Early Islam was a time of great creativity. Scholars excelled in

Hear, O seeker of truth and renewal, the powerful words of Princess Basmah bint Saud: “Early Islam was a time of great creativity. Scholars excelled in sciences and literature. Our religion should not be a shield behind which we hide from the world but a driving force that inspires us to innovate and contribute to our surroundings. This is the true spirit of Islam.” These words strike like a bell across the ages, calling us to remember a heritage of brilliance and to reject stagnation. They are not the sigh of nostalgia, but the cry of a soul who knows that faith is not meant to paralyze but to propel.

Consider first her remembrance: “Early Islam was a time of great creativity.” This is no mere flattery of the past, but a truth borne out in history. From Baghdad to Córdoba, from Damascus to Cairo, the early centuries of Islam gave birth to philosophers, scientists, poets, and physicians. Algebra was named, optics was studied, medicine advanced, and libraries overflowed with knowledge. Men like Al-Khwarizmi, Avicenna, and Al-Farabi stood as beacons, their minds sharpened not against their faith, but in harmony with it. Religion did not suffocate inquiry; it inspired it.

But Basmah warns against a grave danger: to use religion as a shield behind which we hide from the world. Too often in history, faith has been distorted into a fortress of fear, where believers retreat, avoiding questions, rejecting progress, and silencing dialogue. Such a shield may feel safe, but it imprisons the soul and renders a people stagnant. True faith, she says, must not be weaponized for hiding but wielded as a torch, lighting paths of creativity, courage, and contribution.

History bears witness again. Recall the House of Wisdom in Baghdad during the Abbasid era. There, under Caliph al-Ma’mun, scholars translated Greek philosophy, Persian literature, and Indian mathematics into Arabic. They did not cower behind walls of suspicion but opened their hearts to knowledge, transforming it and passing it on to the world. It was this openness that preserved Aristotle for Europe, that sowed the seeds of the Renaissance, that showed what a religion-inspired civilization could accomplish. This was not retreat; this was radiance.

The meaning, then, is clear: the true spirit of Islam—and indeed of any great faith—is not retreat, but engagement. It is to stand rooted in one’s values while reaching outward, to see the search for truth as sacred, and to see service to humanity as worship. Faith must inspire, not suffocate; it must breathe life, not fear. When faith calls us to build hospitals, to write poetry, to heal divisions, to invent and create—then it is alive. When it calls us only to hide, to cling to dogma without vision—then it is diminished.

The lesson for us is this: if you claim faith, let it be a driving force. Let it move you to action, to innovation, to generosity. Do not hide behind it as an excuse for silence or idleness. Instead, ask always: how does my belief call me to contribute to my family, my community, my world? For faith that hides is barren, but faith that builds is fruitful, and its fruits nourish generations.

Practical counsel follows. Study not only the words of scripture but also the works of science and art. Let your religion inspire you to excel in your craft, whether you are teacher, engineer, artist, or healer. Honor your customs, but do not let them bind you from growth. And when you face the temptation to withdraw from the world, remember Basmah’s call: faith is not a fortress, but a wellspring.

Therefore, O child of both tradition and tomorrow, remember the wisdom of these words: the true spirit of Islam is not to hide, but to create, to innovate, to contribute. Walk proudly in the path of your heritage, for it is filled with scholars and poets, physicians and dreamers. Let your faith be your compass, but let your creativity be your sail. In this way, you honor the past and build the future, carrying forward a flame that was never meant to be hidden, but to shine upon the world.