Irshad Manji Quotes

Some of us have become so addicted to pointing fingers at others for all the wrong that happens in our lives that self-assessment has become synonymous with blaming the victim.

In Islam's golden age, so much progress was made that it became the basis of the European Renaissance. We Muslims have to change ourselves, that's the main difference. We can't keep blaming America or Israel for our misery.

There are some in our region, especially among the Arabs, who do not respect their own identity and culture, and who are dazzled by the West in an unlimited and unobjective manner

Stop blaming the world—look inside!

Of course there is a lot of things you can work on and change and all that, but first I think you should look at yourself before you actually start trying to find excuse in the other people, whether it's going to be coach, physio, family, or whoever else is on your side.

We are never more discontented with others than when we are discontented with ourselves. The consciousness of wrong-doing makes us irritable, and our heart, in its cunning, quarrels with what is outside it, in order that it may deafen the clamor within.

There are no souls in the world that are so fearful to judge others as those that do most judge themselves, nor so careful to make a righteous judgment of men or things as those that are most careful to judge themselves.

Blessed is he whose own faults keep him from seeing the faults of others.

Gussie, a glutton for punishment, stared at himself in the mirror.

I looked at myself in that window, oblivious to all the people around me and I stared and smiled that particular smile. You know that smile that seems to knock you and tell you how pathetic you are? That's the smile I was smiling.

I can't even say I made my own mistakes. Really - one has to ask oneself - what dignity is there in that?

The same vices which are huge and insupportable in others we do not feel in ourselves.

Before thou reprehend another, take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest about to reprehend. He that cleanses a blot with blotted fingers makes a greater blur.

In my own pursuit of God, I often became preoccupied with ME! It was easy to think that being constantly aware of my faults and weakness was humility. It’s not! If I’m the main subject, talking incessantly about my weaknesses, I have entered into the most subtle form of pride.

To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in somebody else.

Sometimes I have that kind of critical mind to myself as well. This is because there are times where I have to do things that I don't wish to.

Few men survey themselves with so much severity as not to admit prejudices in their own favor.

Where we tended to be judgmental, we became more judgmental of ourselves in our spiritual practice.

We are all the time, from our childhood, trying to lay the blame upon something outside ourselves. We are always standing up to set right other people, and not ourselves. If we are miserable, we say, "Oh, the world is a devil's world." We curse others and say, "What infatuated fools!" But why should we be in such a world, if we really are so good? If this is a devil's world, we must be devils also; why else should we be here? "Oh, the people of the world are so selfish!" True enough; but why should we be found in that company, if we be better? Just think of that.

There is a sort of man who pays no attention to his good actions, but is tormented by his bad ones. This is the type that most often writes about himself.

I am very critical! I hate watching myself but I know I have to because I'm going to be asked so I need to have some sort of semblance of what the films with me are like. But it's not an enjoyable experience watching yourself. I hate it less than I used to but I still don't enjoy it.

All of us should be much more humble and contrite when we point the finger at somebody else, because four more fingers are pointing back at us.

Without humility, we keep all our defects; and they are only crusted over by pride, which conceals them from others, and often from ourselves.

Were we to think more of our own mistakes and offences, we should be less apt to judge other people.

I'm wonderfully self-lacerating, probably to my character's detriment. I'm terribly open to critique.