On Why Becoming Muslim Was One of the Most American Things I Have Ever Done

     In America these days, and indeed much of the rest of the West, there a feeling that Islam is not compatible with Western ideals. Anyone who embraces Islam is, therefore, seen as turning their backs on their own society. This idea is of course reinforced by the fact that the news often features converts that really have turned their back on Western society and joined the likes of Al Qaeda.
     The American Revolution was based on the principles of the Enlightenment. These are the ideals that shaped our government. According to Enlightenment philosopher, Immanuel Kant:

"Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity
is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another.
This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but
lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The
motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own
understanding!...It is so convenient to be immature! If I have a book to have understanding in
place of me, a spiritual adviser to have a conscience for me, a doctor to judge
my diet for me, and so on, I need not make any efforts at all. I need not think,
so long as I can pay; others will soon enough take the tiresome job over for me."


     Therefore, America was founded on the idea that all rational beings should think for themselves and not just "follow the pack." For myself, and many other converts to Islam that I have met, the path to Islam starts with questioning the things we are told about religion. We use our reason, and assess religious tenets and practices for ourselves, instead of just going along with "the guidance of another."

     Kant says "Have courage to use your own understanding!" It really does take courage to convert. Not only does it take courage to go against how one was brought up, but for women that decide to wear the hijab, it requires courage to declare to not just one's family, but the whole world your new religious affiliation.

     "It is so convenient to be immature!" Therefore, it is not surprising that many religious converts fall back into the habit of being solely guided by others. The convert's enters into the religion anxious to do everything right, and so consulting people established in the religion, it is easy to fall back into allowing others to think for us about religious matters. This could explain why some converts fall in with the extreme groups.

"Thus it is difficult for each separate individual to work his way out of the
immaturity which has become almost second nature to him. He has even grown fond
of it and is really incapable for the time being of using his own understanding,
because he was never allowed to make the attempt. Dogmas and formulas, those
mechanical instruments for rational use (or rather misuse) of his natural
endowments, are the ball and chain of his permanent immaturity. And if anyone
did throw them off, he would still be uncertain about jumping over even the
narrowest of trenches, for he would be unaccustomed to free movement of this
kind. Thus only a few, by cultivating the;r own minds, have succeeded in freeing
themselves from immaturity and in continuing boldly on their way."


     I will conclude this post by encouraging people in all religions (either converts or those born into a religion) to think for yourself about religious matters.
 
     If you would like to read the rest of Kant's essay "What is Enlightenment?", you can find it  here.

Also, please view my new blog A Religious Renaissance.