Millions and millions of people watch Md Areefi debate a magician openly and end up supporting him. After Areefi speaks against magic, the magician is then given the mic for about ten minutes and he justifies his profession and explains how it is halaal using his magical rhetoric. Al Areefi appears defeated as the event ends with humor and joking, the magician made to seem victorious. The "shaykh" simply "owned" as they say.
Later, other videos are made with the same pair (may Allaah guide them both) with the magician doing a trick on Areefi. Areefi shows his astonishment and wonder, laughing and enjoying the trick, even joking that the magician was a shaytaan seeking refuge from him. He even asks how the trick was done. All the while they appear to be good friends enjoying each other's company.
I beg you... Try to imagine a scholar of Islaam behaving so childishly and irresponsibly! You will NEVER see it wal hamdulillaah. Yet, entertainers and storytellers propped up on TV made to appear as scholars have no problem attracting millions into the world of illusionary magic.
In the world of entertainment, the magician rides off of al-'Areefi's popularity and gains new followers. Al-'Areefi himself gains new followers from the magician's crowd, as they see him as a "cool shaykh". They all gain followers, which is a big success in their books. Yet millions are made to believe that illusionary magic is just fine.
The magician has a cafe where he hosts up and coming magicians and even teaches the secrets of his own tricks.
This is the result of incapable fake "scholars" trying to forbid evil in away that gives a public platform to people of falsehood. Yet, you find people promoting Areefi like some kind of scholar. You find those who are harsh in their speech against the recognized scholars of Islaam. Take the TV personality Assim Al Hakeem for example, promoting the likes of Areefi and other personalities like him, whilst criticizing upright scholars whom he is nothing in comparison to.
Is Areefi being a cheap promotional mascot for a magician excusable, while the likes of Sh. Rabee' ibn Haadee can never be excused from his pinpoint academic criticism of the people of desires?! What a wicked scale upon which they judge!
Written by Moosaa Richardson
