Don't Allow Naysayers To Stop Your Good Work or Demotivate You!
I felt compelled to write this post because it's disheartening when I hear about negative feedback and nasty comments directed towards others who are making an effort to help the community. This also encompasses those Muslims who use their time to spread beneficial knowledge and dawah by writing informative articles for the ummah, yet get criticized by the naysayers.
Recently, a blogger I follow, nearly shut down her excellent site because of the constant criticism she received by a few, namely fellow Muslims! Alhamdulillah, she overcame the negativity of the naysayers through the positive support of others who supported her. Sadly, it seems that naysayers gain pleasure and feel better about themselves when they tear others down.
Most of these naysayers do little to help the community; instead, they spend their precious time bashing those trying to spread good in society. I always wonder why naysayers don't use their spare time commenting and rectifying negative and distorted views against Muslims or Islam; at least then they'd be making a positive difference.
Over the years, I haven’t gotten a lot of negative feedback, mainly because I wasn’t delving too deeply into controversial issues. However, since I went on Twitter in 2022 and began promoting being a good wife and mother, I have been bombarded with nasty comments and messages by ill-mannered people - I guess it was inevitable.
One time, I received it from a reader after I had written an article about how kids should use less screen time. I intended to help kids find fun alternatives to using screens throughout their day. I guess the reader felt inclined to judge my intention by stating that I was not helping society much—you know, the naysayer way of thinking. She said:
"We Muslims have been deceived by the devil in regards to our Deen. You acknowledging that the problems stem from deep sources, yet choosing to ignore it is like a person putting band-aide over a cancerous tumor or a person who is occupied with sweeping the doorsteps and painting the outer walls while the house is burning down with raging flames. May Allah give you vision and give you taufeeq to do work that will yield fruit for the sake of Allah, not for the sake of maintaining our make-belief world. We need to set intention for the sake of Allah and work towards establishing Islam. May Allah SWT give you, your children and all of us ikhlaas ameen." - The Naysayer
My definition of a naysayer? The one who says you're not really helping the ummah, and you need to do more. The one who hides behind their small screen and cruel words doing nothing to change the situation. They judge others so quickly and fail to look inward to fix themselves first. The one who uses religion or niceties to soften the blow of their criticism.
Recently, I also went through something far worse, which caused quite a fiasco on my Instagram account. A "stalker-sister" felt the need to slander me to thousands of my followers because I had blocked her (for good reason). She assumed that her insults needed to be heard and that my blocking of her account needed the ultimate revenge.
She made multiple accounts to slander, spread lies, and lectured me on being a better Muslim. She found the time to post her nasty comments on as many posts as she could manage. I admit, it affected me for months, and I had to disable comments on my Instagram account indefinitely.
I will NEVER understand someone's state of mind, especially from a parent and a Muslim, in wanting to cause pain to your sister in Islam - let alone someone who didn't even wrong you. To these naysayers, I say,
“I feel sorry for you; you must be so sad inside yourself. Please learn some compassion and empathy like our beloved Prophet PBUH, who was never harsh to others - even those who stoned and spat on him. Learn how to talk to another human being with mercy, kindness, and the intention to guide them, not judge them in order to make yourself feel special. Look inward and really see yourself and your actions and consider them as harshly as you judge others. Please make an effort to fix something yourself, especially when you don't think it's being done right by others. - Sincerely, A Non-Naysayer
Naysayers think they know a person's intentions when no one can see what is in the heart of another human being, except Allah SWT. Constructive criticism is appreciated and helpful, but complaining and slandering with no solution is useless and plain mean.
When I get comments like these or face toxic behavior, I leave these people to Al A'dl (Allah - The Utterly Just). Then I pray for guidance and focus my intention inward to reflect on my actions as it may be a wake-up call for me to improve.
If I took any of this personally and allowed these people's negativity to get to me, it will make me doubt my efforts and intentions and eventually stop my work. That's what these naysayers want you to do to make themselves feel better.
What I have gone through is mild compared to what I've heard other brothers and sisters are exposed to. Unfortunately, naysayers are all around us, especially on social media. They're usually the ones with the biggest mouth in the comments section and need to "speak their mind."
So if you've ever come across a naysayer, don't let their negativity affect you - if your efforts are pure, they will be rewarded by Allah SWT. Keep your focus aimed towards the straight path and keep treating others right, even the toxic ones, because the Prophet PBUH told us to "want for your brother what you want for yourself."
It doesn't matter how many fans, followers, likes, comments, or subscribers we have - it can never compare to the reward of doing work purely for the sake of our Lord.
I dedicate this post to all my brothers and sisters who spread ilm and dawah online to help the ummah. Those who take time away from their careers and family to research and share helpful messages for the benefit of others. May Allah reward you immensely. Chin up!
Salam, I’m Zakeeya!
I believe that making our homes a safe haven for our families, as well as being a wife and mother, brings us great blessings, contentment, and benefits to society as a whole. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to assisting Muslimas in finding tranquility in their roles, taking better care of themselves, and achieving inner peace. Our journey in this world is not an easy one, but I pray the tools and guidance I offer will help you face life's challenges with more gratitude and mindfulness. Join me as I share wifehood, motherhood, homemaking, and lifestyle solutions that make life more fulfilling for you as a woman! Read more about me here.
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