Searching for Heroes

Thus the process of identifying charismatic figures often becomes fundamentally retrospective from an Islamic point of view, while the rest of society continues its search more contemporaneously. So while Muslims children are being encouraged to read about the life and times of the Prophet Muhammad (saaws) and his companions, American children are rushing to consume every scrap of information about the life and times of Britney Spears and NSync. In fact, MTV, VH1 and E! all have popular television series that focus on the lives of entertainment figures, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at stars' daily routines and opinions on the world around them.

Unfortunately, living amongst a people often leads to becoming one of them; and in our modern era, Muslims have followed their western counterparts in looking for heroes in the world of entertainment.

Consider the recent excitement over a report that actor Will Smith had converted to Islam after becoming more intimate with various aspects of the religion while filming the upcoming movie Ali in which he portrays boxing legend and world renowned Muslim figure Muhammad Ali.

All the hubbub began when an AOL-owned website, IMDB.com, published a short, unconfirmed report about Smith "embracing" Islam. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) later spoke with Smith's publicist who confirmed that Smith had indeed gained a new appreciation for Islam and Muslims; but had not converted to the religion. But between the initial IMDB report and the release of the CAIR statement rumors flew left and right and suddenly there was a buzz of excitement on email lists across the nation.

What this incident suggests, is that Muslims, especially in this time of crisis, are eager to identify a hero, someone who will have the public respect and credibility to be able to put forth a positive image of Islam in the West.

As previously noted, it is natural for people to want charismatic leadership; and the power of such a leader can carry forward a cause with a strength and sense of purpose that others would not be able to muster. However, to search for such a leader amongst the ranks of entertainment's elite suggests a certain level of defeatism in Muslim methodology. After all, had Smith indeed become Muslim, his priorities most likely would have run along the lines of learning how to pray, understanding the importance of tawheed (Islamic monotheism) and getting up to speed on the other mundane yet important aspects of the religion. Being a spokesperson for Islam would likely be somewhere lower on his list of priorities.

So American Muslims have to ask themselves: Why Will Smith? If the answer to that question centers upon the potential public relations coup such a conversion would be, then maybe Muslims hopes are well-founded. However if American Muslims are simply following their non-Muslim contemporaries in overemphasizing the role of entertainers in society, then maybe some self-reflection is needed.

Sure, everyone needs a boost in self-esteem every once in a while, and showing the world that Islam has the power to change hearts and minds of even entertainers (who are often notoriously self-absorbed) goes a long way to giving the religion a lift. But beyond these periodic boosts, there is the need for Muslims to recognize those amongst them who are consistently doing noteworthy and even heroic work.

Muslims have scholars, activists and community leaders who are all worthy of emulation. And so instead of looking for the next movie star or pop singer to "embrace" Islam, Muslims might want to look more actively in their universities, madaris (religious schools), mosques and homes for the heroes that will make a difference in the strength of Islam in this time.