The influence of what is called today as ‘mainstream Islam’ on Islamic societies has been profound. This well funded and highly promoted ideology aims to regulate all aspects of Muslim life, but at the same time distances itself from the responsibility of addressing major social issues in Muslim communities.
Mainstream Islam is highly influenced by what is called Islamic modernist thought or Salafism. The ideology emphasizes strict adherence to literal interpretations of Islamic texts and in the process dismissies questions of whether something is right or wrong. In other words, the ideology views all subjective moral considerations as irrelevant. Salafis do not think Muslims are capable of using their intellect in conjunction with their innate intuition (fitra) to identify whether something is inhumane, unjust or simply inapplicable. This responsibility, according to their opinion, must be left purely to a textual reference, with nothing further added or removed.
Ethical Abdication and Social Consequences
The approach is very convenient, because it enables them to neglect their responsibility in producing a moral society simply by transfering that same responsibility to the text. In this way, they no longer need to identify and stop instances where Salafi ideology may produce highly unjust or immoral acts. This would naturally also facilitate an approach of not looking towards opportunities to go beyond what is viewed as permissible (abolishing slavery for example). All a Muslim would need to do is simply follow the ahkam or positive commandments of their jurists, which is arrogantly viewed by them to be the Sharia or God’s law itself.
Put differently, Salafis may prioritize science, in terms of engineering, but will completely ignore important social studies, like racial and ethnic discrimination. This paradoxical stance, where they critique Western paradigms of human rights, yet readily adopt western empirical rigor, leads to the exclusion of essential values from their legal and social frameworks. Consequently, this has resulted in profound deficiencies in every conceivable area from social community dynamics, education, to even urban planning, necessitating the continuous importation of western expertise from North America and Europe.
The negative impact of this approach is yet to be fully measured in the Muslim world. One of the outcomes of this theology is the catastrophic failure to culturally preserve ancient sites and monuments, enabling the destruction of vital historical monuments, some which are linked (ironically) to the times of the salaf themselves, the pious early community of Islam. Because Salafis are unable to understand the simple concept of identity and continuity, central to cultural preservation, they cannot comprehend how these sites had contributed for centuries in maintaining the historical roots and origins of Islam, not only from a religious but also from an anthropological standpoint. Preserving the past fosters a sense of continuity for future generations and provides insights to Muslims worldwide to their own historical development and the roots of their heritage.
Wholesale Adoption of Western Culture
The irony in the Salafi approach to social issues is profound. Despite their constant critique of Western culture, Salafis adopt everything that North American or European life has to offer, from Western education which focuses on empirical methodologies, entertainment, to rampant consumerism, as they purchase every western product available on the market. However, in the realm of philosophical, moral, and aesthetic inquiries, there are no serious considerations, ironically because Salafi Wahhabis view them as cultural threats that are alien to Islam. The result is a society that is intellectually and culturally, throughly colonized. Whether they are aware of this or not is up for debate, but the fact is Salafi theology has unrooted the entire Muslim world from it’s rich Islamic legacy leading to the exclusion of vital humanistic values that cannot be easily measured.
This is often observed in the educational systems where this ideology is prevalent. Focus is heavily placed on quantifiable achievements, such as exam scores and graduation rates through which many Muslim students generally excel. However, an empirically focused curriculum overlooks the importance of fostering creativity, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning, which are harder to measure but very crucial for the holistic development of individuals, societies and countries. This deficiency, especially in Gulf countries, has resorted governments in hiring droves of teachers and advisors from Europe and the US to fill the gap in providing a more well-rounded education.
The Dismissal of Islam’s Humanistic Legacy
Salafis view aesthetic judgments and humanism as Western corruptions, thereby rendering the rich humanistic legacy of the Islamic civilization irrelevant. This attitude ignores significant contributions of past generations of accomplished Muslims in fields such as philosophy, arts, poetry, and ethical theory. By rejecting them, Muslims worldwide miss out on deeper questions about the meaning of life, justice, and beauty that are based on the Quran and Sunnah, and which are crucial for a holistic understanding of Muslim existence.
The rich Islamic heritage is often discursive, and involves engagement with diverse perspectives and experiences, fostering empathy and understanding. Without these engagements which serve as tools for expression in ordinary life, Muslims have become less able to understand and express their feelings.
An ideology that prioritizes literal textual evidence over aesthetic judgments and humanism can subtly but profoundly impact a population in ways they may not comprehend or directly perceive. The effects inevitably manifests itself to an ugly reality. This is evident today in Muslim countries, where there are clear indicators such as cultural erosion, reduced emotional Intelligence, alienation, and the slow gradual homogenization towards an Arabized culture.
By devaluing humanistic elements in Islamic history and labelling them as heretical, Salafis caused a decline in the creation and appreciation of art, literature, and music, which has lead to a less vibrant cultural life, and a Muslim society that lacks the richness and depth that the arts provide.
The reliance on empricism while ignoring emotions, empathy, and interpersonal relationships, has influenced Muslims to become less attuned to their own emotional states. Because Salafis focus predominantly on technical knowledge, and reject humanistic paradigms, Muslim education systems have de-emphasized subjects that cultivate emotional awareness and empathy. Participating in the arts, storytelling, and communal activities, are vital for developing emotional intelligence. These activities encourage self-expression, emotional exploration, and empathy, which are heavily expressed in the Islamic tradition that is now deemed as heritcal.
Moreover, the Salafi paradigm condemns indigenously unique communal and relational aspects of life, resulting in people that experience greater social isolation. Social events like weekly zikr gatherings accompanied with feasts for the poor, local cultural celebrations like the Persian new year nowruz, or even mawlid the celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s (peace and blessings upon him) birthday, are all viewed as heretical.
Salafism sees their ideology as the only correct and true Islam, and as the only valid way of understanding the religion, other ways of engaging Islam—such as through Sufism or philosophy—is devalued or ignored. This has lead the religion to become homogenized intellectually causing a great reduction in diversity of thought that was a hallmark of Islam. The Islamic intellectual tradition on the other hand can still provide a rich moral framework that emphasizes the dignity and worth of all individuals. Al-Farabi (d. 950 AD), a renowned philosopher, emphasized the role of rationality and ethics in building a just society in his book al-madinah al-fadhila “The Virtuous City”. His work bridges Greek philosophy with Islamic thought, showcasing a profound humanist perspective. Meanwhile, Ibn Khaldun’s (d. 1406) muqadimmah with his analysis of civilizations, is notable for his emphasis on social cohesion (asabiyyah), and the collective well-being of communities, highlighting the importance of justice, economic stability, and the role of human agency in shaping history, which are humanist principles of understanding people’s behavior and social dynamics. These are just two examples among a plethora of classical scholars. Islamic communities must find and invest in modern intellectuals to reinvigorate the rich Islamic tradition. Currently, most thinkers that use modern epistemological methods to work with the Islamic tradition, in order to chart a course for the future are either not focused on, not known or even downright neglected as unimportant. This is a testament to the success of modern anti intellectual sentiments in Islamic communities.
The Salafi approach, with its heavy reliance on empirical evidence and dismissal of subjective and moral values, leads to significant contradictions and a sense of cultural disorientation. By excluding essential human values from legal and social frameworks, this approach undermines the rich humanistic legacy of the Islamic civilization. To create a more balanced and humane society, it is crucial to integrate these values into our understanding and practice of Islam by decolonizing the religion from Salafi thought.
One Ummah 