Blind Imitation of Trends

In May 2025, a 19-year-old New Zealander lost his life after participating in a violent game similar to the popular challenge “Run It Straight,” where participants collide with each other without any protection. He suffered a head injury that later led to his death.

In June 2025, a 19-year-old American girl from Arizona died after attempting the “Dusting” or “Chroming” challenge, inhaling keyboard cleaning spray in order to film and post it online. This caused her to suffer a heart attack, followed by brain death a week later in intensive care.

A teenager also nearly lost his life while taking part in the “Tap-Out” challenge on TikTok, which involves choking until losing consciousness, leaving him with brain damage.

As images and ideas race across screens, and lifestyles are transmitted as if they were goods in marketplaces, the phenomenon of blind imitation has emerged as a looming danger threatening the identity and awareness of the Ummah. This is not merely about following a trend or adopting a habit, but rather a complete submission to external dictates, to the point that generations now live by others’ ideas, imitating them in the smallest details, without awareness or scrutiny.

The Qur’an warned against this behavioral pattern centuries ago, when Allah said: “When it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they reply, “No! We ˹only˺ follow what we found our forefathers practicing.” ˹Would they still do so,˺ even if their forefathers had ˹absolutely˺ no understanding or guidance?” (Al-Baqarah 2: 170). The verse shows that the issue is not in following per se, but in canceling the role of reason, turning imitation into unconscious surrender.

Social Media Generation

Look at the trend of challenges spreading across social media: dangerous ones that put youth lives at risk, or shallow ones that carry no intellectual or moral value. Teenagers blindly imitate these trends simply because they are popular or because some “influencer” did them. The result: health and psychological losses, wasted time and intellect, and a conditioning of generations to believe that the measure of right and wrong is not reason or religion, but “likes and views.”

Worse still, this phenomenon has not remained a passing pastime but has become a hidden culture reshaping young people’s consciousness. A young man or woman now determines their worth in society by how much “virtual engagement” they receive, not by the knowledge, character, or contribution they offer. This produces fragile generations who see no value in themselves unless they imitate what others do—even if it is foolish or outright harmful. It is a living image of blind imitation that robs a person of his humanity and reduces his potential to a digital illusion with no real weight.

Islam’s Method in Building Awareness

1. Reviving the Value of Reason and Reflection
Islam made thinking an act of worship, elevating reason to the point of making it the basis of accountability. It commanded the individual not to accept any statement without proof. Reflection on the universe and the self is not an intellectual luxury but a path to guidance and faith. Thus, reason is the tool to distinguish truth from falsehood, not merely a follower of people’s whims or ancestral traditions. Allah said: “Reply, ˹O Prophet,˺ ‘Show ˹me˺ your proof if what you say is true.’” (Al-Baqarah 2: 111).

2. Following the Righteous Example, Not the Deviant Ones
When a Muslim seeks a role model, the greatest example is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Allah said: “Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example” (Al-Ahzab 33: 21). He combined moral and practical perfection. Following him means walking a clear path that leads to success in this world and salvation in the Hereafter. Following deviants and corrupt figures, on the other hand, only leads to loss of identity and meaning.

3. Pride in Identity
The true Muslim knows that his identity, derived from his faith, is the source of his strength and uniqueness among nations. If he melts into others, he loses his personality and becomes a distorted copy of the other. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “He who copies any people is one of them” (Abu Dawud). Hence came the warning against imitation, so that the Muslim remains firm upon his values—open to the world without abandoning his authenticity.

Practical Steps to Protect the Youth

Conscious Upbringing

Building a conscious generation starts from the home and school, where love for religion and the value of belonging are instilled. It is not limited to rote teaching but includes nurturing critical thinking, so that youth can distinguish between what aligns with their identity and what is foreign. A generation with a critical mind does not easily fall prey to blind imitation.

Purposeful Media

In an era where media floods the minds of youth, it is necessary to produce Islamic content that is attractive, in language they understand and in styles that appeal to them. Such content should be engaging without detaching from values, blending authenticity with modernity. Here, media becomes a protective fortress instead of a tool of destruction.

Practical Role Models

The Ummah needs to highlight real, successful figures in fields of knowledge, work, and creativity for the youth to emulate. When young people see contemporary role models who uphold their identity and succeed globally, the influence of fabricated “idols” created by social media diminishes. A living role model has more impact than a thousand speeches.

Choosing Without Losing

Islam does not close the door to beneficial human experiences. Rather, it calls for conscious selection: what is good and useful is adopted, while what is corrupt or contrary to our values is discarded. With this balance, we preserve our authenticity while benefiting from others’ achievements—without dissolving into them or losing our identity.

The gravest danger facing the Ummah today is not merely imitating the West or the East, but becoming a shadow without features, an echo without a voice. The return to Islam and its balanced methodology is the way for the Ummah to remain rooted in authenticity, open in interaction, and conscious in what it adopts.

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Resources:

-       Encyclopedia of “Mahasin Al-Islam”

-       Islamway.net: “Blind following”

-       Al-Azhar Journal: “The Impact of Blind Imitation”

-       Almeraja.com: “The Hazards of the Blind Imitation and Selection with No Reason”