Special attention should be given to the fact that it's the exceeding of bounds that is the main subject of focus. This implies that man, in his most successful and accomplished form, will be a man with certain limitations on him. Not the man of modern times, who sees the absolute acquiring of all skills and materials as his ultimate goal—or what Trueman rightfully refers to as the rise of psychological man (Trueman, 2020).

Exploring this concept, Trueman (2020) draws on Philip Rieff’s categorization of various historical stages of human identity. Rieff outlines a progression from political man, rooted in Greek philosophy and the pursuit of civic virtue, to religious man, shaped by the advent of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, where moral and spiritual life was defined by divine authority. The next stage, economic man, emerged with the rise of industrialization, capitalism, and communism, where identity was framed by labor, class, and material conditions. Finally, psychological man represents the latest development, where personal identity is no longer defined by external societal roles, religious beliefs, or economic status, but by internal feelings and subjective experiences (Trueman, 2020; Rieff, 1966).

For psychological man, the self becomes an ongoing project, constantly shaped by individual feelings and desires, rather than fixed roles imposed by family, religion, or society. In this framework, the pursuit of emotional authenticity becomes paramount—individuals feel the need to live “true to themselves,” and this subjective sense of self becomes the ultimate source of authority (Trueman, 2020). This results in the rejection of external norms as constraints that limit personal freedom and instead elevates feelings and personal expression as the highest virtues. Trueman (2020) highlights how this shift leads to a society where identity is fluid, and the self is defined by an individual’s inner life, making social recognition and affirmation essential for self-worth.

In this context, traditional structures of authority—such as religion, family, or state—are often seen as oppressive if they do not affirm or accommodate these self-defined identities (Trueman, 2020). Psychological man, therefore, is not just concerned with living authentically but also with reshaping societal norms to reflect and validate personal desires and emotional truths (Trueman, 2020).

The rise of psychological man stems from a cultural shift away from societies grounded in transcendent moral frameworks. As traditional sources of authority, like religion and communal norms, have been questioned and discarded, individualism has become central to modern culture. Trueman (2020) uses Philip Rieff’s model of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd world cultures to explain this transition. In 1st world cultures, moral order is derived from religious or transcendent authority. 2nd world cultures still connect to this order but justify it through reason and philosophy. In contrast, 3rd world cultures embrace “expressive individualism,” where personal feelings replace external moral sources (Trueman, 2020; Rieff, 1966). According to Trueman (2020), much of contemporary Western society now operates within this 3rd world framework, prioritizing subjective self-expression over shared societal or religious values.

Contextualizing Trueman

Indeed, what Carl Trueman observes in his analysis of the rise of the "psychological man" is but another face of a long and historically recurring phenomenon of ideological tinkering aimed at reshaping the human self. Throughout history, deliberate efforts—whether political, intellectual, or economic—have sought to manipulate the foundations of identity by detaching individuals from their moral, religious, and ethical moorings. This ideological tinkering is not a new development but rather a method that has been employed repeatedly to weaken societal cohesion and exert control over populations. From the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason over faith to the colonial imposition of secular values on religious societies, we see a consistent pattern of separating man from his spiritual traditions in order to make him more pliable to external power structures. Trueman’s observations regarding the "psychological man" represent the latest iteration of this project, where the modern individual is cut off from transcendent truths and made to derive identity solely from personal feelings and desires (Trueman, 2020). This detachment has profound consequences, particularly for the Muslim Ummah, whose strength and unity have historically been rooted in an integrated moral and ethical framework grounded in Islam.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, European colonial powers sought not only territorial control over Muslim lands but also ideological dominance. The weakening of the Ummah was systematically pursued by uprooting its connection to Islam’s comprehensive moral and legal framework, which had, for centuries, been the core of its identity.

The process of detaching man from his anchored moral traditions was central to the secular colonial project. Edward Said writes in Orientalism that “the principal strategy of European colonialism was the subjugation of indigenous ways of thinking” (Said, 1978). This involved imposing European knowledge systems and philosophies that were deliberately severed from spiritual or divine sources of authority. For the Muslim world, which had long intertwined faith, law, and ethics, this intellectual colonization was particularly damaging. In place of Islamic education systems that taught Qur’an, Shari'ah, and the moral teachings of the Prophet ﷺ, colonial administrations introduced secular systems of education that fragmented knowledge into disconnected subjects, each devoid of spiritual significance.

One of the most glaring consequences of this detachment is the erosion of the Ummah’s collective identity. Talal Asad, in Formations of the Secular, points out that the secular state is built upon the idea that “the self should be free from all religious obligations and responsibilities, bound only by civic and legal codes of conduct” (Asad, 2003). This effectively undermines the traditional Islamic conception of man as a servant of Allah, whose moral and ethical duties are integrated into every aspect of life. By replacing this holistic worldview with one in which religion is relegated to the private sphere, Muslims in colonized lands were slowly distanced from the ethical structures that had once governed their personal, social, and political lives.

Carra de Vaux, a French orientalist, did not even attempt to disguise his intentions. In a journal published at the dawn of the 20th century, he openly stated: “We should split the Muhammadan world, and break its moral unity, taking advantage of the political and ethnic divisions that already exist in it… We should accentuate these differences among the diverse Muhammadan races in such a way as to increase nationalist sentiments and diminish those of religious communitarianism” (de Vaux, 1905). Just decades later, all advantageous points and efforts in the Muslim world crumbled under the onslaught of Western hedonistic culture. As Maryam Jameelah recounts in her book Islam and Modernism, “The most depraved Hollywood films and illicit sex flooded the newly introduced cinemas. A flood of pornographic literature and pictures, fashions of dress now signed the highest peaks of social life. Cheap food, consumption of alcoholic beverages and narcotics soared, while radios and cinemas kept the masses drugged with vulgar songs” (Jameelah, 1982).

Indeed, that this method became one of the most sought-after priorities by the most brutal modern colonial states is an understatement. E. Michael Jones, in Libido Dominandi: Sexual Liberation and Political Control, exposes how Israel weaponized pornography to subjugate the Palestinian people, demonstrating the devastating impact of moral decay on society. Rather than deploying bombs or bullets, Israel flooded Palestinian territories with pornographic material, broadcasting it on television 24/7 and distributing explicit pamphlets across the region. The intent was unmistakable: to erode the resolve and spiritual resilience of Palestinian men by exploiting the vulnerability of a soul disconnected from its moral and ethical foundation. Jones (2005) powerfully argues that a society stripped of its moral compass becomes far easier to dominate—not by brute force, but through the seductive grip of hedonism. By indulging in base desires, the inner strength required to resist oppression is gradually weakened, leaving the population more compliant and less capable of mounting any meaningful resistance.

These developments ushered in thus far, the most humiliating century in the history of the Ummah. The total loss of the last official caliphate, the splitting of the Ummah into various states, the inability to produce any education and culture, and the adoption of everything Western, which may undeniably include some things of benefit but is ripe with vices. In effect, it was the complete loss of ummatic realities was the ultimate price we paid for our actions.

The Present Situation

While the Palestinians stood firm against such degradation, the rest of the ummah has generally failed. Today, Muslims are defined by cowardice and a shameless lust for power, abandoning the moral integrity that once made them protectors of their people and faith. Instead of standing as guardians of the Ummah, they have become mere puppets, driven by personal gain, allowing the erosion of Islamic values and the weakening of our communities under their watch. Their betrayal has left the Ummah vulnerable, stripped of the leadership it desperately needs to resist external and internal threats alike.

While Tariq ibn Ziyad once stormed Spain in defense of a single Muslim woman, catalyzing over 400 years of Muslim prosperity on the Iberian Peninsula, today we witness a tragic contrast. The Jordanian king now boasts of nothing more than denying tomatoes to the colonial entity of Israel.

And when Indian Muslims chose to be put to death for not fighting their fellow Muslims in Ottoman ranks, today our Muslim soldiers sit idle, unable to fulfill their duties while chaos ensues. Indeed, each body of those Indian Muslims has served the ummah more than all Muslim armies combined today.

No doubt, the leaders, politicians, educators, statesmen, generals, and academics that allow and even encourage such realities are the sons and daughters of those same men and women who sat in the theaters when they were first introduced, who huddled around the radio as it played the latest vulgarities from across the globe, they were the same men and women that normalized the degrading of the Muslim culture. Their children now rule the ummah with no real concern for Palestine at heart. Trueman’s psychological man is himself surprised at what he has achieved in the mind of the Muslim, the total concern with immediate passions and desires of the greatest magnitude, there is no moral integrity to battle anymore.

Until Muslims stop idolizing Western culture as the pinnacle of human progress, we will continue to produce leaders shaped by the hollow ideals of psychological man—lacking vision, moral integrity, and increasingly detached from the cause of Palestine. This blind reverence for a culture rooted in individualism blinds us to the need for leadership grounded in Islamic principles, leaving the Ummah vulnerable to both internal decay and external manipulation. As long as we define success through the lens of a culture that exalts personal desires over collective moral duty, our leaders will remain indifferent to the real struggles of our people, including the ongoing oppression in Palestine.

RAISSE Foundation

Earlier, I referenced the Quranic verse: “Indeed, man transgresses all bounds when he sees himself as self-sufficient” (Quran 96:6-7). This profound warning speaks directly to the state of the Ummah today. We are witnessing the tragic consequences of leaders and individuals who, consumed by their illusion of self-sufficiency, have abandoned their moral obligations and forgotten their divine purpose. Meant to be the vicegerents of Allah on earth (Quran 2:30), they have instead become like the foam of the sea, drifting aimlessly with the tides of worldly desires (Abi Dawud, 4297). Their hearts have hardened to such an extent that a 5-year-old Hind Rajab was torn to pieces by Israeli tank fire, and they remained indifferent, maintaining their economic, political, and social ties with the oppressors. Not a single Muslim soldier was deployed, not even a blanket sent in aid. Worse, they opposed those who sought to retaliate and discouraged their actions.

A new group must rise—one made of men and women fueled by unstoppable zeal, unshakable conviction, and the vision to shape a future that defies the decay of our time. This is a time for those who will stare into the face of the storm and charge forward, ready to sacrifice their comforts and lives for something far greater than themselves. We need warriors of intellect and spirit who are unafraid to break the chains of apathy, who will fight for the revival of the Ummah with every breath. They must be the fire that reignites a movement, bold enough to shatter the status quo, brave enough to confront the tides of defeatism, and firm in their belief that we are destined for more. Now is the moment for this group to rise from the shadows, to lead with courage and rebuild the strength and honor that once made us a force unshaken. The hour is late, the need is urgent, and the world is waiting for the rise of those who will reclaim the future.

I am proud to announce to the ummah that RAISSE Foundation has risen to answer the urgent call to restore the Ummah’s strength by confronting its weaknesses. In a time when the Muslim community has drifted far from its foundational principles, succumbing to the distractions and false promises of the modern world, RAISSE steps forward with a clear mission: to rebuild the backbone of Islamic civilization. Our aim is to reignite the spirit of divine vicegerency, empowering Muslims to reclaim their role as leaders of moral and spiritual integrity. Through education, thought leadership, and strategic initiatives, RAISSE seeks to undo the damage caused by ideological subversion and restore an Ummah that is unwavering in its commitment to truth, justice, and the timeless guidance of Islam. It is not enough to merely survive; we must thrive, intellectually and spiritually, as we rebuild a future grounded in the divine principles that once made Islamic civilization a beacon of strength and wisdom for the world.

• Qur'an 96:6-7
• Rieff, P. (1966). The Triumph of the Therapeutic: Uses of Faith After Freud. Harper & Row.
• Trueman, C. (2020). The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. Crossway.
• Asad, T. (2003). Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity. Stanford University Press.
• de Vaux, C. (1905). Journal of the Society of Orientalists.
• Jameelah, M. (1982). Islam and Modernism. Muhammad Yusuf Khan.
• Jones, E. M. (2005). Libido Dominandi: Sexual Liberation and Political Control. St. Augustine’s Press.
• Said, E. (1978). Orientalism. Pantheon Books.
• The Holy Quran, 96:6-7.
• The Holy Quran, 2:30.
• Abi Dawud, 4297.