Question: In your writings and talks, you often emphasize the importance of “remaining true to ourselves.” Could you elaborate on what you mean by this?
Answer: When we speak of “being ourselves,” we refer to staying committed to the beliefs, values, and cultural dynamics that define us. At the foundation of these are our primary sources—the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus—along with the intellectual and spiritual heritage distilled from them over the centuries.
Whenever we set these sources aside and instead fall under the influence of philosophies, ideologies, and cultural practices shaped by worldviews different from our own, we inevitably distance ourselves from our true identity. History shows that our major losses coincided with times when we became alienated from our essence. Once we stopped thinking, speaking, and acting as ourselves, our values began to collapse one by one.
This perspective does not prohibit benefiting from the knowledge, sciences, and values developed in other cultural spheres. Indeed, there is much that we can learn from others. However, what we adopt must not undermine or contradict our foundational principles. The safeguard lies in filtering everything through the lens of our authentic sources. This is especially important in matters of faith, our relationship with God, our understanding of servanthood, our worldview, and our conception of knowledge.
What we mean by “knowledge” may not be what others intend. For us, knowledge is ultimately a path leading to God—an expression of the love for truth and inquiry that opens the doors to knowing the Divine. When our pursuit of knowledge leads us toward this goal, we remain grounded in our own spiritual and intellectual universe.
Yet, unfortunately, for the past three or four centuries, we have adopted ideas without evaluating their compatibility with our cultural values or social fabric. As a result, our intellectual tradition became a patchwork of borrowed elements. This drift has made the last two centuries of our history particularly difficult to reflect on with confidence. We have sought refuge in foreign powers—France at one time, then England, and later America—readily embracing the philosophies of those societies. Today, we are not even certain which direction we are facing.
Consequently, we struggle to think soundly, make right decisions, or reach correct conclusions. Stability in our intellectual world remains elusive. We swing from one extreme to another without finding a clear stance. Although there are promising developments today, it is still challenging to claim that we have fully rediscovered our true identity. Can we speak of identity among crowds without aim or direction?
The responsibility for this long-standing disorientation lies primarily with Muslims who have failed to honor their responsibilities. Moreover, the oppression and subjugation endured across the Islamic world in recent centuries have contributed significantly to our estrangement. Not least, a mentality of hypocrisy infiltrated Muslim societies, deceiving communities and eroding them from within.
Nevertheless, through God’s grace, despite immense pressure and hardship, devoted individuals have stepped forward to revive life across all domains. Our hope is that these dedicated souls will maintain their rightful path and not repeat the mistakes of the past. If we truly wish to remain ourselves, we must continually assess our condition and keep our connection with our core heritage alive and vibrant.
Every effort made in the service of humanity deserves appreciation. Publishing newspapers and journals, running radio or television broadcasts, and establishing schools and universities are deeply valuable contributions. Yet equally important is preserving our identity while engaging in such work, building strong defenses against assimilation and estrangement.
We must also resolve our issues according to our own intellectual system and rely on our own foundational sources in our choices and decisions. Others may have created solutions suitable for their own societies, but we should not assume these are universally valid. Before adopting any approach, we must assess whether it aligns with our worldview and social structure. Otherwise, fractures may appear in our spiritual and intellectual life. Unfortunately, we have not always shown the necessary sensitivity or resistance to such risks.
If we hope to remain true to ourselves and move in a direction aligned with our belief system, we must first know and internalize the values that define us. Without familiarity with the spirit of the Qur’an and Sunnah, awareness of consensus and analogical reasoning, and understanding of the early generations’ principles, we are already at a loss. In that case, we cannot shape our lives according to those core principles, nor can we properly filter external influences.
It is surprising to encounter people who claim to work for the exaltation of God’s word yet show no curiosity about the Divine Book. Some cannot even recite its text properly, let alone understand its meaning. They may live in a righteous environment yet remain disconnected from God’s revelation. Can someone who shows no interest in God’s Word expect God to regard them favorably?
Similarly, if one does not continually reinforce one’s beliefs by studying works related to faith, how can one withstand the storms of life? The indifference displayed by some toward religion is deeply troubling. How can a person so detached from their own sources remain true to themselves?
Moreover, to preserve one’s true identity, one’s heart and soul must remain spiritually alive. A sincere effort is required to know, feel, and experience God’s blessings. Only then can one resist harmful external influences seeking to infiltrate one’s inner world. Just as a healthy body resists viruses, a spiritually sound person instinctively resists alienation. If such resistance is absent, one must critically reexamine one’s spiritual condition.
Another essential point is to maintain a conscious stand against all forms of deviation. A small compromise may eventually lead someone to wake up in an entirely different world—formless and undefined, stripped of personality and identity.
To remain connected to our values and true to ourselves, we must strive to live our religion in all its depth, without neglecting even its subtle, refined practices. We must trust in the heritage we have inherited and remain truly loyal to it. Even our traditions and customs—provided they are not contrary to the essence of religion—should be preserved. For they have been refined and filtered over centuries in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Even if not directly derived from them, they do not conflict with their spirit.
