There is this one thing that we have in abundance. Problems. When you look at the state of the Ummah – the Muslim nation – we appear to be buried under lots and lots of problems. Corruption, disunity, civil wars you name it, we’ve got it.
And while there may be many different reasons why these problems exist, there is just one reason why we haven’t been able to solve most of them.
Our collective identity crises.
Not knowing who you are or where you belong may not seem like a huge problem. But in reality, this lost sense of identity lies at the heart of all our collective challenges.
What is identity crisis? Where does it come from? Why is it so bad? And most importantly, what can we do to get rid of it? We will discuss all of that in this blog. But before that, let’s understand what identity really is.
What is Identity?
Thinkers, philosophers, theologists, and many people have, at some point in their lives, questioned who they are. What is their identity?
Identity is an abstract concept. This is also why it is so tricky. Your identity defines who you are as a person. It is shaped by your values, beliefs, experiences, and more. Your identity is your perception of yourself and shapes your thoughts, behaviours, and decisions.
Ask yourself this question: who am I? And the first thing that comes to your mind is a part of your identity. If you keep building on to it, you may have a complete picture of who you think you are.
Identity gives you a sense of direction, it focuses your efforts towards a goal.
If you think you are someone who likes staying physically fit, hitting the gym or working out every day is a no-brainer task. If, however, you consider yourself a couch potato, being physically active is something that is against your nature. And hence, more difficult.
And this is not just restricted to you as an individual. Identity works the same way when we look at it in a collective sense.
A group of people who consider themselves to be brave and more capable of success are more likely to do big things in life. On the contrary, people who are defeated in their minds and think of themselves as, well, losers, will be less likely to do even the bare minimum.
You see, this is why having an identity crisis is so problematic. When you are not clear about your identity, and who you are, you lose your sense of direction. When a nation of millions and millions of people does not share a unified sense of identity, they fail to have a unified sense of purpose. Every person works in a different direction, nullifying most of the efforts and yielding no solutions for the existing problems.
This is the dilemma we face today.
Our Collective Identity Crises
Our identity begins to form as soon as we start to gain our senses in childhood. Unfortunately, since then, different people tell us different things about who we are and what we need to be.
“Homework krke nahi aye? Get out!” [You didn’t do your homework?] The teacher makes the school-going kid feel they are not good enough.
“Meri ijazat k baghair ghr se bahar niklay tou wapis matt ana!” [Don’t come back home if you decide to go out without my permission.] Parents make the young man feel as if they are worthless.
“Ghanti baja k bhagay ho? Allah Ta’ala Jahannum mein dalen ge” [You rang my doorbell and ran? Allah SWT will cast you into Hell fire.] The paros wali aunty [the lady who lives next door] makes the kid think Allah SWT gives serious punishments for small, mischievous acts.
“Quran ka sabaq poora nahi kiya?” Allah Ta’ala tumse naraz hein.” [You didn’t complete your Quran lesson? Allah SWT is upset with you now.] The Qari sahab further reinforces the negative and incorrect perception the child has of Allah SWT.
Everyone you come across gives you a different blueprint to build yourself.
The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that we are so linguistically divided.
A Punjabi person is a Punjabi. They can’t relate with a Sindhi, Kashmiri, Pashtoon, or any other caste. And if they can’t relate, they can’t have a shared sense of belonging, and hence it would be harder for them to join their efforts for a common goal.
Pakistan was made in the name of Islam. Or so we read in the books of history. However, Islam got lost somewhere in the rusty pages of the constitution and we were left a directionless nation that does not know what we are working towards.
As a result, most of us are confused today, being pulled in all different directions and told different things about who we are. We are struggling with our identity at both individual and collective levels.
And this is where our identity crises, and most, if not all of our other problems also stem from.
Coping with Our Collective Identity Crises
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW came into Arabia some 1400 years ago and changed the entire outlook of a forgotten, downtrodden nation within a handful of decades. The reason? Allah SWT blessed that nation with a strong and clear sense of identity. They were all Muslims, humbly submissive to One God and obediently following the directions of His beloved Messenger Muhammad SAW.
They had their characteristics defined to the nines. Who you are and what you have to do – it was (and still is) laid out very clearly in The Quran.
All believers are but brothers [Quran 49:10]
The believers, male and female, are friends to each other. They bid virtue and forbid vice and establish Salāh and pay Zakāh and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those are the ones whom Allah will bless with mercy. [Quran 9:71]
Despite there being so many factors dividing them, this clear concept of identity unified them. This was a society that went to war because of tribal differences. A strong identity blurred these dividing lines and united them under the flag of Islam.
It was this “Muslim Identity” that allowed Muslims to accept Khalid Bin Waleed, the great warrior who inflicted profound blows on the Muslim army during the battle of Uhud, as their chief after he had accepted Islam.
This was a feat achieved by the blessing of Allah SWT and through a clear roadmap that was shaped by their identity as Muslims.
It was this identity that ended animosity.
Once again, we have become a defeated, demoralised, and oppressed nation. But why? We are still Muslims.
If you ask someone praying next to you in the Masjid about their identity, they will proudly tell you they are Muslims. If someone asks us who we are, we would do the same.
But how true are we to the word “Muslim”? And why is it that despite having the same identity as that of the great early generations, we are lying in the pits of destruction?
The truth is, we all call ourselves Muslims, but without really identifying with the real sense of the word. Because if we did, all our actions would then be defined by our state of being submissive to Allah SWT.
Besides that, being a Muslim is just a part of our real identity. Our true identity is based on where we were born or the language we speak.
You and someone from Saudi Arabia or Palestine are both Muslims. But with very different identities. You are a Pakistani. The other person? An Arab.
Unless we can erase these differences within our identity and work towards a shared identity, it will remain tough for us to do anything meaningful as a Ummah.
So, what do we do? How do we change this?
The Action Plan
Allah SWT has given us a clear formula for the success we all look for today. We learn from the Quran that:
As for those who strive in Our way, We will certainly take them onto Our paths, and indeed Allah is with those who are good in deeds. [Quran – 29:69]
From this Ayah, it is clear that our success comes from our identity as Muslims.
We will be able to rise from the depths of despair and regain our position as a strong, thriving nation if we manage to adopt and reinforce a unified sense of Muslim identity among ourselves.
Here’s how we can do that:
Understand What It Means to Be a Muslim
We all call ourselves Muslims. But do we really know what it means to be one?
Muslims are humbly submissive to Allah SWT. Those who bow their heads and obey every command they get from their Lord and do what their Lord wants them to do in every aspect of life.
This is the Muslim identity. This is what we need to adopt in our lives. And for that, we need to dive into the teachings of Islam with open hearts and minds to see what Allah SWT wants from us.
You can start by joining a Quranic Tafsir class to understand the requirements to be a real Muslim. Implement whatever you learn from the Tafsir in your life and share it with those around. Also consider joining a Seerah class to see how our Prophet SAW implemented Allah SWT’s orders and understand how you can follow in his SAW’s footsteps.
Prioritising the Muslim Identity
Remember, our goal is to overcome our problems and work our way towards success. This can only happen with collective effort. And for that, we need to work on our mindset and develop the idea that we are Muslims at the core. And not just within ourselves. We need to reinforce the Muslim identity in those around us, whether they are our spouses, children, friends or other family members.
We all collectively need to identify as Muslims above everything else and in the most real and truest sense of the word.
How do we reinforce the Muslim identity? By learning and practising the deen and prioritising our faith above all the other fragments of our identity like nationality, caste, financial background etc.
Next time when you hear the Adhaan [the call to prayer], don’t delay praying until the time is over because you were in a meeting or studying. Remember, your Muslim identity comes first. A person who is a Muslim first and foremost and a student, employee, and everything else second, will prioritise praying over everything else.
Inviting People Around Us
Fostering a unified sense of identity and collectively prioritising our Muslim identity above everything else is a process. It will take time and a lot of effort.
Besides practising the deen ourselves, we need to invite people to the religion with mercy. We have to make the religion more relatable and doable for them.
We need to tell people to start with small steps and remind them small steps lead to big destinations.
We must help them understand what it means to be a Muslim, motivate them to start taking the first steps towards their Merciful Rabb and help them reinforce and prioritise their Muslim identity.
Strike up a conversation on the deen as you are walking with your friends to the university cafetaria. Talk about the Muslim identity and what Allah SWT wants from us. Have religious discussions with them and inform them of Allah SWT’s Mercy and Rewards for those who believe in Him and obey His commands.
Once our Muslim identity supersedes all the other parts of our identity, at both individual and collective levels, the rest of the things will start falling into place.
Final Words
We are divided as an Ummah and have been told we are a defeated nation. This has now become a part of our identity and has led to us losing the motivation to strive for anything meaningful and made us forget our purpose.
This can change.
But before that happens, we need to work to foster a unified sense of identity. And that will happen when we change our mindsets, get rid of our divided identities and adopt being Muslims at the core of who we are.
That’s when we will be able to solve our problems and be more successful.
Allah SWT tells us in the Quran.
Whoever obeys Allah and His messenger and has awe of Him and observes Taqwā for His sake, then such people are the victorious. [Quran 24:52]
We also learn that:
Whoever, male or female, has acted righteously, while being a believer, We shall certainly make him live a good life, and shall give such people their reward for the best of what they used to do. [Quran 16:97]
