Identity and Belonging in the Thought of the Eminent Scholar Sheikh Suleiman al-Ahmad
An Address by Mr Rabih Suleiman on Behalf of the “Nun wal-Qalam” Association
To commemorate the eighty-fourth anniversary of the passing of the eminent scholar Sheikh Suleiman al-Ahmad, the Alawite Islamic Library presents the video recording and full text of an address delivered by Mr Rabih Suleiman on behalf of the “Nun wal-Qalam” Association during the commemorative event entitled “Identity and Belonging in the Thought of Sheikh Suleiman al-Ahmad.”
The event was held under the patronage of the Islamic Alawite Council on Friday, 16 October 2026, at Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba Hall (peace be upon him), Jabal Mohsen, Lebanon.
The address explores the dimensions of Alawite identity and the meanings of Islam, Wilayah and Arab belonging. It examines aspects of the scholar’s thought concerning knowledge, intellectual freedom and the pursuit of truth, and reflects on how his legacy informs our understanding of belonging and the responsibility it entails.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Distinguished guests, whose presence is fragrant with the scent of perfume and incense, May the peace of Allah, the Almighty, the All-Forgiving, be upon you.
Peace be upon your pure hearts, your radiant faces, your sound minds, your serene souls and your dignified appearance.
And a warm welcome to you all as we commemorate a man of noble soul and exalted character.
For the second consecutive year, the Alawites of Lebanon, and of Jabal Mohsen in particular, have the honour of commemorating, under the gracious patronage of the Islamic Alawite Council and in the presence of its esteemed President, one of the great figures of the Islamic Alawite community: the bearer of the banner of religious identity and the pioneer of its revival, the distinguished scholar Sheikh Suleiman al-Ahmad, may his soul be sanctified.
On the eighty-fourth anniversary of his passing, we recall the struggles and sacrifices of this great leader, who stood steadfast alongside a distinguished company of champions of truth on one of the frontiers of the Muslim community, defending the sanctity of religion and safeguarding the dignity of the faithful.
We remember him because he is our example and guiding light. We draw inspiration from his thought, his struggle and his wisdom in reaffirming our religious identity.
And how closely today resembles yesterday!
This identity is now under attack from two fronts:
- An external front:
Comprising the voices of takfeer — the practice of declaring others unbelievers — and the instigators of discord, who attack the various components of the Islamic Ummah in order to weaken it.
They direct their barbaric assault particularly against this honourable religious tradition, for reasons that are largely political and vindictive.
- An internal assault:
Comprising those who have strayed from the path, sceptics, the ignorant and intruders who falsely claim affiliation with this honourable religious tradition.
Both fronts may well be serving the interests of a single party whose aim is to fragment the Ummah, undermine its values and attack its religious identity by spreading falsehoods, distorting beliefs, planting subversive elements and falsifying facts.
In the course of defending our religious identity, we affirm the following fundamental principles:
- First: We are not defendants standing accused, obliged to produce evidence of our innocence.
- Second: We suffer from no sense of inferiority regarding our religious affiliation, nor do we seek anyone to complete or validate it for us.
- Third: We harbour no doubt about what we believe or the path we follow, such that we would allow anyone to volunteer to show us the ways of guidance.
- Fourth: We do not, in the first place, regard anyone else's condition as superior to our own, such that they might assume guardianship over us, issue us a certificate of innocence or grant us recognition of our religious affiliation.
We Alawites are convinced, content, confident and assured of the authenticity of our affiliation and the soundness of our beliefs.
And when we respond, reaffirming our religious identity and the foundations of our affiliation, we do so for one reason alone:
So that it may never be said that the Alawites were attacked in their identity and remained silent, or that they were assaulted and grew weak.
For a true Alawite neither weakens nor surrenders, nor accepts humiliation. The more oppression intensifies against him, the stronger his certainty in his Lord and the firmer his confidence in his religion become.
To all those who attack our religious identity through accusations of unbelief and expressions of doubt, hurling torrents of allegations and falsehoods against the Alawite community from beyond its walls...
And to all the subversive and ignorant individuals who belong to this Alawite community by ancestry, yet lack the worthiness to belong to the Alawite tradition in conduct and conviction...
To those who possess no standing in reality and therefore escape into a world of supposition and illusion, where they promote their corrupt ideas, their venomous resentment and their deviant opinions...
Claims that we are separate from Islam, or affiliated with other religions and beliefs, and attempts to abandon our Arab origins in favour of Syriac, Canaanite, Phoenician and other supposed roots — along with similar heresies and baseless assertions...
To both these groups, we say:
Islam, Walayah and Arab identity are the three dimensions of Alawite identity, upon which our existence was founded and through which it shall continue, God willing.
We shall not permit these foundations to be undermined, whether through enticement or intimidation.
This is the firm resolve of free Alawites.
This is what our Imams taught us, and this is the path that our revered masters and sheikhs affirmed and worked to establish — foremost among them the man whom we commemorate today, the eminent Sheikh Suleiman al-Ahmad.
He taught us that Islam, for Alawites, is not a matter of identity documents, but of the very substance of their inner being.
Islam, for Alawites, is neither a designation nor a status acquired or bestowed upon them. Rather, it is the innate disposition upon which their souls were formed.
Islam, for Alawites, is not a choice they made. Rather, it is a decree made for them by the will of Heaven, from the moment their Lord asked them:
“Am I not your Lord?” They replied, “Yes, indeed.”
Islam, for Alawites, is their pride and honour, and an Alawite will never accept anyone diminishing that honour.
This eminent scholar taught us that Allah is our ultimate goal, Islam is our guidance, Muhammad is our sufficiency, and salvation lies in Wilayah.
He taught us that Alawite identity is a matter of conduct and affiliation, through which loyalty becomes genuine. It is an elevation of the spirit and an ascent in knowledge, leading to the purification of the soul and its readiness to receive divine outpourings of grace.
He taught us that the Alawite is free: he does not confine himself to the literal letters of a text, nor does he surrender his intellect to unquestioning allegiance to an individual. Rather, his concern is always with meaning, and his allegiance is always to the truth.
He taught us that the Alawite intellect should be a vessel capable of expanding to accommodate the knowledge placed within it.
He also taught us that it should be capable of understanding civilisations and intellectual and philosophical currents, knowing how to engage with them and assess them according to the principles of religion and reason.
He taught us that an Alawite accepts the truths found in all religions and religious traditions, and that the Alawite heart must be capable of embracing truth in all its forms and from all its sources.
For the Alawite's highest aspiration is to follow the truth and attain ultimate reality.
This great man of faith taught us:
How, through following Muhammad and emulating his example, we are Sunni.
How, through our Wilayah towards Ali and our adherence to his path, we are Shia.
And how, through our love for the religions and the Messengers, we are Abrahamic, Mosaic and followers of Jesus.
All these designations are additional expressions of a single, unchanging reality.
Yet none of them brings us to the fullness of pride and the completeness of honour that comes from knowing that, in our true essence and innermost being, we are Alawites.
This is the school of thought of the eminent Sheikh Suleiman al-Ahmad, who taught us these principles.
This is what we have understood from him, according to the measure of our own understanding.
And this is the character and inner nature of the Alawites.
These are the foundations we draw from his path and guidance, so that our identity may remain firmly established and our affiliation may be authentic.
Herein lie our honour, our pride and the example we strive to follow.
My Lord, it is sufficient honour for me to be Your servant, and sufficient glory for me that You are my Lord.
All praise belongs to Allah, who has blessed us with the grace of Wilayah and, through it, brought us out of the darkness of doubt and misguidance.
All praise belongs to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions and all who follow him in loyalty.
And may the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you all.
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