A Thoughtful Response to Mr Naseer Ahmed’s Rejoinder: In Defence of Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Sahib and the Living Heart of Islam
By A Student Of Classical Islam And Spiritualism Tradition
20 May 2025
Mr Naseer Ahmed’s recent rejoinder (Rejoinder to “A Dialogue with Mr Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi: Islam, AI, and the Quest for Spiritual Depth”) to the article by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Sahib (A Dialogue with Mr Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi: Islam, AI, and the Quest for Spiritual Depth), reflecting on Islam, spirituality, and artificial intelligence, raises important points, but also misses the essence of what was being said. In his zeal to defend modern tools like AI and rational thinking, Mr Naseer risks misunderstanding the deeper call made by Siddiqi Sahib: a call to return to the heart, to the soul of religion, and to the lived, transforming spirituality that has always been central to Islam.
Let us gently but firmly explore the issues in Mr Naseer Ahmed’s response.
There Is No War Between the Heart and the Mind
One of Mr Naseer’s central accusations is that Siddiqi Sahib creates a false division—between intellect and spirituality, between reasoning and feeling. But this is a misreading.
In truth, Siddiqi Sahib is not rejecting intellect at all. He is asking us to remember that intellect alone is not enough. The Qur'an itself reminds us:
"They have hearts with which they do not understand" (The Qur’an 7:179)
Islam’s tradition has never seen the heart and mind as rivals. In fact, the heart (qalb) is seen as the inner compass, the place where divine light lands. The intellect (‘aql) helps navigate the world, but the heart is what connects us to the next. In Sufi tradition, the mind is honoured, but it is guided by a heart that is purified, softened, and illuminated by divine remembrance.
Siddiqi Sahib’s message was simple: let the mind serve the heart, not silence it.
Misunderstanding the Legacy of the Sufis
Mr Naseer also paints the Sufi tradition in an overly critical light, accusing it of historical arrogance or sectarianism. This is unfortunate and does a disservice to a rich and deeply diverse spiritual heritage.
Of course, no tradition is immune from human error—but to reduce centuries of spiritual insight to a few political missteps is unfair. Would we discredit hadith sciences because some narrators were weak? Or throw out Fiqh because some rulers abused it?
What about the compassion of Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi, the fearless justice of Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, the balanced brilliance of Shah Waliullah, or the timeless love in the poetry of Allaama Rumi and Sheikh Saadi?
These were people whose hearts were refined and whose lives still move hearts across the world. They did not just talk about Islam, but they also lived it deeply and inwardly.
Tools Are Not the Same as Wisdom
Mr Naseer speaks in defence of AI as a helpful tool, and he is right. AI can assist with research, organize vast data, and uncover patterns we might miss. But this misses the real concern raised by Siddiqi Sahib.
The question is not whether AI can be useful. The question is: Can it feel the Qur’an? Can it taste the sweetness of dhikr? Can it weep at the recitation of a verse? Can it humble itself before Allah?
AI can process language, but it cannot understand the tears of a sincere believer. It can analyse, but not love. That is why spiritual insight, Ma’rifah, doesn’t come from code or algorithms. It comes from the heart, refined by sincerity and submission.
And when Mr Naseer suggests that AI frees people from “gatekeepers,” he forgets a vital point: sacred knowledge in Islam has never been a free-for-all. The Prophet (PBUH) passed it down through trustworthy chains of hearts and minds—people of Adab, trust, and inner purity. Without that, knowledge can become dangerous, distorted, and destructive.
A Misread of the Iblīs Story
Mr Naseer attempts to reinterpret the story of Iblīs as merely about arrogance, not reasoning. But this overlooks a key dimension.
Iblīs reasoned: “I am better than him—I am made of fire; he is made of clay.”
He placed his own logic above a Divine command.
Classical scholars like Imam Rāzī and Imam Qushayri have shown how Iblīs’ fault was not just arrogance—it was the refusal to submit when submission was due. That is the danger of intellect without humility. Ghaus Siddiqi Sahib is cautioning us: if technology or intellect leads us to forget the Adab of Divine presence, we may walk the same path as Iblīs—not in form, but in spirit.
A Critique About Control That Misses the Real Power Struggle
Mr Naseer suggests that defending tradition is really about “control” and “monopoly.” But this argument, too, seems more reflective of his own concerns than of Siddiqi Sahib’s intention.
There is no monopoly in what Siddiqi Sahib says. He does not ask people to stop thinking. He is asking us to think with sincerity, not just data. To reflect with humility, not just arguments. His article is a call to purify, not to police.
Ironically, it is modernist voices that often want to declare Sufi wisdom outdated or irrelevant, attempting to replace a rich, soulful tradition with cold analytics and unchecked rationalism.
Ethics Without Love Is Not Enough
Mr Naseer speaks of moral values and rational ethics, and these are important. But we must ask: What gives ethics their depth and beauty?
It is the love of God. It is the longing to be near Him. It is the burning desire to follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) not just in rule, but in spirit.
Without that love, ethics can become hollow. Without ma‘rifah, rules can become rigid. Without spiritual depth, religion becomes just a set of ideas—when it should be a living experience, a light that transforms the soul.
The Qur'an does not just guide with laws—it speaks to hearts:
"Truly, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" (13:28)
"The most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the one most righteous" (49:13)
Righteousness is not just about what we do. It is also about who we become inside.
Conclusion: The Soul of Islam Still Speaks
Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Sahib reminds us of something timeless that Islam is not only about understanding, it is also about becoming. In a world fascinated by machines, speed, and output, we are being gently reminded: Don’t lose the heart. Don’t let the soul go silent.
Technology Can Serve Us, But It Must Never Lead Us
The real danger is not AI replacing the heart—it is forgetting that we ever needed one. May voices like Ghaus Siddiqi Sahib’s continue to call us back to the deeper dimensions of faith. Not only to inform—but to transform. And may more people not just hear—but truly listen.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interview/thoughtful-response-defence-living-heart/d/135591
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