Khabib Nurmagomedov’s victory over Justin Gaethje, after which he announced the end of his mixed martial arts career, became news to millions of Muslims not only in the post-Soviet space, but also around the world, as they supported someone who proudly identified with Islam. Some rejoiced at the fighter’s victory, while others were pleased that he had left behind the criticized Islamic texts and scholars, especially considering that he was fulfilling the wishes of his widowed mother after the recent death of his father.
Today, others wonder who among the Muslims will succeed Khabib as the undefeated champion. Will it be Zabit Magomedsharipov? Magomed Ankalaev? Islam Makhachev? Usman Nurmagomedov? Khamzat Chimaev? Someone else? One thing is clear — the popularity of this show business is such that there will be no problem finding a successor to Khabib among the Caucasians. But is this really what Muslims should be worried about? Let’s not even consider the question of the permissibility or prohibition of this type of sport at its core — let’s look at it from the perspective of «benefit and harm» that Muslim fans of Khabib refer to.
Indeed, a certain number of people may have embraced Islam as a result of their admiration for him, as is sometimes the case with fans of athletes, actors, etc. May Allah reward him for this and strengthen these individuals on the straight path. But if we’re not talking about da’wah (proselytizing), but about the benefit and harm to the Ummah in a broader sense, what does the «Khabib way» offer — more benefit or harm?
In the years that Khabib has gained fame and popularity, have the positions of Islam and Muslims been strengthened along with him, at least in his native Dagestan, Russia? If so, would they have elected a non-Muslim Russian policeman as the head of Dagestan for the second time in a row instead of a Muslim Dagestani? Would Dagestani Islamic preachers be forced to leave their homeland and scatter all over the world? Would prominent representatives of the Muslim intelligentsia be thrown into chaos and falsely charged with criminal cases? If we look at the overall situation in Russia and how and in what way different ethnic groups strengthen their positions, we can see that those who excel in the proper use of their minds-those who think, speak, and write well-achieve success. At present, it is not difficult to find the first group among Muslims, but it is quite difficult to find the second group. Yes, there is a separate problem in that those few Muslims who can articulate their thoughts effectively are usually silenced, pushed abroad, or silenced. But if we had as many Muslim thinkers, journalists, competent bloggers and politicians as we have MMA fighters, it would be impossible to silence them.
Why is it that the government, fearing the rise of Islam, fights Islamic thinkers but doesn’t prevent Muslim youth from becoming gladiators? This is a rhetorical question because gladiators never determine the fate of the world — they exist for the entertainment of their masters. For this reason, Islamophobes who hated Khabib for his open devotion to Islam became even more frightened when he announced his retirement from the fighting industry. They now worry, «Will he now devote his energy, time, popularity, and money to promoting Islamic values?» Of course, it would be naive and detached from reality to call on all MMA fighters to retrain as political analysts, sociologists, experts, journalists, etc. Such changes do not happen overnight, and it took a considerable amount of time and extraordinary events for Khabib to make this decision.
But let us at least understand the direction in which we should move and what we should strive for. Many people who understand this, such as mafia bosses who couldn’t leave the game, but didn’t involve their children in their activities, prepared them for a different future, providing them with education and «white» careers, as well as engaging in charity and supporting socially prestigious events. Why wouldn’t those who claim to support Islam, while being involved in dubious areas where Muslims are marginalized, use their opportunities to secure a better future for future generations of Muslims? Why shouldn’t many of them, in addition to supporting the needy, which they already do, support Islam by buying expensive tickets to Muslim athletes’ fights, or by funding Islamic media outlets that are currently struggling to exist, or by supporting Muslim educational or research projects, students, and scholars?
As for Khabib, we would like to wish him to remain undefeated not only in the ring but also in the memories of those who respect him. Unfortunately, there are already examples of Muslim athletes who were fearless on the mat but succumbed to the temptation to join the enemies of Muslims after leaving the sport. Perhaps they were guided by the best of intentions, but we must understand that just as professional sports require expertise, other fields require an understanding of the processes, laws of history, politics, etc., in order to be successful.
Therefore, let’s wish our Ummah to have more winners and professionals in the fields it needs, and let those who have the opportunity contribute to their training and achievements.