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Islamic Surrender vs Existential Freedom
Islamic surrender vs existential freedom isn’t just a theological puzzle—it’s a fundamental tension in how human beings understand their place in the universe. Are we subjects of divine will, called to submit in humility? Or are we condemned to freedom, burdened by the weight of our choices in an indifferent cosmos?
This clash sits at the crossroads of Islamic theology and modern existentialist philosophy. Islam emphasizes Islam itself—”surrender”—as the pathway to peace through total submission to God’s will. Existentialism, on the other hand, as made famous by thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, insists that man is thrown into existence without a given essence, condemned to create meaning through radical choice.
But must these views remain opposed? Can they speak to each other, challenge one another, or even coexist in a deeper understanding of human freedom and truth?
I. The Islamic View: Submission as True Freedom
At the heart of Islam lies the concept of Tawhid—the absolute oneness of God. From this springs the core principle of Islam: surrendering to the will of Allah.
Key beliefs:
- Allah is sovereign: Nothing happens outside God’s knowledge and will.
- Human beings are created to serve: Life’s purpose is to worship and obey God.
- True freedom is submission: Paradoxically, human beings attain peace (salaam) by aligning their will with God’s.
The Qur’an repeatedly invites the believer to surrender not in passivity, but in trust:
“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” — Qur’an 13:28
Surrender is not defeat; it is liberation from the illusion of control. In Islam, resisting God’s will leads to chaos, while submitting allows one to live in harmony with the divine order.
The Five Pillars as Anchors of Meaning:
Islam grounds meaning in action:
- Shahada: Affirming God’s unity and Muhammad’s prophethood
- Salat: Daily prayer
- Zakat: Charity
- Sawm: Fasting during Ramadan
- Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca
Each practice is an act of willful submission, reminding the believer that peace comes from obedience, not autonomy.
II. The Existentialist View: Freedom as Burden and Gift
Existentialism, by contrast, starts from the absence of divine guarantees. For Sartre, there is no God, no blueprint, no preordained essence:
“Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.” — Jean-Paul Sartre
Key beliefs:
- Existence precedes essence: We exist first, then define ourselves through action.
- Freedom is absolute: Even not choosing is a choice.
- Responsibility is total: There’s no one to blame; we alone are authors of our lives.
Far from liberating, this freedom can feel like a curse. Camus calls it the absurd—a conflict between our desire for meaning and a silent universe.
But existentialists do not recommend despair. Instead, they call for authenticity: to embrace our freedom and create meaning anyway, however fragile.
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus
Freedom, in this view, is both a challenge and a power—to create, to rebel, to affirm life in spite of meaninglessness.
III. Islamic Surrender vs Existential Freedom: A Philosophical Showdown
Let’s place these side by side:
| Aspect | Islamic Surrender | Existential Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| Source of Meaning | Divine revelation (Qur’an and Hadith) | Self-created meaning through choice |
| View of Freedom | Found in submission to God’s will | Found in rejecting external authority |
| Human Identity | Created by God, with purpose | Self-defined, without inherent purpose |
| Moral Framework | Sharia (divine law) | No fixed morality—ethics arise from context |
| Ultimate Goal | Peace in obedience to Allah | Authenticity and self-realization |
These differences are sharp, but they illuminate shared concerns: both traditions recognize the deep anxiety of human freedom, the need for order, and the quest for meaning.
IV. Can These Views Reconcile?
Despite appearing opposed, some thinkers have attempted a synthesis—or at least a dialogue:
1. Mystical Islam and Existential Inquiry
Sufi mystics like Rumi and Ibn Arabi emphasize the inward journey, where surrender becomes a form of ecstatic annihilation of the self (fana). This loss of self can mirror the existentialist’s deconstruction of the ego.
2. Kierkegaard’s Faith Leap
Though Christian, Søren Kierkegaard anticipates existentialism while affirming the absurdity of faith. Like Islam, he embraces paradox: freedom is real, but only fulfilled in a leap into God’s hands.
3. Modern Muslim Thinkers
- Mohammed Iqbal: Argued for a dynamic Islam where the self (khudi) is empowered through surrender.
- Fazlur Rahman: Advocated reinterpreting revelation to engage moral agency, not suppress it.
Some even claim that Islamic surrender isn’t anti-freedom—it’s freedom rightly ordered.
V. Journal Prompts: Reflecting on the Divide
- Where do you locate your freedom—in autonomy or surrender?
- Can obedience be a choice, or does it cancel choice?
- Is it possible to surrender without a higher power?
- What do you fear more: total freedom or total control?
VI. Book Suggestions
- Existentialism is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre
- The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
- The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam by Muhammad Iqbal
- No God but God by Reza Aslan
TL;DR Summary
- Islamic surrender vs existential freedom is a contrast between obedience to divine order and radical self-creation.
- Islam finds peace in submission; existentialism finds authenticity in responsibility.
- Despite tensions, both address the existential condition: the need for meaning, the burden of freedom, and the hunger for truth.
Both call us to live deliberately, whether that means bowing in prayer or standing alone in a silent cosmos.
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