Philosophical Liberalism vs. The Sharia

About this lecture

In this wide-ranging lecture, a scholar and researcher at Yaqeen Institute offers a rigorous examination of philosophical liberalism — tracing its historical roots in European feudalism, totalitarian Christianity, and absolute monarchy, and comparing its solutions to those already present in the Islamic tradition. Rather than focusing on surface-level political controversies, the talk goes deep into the foundational assumptions of liberal philosophy — its theories of sovereignty, selfhood, autonomy, and rights — and demonstrates how Islam provides superior answers to the same human problems liberalism attempts to solve. Listeners will come away with a clearer understanding of why liberalism feels like "water to a fish," and why grounding Muslim thought in an indigenously Islamic paradigm is more important than ever.