Playing in the Masjid?
A Shaykh in Lebanon playing soccer with children in the masjid during off-time has become a major controversy, with large groups of people and many ulama criticizing him. They claim that this is disrespectful of the masjid.
I wonder what these critics would have said to the Prophet ﷺ when he allowed the Ḥabasha to perform acrobatics in his masjid?
It really saddens me to see the online state of the da'wah now, where the bulk of da'wah from many sectors appears to be attacking other people of knowledge rather than concentrating on the bigger priorities.
Social media has allowed every ignoramus with an eloquent tongue to carve out a place to entertain others. My advice to myself first and foremost and then anyone who is interested in listening to it:
1) Be sincere to Allah. If you desire fame or are constantly checking how many likes your video has or how many retweets your tweet has, perhaps this field isn't for you. Only those who are sincere will be blessed - the rest are potentially setting themselves up for humiliation, or destruction, or punishment.
2) Stay in your lane. Know your limits and don't go beyond. Understand what you are qualified to do, but more importantly, what you're not qualified to do. Seek the advice of sincere critics and distant friends who've known you for a long time, and don't listen to your inner circle at all in this regards.
3) Make 'refutations' like salt to your food - very sparse. Concentrate on impacting others positively rather than warning or correcting mistakes of other Muslims. And even if you feel you must 'refute' or 'correct', discuss ideas, not people.
Allah grant us all sincerity, knowledge, and wisdom.
By The respected Yasir Qadhi