Phobia of “Modernism” and “Westernisation” in the Muslim Community

By Dr Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam 12 September 2025 Abstract: The Muslim community faces a deep-rooted fear of modernism and Westernisation, shaped by colonial history, cultural insecurity, and misunderstanding of modern sciences. While modern inventions offer benefits, some Muslims perceive them as threats to faith and tradition. This has divided educational institutions and weakened intellectual progress. Historically, Muslims embraced knowledge from diverse cultures and enriched it, but today fear and rigidity hinder growth. Thinkers like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Iqbal encouraged balanced engagement with modern sciences. The solution lies in rejecting blind imitation or total rejection, instead harmonising Islamic values with contemporary knowledge and fostering tolerance and openness. Main Points: 1. Colonial rule linked Westernisation with loss of Islamic identity. 2. Modern institutions and religious schools clash, deepening societal educational divides. 3. Early Muslims embraced foreign sciences, enriching them with Islamic wisdom. 4. Reformers urged balanced use of modern sciences with tradition. 5. Fear fades through tolerance, education, and intellectual-cultural harmonisation. ----- In the contemporary age, where new ideas, philosophies and theories echo all around, humanity is also greatly benefiting from modern discoveries and inventions. Indeed, modern innovations have created a stir across the universe. The important question is: how far have these inventions affected the moral and intellectual life of human beings? On analysing, we find that while humanity is certainly reaping benefits and reaching the heights of material progress, the reality is that it seems to be declining in moral character and pure values. The modern world of discoveries and ideas has made man selfish and self-centred, undermining collective interests. What is worse is that when an accident or tragedy occurs, instead of rescuing or helping the victims, people armed with modern devices begin recording the incident, and by the time they finish filming, the victims have already perished. This situation is extremely alarming and tragic, and society must reflect upon it with seriousness. This does not mean that we should place a ban on modern means or declare their usage unlawful. Intellectual and research-based societies have always had the tradition of carefully examining every new invention in order to see how it may benefit the community and society. In truth, the history of the Muslim community is not only radiant but also full of examples of scholarly tolerance and intellectual openness. For centuries, this culture of knowledge flourished among Muslims, leading to extraordinary advancements in sciences and arts. The tragedy, however, is that today this very tradition has been severely damaged. The community that once illuminated the world with knowledge and sciences is now in a state where, if one speaks about reviving these very disciplines, some Muslims hastily brand them as “modern” or “Western” and therefore illegitimate. In other words, Muslim society today has become so detached from its own glorious past that it is frightened by the very knowledge and research methodologies it once created. This fear has divided our institutions into two parallel streams. Secular and modern institutions often dismiss traditional scholars as outdated, while religious institutions accuse modern-educated groups of being Westernised. This lack of balance has harmed the community itself, leaving Muslims unacquainted with the contemporary requirements of education and learning. One must also consider whether this fear of modernism and Westernisation is deliberately spread in Muslim society as a conspiracy to keep it away from knowledge, research and modern sciences. The current scenario does give the impression that such an agenda is at play. Another issue is that whenever a new matter arises – whether social, educational or technological – a segment of traditional scholars immediately declares it unlawful without proper understanding. This attitude has created a negative impression among the Muslim public. Consequently, many people still assume that benefitting from new research is somehow against the Qur’an and Sunnah. Of course, any aspect of knowledge or invention that harms humanity or degrades moral and civilisational values is unacceptable. But apart from that, every useful invention – whether modern or ancient – that benefits society should not be rejected simply because it originates in the West. This phobia of modernism and Westernisation can only be eradicated when we make our society more educationally inclined, when our thought process is balanced and tolerant, and when we cultivate patience and intellectual openness. When giving opinions on new research, we must not forget that the history of Muslims has always been glorious in terms of knowledge, culture and civilisation. In the early centuries, Muslims never hesitated to embrace foreign sciences; rather, they absorbed them and gave them new directions. Islamic civilisation did not merely adopt modern means and resources – it enriched them. But in modern times, when Western civilisation achieved dominance through industrial revolution, scientific discoveries and political power, Muslims developed a sense of fear and insecurity. This fear – known as the “phobia of modernism and Westernisation” – has its roots in historical and psychological causes. The first major reason was colonialism. Muslim lands fell under Western domination, and along with political control, Western values and lifestyle were imposed. This gave Muslims the impression that Western thought threatened their religious identity and cultural dignity. As a result, modernism became synonymous with atheism, and Westernisation was equated with irreligion. A mindset grew that accepting Western sciences and lifestyles would destroy the moral structure of Islam. However, it must be acknowledged that not all Muslims opposed modernism and Westernisation. Many Muslim thinkers and reformers, such as Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Allama Iqbal, viewed modern sciences positively. They argued that Islam encourages knowledge, research and rationality, and therefore Muslims should not fear the West but should benefit from its scientific and educational achievements while keeping their own tradition alive. Muslims must remember that Western civilisation does not consist only of negative aspects. There are many valuable elements, such as scientific progress and educational discipline, that cannot be ignored. The real challenge is to approach Western trends with critical balance – neither blindly imitating them nor wholly rejecting them. This “phobia” is essentially a reaction born of colonisation, defeat and cultural clashes. But in today’s world, Muslims must rise above this fear, adopt a moderate approach, and harmonise modernity with their intellectual and spiritual heritage. Instead of confrontation, dialogue and selective adoption are the best ways forward. In this context, Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s book Islam in the Modern World: Challenged by the West, Threatened by Fundamentalism, Keeping Faith with Tradition holds great relevance. Nasr highlights that Muslims face a dual challenge: external pressure from Western modernity and internal threats from extremism and fundamentalism. He stresses that extremism is not representative of true Islam but rather an emotional reaction to Western dominance. The true Islamic tradition is rooted in balance, knowledge and spirituality. Nasr emphasises that “Tradition” is not just a relic of the past but a living reality that connects humanity with God and gives meaning to life. His central message is that both blind imitation of the West and extremism are dangerous. The correct path lies in holding firmly to Islamic tradition while engaging wisely with modern challenges. Conclusion: Muslims must recognise that the fear of modernism and Westernisation is an unhealthy response rooted in historical experiences. Instead of succumbing to phobia, the community should revive its educational temperament, adopt balance and tolerance, and harmonise modern sciences with Islamic values. By doing so, Muslims can ensure both intellectual progress and cultural survival in the contemporary age. ----- Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is an Author and Columnist URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/phobia-modernism-westernisation-muslim/d/136810 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism