Signs You Might Be in a Cult
After looking at some of the comments here, I felt compelled to post a few signs of a cult that I have found in various places. Keep in mind that a cult does not have to be the type that lives in a compound. It is a state of mind. I took a few of them for you all to judge in light of some Muslim movements here in the US and their relationship to other Muslims and the society in general:
Isolation from society:
Like I said, this doesn’t necessarily mean that one has to be living on a compound with all other sect members and waiting for the end of the world. However, one of the defining marks of a cult is to control the surroundings of the members. This makes it easier to control their minds. They are constantly warned of the dangers of being away from the other sect members at all possible times. (Note: This is different from keeping good company)
They absolutely cannot be friends with or have contact with a person outside of the sect unless they are recruiting that person into the sect and are endlessly told of the dangers of doing such a thing.
They are warned of the dangers of getting a secular education (lest they be corrupted) told to avoid critical thinking, and to embrace groupthink. Any books, lectures, etc outside of those specifically approved by the movement leadership must be avoided at all costs. This way, information can be spoon fed to the members very carefully.
Absolutism/Literalism
The world is presented in stark black and white terms and there are no shades of gray. There is no compromise. Members are made to feel guilty for doing things that any other normal human being would do, such as mixing with people that are not in their cult. So the constant goal becomes to spend as much time around other members as possible. Even if one has to quit a job to do so.
Everyone in the sect is good. Everyone else is evil. There is no in-between. Complex issues are made into very simple ones. Because they have been trained to see only in black and white, members of cults are very hard to reason with since they have trouble understanding complex real life issues.
All people and things outside of their bubble are evil - and thus avoided - while the sect, its members and everything associated with it is good. The more one can immerse themselves into the cult the more righteous the person is in the eyes of the other cult members.
Loaded Language
The use of thought-terminating cliches, catch phrases or words that are designed to end a conversation or controversy. Some of the more popular ones where Muslims are concerned are “Khalifah”, “the ulamaa”, “the haqq”, “Islam is the answer”, “Qur’an and Sunnah” etc. Phrases that when invoked can’t be questioned. It is sad sometimes because even ayat and hadith have been misused in this manner. People in cults speak almost entirely in these kind of cliches
“Confession”
Thought I’d never see this amongst Muslims, but one particular cult made it their hallmark to make their members do a form of what can be called “confession” in front of the other members in order to express their loyalty to the cult and disavowal to everything else.
I knew that members of cults other religions were known to use this tactic and make their members confess their sins before each other, but I was surprised when I saw it appear amongst a Muslim sect that I can only say now was a cult. This creates an environment of fear and leads to more control over the members. They can also be berated with the thought terminating cliches
Exaggerated claims
Cults tend to engage in religious hairsplitting. There is no room for disagreement even on small issues where noone is necessarily wrong. Typically small issues are lifted into sacredness and can not be called into question. Also an exaggerated reverence for the leadership is demanded. This makes name droppers raise in status within the cult.
Groupthink
I mentioned this earlier, and there is some overlap with Isolationism, but I wanted to add that common sense is thrown out the window and seen as hostile to the cult. One’s personality must be purged and made to conform to a group template that is usually pretentious. All forms of individuality must be de-emphasized
Abuse
Former members of cults often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
Denial of Problems
Because they associate perfection with their cult, there cannot possibly be any mistakes or bad advice given, so they deny and/or bury the problems at all costs. Remember, cult members are trained to see only in black and white terms and getting them to admit to problems is like pulling teeth
If you see these signs, you just might be in a cult
UPDATE: Hood has done a more in depth analysis of this
Filed under: Muslim Isolation, The Culture of Denial and Pretense
“Confession”
Ibn Taymiyah says:
“It is not for any person to take an oath or agreement from anyone that he will agree with him in everything he wants, support him and those that he supports, and be an enemy to his enemies. Whoever does this then he is like Genghis Khan and those like him who make those that agree with them protected friends and those that disagree transgressing enemies. Instead they are to give their allegiance to Allah and his messenger to obey Allah and his messenger and do what Allah and his messenger have ordered …
… this is the basis that they should stick to, and then there is no need for their division and partisanship Allah says “Verily those that divided their religion and were partisans you are not from them in the least…” (anfal:109)
…therefore it is not for any teacher to take oaths from his students for this, nor for anyone else for that matter to take anyone from his students so as to attribute himself to him in an innovated manner (ala al-wwajh al-Bidi’), neither to start with or for some benefit…”
From Majmu al-Fatawa 28/7-19
I saw those comments too. Man, it is insane.
This is one of the best posts I’ve seen in a while. It’s good that this sort of thing is being exposed for what it is nowadays. Perhaps it’s a little overdue…but better late than never. And of course, when adherents deny that their movement is cultish…
“So-n-So is not a cult, verily it IS Islaam…”
Like any cult is going to name itself “The Dangerous Cult”. But if it fits the template, they can call it whatever they want. The affect it wreaks on lives is how you measure whether something is the “haqq” or not. Whatever the true “methodology” of the Prophet, his companions, and those that followed them was, you have to ask…did they leave in their wake a reputation for spreading fitnah everywhere they went? Were they known for being irresponsible in their dealings with their wives and children? Did they sit around and pontificate constantly or did they go out and change their surroundings for the better…with action and a good example? Did people avoid them and any association with them because of their reputation for harshness and limited vision? There are many other questions to be asked by those who claim to follow “The Methodology” It’s easy to just say our way is the way of the Prophet and his companions but how come their results are different? Why did people respond to them differently than they do these present day “callers”? If the methodology is truly the same, the result would be the same to bear witness to its correctness…wouldn’t it?
?Another wonderful analysis and post akhee.. may Allah grant you tawfeeq to keep the posts coming like this one!
excellent comments Rashad
As’Salaamu Alaikum…
while I like many of the points made in this post…I don’t necessarily agree with them.
The main point, however, that I’d like to make after reading the post is as follows:
Whether we are referring to a “Salafi” from the early to late 1990’s or a “Salafi” de jour…we must remember to err on the side of caution and distinguish between Salafi’s of excess and extremes (aka “Madkhalees” blind followers of Sheikh Rabee al Madkhalee & aka “Damaaji” Salafis who spend all of their time in Damaaj, Yemen) ….
Versus…..
mainstream Salafis who organize and attend the Texas Dawah Convention, Al Maghrib Insitute, or Study overseas in Islamic University (Medina).
One of the most sad aspects (for me anyway) of the so-called “Rise and Fall” of certain Salafis in the U.S. is that they have — for whatever reason — been linked to mainstream Salafis (Sunnis).
Ultimately, these kinds of linkages are based upon the biases of each individual…however it is still a bit bothersome to be linked to Madkhalees in the blogosphere (or anywhere else for that matter)…..
Abu Ameerah,
You are the first person the say anything about salafis (of whatever stripe) here so I don’t see why you brought that. But since YOU mentioned it, I will say that personally I see SOME cultish aspects in the “mainstream” salafi groups too, but I will admit that they are not as bad as the first group you mentioned.
Abu Ameerah, nowhere in this post did the brother single out any particular movement. i think and I could be wrong that it was intentional that he did not bring up the names you did. Honestly, what you did by comparing one group of salafees with another, in a post that mentioned neither, spoke volumes.
As far as the whole cult issue, I have recognised this before. However, I do not feel that many of the people have truely been brain washed or whatever would qualify a person as being a cult memember. I feel, and I’m speaking specifically of African Americans, that we are more groupy-cliquey than anything. Not that there are not the wierd cultish types out there among us, but we tend to tow the line more out of our desire to be a part of something than true convictions or mind control.
I realised this when I saw how pretentious many so-called pious people were. The same people that would argue you left and right about the evils of having Televisions in the house, were the same ones with huge DVD collections but they could at least brag about their child not knowing what a TV was.
Umm Adam’s point is exactly what I was trying to make. The need for someone to express “well WE are not a cult!” when they see certain attributes
I can remember a time when we would drive past 2-3 masjids to make salaat at a particular masjid across town and never go to those masjids because they were not “with us”
What will happen if we give this to a cult member?
[...] What are the Signs of Being in a Cult? 17 02 2007 Signs you might be in a cult. [...]
Interesting post. I’ll have to read deeper into it to see if I agree.
-RED
Uh…yeah….
Umm Adam and Farooq:
i apologize if i seemed to have gone off on a tangent or sum mess like ‘dat….but see….i wuz just referrin’ to what wuz originally mentioned in the post itself. you see, the post does link/refer back to something written by an akh named Umar Lee regarding the so called “Rise and Fall of The Salafi Dawah”…..
“After looking at some of the comments here, I felt compelled to post a few signs of a cult that I have found in various places.”
If you click on the words “HERE” or “A CULT” all the way at the top of the post it discusses some of what i brought up in my previous comment.
Also the post stated, “Some of the more popular ones where Muslims are concerned are
Asalamu alaikum
If i would have publicly made the same statement i would probably get beat up in the masjid parking lot
lol…..
it’s a sad truth though Isa…..
and it really speaks to the fact that there are just some things that some of us can’t say.
However, Americans (of every color and stripe) - and i say this speaking as one - could say worse of immigrants or the children of 2nd & 3rd generation immigrants.
“That is just a very immature and stereotypical remark akhi.”
– AhKee….to say that my statement is somehow “stereotypical” seems, Allahualam, to be quite a stretch….
[...] Signs you might be in a cult Tariq Nelson has a post in which he lists some of the
There are many cults to be aware of….Zaytuna Institutue is a major one, MAS and the Ikwaan are another….get right with the minhaj and the dawah tus-salafiya and all of these cultish groups will go away once people are on the haqq.
manofthesuunah is my new blog fyi
ali ibn sherman ferguson
lol…..
Manofthesunnah….
did you read the original post Ah-kee?
they’re kinda talking about you (well…not you personally)….
Assalamu Alaikoum, would you mind if I linked to this post?
Salamalikum,
I’ve to agree with abu ameerah. While reading this post, the only real set of people that came to mind was salafees. Brother Tariq can email me and tell me what other groups he had in mind while writing this post. Since I’m one I know the characteristics. As abu ameerah said, I also agree with many things in the article but not all. Some things mentioned are not “cultish” like some things mentioned about literalism. But, I do agree that there is a certain group that fits this description, makhdalees, salafipublication, etc. And, of course, like in most cases, bad characteristics grab headlines and are made prominent.
There are Muslim cults, and many mental health professionals only have experience working with people from Christian and Jewish cults.
I had to get on medication, and get into therapy in order to cope with the aftermath or consquences that come from being asleep and being in a cult.
Today, I’m still trying to heal, and move forward.
Thank God, my family didn’t give up on me. I don’t know what I would of done!!!
Assalamualaikum
Lets call a spade a spade…. to follow the salaf (i.e. be salafi by action) is to follow the Rasulullah inshallah
Salafipublications/TROID/Disciples of Falih al-Harbi are are CULT
its clear as day… if u dont beleive it come to UK and see the “salafi mosque” … speaks for itself
Wasalaam
@ Jaseem:
–I agree!
@ Majid Saleem:
“Salafipublications/TROID/Disciples of Falih al-Harbi are are CULT”
–Yes indeed!
[...] Nordic Mawlid » You Know Your In a Cult When…. February 16th, 2007 A very timely post by brother Tariq Nelson on [...]
I thought about the Sufi’s and groups like Jameel Al Ameen’s when I read this
How do you get someone out of this type of problem. I agree with what I have read but I have someone that I love and care for in this thing. Please someone help me.
[...] with this Islam that calls for a lack of love and human emotion, but now this is what we hear. Slavish dogmatism, slogans and a culture of death and [...]
[...] often we hear that
Asalamu alaykum,
Dear brother: I really enjoy what you have to say. Would it be possible to post this at my site, http://www.suhaibwebb.com?
Yours,
Suhaib
[...] One of the defining marks of a cult: [...]
Do you know that hardly anyone in saudi knows the rabi and madkalee guys ,even in their region. The s.pubs guys can’t get studentship of the propoer scholars (big guys) so they find these unknowns and pump them up to validate thier own status, most them haven’t got islamic degrees or have even failed them. Sodais and ala sheik are good people who try to bring the ummah together. Did you that they don’t seek knowledge from mufti of saudi because they make takfir on the ale hadith guys (they call them one of the sects doomed to the hellfire)
Al Banni describes rabi in one of his talks, please look it up.
[...] Signs of a Cult Originally posted by Tariq Nelson [...]
[...] So today, rather than tuning out the important discussions around us and founding our own little Muslim bubbles, we should not be afraid to become mainstream and learn to appeal to the public at large. This does [...]
[...] So today, rather than tuning out the important discussions around us and founding our own little Muslim bubbles, we should not be afraid to become mainstream and learn to appeal to the public at large. This does [...]
[...] Brother Tariq Nelson and Brother Hood, both wrote excellent posts about the cult mentality of some Muslims and Muslim movements. [...]
[...] for me, he warned. Then he told me about some of the reasons he fled. He could not take the cultish mentality of some of the brothers there. While the brothers and sisters were so concerned about their pants, [...]
As salam ‘aleykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. MashaAllah; it is a good start of an analysis.
[...] have to hold it together for them. That thought alone is
[...] of any of those sheikhs and how they are relevant to his profile, I do not know. I dislike this cult like mentality where people are hooked on every word of the cult leaders (in this case the sheikhs) [...]
[...] in the head in rather than feel the unpleasant effects of poisoning.
For years I have been warning against the cult of “salafia”…particularly the USA Northeast version. Sad to say the same crap is now to be found in Egypt. I’m glad other Muslims are seeing it for what it really is.
Eva who are you ????? you mean your warning people from following the Prophet Muhammad and his companions and their followers?????? Stick to your home duties and raising the children…dont involve yourself in things you have no knowledge of. the Call and revival of following the salaf has BEEN in egypt so it’s obvious you have no knowledge of what your warning about……Cults are like W.d muhammad group….all they would parrot is “the imam said ..the imam said” and there are soo many…others Unlizzted2009.