UNTIL THE AMERICAN Declaration of Independence gave us the notion of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, people didn’t believe happiness was something that needed to be made into a specific right that they then had the ‘liberty’ to pursue. Instead, pursuing happiness is hard wired into our DNA. Its pursuit is instictive to…
Modernity in Seven Bite Size Pieces & How It Impacts Faith (1/2)
‘Modernity is the transition from fate to choice.’ - Jonathan Sacks ‘Modernity is a deal. The entire contract can be summarised in a single phrase: humans agree to give up meaning in exchange for power.’ - Yuval Noah Harari ‘The modern mind is in complete disarray. Knowledge has stretched itself to the point where neither…
Transhumanism, Homo Rapiens & Modern Muslimness
This is another article where I attempt to address some themes and dilemmas of modern Muslimness. Like previous outings, this too is less a coherent article and more a cluster of thoughts or ruminations tied together by the theme of searching for Muslim authenticity in a post-modern, post-monotheistic age. ♦ Our primary legitimation for living…
Intelligent and Informed Faith is Our Only Option
THE LATE GAI EATON PUT his finger on the crux of the matter (as it seems to me), when he wrote three or four decades ago: ‘I think it must have been easy enough in earlier ages in the Christian world, and is still easy in those parts of the Muslim world which remain traditional,…
Be a God-Pleaser, Not a Praise-Chaser
Being worried (afraid, even) of what others think is a blank cheque for mental torture or torment. 'A man's reputation,' said John Milton, 'is what other people think of him; his character is what he really is.' It's natural to want acceptance: no one likes being ill thought of. But it is simply not possible to please everyone,…