I found this online but can't locate the source now
Old School Islam vs the Social Media Islam Today
(A message from one of the early Millennialsā¦)
A lot of people wonder why older Muslimsāespecially Gen X and early Millennialsātend to lean more toward Sufi-influenced, scholar-respecting Islamā¦ while todayās Gen Z crowd on social media is often louder, more opinionated, and sometimes disrespectful to the ulama.
Let me explain the difference we lived:
1. Seeking knowledge back then was a struggle.
We didnāt have YouTube or TikTok daāwah. If we wanted a lecture, we had to buy tapes, order CDs, or wait hours just to download a lecture on dial-upāthen burn it to CD. We paid for books, read full texts, and traveled to attend a scholarās talk. Knowledge was earned, not just swiped.
2. We knew our place.
We respected the scholars and sat with adab. We didnāt correct ulema in the comments. We didnāt act like we knew better because we read a quote card or watched a 1-minute reel. We learned slowly and deeplyānot loudly and quickly.
3. Worship was private, not performative.
We didnāt take selfies in front of the Kaaba or post ourselves making salat in public for likes. Our ibadah wasnāt for the algorithm. It was for Allah. Even Umrah photos werenāt a thing. Worship felt realāand often quiet.
4. Islam was holistic, not branded.
We didnāt mix deen with hustle culture, Red Pill ideology, or clout chasing. We werenāt trying to āgo viralā off Islam. We were trying to transform ourselves, not market ourselves.
5. The new generation skips the scholars.
Too many now try to become influencers instead of students. They dismiss traditional scholars and start making bold statements as if theyāre qualified. But no scholar in history ever became learned through reels and threads alone.
This isnāt hate. Itās naseeha.
Weāre not perfectābut we come from a time where sincerity mattered more than visibility.
May Allah guide this generation to balanceāand protect us all from ego dressed up as daāwah
