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This content has been automatically translated. View original in Arabic
Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings,
One of the followers drew my attention to the fact that our YouTube channel has reached 2 million subscribers and asked me: Do you not want to send a message to the subscribers on this occasion?
Yes, I want to send a message. You might expect the message to be an announcement of celebrating this occasion, thanking you for your trust, and promising to provide you with entertainment and benefit; no, my brothers, not only because the circumstances of Muslims do not suit that, but also because there are messages much more important than this.
The first message is that having many subscribers does not mean that the owner of the channel is right, nor that he is better than others who do not have this number, nor that his opinions are correct, nor that he is important to God. Having many subscribers is a trust, a heavy trust, a test; either it is exploited for good or for evil, either it is in the scale of your good deeds or in the scale of your bad deeds. The nature of what you offer and your intention in what you offer determine whether having many subscribers is a blessing or a disaster.
How many famous people have become judged in their actions, not taking any position except by permission! Recently, one of them has more than twenty million subscribers, he offered condolences to Sheikh Abu Ishaq Al-Hawini - may God preserve him - then he quickly deleted his condolences and said: "We do not approve of those who differ from the methodology, and we are with our rulers," and we seek refuge in God from the bad turn and the bad end.
Indeed, fame and having many subscribers have become a reason for many mistakes and straying from the truth in many cases. Why? Because the famous person is human, and the follower in large numbers finds himself forced to comment on every event and every news item. The followers provoke him to do so, and if he does not announce a position, his silence is considered a position in itself: "Ah, so you do not respect so-and-so? So you do not consider the such-and-such event important?" While most of the famous people do not have the sufficient knowledge that qualifies them to take an appropriate position.
Events are many, my brothers, and often you need in commenting on them deep religious knowledge, wisdom, knowledge of history, and deep knowledge of reality. I know myself that I do not possess all of this that qualifies me to take a position on every event. Sometimes you have a position, but the best is to remain silent and not announce your position regarding some events; because your words will be misused or exploited, or will mislead people in a way you do not intend.
How many of you have seen famous people publish something and then retract? Or insult someone and then apologize and say: "By God, it has become clear to me that I was wrong and I am sorry, so-and-so"? It exists, my brothers, but it is rare. Fame is a temptation, and having many subscribers is often a cause of straying if piety is weak. Fame is welcomed wherever you go, people point at you with their fingers, people want to take pictures with you, the rich and the dignitaries invite you, and the doctor refuses to take a "referral" from you, and gifts come to you. All of this begins to seep into your intention, consciously or unconsciously, before you write or publish anything.
There is temptation (you want to maintain this status) and deterrence (you fear that people will turn against you). How many famous people have become a "slave" to their followers because of that! He publishes what pleases them and makes their praise the focus of his eyes before preparing or writing anything. Do not expect that his words will come out blessed, supporting the truth and suppressing falsehood, and not fearing the blame of the blamer in God.
The second message, my brothers, is that the world of social media has corrupted the thinking and intentions of many people, and achievement has become measured by numbers. You look at the post: how many "likes" and how many "shares" does it have? If they are many, this is evidence that it is important speech worthy of reading and sharing, you enter the post with this mentality.
On the other hand, there may be righteous, pure, pious, and wise people whose speech is not paid attention to because they have few followers, while Islam has broken the idea of judgment based on appearances. Al-Bukhari narrated that Sahal bin Sad - may God be pleased with him - said: A man passed by the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, so the Messenger of God said to a man sitting with him: "What do you think of this?" He said: "This is a man from the nobles of the people, this one by God is worthy of being married if he proposes, and worthy of being supported if he intercedes." The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, remained silent. Then another man passed by, so the Messenger of God said to him: "What do you think of this?" He said: "O Messenger of God, this is a man from the poor Muslims, this one is unworthy of being married if he proposes, and unworthy of being supported if he intercedes, and if he speaks, his speech is not listened to." The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said: "This one is better than filling the earth with the likes of the first man."
This means that if we fill the earth with people like the first man (billions of people), they do not equal the second man who is more honorable to God. "Verily, the most honorable of you to God is the most pious of you," not the one with the most followers.
It is possible for a famous person to publish a tweet or a clip that becomes the talk of the hour and is circulated by millions, while you, in the morning of that day, cut the nails of your elderly father and sit with him to comfort him, and no one knows about you in that except God the Almighty, and you did not receive a "like" or a "share" or a subscriber for cutting the nails, and your action is with God the Almighty greater in reward than that famous person in his post.
Our sisters, one of them feels that she has not achieved anything because she does routine work, and Satan comes to her and says: "Why does so-and-so have more followers than you? Look at so-and-so's post, how she harvested ten thousand shares and fifty thousand likes? Is she smarter than you, more beautiful, or more educated?" You may have taken care of your son that day or taught him what preserves his psychology or fortifies his mind or increases his love for his religion, his Lord, and His Messenger, peace be upon him, and no one put a "like" or a "share" or a "subscribe" on your work, and you are more honorable to God than the one who is followed by millions but may be spiritually empty and her children have psychological disorders from neglect.
All of this does not mean belittling the influence on people and guiding them with beneficial knowledge, but it means monitoring our intentions and correcting the concept of achievement and not being deceived by appearances. "Are you attracted to multiplication until you visit the graves," and the multiplication of likes, shares, and followers is from this distracting multiplication that will not benefit us when we visit the graves.
The third message, my brothers, is that the total number of followers of the famous people on social media platforms in the Islamic world is in the hundreds of millions, and yet much of it is false hype; if the serious matter arises and the situation heats up, having many followers does not mean that as a famous person if you say something, the crowds will move and the peoples will rise up and roar in the face of injustice.
And we see this clearly in the events of Gaza, which should make us ashamed of ourselves, we who are followed by millions, and that people need role models more than they need followers by the millions. Our nation needs to be educated on preparing for sacrifice for the sake of God, and this sacrifice and speaking the truth is often the cause of closing your channels, erasing your list of followers, besieging your word, and reducing your fame; therefore, once again: things are not measured by fame or the number of followers.
Fourthly, my brothers, I will not forget in this regard to greet our brothers and sisters who sacrificed millions of views in preference for God's pleasure, as we count them.
Fifthly, my brothers, those with millions of followers often have behind them people who are not famous; they supported them, corrected them, advised them, and guided them. They did not appear to the people, but perhaps they have the greatest status with God and are closer to Him than the famous one.
As for myself, I have brothers who help me, advise me, guide me, and translate what we write. My family and wife are supportive. May God reward them well for me, and I ask God to grant them the greatest reward and repay them for me and for the Muslims with the best recompense.
In conclusion, esteemed guests, does all of this mean that I am not happy with you as followers? Yes, and I love you in God and consider you my large family. Anyone who benefits from what we say and prays for the poor servant with good intentions unseen, I am honored and proud to be part of this large family. And I ask God to accept from us and from you.
However, these meanings that we mentioned must remain present in our minds, and we ask God that what we publish be a proof for us on the Day of Judgment, not against us. Whatever is right in what we publish, the praise is due to God alone, to Him be the praise and the good commendation. And whatever is wrong is from myself and the devil, and I seek forgiveness from God.
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God and His blessings.