Ep.32 The Crisis of the Modern Man with Ameen from Seera Masters
Even if we don’t subscribe to the oft quoted phrase of Jordan Peterson that there is a crisis of masculinity, we may accept that young men live in an era where their roles and responsibilities remain subject to intense scrutiny. Liberal society endorses a particular type of man, a new man, domesticated and refined, sensitive and progressive. Conservative criticism seeks to return, or at least how they see it, to a man more in tune with his biological yearning, wherein they need to be strong and unperturbed by any woolly notions of emotional intelligence. A young Muslim male living this experience is often also confused by the messages coming from Muslim quarters. You can find contemporary Islamic commentary that would back up both narratives, all looking to paint a type of man in tune with modernity or suited to a time where, as the phrase goes, ‘men knew how to be men’.
Our guest this week, Ameen from the popular Mind Heist Podcast and Seera Masters YouTube channel is a young man trying to make sense of this world. Intuitively he felt both narratives were missing something, and that is the role of revelation. Allah (SWT) did not leave men or women to their base impulses, because without direction human beings are destined to lead unfulfilled lives. Ameen set off on a journey to discover what Islam expects from a man and in his own words found conclusions that challenged his own preconceptions. He is in the process of putting his thoughts and study down on paper and is currently writing a book on the subject. We discuss the project and his findings.