Before I uploading the blog entry for Pembangunan Insaniah class, am sharing with you the article written for Tasawur & Epistemology class for Semester 1 (September 2014-December 2014). I didn't know how to put footnote in blog, so they end up as notes, denoted in []
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Selfie culture promotes a degraded Muslims’ worldview
by Siti Rubiah Mohd Yusope (MISDEV 14) for SIW505 class.
INTRODUCTION
“Selfie culture promotes a degraded Muslims’ worldview” might be a strong statement; nonetheless the author has few points that will be highlighted to justify it. The craze has taken place almost everywhere, including when one is performing the pilgrimage (Haj), the fifth Pillar of Islam or during Tarawih prayer in the fasting month, Ramadhan.
The Arab News site has reported some of the concerns raised by Muslim scholars about the selfie mania especially during pilgrimage. It is also believed to have influenced on narcissism (Dingfelder, 2011, February: 64). Meanwhile, the Thai Mental Health Department has warned those obsessed with this trend that it could have a negative impact on their life and work, as reported in Bangkok Post [1]. As it practically affects the whole wide world, it is worthwhile to have a better view on what selfie might bring to mankind.
DEFINITION AND WORD ORIGIN
Before we go into the depth of the discussion, let’s look at the definition of selfie. Selfie was added to OxfordDictionaries.com in August 2013. Despite it is not yet included in Oxford English Dictionary; future inclusion is only a matter of time since it is currently being considered. Selfie is an informal noun that carries a meaning “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website”[2]. The word also has unanimously placed as Word of The Year (WOTY)[3] 2013 by them.
The first use of the term, according to Oxford, occurred in 2002, when a young Australian got drunk at a friend’s 21st birthday party and fell down the stairs. He hit lip-first and his front teeth punched a hole in his bottom lip. His response was to take a photo of himself and post it online for his friends to see. “Sorry about the focus,” he wrote, “It was a selfie.” That was more than a decade ago.
According to OxfordDictionaries.com blog, the word gain phenomenal popularity by over 17,000% increased in usage from October 2012 to October 2013. This is parallel to the rising number of social network users and the advancement in smartphone industries.
THE WORLDVIEW OF SELFIE
From the Islamic etymology point of view, the origin of the word selfie itself existed from an unlawful situation i.e. the consequences when one is drunk. Ironically, it has become the in-thing in most countries, including the Muslim countries. The fact is, selfie does not crazed by the younger citizen only, but mature group of people too, including famous people and leaders of countries in the world, like the President of United States of America (US), Barrack Obama and Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
If the Muslims know the etymology of the word and the negative impact that selfie might bring to their life, the author wonder if this trend will stop since bad habit dies hard. Continuous discussion on this topic is inevitably highly needed.
SELFIE AND NARCISSISM
According to Mohd. Awang Idris[4] (2014), selfie phenomenon is associated with narcissism. This occurs because narcissists pursue enjoyment from vanity and the admiration of their own physical and attributes. He gave few examples of real life situation that narcissists experienced in his article[5]. One of them is the incident that was reported in United Kingdom. Danny Bowman, a male teenager spent 10 hours a day to snap more than 200 shots of selfie. However, when he failed to get the best post, he became really frustrated and even tried to commit suicide. The root of this extreme case actually exists when users are preoccupied with self and sadly, although their self-view may look good to them, it turned out their friends often aren’t amused. This leads to criticism that many narcissists unable to accept
.
Figure 1 - Selfie Syndrome: How Social Media is Making Us Narcissistic
 |
| Source: http://www.bestcomputerscienceschools.net/selfies/ |
Figure 1 depicts how social media has transformed user to become narcissistic without them actually realize about it. Among the signs of narcissism is unilateral listening, preoccupied with self, being above the rules, inability to take criticism, refusal to take responsibility and quick to anger.
Christopher Barry[6] (as cited in Dingfelder, 2011, February:64), believed that cosmetic surgery would be the practice, materialism is uncontrolled and everyone would seek fame or notoriety when narcissism prevail. Anxiety and depression also will rise because according to him, narcissists i.e. people with an inflated sense of their importance and abilities actually have trouble keeping friends, even though they are good at making them.
An assumption was derived based on recent research conducted by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, that increased sharing of selfies actually leads to decreased feelings of connection and closeness. In simple word, their friends will in reality stay closer to them if they keep their selfies to themselves[7].
According to Gallen Guengerich[8] (2014, para. 9), selfie culture does not enhance the self, but actually degrades it. “When we turn the lens of life on ourselves, we create the illusion that we should focus only on what’s best for us. We continually focus and refocus, constantly revisit options and re-evaluate decisions. In doing so, we deprive ourselves of being surrounded by people whom we deeply value because of their long presence and things we deeply value because of their long use” said him.
In Islam, Allah SWT exhorted[9] and the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, (p.b.u.h.) urged Muslims to be helpful and beneficial to others[10]. This advocate will not be able to materialize when one is busy concentrating on his live rather than focusing on helping others. The act of selfie has slowly transformed many to become selfish and less sensitive towards the need of the society at large, hence degrades the Muslims’ worldview and limits it to self-view.
While in fact, the Islamic worldview encompasses the issues of universe, creator, prophethood, society, man, and hereafter. The underlying concept of Islamic worldview itself is belief in the oneness of Allah (al-Tawhid) that touches upon man-Allah relationships (hablunminallah), man-man relationships (hablunminannas) and man’s relationships with other creations of Allah.
SELFIE IN IBADAH
Before we embark on further explanations about selfie and the act of worships (Ibadah), it’s important to recall the definition of selfie includes the act of sharing the picture i.e. uploading to a social media website. The famous social media would be Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If one is simply taking photo just for own view, that does not fall under selfie.
Nowadays majority of Muslims are taking photographs so commonly during their Hajj & Umrah, as if it is a mandatory part of Hajj & Umra. Like a pillar of the said Ibadah. While in fact, there are two conditions for any act of worship (Ibadah) to be accepted by Allah SWT i.e. it is performed for Allah alone[11] with full of sincerity (Ikhlas) and it is performed as per the way[12] Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.).
According to Jeddah based scholar, Sheikh Assim Al-Hakeem (2014) as reported by Arab News site[13]:
Photography without a legitimate reason is an issue of dispute among scholars. However, despite this difference of opinion, there should not be any dispute when it comes to the real meaning of Haj and the essence behind it. It is based on sincerity and following the sunnah. The Prophet p.b.u.h. when he went for Haj, he said[14]: O Allah, I ask you a pilgrimage that contains no boasting or showing of. Taking such selfies and videos defy the wish of our Prophet.
Even Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) who is confirmed paradise (Jannah) by Allah, when he went for Haj, he genuinely asked for a protection from the evil act of showing off (riya’). Hence the ummah of Prophet who is not yet confirmed place in paradise should be praying harder to avoid the minor shirk[15] i.e. riya’; not to create a home for the devil to exist in the soul by taking selfie.
Apart from selfie during Haj, Muslims are also found to take selfie during Tarawih prayers in Ramadhan where Muslims in essence are required to achieve moderation in their desires and behaviour (Berita Harian Online, 2014, July 2nd). Muhammad Lukman Ibrahim[16] reminded that although the original ruling on selfie is permissible, it all depends on the intentions of the person who does the selfie. However, he stressed that those who take selfie must take note of their modesty, including covering their body parts like required in Islam and wear loose clothing. The act of exaggerating or boasting of what they have, be it their physical appearance or wealth should be avoided.
Sharing similar views with him is Mohd Izhar Ariff Mohd Kashim, a senior lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's (UKM) Islamic Studies Faculty, who believed that the selfie culture should be viewed positively because as far as he concerned, it does not go against the ethos of Islam. In fact, it can be used as a tool and method to call people to Islam.
Meanwhile, in the same newspaper article, one of the youth leaders at the Batu Gajah Mosque in Perak, Mohd Shaiful Rizal Mohd Saed believed that, undoubtedly despite there are good selfies, the selfie medium is deemed unnecessary as the act of devotion is only between men and Allah SWT.
CONCLUSION
In a nutshell, it all depends on the intentions of the individuals, whether they are doing it to achieve something good or otherwise. If a person insists of taking selfie, he or she must learn self control and carefully select who he or she wants in his or her life. It does not necessarily have to include and entertain everyone. After all, life is not some sort of slideshow for public view.
Another major reason for people to control themselves when it comes to social network site is because of the minor shirk, showing off (riya’). If by taking selfie and receives lots of likes via social media make them feel empowered, then, stop taking one. Everyone must abstain themselves from riya as it is an evil tribulation annihilating the actions. Years act of worship (Ibadah) will gone in a second when one start feels superior because of the compliments he or she receives in a comment
box.
As a conclusion, Muslims should not degrade their worldview by engaging themselves in a selfie craze in order to avoid them being trapped in a narcissistic environment. Hablumminannas cannot be materialized when people is so busy minding their own business.
[NOTES]
- [1]See “'Selfie' Addiction Brings Negative Impact”, an article published on February 11th, 2014 in Astro Awani Online, Lifestyle section.
- [2]Selfie. (n.d.). In Oxford Dictionaries.com. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries. com/definition/english/selfie.
- [3]According to Frequently Asked Questions at http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com /pressreleases/oxford-dictionaries-word-of-the-year-2013/, The Oxford Dictionaries WOTY is a word, or expression, that has attracted a great deal of interest during the year to date. Every year, candidates for WOTY are debated and one is eventually chosen that is judged to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year and to have lasting potential as a word of cultural significance.
- [4] Mohd. Awang Idris is a psychology lecturer at the Department of Antropology and Sosiology in University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
- [5] The article is published in newspaper Kosmo, 9th October 2014. The newspaper clippings can be retrieved from http://www.umlib.um.edu.my/newscut_details.asp?cutid=11579#sthash. W8DkfAhq.dpbs
- [6] Christopher Barry is a psychology professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, US and lead editor of “Narcissism and Machiavellianism in Youth” (APA, 2010).
- [7] This point is highlighted from an article written by Galen Guengerich on January 31st, 2014 in Washington Post. The full article can be retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com /local/galenguengerich-selfie-culture-promotes-a-degraded-worldview/2014/01/31/cb444130-8942-11e3-916ee01534b1e132_story.html
- [8] The Rev. Galen Guengerich is a senior minister of All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City, US, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and author of God Revised: How Religion Must Evolve in a Scientific Age (2013).
- [9] Allah SWT exhorted: “And let not those among you who are blessed with graces and wealth swear not to give (any sort of help) to their kinsmen, AlMasakin (the poor), and those who left their homes for Allah’s Cause. Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (an-Nuur, 24: 22).
- [10] "The best of people are those that bring most benefit to the rest of mankind” Shahih al-Jami’ Hadith No. 3289 (Hasan).
- [11] Allah Almighty said: “If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain”. (Az-Zumar 39:65).
- [12] Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. said: “Whoever does an act not confirming with our way is rejected.” (Reported by Muslim, Hadith No. 1718)
- [13] The printed version of the article “Say no to Haj selfie” can be accessed from http://www.arabnews.com/islam-perspective/news/637771 after complete the security-check to access.
- [14] As reported by Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 2355 and authenticated by Al-Albani.
- [15] As related by Ahmad (5/428, 429) and al-Baghawi in Sharh as-Sunnah (4135) from the hadith of Mahmud bin Lubayd, radiallahu 'anhu, with an authentic chain upon the conditions of Muslim, Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: What I fear for you the most is the minor shirk, that is ar-riya. Allah will say on the Day of Judgement when He is rewarding the people for their actions: Go to those for whom you did riya for in the world then see if you find the reward with them”.
- [16] A senior lecturer from University Malaya's Islamic Studies Academy, Kuala Lumpur.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Al Quran al Karim
- Afifa Jabeen Quraishi (2014, September 30). Say No to Haj Selfie. Arab News.Accessed on 15 November 2014 from http://www.arabnews.com/islamperspective/news/637771
- Astro Awani (2014, February 11). Selfie Addiction Brings Negative Impact. LifestyleSection. Accessed on 15 November 2014 from http://m.english.astroawani.com/news/show/selfie-addiction-brings-negativeimpact-29905
- BERNAMA (2014, July 2). Hukum ‘Selfie’ Harus, Bergantung Kepada Niat. Berita Harian Online. Accessed on 17 November 2014 from http://www2.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/ Hukum_selfie_harus_bergantungkepadaniat /m/mArticle
- Dingfelder, S. F. (2011, February). Reflecting on Narcissism - Are Young People More Self-obsessed Than Ever Before? Monitor Staff, American Psychological Association. Vol 42, No. 2. Accessed on 20 November 2014 from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/02/narcissism.aspx
- Faysal Al-Ba’dani (n.d.). Towards An Accepted Hajj. Accessed on 27 November 2014 from www.performhajj.com/accepted_hajj.php
- Guengerich, G. (2014, January 31). Selfie Culture Promotes a Degraded Worldview. The Washington Post. Accessed on 17 November 2014 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ galen-guengerich-selfie-culturepromotes-a-degraded-worldview/2014/01/31/cb444130-8942-11e3-916ee01534b1e132_story.html
- Hadith no. 1718 Accessed on 20 November 2014 from http://Sunnah.com/muslim/30
- Lock, H. (2014, October 3). ‘Hajj Selfie Fever’ on Muslim Pilgrimage Criticised by Islamic Scholars. The Indepedent. Accessed on 17 November 2014 from http://www.independent.co.uk /news/hajj-selfie-fever-on-muslim-pilgrimagecriticised-by-islamic-scholars-9770428.html
- Mohd. Awang Idris (2014, October 9). Keburukan Budaya Selfie. Kosmo! Accessed on 20 November 2014 from http://www.umlib.um.edu.my/newscut_details.asp?cutid=11579 #sthash.W8DkfAhq.dpbs
- MuslimVillage.com (2014, January 15). How Social media is Making Us Narcissistic. Accessed on 15 November 2014 from http://www.bestcomputerscienceschools. net/selfies/
- OxfordDictionaries.com (n.d.). Definition: Selfie. Accessed on 15 November 2014 from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/selfie
- OxfordDictionaries.com (2013, November 19). Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2013. Accessed on 15 November 2014 from http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/press-releases/oxford-dictionaries-word-ofthe-year-2013/
