Rediscovering the Divine 'I Am'
Turning from Self to God in a Narcissistic Age
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:13–14)
When we examine the Qur’an, we find echoes of this divine expression—“I AM WHO I AM”—in verses where God addresses Moses, such as 20:12, 28:30, and 27:9. This specific grammatical structure occurs only in these encounters, emphasising the unique relationship between God and Moses.
For example, in [20:12]: “I am your Lord; remove your sandals. You are in the sacred valley, Tuwā.”
Reflecting deeply on this declaration reveals profound insights. The phrase “I AM” conveys pure existence and complete self-sufficiency. It reminds us that in a world increasingly obsessed with narcissism and self-worship, the “I” we center our lives around is often misplaced.
God—not the self—should be the center of our lives and existence. When we focus solely on ourselves rather than on God, our inner balance is disrupted. This egocentrism gives rise to a culture of narcissism and selfishness, leading to the breakdown of truth, virtue, and ultimately, society itself.
Modern culture, particularly in the West, has become absorbed in "selfie culture." Young people spend countless hours on social media while parents chase consumerist dreams, falling into debt and disconnection. This is a crisis waiting to unfold.
We have turned away from God and the countless bounties He provides. In place of spiritual depth, we have filled our lives with commodities that cannot satisfy our deepest needs—the need for connection to our Creator, our Sustainer, our Lord.
Our Western nations desperately need to return to God. A spiritual void is growing, and in its place, we are becoming like beasts—driven by base desires and disconnected from our higher purpose: to worship and submit to the Divine.
As the Qur'an states:
"Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle—no, they are even further astray."
(Quran, Surah al-A‘raf, Chapter 7, The Elevated Places, Verse 179)
If we can overcome our pride and ego, and humbly recognise that God—not we—sustains life on this earth, we can realign ourselves with the true order of existence. After all, we are not the ones who cause the sun to rise or the earth to spin in perfect harmony.
The Solution:
We must die to the self and acknowledge the great “I AM.” Only by relinquishing our self-centredness can we move toward a more selfless, harmonious society. Our planet cannot bear the weight of endless greed and corruption. All of creation is groaning under the burden of this estrangement from the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Let us return to God—before it's too late.