The Scholars Who Failed Gaza

In this gripping episode of The Thinking Muslim Podcast, Dr. Farah El-Sharif - a scholar of Islamic intellectual history - delivers a forceful critique of the Muslim scholarly establishment's response to the genocide in Gaza. Titled "The Scholars Who Failed Gaza," the conversation explores how many contemporary scholars have abandoned Islam's ethical foundations by remaining silent or complicit in the face of atrocity.

Key Themes and Arguments:

1. Misguiding Leadership and Betrayal of Prophetic Responsibility

Citing prophetic warnings about misguiding scholars, Dr. El-Sharif highlights a deep crisis in moral leadership. Instead of defending the oppressed, many scholars have aligned with political power or distracted the ummah with ritualistic theology, failing to address the scale of injustice unfolding in Gaza.

2. Islam as a Living, Revolutionary Force

Dr. El-Sharif argues that Islam is not a quietist or pacifying religion but a revolutionary tradition. Every prophet, she reminds us, confronted injustice and tyrants. Today's Muslims are called to do the same - and Islam must not be divorced from the Quranic imperative to stand up for justice.

3. The Rise of "Dopamine Islam"

She criticizes the culture of religious conferences and spiritual gatherings that offer emotional highs without ethical substance. This feel-good religiosity, she warns, mimics Western megachurch models and allows Muslims to feel pious without confronting injustice or transforming society.

4. Privilege and Complicity

Western Muslims, particularly those with power and freedom of speech, are called out for their inaction. Despite living in societies where they can speak freely, many choose silence to protect careers, reputations, or comfort - even as innocent lives are lost.

5. Theological Quietism

Dr. El-Sharif warns of a growing trend within both traditionalist and reformist circles: a theology that promotes obedience to authority and discourages political engagement. She critiques this as a "theology of impotence" - a distortion that undermines the transformative potential of Islam.

6. Manufactured Islam and State-Sponsored Quietism

She discusses how states have co-opted certain strands of Islam - particularly spiritual or "apolitical" ones - to pacify resistance and legitimize authoritarian rule. This state-managed Islam promotes submission, not spiritual or ethical empowerment.

7. Gaza as a Moral Mirror

For Dr. El-Sharif, Gaza is not merely a regional tragedy - it is the central moral crisis of our time. It exposes the failure of international institutions, global hypocrisy, and the silence of religious leaders. Gaza, she says, is a wake-up call, not just for Muslims but for all of humanity.

8. Ethical Silence and Scholarly Failure

She asserts that a scholar who remains silent during a genocide cannot be trusted as a moral guide. This is not a call for division, but for integrity. Silence in the face of mass injustice is a betrayal of the prophetic mission, no matter how eloquent the scholar.

9. Historical and Political Context

Dr. El-Sharif ties today's crises to long-standing plans by global powers to fragment and weaken the Muslim world. She warns that the reformation of Islam is happening - not from within, but via political and state forces that promote a quiet, depoliticized religion.

10. A Call to Revive Ethical Islam

She calls for a return to the Islam of Musa, Ibrahim, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ - an Islam of courage, sacrifice, and truth. Muslims must break free from fear, comfort, and false religiosity, and embrace the prophetic role of speaking truth to power.

Quotable Highlights:

• "Islam did not come to make you feel good - it came to unsettle tyrants."

• "When scholars say suffer in silence - they offer Islam without ethics."

• "Gaza is the ummah's conscience - if you ignore it, you risk losing your own."

• "This isn't about ideology. It's about truth, justice, and standing with the oppressed."