Press Release
Do the "Happy Muslims" properly promote Islam?!

 In the YouTube video "Happy Muslims" a group of British Muslims sing and dance to the tunes of the popular song "Happy" by the American artist Pharrell Williams. Although it went "viral" on the internet, it was not positively received by all who saw or heard about it. And since we also hear some voices from the Muslim youth here in the Netherlands to produce a similar video we decided to say something about it.

Some criticized the video because it features Muslims and Muslimas singing and dancing together. In public life, Islam demands from the people modesty in behavior, speech and clothing. Mixed dancing of men and women (Ikhtilaat), women singing in public and showing off their beauty (tabarruj) are expressly forbidden by Islam.

Others criticized the video on the basis of deeper thoughts. The song "Happy" is in fact an expression of the western, secular liberal perspective on life that has made the search for happiness the ultimate objective and that calls for personal freedom to enable people to pursue their happiness in whatever way they might like. "Clap along if you feel that happiness is the truth, clap along if you know what happiness is to you, clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do", is amongst the lyrics of the song. Islam, on the other hand, holds that happiness results when a person realizes his Creator is pleased with him. Hence that the way to happiness according to Islam is submission to the Will (and Laws) of The Creator. Since the "Happy Muslims" seem to be looking for happiness in frivolous affairs such as singing, dancing and other immature behavior, including ignoring the problems of the people around the world, they appear to be promoting the secular liberal perspective on life although as Muslims they really should be criticizing it.

For as far as the producers of the video are concerned, the anonymous group that calls itself "The Honesty Policy", it is clear that promoting secular liberalism is indeed their ultimate aim. The blog of the group calls upon the Muslim youths to liberate themselves from the limitations imposed by Muslim religious authorities ("We have a continuously growing community that is more eclectic, creative and competent than ever before. Yet, the platform for them to nurture such skills and competencies are stunted in the current religious climate. We want to look at things differently and partake in initiatives outside the usual mosque, event hall and madrasa."). It also calls upon Muslims to participate in Valentine's Day, kiss their "partners", and ignore the Islamic Laws around this ("Halal or Haram ... embrace it") - undoubtedly as a step up to ignoring Islamic Laws in other matters as well.

However, the question that has remained largely unexplored is what drove the Muslims that participated in the video? Amongst them were prominent Muslims. Of course, this cannot be known with certainty, but most likely they just wanted to contribute to a positive image for Islam and the Muslims by presenting themselves as "normal" people. Happy people, or people primarily concerned with happiness, just as all others...

This objective, the promotion of a positive image for Islam and the Muslims, might appear innocent, but in truth, it is not.

One could say that all Muslims should support the promotion of a positive image for Islam and the Muslims, since all Muslims are under the obligation to invite the non-Muslims to Islam. However, it is one thing to counter lies to ensure an image is an accurate reflection of reality. It is something completely different to promote a positive image.

In the case of Islam and the Muslims, the latter requires that one start with an understanding of how non-Muslims look at the world and evaluate things. If one wants Islam and the Muslims to be associated with things the non-Muslims consider positive and good, namely, one first has to know what things exactly the non-Muslims consider positive and good. Unfortunately, this is the main point of division between Islam and the other ideologies and religions in the world, and by extension the main point of division between Muslims and non-Muslims - what exactly is positive and good and what is not?

Consequently, whoever tries to establish a positive image for Islam and the Muslims will always be tempted to present Islam in the way non-Muslims would like it to be, since this would give Islam and the Muslims a positive image in the eyes of the non-Muslims. This temptation will pull the Muslim towards ignoring, misrepresenting or even forgetting specific ideas and opinions of Islam and that is why Allah (swt) has warned the Muslims against trying to please the non-Muslims:

[وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقّ]

"So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth." [Surah Al Ma'idah 5: 48]

Because:

[وَلَنْ تَرْضَى عَنْكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ]

"And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, ‘Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance'. If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper." [Surah Al Baqarah 2: 120]

The singing and dancing "Happy Muslims" have in fact shown that this warning is not without need. The invitation to Islam does not need image building. Rather, it needs (from Muslims) sincere efforts to apply and follow the Islamic Laws comprehensively, and honest en open discussions based on facts (with non-Muslims).

Okay Pala
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahir
in the Netherlands