age) are often so busy with real-life problems in their communities, doing the necessary work, that they don't get around to acquiring the tools for livestreaming and the like. Thus, the unqualified, those lacking the ability to give appropriate guidance, end up with a dominant presence online. It is unfortunate that such idealists end up doing more harm than good. Thus, pay attention to the content, to the emotions, and even the age of the presenters of the message. Determine for yourself if the content is useful.

(4) "That guy (or group) on the internet" 

On a global scale, this description applies to groups such as ISIS (Da'esh). Having emerged initially within a fragmented Iraq, they not only moved into Syria but eventually gained followers through the internet, appealing in Western and Non-Western languages via professional videos, magazines and other content. 

Young people left the comfort of their families and homes to join the so-called caliphate, often resulting in long prison sentences and death, not to mention abuse and the crushing of their idealism upon discovering the reality of such groups. 

While this has certainly died down, another aspect to this topic is the emergence of personalities who may possess adequate knowledge in certain fields of knowledge, conducting q & a sessions, with a professional delivery via being tech savvy. 

One of the reasons that we have placed this concern about the influence of internet personalities is that even if the said character means well, it is important that answers/advice reflect the needs of the locality, and every society is unique.

This is why traditionally fatwas (legal opinions) had to be issued by local Muftis, and not outside scholars. Baghdad 800 years ago is very different from Muslim Spain during the same time period, even though they were part of the same Muslim civilization. 

The wrong advice may destroy lives. There is less chance of that happening when taking guidance from those who can relate to your circumstances better. 

What are the qualifications for Imam?

I have written on this in the past (Can be found here ), but in a Western context, it is necessary for the Imam to be conversant with the primary texts of Islam (Qur'an and Sunnah), local culture, religion(s), theological trends, regional needs, as well as an understanding of the social sciences, counseling, psychology, and similar fields. 

The typical role of Imam is restricted to ritual, leading the prayers etc. For that, the qualifications are that he has a respectable amount of Qur'an memorized, able to navigate the Sunnah, and have moral character/piety. In a Western context, all of this will have to occur. 

Increasingly the average Muslims are educated enough in religion to be able to recognize substance as opposed to religious rhetoric, so it becomes necessary for the Imam to continue growing in knowledge and understanding. Knowledge of Arabic language is a necessity for the sake of credibility in today's world, at least enough to be able to navigate the texts and traditions. Imams with impeccable credentials and mastery of the language and texts are still subjected to criticism and questioning, that's simply a part of being in that role. They won't be able to make everyone happy. There will always be ripples of discontent. If a person can deal with that, be merciful and understanding with those he encounters, then he is able to do a good job, be a benefit to the wider community.