Decolonizing the self through embracing Islam: Narratives of Muslim reverts based in Istanbul and beyond

The critique of materialism as a dominant political and sociological value system — one that reduces human existence to material existence — has been extensively explored, particularly by Muslim intellectuals who position Islamic teachings and principles as an alternative worldview. While much of this discourse remains theoretical, this dissertation is grounded empirically by examining how materialism shapes the modern self and how embracing Islam enables emancipation in the lived experiences of 22 Muslim reverts from diverse backgrounds. This study investigates the spiritual and social disconnections, the impact of adopting the negative notion of freedom, and the impounding of innate values as consequences of a materialistic perspective. Besides, examining the influence of embracing Islam in restoring spiritual and social dimensions, adopting a positive view of freedom and liberation of human values as a decolonial consequence of Islamic views. Engaging with Thomas Hobbes' materialist perspective, Abdelwahab El-Messiri's critique of secular modernity, and Taha Abdurrahman's Islamic ethical philosophy, this study constructs a theoretical framework for analyzing the narratives of reverts. Through thematic analysis of the interviews, the study reveals how materialism had a colonial disintegrative impact on the self through depriving people of its unseen component. Through such a component, they can purify themselves and transcend to non-material worlds, which is what Islam has presented to its followers not only as religious doctrine but as a comprehensive way of life. The study provides valuable insights into the extent of the colonial influence of materialism on the self and how religion, particularly Islam, constitutes a way of resistance and reclaiming of self.