Posting one's Quran recitation on instagram Fatwa No: 342808
- Fatwa Date:7-6-2017
Assalaamu alaykum. I have a question that has been bothering me for a while now. My name is Yassin, and I recite Quran on video and then upload it on social media. I have been doing this for nearly two years now. I have a Following of 62 thousand people on Instagram, where people watch me recite the Quran to the best of my ability. I keep convincing myself that my intentions are pure and that all that I want is to spread the Quran among the youth and the non-Muslims. My problem is that most of my followers are girls, although I clearly state on my profile that I am married and have a child, praise be to Allaah. I regularly receive inappropriate comments, such as, "Marry me." on my videos, but I try to delete these as much as I can. I am aware that a lot of my followers might not be sincere, but I am also aware that there are some sincere ones amongst them. I noticed that when I record a video without my face showing, I get less views and likes, hence I keep questioning what I am doing. Should I stop and close the page completely, or should I continue and just stop recording videos with my face showing? I compare my face on a video like a logo for a company. People do not bother clicking or playing the video if they do not know what it is or who is in it; that is what I keep telling myself anyway. I keep telling myself that the devil is trying to stop me from from doing this Sadaqa Jariyah (continuous charity) by making me believe that I am not sincere. But am I? Here is my Instagram link so that you my have a rough idea of what I am talking about: https://www.instagram.com/yassinalidrissi/
In summary, the question is: should I continue and leave things as they are, and why? Or should I make some changes? I have a lot of friends who are doing the same thing, so please take your time in giving me a sufficient answer as I will be passing on the fatwa or advice to them, Allaah willing. May Allaah reward you. Wassalaamu alaykum.
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
What you are doing is a noble deed, and it is an act by which one gets closer to Allah. Many people benefit from listening to the Quran from others, even more than from their own recitation of it. The Prophet said, "I like to listen to it from someone else." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
The devil may put obstacles in your way so that you would stop what you are doing; so do not take his evil whispers into consideration. So if you start your deed with sincerity and then the whispers of the devil come to you that you are not sincere, then do not pay any attention to them. Rather, you should seek refuge with Allah from the devil and continue what you are doing, as this irritates him.
Some scholars of the Salaf (pious predecessors) warned against leaving a good deed for fear of Riyaa' (showing off). Al-Fudhayl ibn Iyaadh said, “Leaving a deed for the sake of people is Riyaa', and doing a deed for the sake of people is Shirk (associating partners with Allah). Sincerity is that Allah spares you from both of them.” [Reported from him by Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab Al-Eemaan]
There is nothing wrong with putting your image in the video, and do not be preoccupied by the comments of girls or others; this should not be an obstacle in your way, as this may just be from the plots of the devil.
Allah knows best.