Islam and the West

Muslims in the West are being perceived as 'others' and a barrier to modernity. The effects of this in recent years have accelerated populism with the right-wing uprising, as well as paralysed the scope of Muslim polity and their due state stakeholding. This resulted in marginalisation and de-enfranchisement of Muslim communities. In this paper, I intend to explore the epistemological significance of the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, "I was not sent except to perfect the noble traits". To address the issue of 'otherness' and being a barrier to modernity, I will demonstrate that Islam poses no threat or incompatibility with the West, instead, it can provide tolerance and understanding, towards strengthening both humanity and faith. It can enable Muslim communities to exert influence, inform policymaking, and impact the broader societies positively. I will also argue that the jurisprudential interpretations have obscured the very message of moral reasoning that is the underlying substratum hidden in this Hadith. Furthermore, I will construct a conceptual overview of human rights, freedom, and liberalism from an Islamic perspective, to demonstrate how Islam is indeed intrinsically a faith that promises frameworks for harmonious coexistence in a free society.

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