Nafsiya Reflections: Are you following the crowd?

Assalamu Alaikum and welcome to today’s episode... ‘Are you following the crowd?’

Any sociologist will confirm that man is a social animal, and just as we live in communal structures, we take direction from one another knowingly or unknowingly. For example, we follow trends in clothing, fashion, and at some point we all succumb to even the most subtle influences around us; choosing the latest coat, jeans or trainers, rather than the more dated styles.

Food can even become a trend; fad diets like the Paleo or Keto diets catch on in a bid to lose weight and regain strength, lifestyle diets like veganism are often a stance against farming practices - and trying out every new food innovation from sushi, to goji berries and ceremonial matcha tea just allows us to feel we’re in with the times.

You see, there’s comfort to be had in following the crowd. We feel validated by our collective response, rather than face the vulnerability of feeling left out or the emotive fear of missing out on something important.

So it’s clear that people with a common interest will naturally come together in groups, and advocate for anything from knitting to voting, to fine dining, and even to rioting!

But the problem arises when marketing companies en mass, push products to the individual, tailoring their advertising via ‘nudge groups’ to target individual consumers through their social media pages. By constantly collecting data on everyone, they create specific algorithms that track all our preferences. So for example, an animal lover will be directed to animal welfare pages and then be subjected to social and political messages about animal rights, and then be bombarded by advertising of anything from vegan makeup, to organic grass fed meat, to the latest faux fur coats.

This need to feel part of a crowd has been exploited by Capitalism, which has created an economy based on clever nudges made by marketing companies that invite people to join others who are already doing that thing. Encouraging recycling, charity and famously, for the UK to leave the European Union - all these marketers are directing our thinking and molding our preferences through our need to follow the crowd.

The ‘herd mentality’ suits Capitalist governments, who are desperate to control the thinking of their populations, in order to continue their unequitable policies towards the masses, uninterrupted. Independent thinkers, that can see through the hype and money-making scams, are labelled as backward and groups that call for just systems or an alternative ideology are branded as anti progress and anti-democratic... because we are led to believe that critiquing Capitalism or even its laws, is outside the scope of legitimate discourse!

This is how many people succumb to the comfort of the crowd... by feeling safer to keep their heads down and voices silent, they lapse in their thinking and lose independant judgement on important matters and vital issues.

As Muslims we are encouraged by Allah swt to think deeply and ponder His swt’s great signs.

He in the Quran in Surah An Nahl.. “Indeed in that is a sign for people who give thought’.

and in Surah Al Anfal ayah 22, He says:

(اِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَآبِّ عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ الصُّمُّ الۡبُكۡمُ الَّذِيۡنَ لَا يَعۡقِلُوۡنَ)

“Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason”.

Allah swt calls on us through these ayaat and others to adopt a pure and rational belief in Him swt.

Calling on us to reflect upon His signs, challenging what we see around us of injustice, despair and hardship - and encouraging us to find solutions and improve conditions for ourselves and the wider society.

Likewise our beloved prophet Muhammed saws discouraged idol worship and all the despicable practices of the pre Islamic era, by asking people to think about the futility of their actions, or about the harm to society they brought.

In contrast, many passages of the Quran highlight the dangers of adopting a ‘herd mentality’... In many verses Allah swt speaks about the deeds of the majority of people who possess characteristics similar to a mob devoid of thought.

When in Surah Al Anbiya Allah says...

( بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ الْحَقَّ ۖ فَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ...)

“But most of them do not know the truth, so they are turning away”.

and then in Surah Al An’am, Allah says:

(وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ...)

“But most of them, are ignorant”. And then in Surah al Maidah He says:

( وَأَنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ فَاسِقُونَ...)

“..and because most of you are defiantly disobedient”.

Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) said, “Go on the path of truth and do not feel lonely because there are few who take that path, and beware of the path of falsehood and do not be deceived by the vastness of the perishers”.

Considering this great advice, we must surely scrutinise our own behaviour, and be honest about the thoughts we harbour that drive our choices and opinions every day... after all they are not isolated values, but the very foundations of our lives. And so, do we advise one another with the sincerity Islam demands from us as Muslims, or do we shy away from enjoining the good and forbidding the evil with the excuse of being reprimanded or seen as unpopular?

Lets think deeply about the verses of the Quran where Allah swt speaks about the ‘few’ of His servants that will be from the latter generations that sought to please Him swt.

Allah mentions the rewards for these people in Surah Al Waqiah, ayahs 10-14...

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Rahim...

وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ)
أُولَٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ
فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ
ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ
وَقَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ

‘And the forerunners, the forerunners - Those are the ones brought near [to Allah ], In the Gardens of Pleasure, a [large] company of the former people, And a few of the later people’.

Jazakum Allahu khairan for joining us... until next time,
Was’salaamu alaikum