Why Many Islamic Scholars Have Not Recognized the Solution to Blind-Sightedness

Why the Profound Solution to Spiritual Blindness Remains Unrecognized by Many Islamic Scholars

Blind-sightedness—spiritual blindness or lack of inner vision (baṣīrah)—and its opposite, the activation of true spiritual insight, represent a profound inner dynamic that many Islamic scholars have not fully recognized or taught a clear solution for.

What the Solution Is Not

Before explaining why, it is crucial to clarify what this solution is not:

• It is not mere theoretical knowledge of ʿirfān or abstract spiritual philosophy.

• It is not an intellectual exercise or scholarly debate detached from lived experience.

• It is not mystical speculation or occult practice lacking grounding in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

• It is not dependent on lineage, status, or formal authorization alone—though those can be helpful.

• It is not about emotional fervor or charismatic leadership disconnected from inner purification.

This solution is practical, embodied, and deeply rooted in the Qur’an’s guidance—a lived spiritual discipline that activates the heart’s inner eye and purifies perception in real-time.

Why Many Scholars Have Overlooked the Solution

1. Emphasis on Exoteric Knowledge Over Esoteric Insight
   Islamic scholarship traditionally prioritizes outward knowledge—jurisprudence, theology, and ritual—which are essential but can overshadow the subtle inner work required for activating baṣīrah.

2. Challenges in Teaching Experiential States
   Baṣīrah is an experiential reality, difficult to verbalize or systematize. Scholars trained primarily in textual sciences may find it challenging to communicate or validate these inner states.

3. Concern Over Innovation (Bid‘ah)
   Caution against introducing new or esoteric spiritual practices, for fear of leading communities astray, often discourages open teaching of spiritual disciplines that cultivate baṣīrah.

4. Variability in Spiritual Maturity
   Not all scholars have attained the depth of spiritual insight necessary to perceive or guide others toward activating baṣīrah fully.

5. Ego and Cultural Conditioning
   Both teachers and students wrestle with egoic resistance and cultural conditioning, which obscure inner vision and hinder recognition of spiritual blindness.

6. Institutional and Social Constraints
   Social, cultural, and political contexts may restrict or discourage the teaching of deep inner transformation to maintain orthodoxy or social cohesion.