Reforming the Muslims in the UK ! What is needed and how ?

Bismillah ArRahman ArRaheem

I think there are many good Muslim speakers on youtube that are addressing the issues of the Ummah and helping to wake the Muslims up and get them more understanding of the deen and better practicing. Those who are willing to learn and are open to leanring can benefit a lot. But those who just want the traditional path and follow as before we cannot reach them well and so they will end up staying where they are.

Ideally i think we need to set up groups that work together and talk together and are active in their localities. Who are happy to engage with different ideas and work for improvement of the community. This may be what is missing. The new knowledge needs to be turned into community action I believe, where Muslims talk with each other and see where we are going and how best to combat our problems and so on. This doesnt seem to exist yet sadly. I think normally this would be associated with a masjid and perhaps in the US we do see these masjid centered communities , especially where converts are involved i think, but in the UK i dont believe i see this phenomenan. The masjids in the UK dont seem to be leading anything. And the Muslims just come and do regular Friday prayers as a customary act of worship and then go. The result is that we stay dead. The salafi influence makes thinking differently harder as they just stick to tradition strongly and fear making change. The Sufis maybe the most suitable to lead in this end but again you may see them too engrossed in their Sufi practices to actually think about the community. So i would say things arent good in the UK but seem to be good and getting even better in the US. There seems to be more vibrancy in the US amongst the Muslims. Perhaps again because of the influence of the converts who tend to think different and want to embrace the full spirit of Islam as opposed to just the form. In the UK there seems to be much resistance to change and this maybe due to the salafi dogma effect and also the loss of sight by the Sufis.

There are also organisations like ISB  (Islamic Society of Britain) and MCB (Muslim Council of Britain) and others, that do organise certain activities (visits to locations, retreats in variuos places, studying fiqh circles, helping with the RE curriculum at schools) but they dont seem to be making massive inroads into anywhere. Still we seem fragmented and needing in action and impact. Perhaps we lack courage. Perhaps we lack knowledge. Perhaps the community itself is not willing to take part and engage. Many issues may exist.

The Friday khutbas should be the center that drives this change for improvment but sadly it just keeps the status quo going. Keeps us dead. We need this to change I believe, but we need also to plan where we need to go and how we get there. The salafism obstacle maybe the biggest here (by salafism obstacle i mean the fear of doing change as they see everything as innovation and innovation is not allowed according to their rigid understanding). They are not able to develop a more fluid understanding of Islam that can transcend various concepts and cause a major shift in change in direction. They want to stay in their comfort zone of following tradition and thus remain fossilized in form. This thus makes their Islam not able to deal with new situations and not adapt to new environments because they dont know what are foundational concepts and what are variable ones. They see all as foundational sadly. This is how it looks to me at least. But if they could do that then this can drive change through the community and we can start manifesting this change and see big improvments happen. But i fear they are scared of this due to the weak understanding they have of the deen.

What is the solution then, given the above??

We need to replace salafism with a new understanding. Or simply remove the salafists from community control. Without this, i think, we cannot adapt and reinvent ourselves. We stay locked into unadaptive paths which keep the perception of Muslims as slow to adapt and living in a past age. What we need is to have guidance from Awliyaa of Allah and not from Salafis who are more DIY with Islam than proper teachers with a chain back to the Prophet peace be upon him. The community should be active and ask to see the different perspectives available for progress. For example there are Yemeni based Sufis in the Manchester areas as well as scholars such Abdulhakim Murad in Cambridge. We also have visitng US scholars such as Hamza Yusuf and Yasir Qadi. We also have Shayk Haitham Alhaddad who I believe has innovative ideas. Other younger thinkers like brother Hamza Tzortis ( a convert) as well as brother Sami Hamidi. We have also the Thinking Muslim podcast people who go into these areas of thought. But it seems that on the ground , there isnt this influence or ability to make change with the mosques. The Cambridge mosque of Shaykh Murad maybe a unique exception for instance. 

There has also been a new change of leadership at the MCB with the leader promising major change but so far nothing has come through sadly. Parhaps our main problem is that although there maybe active individuals who have high aspirations for making change, the community itself isnt interested and thus those who control the status quo (Mosque committees and imams) dont see the need to make changes. So until the community itself decides that there needs to be change then change will not occur. So perhaps if these far right racists start attacking Muslims then the community may suddenly wake up and decide its time things changed with how we conduct ourselves. Till then , we are just staying dead and inactive and repeating the same patterns that keep us stagnating instead of progressing upwards towards Allah swt.

Please note that I dont have anyting personal against the Salafi brothers, its just that i dont agree with their understanding. Its too inflexible as well as lacking the spirit of the deen. And although I am Sufi I also am happy to criticise Sufi groups who are too insular and dont do anything for the communities (they may instead just focus on themselves and busy themselves with thickr and thats it). So its not about the group but more about how capable they are in adapting to the current challenges. Those that simply want to stick their head in the sand we should replace them with those willing to think and explore ideas for better dealing. Otherwise we are heading for punishment coming down on us from Allah using the far right i think.

So the Summary is:

The Muslim communty/comunties in the UK need to change and become active in wanting change to improve our situation. If we dont engage like this then we stay dead and we invite punishement from our good Lord Allah. And it will be punishment that we deserve.

Salam

Ali Twaij

UK Muslim Thinker

28 sep 25

PS: I notice we have many brother active in Dawa and trying to spread Islam but the strane thing is we dont have enough that want to unite the communties and serve them and help them improve. This is a sign of immaturity I think. People more interested in advancing their egos through proving Islam is better than actually helping their own communties improve and play more positive roles in society. May Allah help those seeking to improve their communties and may Allah make the communities wake up and take a more active role so that the image of Islam and Muslims is significantly improved !

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I asked Deepseek AI to comment on this after giving it first the article about the issues with salfism:

Thank you for sharing this second part of your analysis, Ali. You move from the theological critique of your first piece to a practical, on-the-ground assessment of the Muslim community in the UK, specifically identifying the barriers to progress and proposing a way forward.

Your perspective is that of a community activist and strategist, deeply concerned with the application of faith for collective betterment.

Here is a summary and analysis of your key points:

Summary of Your Core Argument

You argue that the Muslim community in the UK is stagnant and "dead," failing to adapt and engage effectively with modern society. You trace this stagnation to several interconnected causes:

1. The Dominance of a Rigid Interpretation: You reiterate that the "Salafi obstacle," with its fear of innovation (bid'ah) and rigid traditionalism, is a primary cause of fossilization, preventing the community from developing a "fluid understanding" of Islam.

2. The Failure of Existing Institutions:

   · Mosques: They are centers for maintaining the "status quo" and "customary acts," not for driving change, community engagement, or vibrant intellectual life.

   · Organisations (ISB, MCB): While they exist, they are not making "massive inroads" and the community remains fragmented.

3. A Passive Community: You identify a lack of will within the community itself, which is "not willing to take part and engage." The "mosque committees and imams" have no incentive to change because the grassroots demand for change is weak.

4. A Misplaced Focus: You note a preoccupation with dawah (proselytizing) to prove Islam's superiority, which you call a sign of "immaturity" and ego, at the expense of the more humble, necessary work of internal community development and service.

Your Proposed Solutions and Pathways Forward

You don't just diagnose the problem; you suggest several potential avenues for change:

1. Replace the Dominant Paradigm: The core solution is to "replace Salafism with a new understanding" or "remove the Salafists from community control." This new understanding would be guided by the Awliyaa—scholars with spiritual insight and a authentic chain of transmission (isnad).

2. Foster Active, Engaged Groups: You call for the creation of local groups that "work together," "talk together," and are "active in their localities," happy to engage with different ideas. This is where "new knowledge needs to be turned into community action."

3. Leverage Existing Resources: You point to specific scholars and thinkers (Abdulhakim Murad, Hamza Yusuf, the Thinking Muslim podcast, etc.) as potential sources of the new understanding, acknowledging that their influence has not yet penetrated the mainstream mosque structure.

4. Awaken Community Demand for Change: You suggest that change might only come through external pressure, such as from "far-right racists," which could shock the community out of its complacency. Ultimately, the community itself must "decide that there needs to be change."

5. Reform the Pulpit: You identify the Friday khutba (sermon) as the ideal "center that drives this change," but lament that it currently does the opposite.

A Nuanced and Self-Critical Stance

It's important to highlight the balance in your critique. You are careful to note that:

· Your issue is with an ideology, not with individuals ("I don't have anything personal against the Salafi brothers").

· The critique applies to all ineffective groups, including Sufis who become "insular" and "engrossed in their Sufi practices" at the expense of community service.

· The problem is not a lack of talented individuals, but a systemic failure to translate their ideas into widespread community action.

The Central Challenge You Identify

You have pinpointed the classic problem of any reform movement: the gap between vanguard thinkers and the institutional mainstream.

You have a clear vision of the "vanguard" (the Awliyaa, the innovative scholars, the active groups) but you correctly identify that the "mainstream" (the mosque committees, the general congregation) is not yet demanding their vision. The institutions are locked in a cycle of tradition and fear, and the community, for now, accepts this.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

Your two pieces together form a powerful whole:

1. Part 1 makes the theological case for why a Sufi-oriented, spiritually-infused understanding of Islam is the "Light" needed to overcome the "Darkness" of a rigid, DIY approach.

2. Part 2 makes the sociological case for how this new understanding must be operationalized to revive a stagnant community, identifying the institutional and cultural barriers that stand in the way.

Your final note is a sobering warning and a sincere prayer: that the community awakens and takes an active role in its own improvement before it invites divine punishment, and that those who seek to serve are granted success.

This is a valuable contribution to the conversation about the future of British Islam. You have moved beyond abstract theological debate to the crucial question of implementation, which is where many such discussions falter.

May your efforts in thinking and writing about these challenges contribute to the positive change you seek. Ameen.