What do you think?
Rate this book
Towards Sacred Activism
Towards Sacred Activism is an attempt at providing concise, general guidance to Muslims in the West regarding engagement in social justice activism from an Islamic perspective. I do not profess that the brief contents within are the sole authority on this issue, nor do I believe that this work should go un-critiqued. It is but an attempt to present some general parameters and reminders based upon fundamental aspects of Islam drawn from our rich tradition which focus on building and supporting model life for all of Allah s creation, humans being the priority. This work by Imam Dawud Walid, Towards Sacred Activism, is a very valuable addition to the ever growing library of English Islamic literature. The title itself, however, seems to hint at an oxymoron. After all, activism, as usually understood, implies a passionate, engulfing engagement with the world, while the sacred implies that which is of or related to God, who is, in many critical aspects, distinct from the world. This seeming contradiction only exists when we view the world through the dichotomized lens provided us by the modern West. As more and more Muslims adopt that lens as part of their effort to both understand and engage the modern world, the gap between the religious scholar, viewed by many as the principal defender and preserver of the sacred in the world, and the activist, grows wider. - Imam Zaid Shakir, Zaytuna College
75 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
12 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 1, 2021
“Sacred activism requires being Muslim primarily as a faith identity and not quasi-ethnic and socio-political identity relegating faith to the backburner.”
Towards Sacred Activism is a concise but powerful treatise that imparts practical, spirituality-centred advice to the Muslim reader/activist. Like most twenty-something year olds, my activism journey began in my youth, picked up during my university years and continues to inform much of my identity as a visibly Muslim woman living in the sunny UK.
Prior to indulging in the logistics around being a God-conscious activist, Walid begins by defining justice. The Arabic word for justice is ‘al’Adl’/al-‘Adalah’, the former of which is one of the ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah, pertinently setting the tone for the rest of the book. Defining terminology and understanding certain nomenclature has always been a central component of the Islamic scholarly tradition, and I appreciate that Walid provides both the linguistic and functional basis of the word and how it relates to Divine instruction.
“The most virtuous struggle (jihad) is a word of justice (‘Adl) with a tyrannical ruler.” [Tirmidhi]
The recurrent, unambiguous emphasis on upholding justice in both the Qur’an and Sunnah provides a spiritual framework for Muslims to strive to be upholders of justice on both a personal/individual and broader societal level. The Qur’anic concept of ‘al-Amr bi al-maʿrūf wa al-nahy ʿan al-munkar’ (enjoining good and forbidding evil) is an obligation that is incumbent upon all Muslims—it is both fardh kifayah and fardh ‘ayn. “When a community has persons devoted to enjoining good and forbidding evil in the society, Divine blessings are extended to it as in other acts of worship and assistance can manifest with Allah’s permission.” Contrastingly, when Muslims abandon this, dire consequences manifest.
“O’ you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives…” [4:135]
Sacred activism by virtue of its definition necessitates being rooted in Islamic morality and ethics when appealing for justice. The gradual but alarming normalisation of that which is forbidden in Islam is no longer solely an issue of the West–it has become a global pandemic (no pun intended). Highlighting the spiritual toll and perilous religious implications of partaking in the normalisation of munkar, Walid goes on to implore the reader to seek knowledge before becoming entrenched in activist discourse and putting their moral values in jeopardy.
The core takeaway of this work is that our intentions need to be sound. When rallying for justice for the oppressed and campaigning against tyrannical leaders and systems of power, our primary intention should be to earn God’s pleasure. As Muslims, we stand with the oppressed—Muslim and nonMuslim—and understand that perfect justice is not achieved within this dunya. Our conviction that God is al-‘Adl means that only He is the ultimate dispenser of justice and that the final judgement is a pending reality for every human being.
I found Walid’s subchapter on the difference between coalitions and alliances particularly insightful. A key facet of social justice culture is that of allyship, that is, (typically) unconditional support from a group or movement facing a similar injustice. Walid persuasively expresses how a coalition is a more befitting term for the affiliation between oppressed parties due to its transient nature and insular focus on the issue at hand. For instance, those in an agreed coalition do not necessarily need to share the same religious worldview/belief system (in fact they may be totally opposed in this regard), but they can still mutually strive towards a common goal. Therefore, they are neither true allies nor do they partake in earnest allyship. This differs greatly from the present secular-liberal nature of social justice which demands absolute alignment on all facets of support.
“Regarding matters that are prohibited, Allah warns Muslims to keep a healthy spiritual and intellectual distance from them and to not regularly associate with those who openly engage in and promote matters that are clearly unlawful according to the shari’ah.”
Surprisingly, Walid also has a chapter dedicated to the topic of lgbt engagement. I say surprisingly, because the majority of literature on social justice/activism in Islam tends to skirt around this issue—and when it is addressed, it seldom provides the nuanced answer most are looking for. Thankfully, Walid acknowledges the contention around this issue and elaborates on the discussion in an articulate and intellectual manner, with his response considering the historic support of the lgbt community with Muslims and the vast array of internal stances. A statistic I found rather startling was that American Muslim millennials are 20% more accepting of homosexuality than millennials who are not Muslims, thus constituting the dominant group on the far left regarding this issue.
“Remember that soft anti-Islam sentiments exist within the Left in relation to how it sees traditional Islamic theology and jurisprudence conflicting with Liberalism.”
As Dr. Shadee Elmasry states, “Separating what you believe religiously from what you support politically is the very eye of secularism.”
In all, I would say this book is essential reading for all Muslims - particularly those in their teens/early twenties. I am giving this four stars because I wish it was a bit more padded out and contained more historic and contemporary figures/examples for the reader to relate to and draw inspiration from.
4/5
Towards Sacred Activism is a concise but powerful treatise that imparts practical, spirituality-centred advice to the Muslim reader/activist. Like most twenty-something year olds, my activism journey began in my youth, picked up during my university years and continues to inform much of my identity as a visibly Muslim woman living in the sunny UK.
Prior to indulging in the logistics around being a God-conscious activist, Walid begins by defining justice. The Arabic word for justice is ‘al’Adl’/al-‘Adalah’, the former of which is one of the ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah, pertinently setting the tone for the rest of the book. Defining terminology and understanding certain nomenclature has always been a central component of the Islamic scholarly tradition, and I appreciate that Walid provides both the linguistic and functional basis of the word and how it relates to Divine instruction.
“The most virtuous struggle (jihad) is a word of justice (‘Adl) with a tyrannical ruler.” [Tirmidhi]
The recurrent, unambiguous emphasis on upholding justice in both the Qur’an and Sunnah provides a spiritual framework for Muslims to strive to be upholders of justice on both a personal/individual and broader societal level. The Qur’anic concept of ‘al-Amr bi al-maʿrūf wa al-nahy ʿan al-munkar’ (enjoining good and forbidding evil) is an obligation that is incumbent upon all Muslims—it is both fardh kifayah and fardh ‘ayn. “When a community has persons devoted to enjoining good and forbidding evil in the society, Divine blessings are extended to it as in other acts of worship and assistance can manifest with Allah’s permission.” Contrastingly, when Muslims abandon this, dire consequences manifest.
“O’ you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives…” [4:135]
Sacred activism by virtue of its definition necessitates being rooted in Islamic morality and ethics when appealing for justice. The gradual but alarming normalisation of that which is forbidden in Islam is no longer solely an issue of the West–it has become a global pandemic (no pun intended). Highlighting the spiritual toll and perilous religious implications of partaking in the normalisation of munkar, Walid goes on to implore the reader to seek knowledge before becoming entrenched in activist discourse and putting their moral values in jeopardy.
The core takeaway of this work is that our intentions need to be sound. When rallying for justice for the oppressed and campaigning against tyrannical leaders and systems of power, our primary intention should be to earn God’s pleasure. As Muslims, we stand with the oppressed—Muslim and nonMuslim—and understand that perfect justice is not achieved within this dunya. Our conviction that God is al-‘Adl means that only He is the ultimate dispenser of justice and that the final judgement is a pending reality for every human being.
I found Walid’s subchapter on the difference between coalitions and alliances particularly insightful. A key facet of social justice culture is that of allyship, that is, (typically) unconditional support from a group or movement facing a similar injustice. Walid persuasively expresses how a coalition is a more befitting term for the affiliation between oppressed parties due to its transient nature and insular focus on the issue at hand. For instance, those in an agreed coalition do not necessarily need to share the same religious worldview/belief system (in fact they may be totally opposed in this regard), but they can still mutually strive towards a common goal. Therefore, they are neither true allies nor do they partake in earnest allyship. This differs greatly from the present secular-liberal nature of social justice which demands absolute alignment on all facets of support.
“Regarding matters that are prohibited, Allah warns Muslims to keep a healthy spiritual and intellectual distance from them and to not regularly associate with those who openly engage in and promote matters that are clearly unlawful according to the shari’ah.”
Surprisingly, Walid also has a chapter dedicated to the topic of lgbt engagement. I say surprisingly, because the majority of literature on social justice/activism in Islam tends to skirt around this issue—and when it is addressed, it seldom provides the nuanced answer most are looking for. Thankfully, Walid acknowledges the contention around this issue and elaborates on the discussion in an articulate and intellectual manner, with his response considering the historic support of the lgbt community with Muslims and the vast array of internal stances. A statistic I found rather startling was that American Muslim millennials are 20% more accepting of homosexuality than millennials who are not Muslims, thus constituting the dominant group on the far left regarding this issue.
“Remember that soft anti-Islam sentiments exist within the Left in relation to how it sees traditional Islamic theology and jurisprudence conflicting with Liberalism.”
As Dr. Shadee Elmasry states, “Separating what you believe religiously from what you support politically is the very eye of secularism.”
In all, I would say this book is essential reading for all Muslims - particularly those in their teens/early twenties. I am giving this four stars because I wish it was a bit more padded out and contained more historic and contemporary figures/examples for the reader to relate to and draw inspiration from.
4/5
June 19, 2020
There is a division between Muslim activism and Muslim scholarship where the two categories view each other with suspicion and presumption that entrenches divide. This book seeks to navigate the dichotomy of activism and Islam and build bridges between two necessary communities and fields within which Islam can and should operate. This is a handbook. There is far more that can be said on the subject but this handbook is a noble and succinct attempt at bridging the gap between scholarship and activism in Muslim spaces. The parameters of activism are discussed with examples from the Quran and sunnah given that clearly define parameters and unified goals and objectives that Islam gives for seeking justice. At the forefront, we are reminded that the ends do not justify the means and thus, the means are a critical component that needs to be given a sacred framework and the correct means should be employed by Muslims operating within the field of political and social activism as there is a prevalence for many Muslim activists to fall in line with secular and liberal principles for activism. I particularly enjoyed the section on alliances and the concept of allyship from both the liberal and sacred dichotomy.
Short, concise; must read.
Short, concise; must read.
October 4, 2025
This book was written in 2018, and it shows - in a good way! To be honest, this was a lot better than I expected it to be, though I do wish it was longer and more detailed.
Imam Dawud goes over general principles around social justice and activism in Islam, before discussing more relevant/ pragmatic issues that arise for Muslims engaged in activism work. Sometimes the discussion was a little too general and vague, and it would have been helpful for him to provide more examples and details around common questions and concerns.
Given that the 2010s were the heyday of Muslims engaging with the left for issues related to Islamophobia (which in turn led to Muslims being expected to support specific agendas around gay marriage and trans rights), the book has most detail on navigating these issues.
Having lived through all that drama IRL, I actually agree with most of what Imam Dawud shares in his book. However, I do wish there was a lot more discussion around the importance of Muslims being engaged in wider social justice work, from combating capitalism, housing inequality, food insecurity, and so on. Women's rights were notably absent in the discussion, too.
I hope the author writes a new edition where he covers the worrying rise of Muslims allying with the political right, which imho has more severe impact on all of us as a society but especially our safety as Muslims. Trust me, guys, just bc the right wing is anti-LGBTQ and happy to include us in lobbying against certain things, doesn't mean that they aren't also actively talking and planning about how they want us dead and wiped out!
All in all, better than I expected, but definitely need more details + updated edition.
(Also is it weird that this made me nostalgic for 2010s Muslamic drama lol)
Imam Dawud goes over general principles around social justice and activism in Islam, before discussing more relevant/ pragmatic issues that arise for Muslims engaged in activism work. Sometimes the discussion was a little too general and vague, and it would have been helpful for him to provide more examples and details around common questions and concerns.
Given that the 2010s were the heyday of Muslims engaging with the left for issues related to Islamophobia (which in turn led to Muslims being expected to support specific agendas around gay marriage and trans rights), the book has most detail on navigating these issues.
Having lived through all that drama IRL, I actually agree with most of what Imam Dawud shares in his book. However, I do wish there was a lot more discussion around the importance of Muslims being engaged in wider social justice work, from combating capitalism, housing inequality, food insecurity, and so on. Women's rights were notably absent in the discussion, too.
I hope the author writes a new edition where he covers the worrying rise of Muslims allying with the political right, which imho has more severe impact on all of us as a society but especially our safety as Muslims. Trust me, guys, just bc the right wing is anti-LGBTQ and happy to include us in lobbying against certain things, doesn't mean that they aren't also actively talking and planning about how they want us dead and wiped out!
All in all, better than I expected, but definitely need more details + updated edition.
(Also is it weird that this made me nostalgic for 2010s Muslamic drama lol)
October 23, 2020
'Towards Sacred Activism' is one of the very few contemporary books that deals with activism from an Islamic perspective and is written by Dawud Walid, an imam and civil rights activist based in the U.S.
It's an introduction to navigating activism as a Muslim. It's concise and covers core Islamic principles relating to activism that can be applicable to any societal/political issue. Given that approach, it doesn't really cover any one specific issue or ideology except for the chapter on engagement with LGBTQ+ communities which I appreciated, as this will become an increasingly challenging topic to deal with.
It was shorter than I expected it to be and this makes it easy to read and come back to as a guide book which I think I would likely do in the future. I especially liked the chapter on spiritual self care which gives a clear template to follow. In the last chapter, there is a point about the necessity of Muslim activists to know basic aqeedah and fiqh and I think this would have made a good chapter on its own as I feel that Muslims can often overlook this in their activism.
Given that it's more of an introductory/foundational book, I would love to read a subsequent longer book that could go into more detail, and provide more case studies or profiles of people that we can look towards as good examples of 'sacred activism'.
Overall, this should be essential reading to not just those that are labelled 'activists' but all Muslims, as we are all engaged in society and are all 'activists' to some degree.
Get the book: https://bit.ly/34pbqG9
It's an introduction to navigating activism as a Muslim. It's concise and covers core Islamic principles relating to activism that can be applicable to any societal/political issue. Given that approach, it doesn't really cover any one specific issue or ideology except for the chapter on engagement with LGBTQ+ communities which I appreciated, as this will become an increasingly challenging topic to deal with.
It was shorter than I expected it to be and this makes it easy to read and come back to as a guide book which I think I would likely do in the future. I especially liked the chapter on spiritual self care which gives a clear template to follow. In the last chapter, there is a point about the necessity of Muslim activists to know basic aqeedah and fiqh and I think this would have made a good chapter on its own as I feel that Muslims can often overlook this in their activism.
Given that it's more of an introductory/foundational book, I would love to read a subsequent longer book that could go into more detail, and provide more case studies or profiles of people that we can look towards as good examples of 'sacred activism'.
Overall, this should be essential reading to not just those that are labelled 'activists' but all Muslims, as we are all engaged in society and are all 'activists' to some degree.
Get the book: https://bit.ly/34pbqG9
August 9, 2021
A short treatise on how to engage in social justice activism as a Muslim. Imam Walid’s argument is presented in a logical way starting with definitions of terms and building from there. I found the distinction between alliances and coalitions hard to understand and I’m not sure I agree with his definitions. But it raised some issues that are definitely worth considering. I also had a couple of issues with his discussion on engagement with LGBTQ rights work. He assumes that Muslims who support gay rights still think it’s a sin and do so in exchange for support against islamophobia, both of which I would question. Lastly, this book would have benefited from more editing. Walid is expressing some complicated thoughts but the wording of some of the sentences could have been tightened up a bit. I also noticed some inconsistencies in the footnote style, although I appreciated how extensive the footnotes were.
Overall, I would recommend this book as a conversation starter but can’t say I agree with everything in it.
Overall, I would recommend this book as a conversation starter but can’t say I agree with everything in it.
July 24, 2025
I thought this book was overall a good intro on ways to practice 'social justicey' kinda stuff through islam. But I think this kind of work needs to go deeper. There is a lack of scholarship imo on work that acknowledges systemic and structural oppression that exists today with work from the islamic tradition, on examples on how to engage in social justice work. We have the answers in our own traditions, but we also need to acknowledge the structural issues people are dealing with today that are unique to this generation.
July 18, 2022
Imam Dawud Walid’s Towards Sacred Activism functions as a concise (and timely) introduction on the utilization of the Islamic principle of ‘enjoining what is good and forbidding evil’ as means towards building for social change. In removing the definition of ‘justice’ from its contemporaneous Western liberal context, Imam Walid explains how sacred activists can strive towards social justice while keeping faith-based principles at the impetus of their struggle — a righteous conflict Imam Walid identifies as particularly difficult when engaging in intersectional collaborations. At only 52 pages, the pamphlet’s latter half devotes significant attention towards the moral quandary of aligning oneself with LGBTQ activists in order to achieve shared interests, noting what areas are safe to explore and how one can best protect their righteousness in the process.
May 23, 2020
Really great book, would consider adding to any organization college level or otherwise especially if they engage in civic and social justice. Striving for justice means knowing, at least generally, the Islamic foundation and paradigm for justice, and how our ethos ties back to Allah swt. It’s on the short side, I do wish it was longer and went more in depth on some of the points discussed, but the length also makes it an easy, accessible read. Also ends with practical advice.
August 5, 2022
Used this book for a paper I did on modern critical theory and Islam. Alhamdulillah im so happy that traditionally minded Muslim intellectuals are contributing to this topic.
The book was short and could have provided a more thorough critique. A good step in the right direction.
The book was short and could have provided a more thorough critique. A good step in the right direction.
November 2, 2019
Eloquently said, end with beautiful advice
July 19, 2020
A very short and concise book with a lot of wisdom for the activist. You can tell the writer has been involved in community affairs for 20 plus years.
Read
April 9, 2022There definitely needs to be more books like this joining the importance of social justice with the Islamic principles of opposing injustice and oppression.
August 2, 2024
Must read for the thinking Muslims of our time.
May 8, 2020
Very important and necessary read for Muslim activists or advocates for social justice, and whilst the Qur’an and Sunnah is the ultimate guide for us to refer back to for guidance, this is particularly good to refer back to in terms of how we go about our activism specifically.
I do however think it’s quite short and brief which is good in the sense that it makes it accessible, but I do think this in tandem with a biography of the Prophet (SAW) would be good. Would recommend Tariq Ramadan’s ‘The Messenger The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad’.
I do however think it’s quite short and brief which is good in the sense that it makes it accessible, but I do think this in tandem with a biography of the Prophet (SAW) would be good. Would recommend Tariq Ramadan’s ‘The Messenger The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad’.
August 13, 2022
It was certainly interesting and something new for me.
However, it kinda got lost on me when it started talking about gay rights.
The author, or at least the sources cited, seem to heavily indicate that gay rights are really just about sexual habits of people (even when discussing the sympathetic), when it’s really illogical to believe that when one of the biggest contention issues is marriage (which is unnecessary for sex??). I could only see the first opposition against gay rights activism as a clear and logical argument. The second was entirely too illogically sound and full of arguments that either didn’t contain relevance or were completely improper to reference in the discussion.
Don’t get me wrong, there were sections of the book I definitely enjoyed, but I wish the author had examined arguments that didn’t all hold the assumed background that gay people and gay rights only reference sex and not love and partnership.
However, it kinda got lost on me when it started talking about gay rights.
The author, or at least the sources cited, seem to heavily indicate that gay rights are really just about sexual habits of people (even when discussing the sympathetic), when it’s really illogical to believe that when one of the biggest contention issues is marriage (which is unnecessary for sex??). I could only see the first opposition against gay rights activism as a clear and logical argument. The second was entirely too illogically sound and full of arguments that either didn’t contain relevance or were completely improper to reference in the discussion.
Don’t get me wrong, there were sections of the book I definitely enjoyed, but I wish the author had examined arguments that didn’t all hold the assumed background that gay people and gay rights only reference sex and not love and partnership.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews