Yusha Evans

General advice about Muslim influencers: Over the past decade, the Muslim influencer scene has exploded across social media, with many now boasting millions of followers and reaching hundreds of millions of people. Alhamdulillah, many of these influencers are sincere individuals who share genuinely beneficial Islamic knowledge and make a positive contribution to the Ummah. However, there is also a minority of charlatans, bad-faith actors and outright scammers who exploit Islam for personal vanity, financial gain or influence. My advice is this: when consuming the content of any Muslim influencer, don't just listen to what they say. Take the time to find out who these people are. Anyone can say things that are appealing to the ear or tell people what they want to hear. But someone is only worth following if you are convinced they possess sincere intentions, sound Islamic knowledge and good judgement. Here are a few things to consider: - Research their background. Do they have a long track record of serving the Muslim community, or have they simply appeared out of nowhere and built a following overnight? - Assess their Islamic knowledge. Do they have the requisite grounding in the deen, or are they speaking despite being genuinely ignorant of Islamic teachings? - Look at their conduct. Do they publicly observe the red lines set by Islam, or do they routinely flout them with little regard for what Allah has ordained? - Ask whether they are known within the Muslim community. Are they recognised and respected by scholars, community leaders and activists, or do they exist only as an online personality? - Examine your own intention. Why are you following them? Is it because you are drawn to their appearance or personality, or because you are sincerely seeking beneficial knowledge that you can put into practice? There is no doubt that social media has become an important platform for the dissemination of beneficial Islamic knowledge. But it is also a space where charlatans, bad-faith actors and scammers can operate with remarkable freedom. By taking the time to ask these questions, you will be in a much better position to distinguish sincere Muslim influencers from those who are simply exploiting our faith for their own ends.