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	<id>https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?action=history&amp;feed=atom&amp;title=Superficiality%3A_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse</id>
	<title>Superficiality: The Pitfall for Islamic religious discourse - Revision history</title>
	<link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?action=history&amp;feed=atom&amp;title=Superficiality%3A_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse"/>
	<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?title=Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&amp;action=history"/>
	<updated>2026-08-26T13:45:31Z</updated>
	<subtitle>Revision history for this page on the wiki</subtitle>
	<generator>MediaWiki 1.43.1</generator>
	<entry>
		<id>https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?title=Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&amp;diff=3821&amp;oldid=prev</id>
		<title>Peysepar: Peysepar moved page Superficiality: The Pitfall for religious discourse to Superficiality: The Pitfall for Islamic religious discourse</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?title=Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&amp;diff=3821&amp;oldid=prev"/>
		<updated>2026-06-28T06:20:27Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Peysepar moved page &lt;a href=&quot;/wiki/Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_religious_discourse&quot; class=&quot;mw-redirect&quot; title=&quot;Superficiality: The Pitfall for religious discourse&quot;&gt;Superficiality: The Pitfall for religious discourse&lt;/a&gt; to &lt;a href=&quot;/wiki/Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&quot; title=&quot;Superficiality: The Pitfall for Islamic religious discourse&quot;&gt;Superficiality: The Pitfall for Islamic religious discourse&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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				&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;← Older revision&lt;/td&gt;
				&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Revision as of 09:50, 28 June 2026&lt;/td&gt;
				&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td colspan=&quot;4&quot; class=&quot;diff-notice&quot; lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;mw-diff-empty&quot;&gt;(No difference)&lt;/div&gt;
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		<author><name>Peysepar</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?title=Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&amp;diff=3820&amp;oldid=prev</id>
		<title>Peysepar: /* Instrumentalization and commodification */</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?title=Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&amp;diff=3820&amp;oldid=prev"/>
		<updated>2026-06-28T06:14:02Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;autocomment&quot;&gt;Instrumentalization and commodification&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;background-color: #fff; color: #202122;&quot; data-mw=&quot;interface&quot;&gt;
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				&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;← Older revision&lt;/td&gt;
				&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Revision as of 09:44, 28 June 2026&lt;/td&gt;
				&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; class=&quot;diff-lineno&quot; id=&quot;mw-diff-left-l25&quot;&gt;Line 25:&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; class=&quot;diff-lineno&quot;&gt;Line 25:&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;==== Instrumentalization and commodification ====&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;==== Instrumentalization and commodification ====&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;−&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;Superficiality can lead to the instrumentalization of Islam, where sacred symbols and practices become tools for political, economic, or social gain. In &lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;[[&lt;/del&gt;Islamic media&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;]]&lt;/del&gt;, this manifests when religious content is produced primarily for entertainment or political messaging rather than spiritual edification.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Ayish&quot;&amp;gt;Ayish, Muhammad. &quot;The New Arab Screen: Islamic Preachers and the Digital Turn.&quot; &#039;&#039;Middle East Journal of Communication&#039;&#039; 15, no. 3 (2022): 215–234.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The rise of &quot;celebrity preachers&quot; and formulaic religious programming has been criticized for reducing faith to &quot;a profitable spectacle&quot; rather than a call to moral transformation.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Hirschkind&quot;&amp;gt;Hirschkind, Charles. &#039;&#039;The Ethical Soundscape: Cassette Sermons and Islamic Counterpublics&#039;&#039;. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Similarly, the &lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;[[Industrialisation|&lt;/del&gt;commodification&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;]] &lt;/del&gt;of [[Halal|ḥalāl]] certification, [[Islamic clothing]], and [[Islamic tourism|religious tourism]] has been identified as a form of &quot;shallow Islam&quot; that prioritizes marketability over substance.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Fischer&quot;&amp;gt;Fischer, Johan. &#039;&#039;The Halal Frontier: Muslim Consumers in a Globalized Market&#039;&#039;. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;+&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;Superficiality can lead to the instrumentalization of Islam, where sacred symbols and practices become tools for political, economic, or social gain. In Islamic media, this manifests when religious content is produced primarily for entertainment or political messaging rather than spiritual edification.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Ayish&quot;&amp;gt;Ayish, Muhammad. &quot;The New Arab Screen: Islamic Preachers and the Digital Turn.&quot; &#039;&#039;Middle East Journal of Communication&#039;&#039; 15, no. 3 (2022): 215–234.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The rise of &quot;celebrity preachers&quot; and formulaic religious programming has been criticized for reducing faith to &quot;a profitable spectacle&quot; rather than a call to moral transformation.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Hirschkind&quot;&amp;gt;Hirschkind, Charles. &#039;&#039;The Ethical Soundscape: Cassette Sermons and Islamic Counterpublics&#039;&#039;. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Similarly, the commodification of [[Halal|ḥalāl]] certification, [[Islamic clothing]], and [[Islamic tourism|religious tourism]] has been identified as a form of &quot;shallow Islam&quot; that prioritizes marketability over substance.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Fischer&quot;&amp;gt;Fischer, Johan. &#039;&#039;The Halal Frontier: Muslim Consumers in a Globalized Market&#039;&#039;. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;==== Sectarian rigidity and exclusion ====&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;==== Sectarian rigidity and exclusion ====&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;

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		<author><name>Peysepar</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?title=Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&amp;diff=3819&amp;oldid=prev</id>
		<title>Peysepar: /* Scriptural and prophetic warnings */</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?title=Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&amp;diff=3819&amp;oldid=prev"/>
		<updated>2026-06-28T06:10:41Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;autocomment&quot;&gt;Scriptural and prophetic warnings&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;background-color: #fff; color: #202122;&quot; data-mw=&quot;interface&quot;&gt;
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				&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;← Older revision&lt;/td&gt;
				&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; style=&quot;background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Revision as of 09:40, 28 June 2026&lt;/td&gt;
				&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; class=&quot;diff-lineno&quot; id=&quot;mw-diff-left-l5&quot;&gt;Line 5:&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot; class=&quot;diff-lineno&quot;&gt;Line 5:&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;Warnings against superficial religiosity are deeply rooted in the [[Quran]] and [[Hadith|Prophetic traditions]] (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Sunnah]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;). The Quran explicitly condemns those who perform prayers and charitable acts for public recognition rather than divine pleasure:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;Warnings against superficial religiosity are deeply rooted in the [[Quran]] and [[Hadith|Prophetic traditions]] (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Sunnah]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;). The Quran explicitly condemns those who perform prayers and charitable acts for public recognition rather than divine pleasure:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;−&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;&quot;So woe to those who pray, but are heedless of their prayer—those who show off (&#039;&#039;yurāʼūn&#039;&#039;) and withhold [simple] assistance.&quot;&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;|[[&lt;/del&gt;Quran 107:4–7&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;]]&lt;/del&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;+&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;&quot;So woe to those who pray, but are heedless of their prayer—those who show off (&#039;&#039;yurāʼūn&#039;&#039;) and withhold [simple] assistance.&quot; Quran 107:4–7&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;−&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;This passage establishes &#039;&#039;&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;[[&lt;/del&gt;Riya|riyāʼ&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;]]&lt;/del&gt;&#039;&#039; (showing off) as a form of minor &lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;[[&lt;/del&gt;Shirk &lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;(Islam)|shirk]] &lt;/del&gt;(associating partners with God), as it substitutes divine intention with human approval.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;IbnKathir&quot;&amp;gt;Ibn Kathir, Isma&#039;il. &#039;&#039;Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim&#039;&#039;. Riyadh: Dar al-Tayyibah, 1999.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Quran further distinguishes between superficial faith and sincere belief in &lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;[[&lt;/del&gt;Quran 49:14&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;]]&lt;/del&gt;, where the Bedouins are told, &quot;You have not believed; rather say, &#039;We have submitted (&#039;&#039;aslamnā&#039;&#039;),&#039; for faith (&#039;&#039;īmān&#039;&#039;) has not yet entered your hearts.&quot; This verse is frequently cited to differentiate between outward submission (&#039;&#039;&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;[[&lt;/del&gt;Islam&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;|islām]]&lt;/del&gt;&#039;&#039; as a social act) and inward conviction (&#039;&#039;īmān&#039;&#039; as spiritual reality).&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Tabari&quot;&amp;gt;Al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir. &#039;&#039;Jami&#039; al-Bayan fi Ta&#039;wil al-Quran&#039;&#039;. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1999.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;+&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;This passage establishes &#039;&#039;Riya|riyāʼ&#039;&#039; (showing off) as a form of minor Shirk (associating partners with God), as it substitutes divine intention with human approval.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;IbnKathir&quot;&amp;gt;Ibn Kathir, Isma&#039;il. &#039;&#039;Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim&#039;&#039;. Riyadh: Dar al-Tayyibah, 1999.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Quran further distinguishes between superficial faith and sincere belief in Quran 49:14, where the Bedouins are told, &quot;You have not believed; rather say, &#039;We have submitted (&#039;&#039;aslamnā&#039;&#039;),&#039; for faith (&#039;&#039;īmān&#039;&#039;) has not yet entered your hearts.&quot; This verse is frequently cited to differentiate between outward submission (&#039;&#039;Islam&#039;&#039; as a social act) and inward conviction (&#039;&#039;īmān&#039;&#039; as spiritual reality).&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Tabari&quot;&amp;gt;Al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir. &#039;&#039;Jami&#039; al-Bayan fi Ta&#039;wil al-Quran&#039;&#039;. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1999.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;The [[Hadith literature]] is replete with warnings against superficiality. The Prophet [[Muhammad]] is reported to have said:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;The [[Hadith literature]] is replete with warnings against superficiality. The Prophet [[Muhammad]] is reported to have said:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;−&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;&quot;Indeed, Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.&quot;&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;|[[&lt;/del&gt;Sahih Muslim&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;]]&lt;/del&gt;, Hadith 2564&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;+&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;&quot;Indeed, Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.&quot; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2564&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;−&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;This hadith directly challenges the prioritization of external appearance over inner state. Similarly, the famous tradition in which the Prophet warned, &quot;The most grievous thing I fear for my community is the minor shirk—that is, showing off (&#039;&#039;al-riyāʼ&#039;&#039;)&quot;, underscores the danger of performative piety.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Musnad&quot;&amp;gt;Ahmad ibn Hanbal. &#039;&#039;Musnad&#039;&#039;. Cairo: Dar al-Hadith, 1995.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The early Muslim scholar &lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;[[&lt;/del&gt;Sufyan al-Thawri&lt;del style=&quot;font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;]] &lt;/del&gt;remarked, &quot;Nothing is more difficult for me to correct than my intention (&#039;&#039;niyya&#039;&#039;), for it constantly changes.&quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Dhahabi&quot;&amp;gt;Al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din. &#039;&#039;Siyar A&#039;lam al-Nubala&#039;&#039;. Beirut: Mu&#039;assasat al-Risalah, 1996.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot; data-marker=&quot;+&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;This hadith directly challenges the prioritization of external appearance over inner state. Similarly, the famous tradition in which the Prophet warned, &quot;The most grievous thing I fear for my community is the minor shirk—that is, showing off (&#039;&#039;al-riyāʼ&#039;&#039;)&quot;, underscores the danger of performative piety.&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Musnad&quot;&amp;gt;Ahmad ibn Hanbal. &#039;&#039;Musnad&#039;&#039;. Cairo: Dar al-Hadith, 1995.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The early Muslim scholar Sufyan al-Thawri remarked, &quot;Nothing is more difficult for me to correct than my intention (&#039;&#039;niyya&#039;&#039;), for it constantly changes.&quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&quot;Dhahabi&quot;&amp;gt;Al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din. &#039;&#039;Siyar A&#039;lam al-Nubala&#039;&#039;. Beirut: Mu&#039;assasat al-Risalah, 1996.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;=== Consequences within Islamic discourse ===&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;diff-marker&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;&quot;&gt;&lt;div&gt;=== Consequences within Islamic discourse ===&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Peysepar</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?title=Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&amp;diff=3818&amp;oldid=prev</id>
		<title>Peysepar: Created page with &quot;&#039;&#039;&#039;Superficiality in Islamic religious discourse&#039;&#039;&#039; (Arabic:السطحية في الخطاب الديني الإسلامي) refers to a shallow or surface-level engagement with Islamic teachings, practices, and spirituality. It is characterized by an emphasis on outward appearances, juridical formalism, and external observances over inner transformation (&#039;&#039;taḥsīn al-bāṭin&#039;&#039;), sincere intention (&#039;&#039;niyya&#039;&#039;), and genuine understanding (&#039;&#039;fiqh a...&quot;</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://en.wikivahdat.com/w/index.php?title=Superficiality:_The_Pitfall_for_Islamic_religious_discourse&amp;diff=3818&amp;oldid=prev"/>
		<updated>2026-06-28T06:06:28Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Created page with &amp;quot;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Superficiality in Islamic religious discourse&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (Arabic:السطحية في الخطاب الديني الإسلامي) refers to a shallow or surface-level engagement with Islamic teachings, practices, and spirituality. It is characterized by an emphasis on outward appearances, &lt;a href=&quot;/w/index.php?title=Fiqh&amp;amp;action=edit&amp;amp;redlink=1&quot; class=&quot;new&quot; title=&quot;Fiqh (page does not exist)&quot;&gt;juridical formalism&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;/w/index.php?title=Orthopraxy&amp;amp;action=edit&amp;amp;redlink=1&quot; class=&quot;new&quot; title=&quot;Orthopraxy (page does not exist)&quot;&gt;external observances&lt;/a&gt; over inner transformation (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;taḥsīn al-bāṭin&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), sincere intention (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;niyya&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), and genuine understanding (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;fiqh a...&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;New page&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Superficiality in Islamic religious discourse&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (Arabic:السطحية في الخطاب الديني الإسلامي) refers to a shallow or surface-level engagement with Islamic teachings, practices, and spirituality. It is characterized by an emphasis on outward appearances, [[Fiqh|juridical formalism]], and [[Orthopraxy|external observances]] over inner transformation (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;taḥsīn al-bāṭin&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), sincere intention (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;niyya&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), and genuine understanding (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;fiqh al-qalb&amp;#039;&amp;#039;).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Al-Shafi&amp;#039;i&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Al-Shafi&amp;#039;i, Muhammad ibn Idris. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Al-Risala&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Cairo: Dar al-Hadith, 1993.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; This phenomenon has been identified as a significant pitfall across [[Islamic schools and branches|Islamic denominations]]—including [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]], [[Shia Islam|Shia]], and [[Ibadi Islam|Ibadi]] traditions—leading to spiritual stagnation, sectarian rigidity, and a reduction of faith to cultural identity or political instrument.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Al-Azhar&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayyib. &amp;quot;Renewal in Religious Discourse.&amp;quot; &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Al-Azhar Journal&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, 2020. [https://www.alazhar.gov.eg/]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The discourse on superficiality in Islam often contrasts it with &amp;quot;genuine faith&amp;quot; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;īmān ḥaqīqī&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), which prioritizes a heartfelt relationship with God (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Tawhid|tawḥīd]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), ethical conduct (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Akhlaq&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), and transformative submission to divine will.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Ghazali&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Ihya&amp;#039; &amp;#039;Ulum al-Din&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2005.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Scriptural and prophetic warnings ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Warnings against superficial religiosity are deeply rooted in the [[Quran]] and [[Hadith|Prophetic traditions]] (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Sunnah]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;). The Quran explicitly condemns those who perform prayers and charitable acts for public recognition rather than divine pleasure:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;So woe to those who pray, but are heedless of their prayer—those who show off (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;yurāʼūn&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) and withhold [simple] assistance.&amp;quot;|[[Quran 107:4–7]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This passage establishes &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Riya|riyāʼ]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (showing off) as a form of minor [[Shirk (Islam)|shirk]] (associating partners with God), as it substitutes divine intention with human approval.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;IbnKathir&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Ibn Kathir, Isma&amp;#039;il. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Riyadh: Dar al-Tayyibah, 1999.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Quran further distinguishes between superficial faith and sincere belief in [[Quran 49:14]], where the Bedouins are told, &amp;quot;You have not believed; rather say, &amp;#039;We have submitted (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;aslamnā&amp;#039;&amp;#039;),&amp;#039; for faith (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;īmān&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) has not yet entered your hearts.&amp;quot; This verse is frequently cited to differentiate between outward submission (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Islam|islām]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; as a social act) and inward conviction (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;īmān&amp;#039;&amp;#039; as spiritual reality).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Tabari&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Jami&amp;#039; al-Bayan fi Ta&amp;#039;wil al-Quran&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1999.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Hadith literature]] is replete with warnings against superficiality. The Prophet [[Muhammad]] is reported to have said:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.&amp;quot;|[[Sahih Muslim]], Hadith 2564&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This hadith directly challenges the prioritization of external appearance over inner state. Similarly, the famous tradition in which the Prophet warned, &amp;quot;The most grievous thing I fear for my community is the minor shirk—that is, showing off (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;al-riyāʼ&amp;#039;&amp;#039;)&amp;quot;, underscores the danger of performative piety.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Musnad&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Ahmad ibn Hanbal. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Musnad&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Cairo: Dar al-Hadith, 1995.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The early Muslim scholar [[Sufyan al-Thawri]] remarked, &amp;quot;Nothing is more difficult for me to correct than my intention (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;niyya&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), for it constantly changes.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Dhahabi&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Al-Dhahabi, Shams al-Din. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Siyar A&amp;#039;lam al-Nubala&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Beirut: Mu&amp;#039;assasat al-Risalah, 1996.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Consequences within Islamic discourse ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The prioritization of superficiality in Islamic discourse can lead to several detrimental outcomes that affect individuals, communities, and inter-Islamic relations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Spiritual deception and moral failure ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A primary danger of superficiality is self-deception, where individuals equate outward compliance with [[Sharia|Islamic law]] (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;sharīʻa&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) with spiritual health. The [[Sufism|Sufi]] tradition, particularly in the works of [[Al-Ghazali]] and [[Rumi]], emphasizes that external acts of worship without internal presence (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Khushu|khushūʻ]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) are &amp;quot;corpses without souls.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Ghazali&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; [[Al-Ghazali]] in his &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Ihya&amp;#039; Ulum al-Din]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; dedicates an entire volume to the &amp;quot;Censure of the Self&amp;quot; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Dhamm al-Nafs&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), warning that a Muslim may perform all outward obligations while being spiritually bankrupt. This disconnect is often cited as a form of religious hypocrisy (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Nifaq|nifāq]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), where displays of devotion mask corruption or unethical behavior. Contemporary scholars have noted that in some Muslim-majority societies, &amp;quot;visible piety has become a currency for social capital, while moral integrity is neglected.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Safi&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Safi, Omid. &amp;quot;The Politics of Piety in Islam.&amp;quot; &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Journal of Islamic Studies&amp;#039;&amp;#039; 32, no. 2 (2021): 145–167.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Instrumentalization and commodification ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Superficiality can lead to the instrumentalization of Islam, where sacred symbols and practices become tools for political, economic, or social gain. In [[Islamic media]], this manifests when religious content is produced primarily for entertainment or political messaging rather than spiritual edification.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Ayish&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Ayish, Muhammad. &amp;quot;The New Arab Screen: Islamic Preachers and the Digital Turn.&amp;quot; &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Middle East Journal of Communication&amp;#039;&amp;#039; 15, no. 3 (2022): 215–234.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The rise of &amp;quot;celebrity preachers&amp;quot; and formulaic religious programming has been criticized for reducing faith to &amp;quot;a profitable spectacle&amp;quot; rather than a call to moral transformation.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Hirschkind&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hirschkind, Charles. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;The Ethical Soundscape: Cassette Sermons and Islamic Counterpublics&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Similarly, the [[Industrialisation|commodification]] of [[Halal|ḥalāl]] certification, [[Islamic clothing]], and [[Islamic tourism|religious tourism]] has been identified as a form of &amp;quot;shallow Islam&amp;quot; that prioritizes marketability over substance.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Fischer&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Fischer, Johan. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;The Halal Frontier: Muslim Consumers in a Globalized Market&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Sectarian rigidity and exclusion ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An excessive focus on outward forms of religious identity—such as specific styles of dress, ritual performance, or juridical school affiliations—can lead to a sectarian and exclusionary culture. This obsession with &amp;quot;outer guidance&amp;quot; turns Islam into &amp;quot;a uniform rather than a spiritual value,&amp;quot; creating communities that measure piety by appearance and employ a &amp;quot;language of exclusion based on symbols.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Al-Jabri&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Al-Jabri, Mohammed Abed. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Critique of Arab Reason&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahda al-Arabiyya, 1984.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; This dynamic is particularly evident in intra-Islamic polemics, where [[Sunni–Shia relations|Sunni-Shia]] and [[Madhhab|madhhab-based]] differences are often debated at the level of external ritual practices (e.g., hand position in prayer, pronunciation of the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Basmala]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) rather than substantive theological or ethical commitments.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Nasr&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. New York: HarperOne, 2002.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Hindrance to intra-Muslim dialogue ====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the context of [[Islamic schools and branches|inter-denominational dialogue]] within Islam, a superficial approach often glosses over real theological differences for the sake of pragmatic unity, seeking a &amp;quot;least common denominator&amp;quot; between traditions.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Ramadan&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Ramadan, Tariq. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; This &amp;quot;shallow ecumenism&amp;quot; contrasts with &amp;quot;deep ecumenism,&amp;quot; which engages with &amp;quot;difference in identity&amp;quot; and allows for genuine encounter with the other while remaining faithful to one&amp;#039;s own tradition.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;El-Affendi&amp;quot;&amp;gt;El-Affendi, Abdelwahab. &amp;quot;The Challenge of Intra-Islamic Dialogue.&amp;quot; &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations&amp;#039;&amp;#039; 28, no. 1 (2017): 1–18.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Superficiality, therefore, can prevent the meaningful exchange of ideas necessary for authentic understanding and cooperation between Islamic denominations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Historical critiques from Islamic thought ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Critiques of superficiality have a long pedigree in Islamic intellectual history. The early [[Kharijites|Khawarij]] were criticized by the [[Companions of the Prophet|Companions]] for their literalist and externalist approach to faith, which prioritized outward actions over inner conviction. The [[Mu&amp;#039;tazila|Mu&amp;#039;tazilites]] and later [[Ash&amp;#039;arism|Ash&amp;#039;arites]] debated whether faith (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;īmān&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) is primarily an inward assent (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;taṣdīq&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) or outward profession (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;iqrār&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) and action (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;ʻamal&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), with the majority eventually affirming that faith encompasses both, but that its essence is inward.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Watt&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Watt, W. Montgomery. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;The Formative Period of Islamic Thought&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1973.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The preeminent critic of superficiality in Islamic history is [[Al-Ghazali]], whose &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Ihya&amp;#039; &amp;#039;Ulum al-Din&amp;#039;&amp;#039; is a sustained critique of juridical formalism and empty ritualism. He argued that many scholars (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Ulama|ʻulamāʼ]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) had become so preoccupied with the &amp;quot;outer sciences&amp;quot; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;ʻulūm al-ẓāhir&amp;#039;&amp;#039;)—jurisprudence (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Fiqh|fiqh]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) and hadith transmission—that they neglected the &amp;quot;inner sciences&amp;quot; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;ʻulūm al-bāṭin&amp;#039;&amp;#039;)—purification of the soul (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Tazkiyah|tazkiyya]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) and knowledge of the heart.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Ghazali&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; This distinction later influenced the development of [[Sufism|Sufi]] critiques of legalism and the rise of reform movements such as the [[Salafi movement|Salafi]] and [[Ikhwan|Muslim Brotherhood]] revivalisms, which also called for a &amp;quot;return to authentic Islam&amp;quot; beyond cultural accretions.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Gilsenan&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Gilsenan, Michael. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Recognizing Islam: Religion and Society in the Modern Arab World&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. New York: Pantheon Books, 1982.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Contemporary Islamic discourse ===&lt;br /&gt;
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In modern times, Islamic scholars across denominations have called for a &amp;quot;renewal of religious discourse&amp;quot; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;tajdīd al-khiṭāb al-dīnī&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) that moves beyond superficiality. The [[Grand Imam of Al-Azhar]], [[Ahmed el-Tayeb]], has repeatedly emphasized that &amp;quot;religion is not a collection of rituals, but a comprehensive ethical and spiritual system that requires deep understanding and sincere intention.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Al-Azhar&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Similarly, [[Shia Islam|Shia]] scholars such as [[Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah]] and [[Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai|Allamah Tabatabai]] have distinguished between &amp;quot;outer&amp;quot; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;ẓāhir&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) and &amp;quot;inner&amp;quot; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;bāṭin&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) dimensions of the faith, urging believers to pursue the latter through contemplation (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Tadabbur|tadabbur]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) and self-discipline (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Mujahadah|mujāhadah]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Fadlallah&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Fadlallah, Mohammad Hussein. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Islam and the Logic of Power&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Beirut: Dar al-Malak, 1995.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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A significant contemporary issue is the role of [[Social media in the Islamic world|digital media]] in shaping Islamic discourse. The rise of [[Islamic televangelism]] and [[YouTube]] preachers has been viewed with ambivalence: while it democratizes access to religious knowledge, it also promotes a &amp;quot;fast-food Islam&amp;quot; that reduces complex theological issues to soundbites and fosters performative piety through online displays of religiosity.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Mellor&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Mellor, Noha. &amp;quot;The Market for Preachers: Egyptian Televangelism and the Politics of Piety.&amp;quot; &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Journal of Arab &amp;amp; Muslim Media Research&amp;#039;&amp;#039; 4, no. 1 (2011): 45–63.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Scholars have observed that [[algorithm|algorithms]] may &amp;quot;trap individuals in superficial religious formalities&amp;quot; by reinforcing sectarian identities and promoting content that appeals to outrage or spectacle rather than reflection.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Hassan&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hassan, Mona. &amp;quot;The Digital Ummah: Social Media and Religious Identity in the Middle East.&amp;quot; &amp;#039;&amp;#039;CyberOrient&amp;#039;&amp;#039; 13, no. 2 (2020): 1–20.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==== Approaches across Islamic denominations ====&lt;br /&gt;
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While all Islamic traditions condemn superficiality, they approach it with different emphases:&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Sunni Islam|Sunnism]]: Mainstream Sunni orthodoxy (particularly [[Ash&amp;#039;ari|Ash&amp;#039;ari]] and [[Maturidi|Maturidi]] theology) emphasizes &amp;#039;&amp;#039;īmān&amp;#039;&amp;#039; as assent of the heart, confession of the tongue, and action of the limbs—but ultimately regards the heart&amp;#039;s conviction as primary. The legal schools (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Madhhab|madhāhib]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) warn against &amp;#039;&amp;#039;taqlīd&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (blind following) without understanding, though some critics have accused later juridical tradition of formalism.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Hallaq&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hallaq, Wael. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;A History of Islamic Legal Theories&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Shia Islam|Shi&amp;#039;ism]]: In [[Twelver Shi&amp;#039;ism|Twelver]] thought, the concept of &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Walayah|wilāyah]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (divine guardianship) adds a dimension of spiritual allegiance that transcends mere ritual. The [[Imamate in Shia doctrine|Imams]] are frequently portrayed in Shia sources as critiquing the outward piety of the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyads]] and early rulers who observed rituals while oppressing the [[Ahl al-Bayt]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Momen&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Momen, Moojan. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;An Introduction to Shiʻi Islam&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Sufism|Sufi traditions]] (across denominations): Sufism is the most explicit tradition of anti-superficiality, with its systematic emphasis on &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Tazkiyah|tazkiyat al-nafs]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (soul purification) and &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Ihsan|iḥsān]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (spiritual excellence). Sufi masters frequently warn that &amp;quot;knowledge without action is arrogance, and action without sincerity is hypocrisy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Chittick&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Chittick, William. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;The Sufi Path of Knowledge&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Albany: SUNY Press, 1989.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Ibadi Islam|Ibadism]]: The Ibadi tradition, with its emphasis on ethical rigorism and community accountability, also critiques superficiality, though it often focuses on communal conformity rather than individual inner states.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Ennami&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Ennami, Amr. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Studies in Ibadism&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Muscat: Ministry of Heritage and Culture, 2010.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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=== Philosophical and sociological perspectives ===&lt;br /&gt;
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Beyond theological critiques, modern Islamic philosophers and sociologists have analyzed superficial religiosity. [[Mohammed Abed Al-Jabri]] argued that contemporary Arab-Islamic thought suffers from &amp;quot;epistemological superficiality,&amp;quot; where inherited traditions are accepted uncritically without rational engagement.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Al-Jabri&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Similarly, [[Fazlur Rahman Malik|Fazlur Rahman]] criticized the &amp;quot;neo-orthodox&amp;quot; tendency to prioritize textual literalism over the ethical spirit of the Quran, calling for a &amp;quot;double movement&amp;quot; of interpretation that moves from the contemporary context to the Quran and back.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Rahman&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rahman, Fazlur. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Abdolkarim Soroush]], the Iranian reformist thinker, distinguishes between &amp;quot;religious knowledge&amp;quot; (which is human and fallible) and &amp;quot;religion itself&amp;quot; (which is divine). He argues that superficiality arises when the former is mistaken for the latter, leading to &amp;quot;essentialized&amp;quot; readings that conflate cultural practices with immutable doctrine.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Soroush&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Soroush, Abdolkarim. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Reason, Freedom, and Democracy in Islam&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; This perspective has influenced Shia reformist discourse and has been met with both acclaim and condemnation across denominational lines.&lt;br /&gt;
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=== See also ===&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Riya|Riyāʼ (showing off)]]&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Ikhlas|Ikhlāṣ (sincerity)]]&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Nifaq|Nifāq (hypocrisy)]]&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Tazkiyah|Tazkiyat al-nafs (soul purification)]]&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Islamic schools and branches|Islamic denominations]]&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Modern Islamic philosophy]]&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Sufism and anti-formalism]]&lt;br /&gt;
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=== References ===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Peysepar</name></author>
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