Religion in the Shadow of Ego

Amidst his study sessions, Habib Umar bin Hafiz bin Sheikh Abu Bakar shared his observations on the development of religious attitudes. He noted that many individuals create extreme interpretations or egotistical understandings, resulting in a clamorous atmosphere of opinions. Consequently, the value of sanctity is lost. Many people claim to defend religion, but in reality, they are defending themselves, their egos, their groups, and their own interpretations. Religion, which should be a path to purification, has become a stage for self-justification. In the virtual world, we can easily see how sacred verses are turned into weapons of attack rather than mirrors for self-reflection. This era has given birth to a generation that is symbolically religious but spiritually restless, seeking God externally while refusing to find Him within. Sigmund Freud, in his work The Future of an Illusion, argued that religion arises from a deep-seated psychological need for protection, a form of wish fulfillment where humans project a father figure to feel safe. He suggested that people often seek not God, but a sense of security that aligns with their own desires. Imam Al-Ghazali, centuries earlier, offered a similar warning in Ihya Ulumiddin, stating that the ego craves status and the appearance of righteousness. He identified the danger of knowledge without proper conduct and worship without understanding, where the ego wears the cloak of piety to hide inner wounds and hidden ambitions. Both thinkers, though separated by time and tradition, converge on the point that humans are easily deceived by themselves—Freud calling it self-deception and Al-Ghazali naming it ghurur. The modern age has turned religion into a political weapon, a social commodity, and a stage for spiritual popularity. The noise of social media has replaced silent contemplation. The solution is not to reject modernity but to restore religion to its core of consciousness, using Freud’s insight for self-honesty and Al-Ghazali’s practice of muhasabah for inner accountability. True righteousness cannot emerge from an unrefined ego. Religion must become a mirror for self-correction, not a mask for self-righteousness. We have not lost God; we have become too busy being gods unto ourselves. As Imam Al-Ghazali said, ‘Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord.’ Before debating who is most correct, we must ask whether we are truly honest with ourselves before God. Religion is not for domination, but for compassion; not for victory, but for peace; not for justifying the ego, but for purifying the soul.