Islam: Captive in the Obvious, by Mohammad Babaee
When Words Imprison Thought
Sometimes, the greatest prisons we live in have no walls…
No bars, no locks—
only a few words.
Words that entered our minds so early,
so quietly, so unquestioned,
that we no longer notice them…
and yet, we see the entire world through them.
Many of our intellectual dead ends do not come from ignorance,
but from knowing too much of what we have never dared to question again.
Assumptions planted in childhood—
before we could choose,
before we could examine—
took root within us,
and over time, silently,
became our definition of truth.
The human mind understands the world through touch.
Through sight, impact, resistance.
To us, something is “real” if it stands firm against our hand.
If it can be pointed at and named: this is it.
And this simple habit
has seeped into the deepest layers of our thinking.
Even when we speak of a “particle,”
we imagine something like a tiny solid stone.
But reality is not obliged to fit our imagination.
It is not necessarily solid, nor is it something that can be pointed to,
not even a “thing” in the way we are used to.
And when this hidden error
carries over from science into religion—
it is no longer just a misunderstanding…
it becomes destiny.
Where one translation changed the course of a civilization
From our earliest years,
we were told:
“Islam means submission.”
And we accepted it—
without pause.
But what did “submission” come to mean for us?
Silencing questions.
Setting aside reason.
Surrendering unconditionally.
This definition has been repeated so often
that no one stops to ask:
What if this is not true?
But truth is not created by repetition.
In the language of revelation,
“Islam” is not a label—
it is an invitation.
An invitation into a state:
a state of silm «سِلم» —
wholeness, balance, deep inner peace.
A form of health
that is not limited to the body,
but flows through the mind,
the thought,
the relationships,
and the direction of our lives.
Islam is an answer to a question:
How does a human being remain whole
in a world that constantly pulls them apart?
The Forgotten Secret of Language: When Meaning Changes Direction
In Arabic, words are not merely formed—
they are directed.
Roots are raw material,
but patterns shape their movement,
like a current guiding a boat.
And if you miss that direction,
you may understand the word—
but lose its meaning.
Consider the root S–L–M «س-ل-م».
From these three letters,
two entirely different paths emerge:
Islam-«اسلام»: a conscious movement, an active step toward health
Taslim- «تسلیم»,(submission): a relinquishing, a handing over of oneself, hoping to reach health
These are not the same.
They are not even aligned.
One rises from within;
the other yields to something outside.
One is a choice;
the other is the abandonment of choice.
Islam is the human being
standing on their own feet,
choosing to realign their path.
Submission is sitting down—
and handing that path to another.
And perhaps the greatest turning point in history
happened right here:
When these two were made identical.
When action was translated into passivity.
When understanding was replaced with unquestioned obedience.
Islam: Before It Was a Name
If Islam were merely a name,
how could it exist before itself?
And yet, the Qur’an repeatedly speaks
of people who lived long before the Prophet—
and still calls them “Muslim.”
Abraham,
at a moment when no formal religion exists,
hears:
“Bring Islam.”
And he responds:
“I accepted Islam.”
This is not the adoption of a label.
This is a moment of awakening.
A moment when a human being realizes
how they must live.
Elsewhere, humanity is told:
“He named you Muslim before.”
Meaning: this path is older than all names.
Islam: Something to Be Lived, Not Merely Said
Islam is not a name.
It is not a badge of identity.
It is not membership in a group.
Islam is becoming.
An inner movement
toward balance.
A continuous decision
to return to wholeness.
Not by silencing the mind—
but by illuminating it.
Not through fear—
but through understanding.
And perhaps,
if we dare to ask ourselves once more—
without fear, without inherited answers—
What is Islam?
Then, for the first time,
we may not find the answer in words…
but within ourselves.
By Mohammad Babaee
