Selfie Sickens the Soul

As I walked around the Kaaba during my Tawaf, I could almost feel the love of my Creator and I was in awe of the Maalik (The Owner). It felt as if the hundreds around me had just disappeared. I moved on – each circle, with my eyes fixed on the rich kiswa (the covering of the Kaaba) so Royal and Grand. I was in the House of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ). I thought to myself, “If His House is so Majestic, how will His actual Presence be in Jannah?” My eyes shed tears for reasons I was unaware of. Perhaps my sins made me cry; or was it the love for my Rabb; or was it the condition of wavering in between the two? There was hope within me that Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) will forgive me and then there was fear – what if He doesn’t? Nevertheless, each circle ended much too soon while I circumambulated the Kaaba. As my feet touched the cool white shiny marbled ground, step by step moving forward in the crowd, I felt nothing around me except my Rabb watching me and watching over me. I could almost hear the following verse of the Qur’an:

وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ ‎

And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.
[Ar-Rahman: 27]

When this moment broke, I could not help but witness many around me who were absolutely unfocused, who were derailed in their thoughts and unaware of the Grand Majestic daunting Kaaba that overshadowed the entire existence of mankind and took over the human mind and soul as it reminded us all of the Greatest Being – the Creator. I wondered to myself, “How could they miss His presence and continue to live in this duniya?” Yet, they did.

Many stood in front of the Kaaba, their cell phones in their hand, smiling away, teeth shining so brightly while they stood proud to be in Haram. Many walked around in their Tawaaf, holding out their phones, making videos and taking pictures, adjusting their scarves and their hair, while many shared shared their experiences on a live video call. Many such videos will become the reel of their Instagram. Many pictures would be posted on their Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat seeking validation and likes. They will post their experience while people will congratulate them. Not only were they a hindrance to those around them as they unnecessary took time and space, they also blocked the ways and areas and prevented people from praying. They became obstacles for those who wanted to continue on with their Tawaaf and slowed others down. In a crowd that pushed and many groups moved forward with force, such selfie people even became a danger to others and themselves. What disrespect is this?

I could not help but feel a little sad and sick inside. I am sorry if you feel I am judging them, but I failed to understand their love for the duniya and their selfies in this moment in time. The only phrase that came to my mind was: Selfie sickens the soul.

This “selfie culture” is consuming us of everything of our existence. We are worried about how we will look on social media that we have forgotten how we look in eyes of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)! How could we stand with our sins in the Haram and smile graciously wanting people to like us on our social media accounts? We have sinned and our Rabb has called us to His House. We did not deserve to be invited, yet we were honored to be His guests. We should be humbled, eyes cast down, tears falling from our eyes, our heart weeping for all the wrong we committed knowing He was watching – yet we have the audacity to gleam into a rectangular piece of machine! How could we? What would it be like when we stand before Him? In the Qur’an, it is mentioned:

يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds?
[Surah Al-Mutafifeen: 6]

In the Haram, the focus is nothing but the glory of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ). Nothing comes out of the mouth except for ‘AllahuAkbar.’ The heart is filled with gratitude for all that He provides us even before we ask Him. We cannot help but repeat, ‘Alhumdulillah.’ The grief of the burden of sins and disobedience we carry is larger than all mountains put together, but how can we put it aside and worry about how we look in this photo we take or the video shoot in the Kaaba that we are ready to get out and post? We are to just say Astaghfurllah wa atoobah ilaik. (We seek forgiveness and turn to You in repentance). We marvel at the grandiosity and His Magnificence felt and we say ‘SubhanAllah.’ Which portion of our heart or existence has the capacity to accommodate a selfie at this time when we think of nothing but our Rabb? Yet, there are those who can think of themselves and their persona on their accounts even at this time.

The Impact of the Selfie-Culture

It’s quite interesting how this ‘selfie-culture’ has overtaken our entire existence. It encourages narcissism and self-obsession. It encourages the evil-eye to attack fully and destroy all our blessings until we are left with nothing. According to Associates in Plastic Surgery:

“Additionally, selfie-taking in and of itself can feed into poor self-image, or may even be a symptom of it. People who are highly invested in taking selfies may develop an unhealthy preoccupation with their appearance.”[1]

It leaves us disconnected to the environment and takes away from hands-on experience of the moment. It leads to addiction to the social media. It may cause people to see their accomplishments, social lives, fun moments and physical appearance from the eyes of others who if they validate, the activity seems deserving of praise and reward, and if otherwise is deemed worthless.

Riyah (ShowOff) in Ibadah (Worship)

Coming back to the culture with regards to it being practiced in the Haram, I would just say, it takes away from the essence of why the journey to the Kaaba was made. Umrah is a form of worship. Nowhere is it encouraged to highlight your worship or put it up for display or show off. Worship does not require validations or likes. It does need anyone’s approval. It only needs to be accepted before Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) and this is all that really matters.

In fact, we are not to show off while in a state of worship as that act of worship is then not accepted by Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ). Al-Riyah is an act of discharging or offering acts of worship with a deliberate intention of making people see the act so that they can praise or comment the doer and also people can be made to admire him/her because of the performance. [i]

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“The thing that I fear most for you is minor shirk.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is minor shirk?” He said: “Showing off, for Allah will say on the Day when people are recompensed for their actions: ‘Go to those for whom you were showing off with your deeds in the world, and see what reward you find with them.’”
(Classed as sahih by al-Albani in al-Silsilah al-Sahihah, 951)

Hence, while taking the selfie and posting it on your pages, think about your intention in doing so? What do you really seek?

May Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) purify our intentions for all our ibadat (worships). (Aameen)