This article is the second in a series entitled “Navigating West: A Vision For A Renewed America.”
There are more than 3,500 mosques across America, and that number is increasing. In fact, during my travels across the country, I visited many of them. But noticing their impressive numbers wasn’t my only observation. What I became aware of is, despite white Americans being the United States’ majority ethnic group, our mosques don’t reflect that demographic. So the question becomes: Why is that a problem and how is it solved? In my view, local demography growth is key if your community’s ethnic makeup is largely dependent on immigration.
Certainly, there is growth opportunity beyond immigration. Islam, by its nature, is a religion which attracts and embraces all ethnicities and races, a boon for its expansion and potential to gain in political and social influence. In fact, Islam is already widely considered America’s fastest growing religion, which makes sense considering the country’s expansion and ingrained values. Contrasted with other countries like China, Germany, or France that are united by a common ethnicity or language, America is different. Here you’ll find people from all across the world who immigrate to this country and often feel comfortable with their American identity. The same is true for Islam. Anyone accepting the faith is identified as Muslim regardless of their nationality or ethnicity. To be fair, Christian converts feel much the same, hence why Christianity is a global religion, but, as I mentioned in this series’ first article, it’s my view that Christianity can’t solve America’s existential crisis without dismantling its modern civilization.
So, the question becomes: Is Islam the solution? In my book, “Navigating West: Towards Incredible Truth,” I argue Islam can tackle society’s ills – obesity, sexual immorality, and addiction among them. What’s more, based on Caliph Abu Bakr’s speech after being chosen as the Muslim leader, it’s clear Islamic society and the U.S. Constitution share strikingly similar values, including consent of the governed; transparency and political truthfulness; community participation in decision-making; the rule of law; representation and consultation (shura); mutual accountability for leaders and citizens, and justice and equality for all, making Islam a natural fit within the fabric of American governance.
But will the United States and its citizens accept Allah’s guidance? In my first article, I related the story of Caliph Umar bin al-Khattab and explained that, despite his initial resistance to Islam, he was divinely guided, embraced the faith, and became one of Islam’s most powerful defenders. Upon analysis, we might compare Umar’s journey to that of America’s, particularly when we consider free will and the actions of everyday Americans. For example, throughout the Quran Allah emphasized that those who engage in deceitfulness, dishonesty, corruption, vulgarity, oppression, treachery, disobedience, boastfulness, egoism, are not guided. And although it’s true the American government is supporting and aiding the oppression and violence in Palestine, our neighbors, coworkers, and friends are, by and large, good and honest people. So, shouldn’t make efforts to befriend them and to know one another, and, more importantly, shouldn’t we make sincere dua for their guidance?
How Islam Can Benefit American Society
Many Muslims are intuitively aware that Islamic values can heal society. For example, how does Islam prevent the breakdown of family values so many Americans lament? For one, Islam doesn’t accept homosexuality or any issues related to the LGBTQ community as permissible human behavior. However, some denominations of Christianity – America’s dominant faith – have compromised on this issue, at least to some extent, including ordaining openly gay clergy and sanctioning same-sex unions in some cases.
Another example is Islam’s view on creating a balanced economic model, one that allows for individual rights and a capitalist free market operating with justice. Not blanket socialism, but a model that ensures social welfare through zakat.
Also consider America’s public health crisis fueled, in part, by being overweight or obese, a classification affecting approximately 74 percent of the country according to the government’s National Institutes of Health. Islam mandates both voluntary fasts and a month of dry fasting from sun up until sundown during Ramadan, triggering cellular repair. What’s more, the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) advocates eating less by not filling the stomach. Both of these eating models are widely touted among American doctors as effective practices to promote health and weight loss, as well as disease prevention.
Additionally, Islam counters the existential emptiness some suffering from depression experience. Muslims know their purpose in life is to worship Allah, and this gives them meaning. The five mandatory daily prayers play a vital role here, functioning as a spiritual and physical ritual resulting in meditation, humility, and stress reduction throughout the day. The prayers’ timing also aligns with our bodies’ circadian rhythms, promoting biological harmony. And let’s not forget the positive impact of congregational prayer, which fosters social interaction and human touch, helping to ward off loneliness.
Furthermore, Islam stands firm against racism, declaring the most noble person is the one who is most righteous, regardless of background. In his last sermon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) famously declared, “…an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiority over a Black nor a Black has any superiority over a White except by piety and good action.” Allah (SWT) Himself acknowledged our differences and encouraged familiarity between peoples. “O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may get to know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you.” (Quran 49:13)
Finally, Islam has zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use, promoting a balanced life while discouraging excessive consumption, pollution, and materialism and encourages us to be caretakers of the earth, animals and land.
American’s Spiritual Crisis and the Roadmap to Success
When considering American’s spiritual life, I argue Islam offers a framework that resolves the supposed “incompatibility challenge” between modern science and traditional faith. Unlike other choices, Islam provides a rational and science-based approach to spirituality that addresses the root causes of societal decay.
The faith stands on the foundation of objective and transcendent truth, requiring believers to move beyond blind faith toward evidence-based conviction. It categorizes truth into the “testable,” which aligns with observable phenomena like the expanding universe and the biological origin of life from water, and the “untestable,” which uses deductive reasoning to understand the Creator through the complexity of His creation. What’s more, this transcendent truth has stood the “civilization test,” historically triggering a golden age of knowledge throughout the Islamic world at a time when Europe, dominated by Christianity, was stagnant during its own Dark Ages. Since then, Islam’s core principles have remained unchanged and relevant across centuries.
Islam also passes the test of its own claims. Its holy book, the Quran, is unique, inviting rigorous scrutiny regarding its content. What’s more, 1,400 years after being revealed, the text remains unchanged and contains no internal contradictions, despite being unveiled over 23 years.
Islam: The Great Uniter
Just as America is a common destination for people from all corners of the globe and all walks of life, Islam is a universal religion, unmoored from any specific ethnicity, race, or land. It is as much a religion of the West as it is of the East, historically practiced across large swaths of Europe for centuries, stemming from its roots in the Middle East to its spread from Arabia. Its rituals and practices are fit for humanity because they are in harmony with human biology and human nature.
Because rationality and science are baked into Islam, it offers America a path to remain a scientifically advanced civilization without succumbing to the emptiness of atheism or the moral collapse associated with pure materialism. Islamic enlightenment saved Europe from the medieval Dark Ages and contributed to the rise of European civilization. Imagine what it can do for the United States!
Moving Forward Honestly
However, looking ahead, we must address the elephant in the room. If the argument is Islam is the right choice for America, then we must acknowledge the dire state of some Muslim-majority countries and be prepared to discuss it honestly. I covered this issue in my book, “The Revival,” explaining why some Muslim-majority countries are in their current situation and what we can do about it.
But, in the meantime, should America wait for those countries to resolve their problems while allowing its own civilization to be destroyed? I say no, and counter that Americans should be presented with these solutions thoughtfully and with wisdom, allowing them to make their own choices independently.
America is waiting for us, but how do we get there? I will delve into that in the third and final part of this series, in shaa Allah.
