Why Mastering Communication, Content and Media is key to a Muslim Revival

When you think about it, communication and content has always been the key to winning the hearts and minds. Think about any charismatic leader — what you think of first is a soul-stirring speech or their oratory power which makes you stand up and take notice.

Effective communication has the power to influence. Intelligent, influential, impactful content is the key to the future — if you can shape people’s worldview, you are powerful beyond measure.

This is why Malcolm X said

“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”

In my capacity as an entrepreneur and marketer, I have launched many different products. One thing I’ve always said is that Islam has THE best product in the market, bar none. But it has the absolute worst marketing. That is what needs to change significantly.

Part of the current dilemma of the Ummah, is the fact that those in positions of authority, doing this ‘marketing’, the reporting, the showcasing and demonstrating of Islam and of Muslims, are those who are not quite supportive or sympathetic to the cause (to put it mildly).

We can see parallels to the black community in the US. 30–40 years ago, they were not mainstream, relegated to their own niche channels. But pioneers who recognised the immense talent within their community started initiatives such as Def Comedy Jam, along with the boom in hip-hop culture led to it becoming mainstream and accepted amongst society. Culturally they crossed the divide — and whilst there are still problems, of course, there is hope.

We are at a similar crossroads in the life cycle of Muslims in the West. We are increasingly affluent, a new generation of Muslim who have bigger aspirations and upwardly mobile. The internet has given us more awareness of our identity and we are seeking brands, content and media that resonate deeply with our core values — instead of what continually otherises and demonises us.

We need to be better represented — and most importantly, in a way which does the religion justice, not in a way that is diluted and made-to-fit.

Our vision at KNOW is to help bring about a Second Golden Age for Muslims.

This is why we’ve been producing content aimed at provoking thought and stirring the soul. At the very least, to revive a burning desire within the Ummah to have high aspirations, to critically think and dare to dream again.

That’s the objective of this Substack. Powerful, influential Muslim media centred around empowerment, a big ambitious goal for us all to aim and aspire towards, an umbrella to unite under.

We are not unfortunately producing enough original ‘thinkers.’

This is resulting in an impoverished state for the Ummah and ensures we are continually being subject to other narratives instead of creating and following our own. Narratives are critical in the grand scheme of things.

At the same time, we live in the information age — but the world has become filled with TOO much noise. We’re surrounded by fake news, deception and a lack of substance. It’s become difficult to navigate and figure out our purpose and to achieve our true potential.

Muslims were once the leaders in education, science and learning which led them on to achieving great things. But our impact on the world stopped when we became complacent, and when we stopped thinking as an Ummah. We are now easily led and are lagging behind.

To bring about a “Second Golden Age”, it can’t be done without truly transforming people to firstly aspire to be and then become like those changemakers, scientists, scholars and pioneers of the past.

Throughout Islamic history, people were inspired by the Quran, sought lifelong learning and lived according to their fitrah (natural disposition) — which enabled them to go on to great achievements, change the world and leave a lasting legacy.

Most importantly, they were God-centric — and that led to harmony in society — as everything was done to add value, help others and seek the pleasure of their Lord. THIS is what we need to revive.

We believe that there are some key principles that they lived by that enabled their greatness. So we want to reverse engineer that base foundation, and combine it with the best of what the modern world teaches to revolutionise the way Muslims think and more importantly, how they act and who they become.

Great inventions, great contributions to society and high standards are all merely a byproduct of having this paradigm shift.

The Prophet (SAW) once said: “My Ummah is like the rain. I do not know which shower is best, the first or the last.”

That means that another Golden Age is something prophesied, it is something that will definitely materialise, as long as we set the ball in motion and work towards it. This provides us with hope, with certainty, with a powerful vision.

Just as the sahabah and our pious predecessors achieved great things, there will be a time where the Ummah produces a shower comparable to those formidable leaders and pious pioneers of the past.

It doesn’t happen overnight though. We all have to work towards it.

Much of this effort is to change our mindset, have a paradigm shift in our thought process, which is the key to awakening the beast.

The Ummah is a sleeping giant, filled with unrivalled potential and resources.

It just needs the right minds, working creatively and collectively on the solution.

This is why what we consume is vital. The right media, uplifting and aspirational, ambitious and determined, all centred on this focus on reviving our Ummah and fulfilling our immense potential.

If our efforts can help shape the hearts and minds of a new generation of Muslims, maybe, just maybe, we can spark the first seeds of this Second Golden Age, insha’allah.