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To what extent is Arab discourse subservient to Western discourse, and what are the ways to limit this?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Muslim's personality must be distinct in thought, belief, and conduct, because Allah named them Muslims so that they would be distinguished from others in appearance and character. Allah Almighty says: "O you who have believed, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good that you may succeed. And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father Abraham. He named you Muslims before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper."

The Muslim nation must be master of itself and possess its own decision, and it is not permissible for it to be subservient to anyone. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded Muslims to distinguish themselves from others, saying: "Be different from the polytheists – trim the mustaches and let the beards grow." And in another narration: "Be different from the Majus." The discourse of Muslims must stem from their creed and express the principles of their religion; it is not permissible for them to be followers or subservient. Their path to achieving this is to adhere to their religion and understand its truth as understood by the righteous predecessors.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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