“Every new social movement is initially accused of being the work of foreigners and heretics; if it succeeds and seizes power, it becomes part of religion itself and enters the record of inherited sacred things.”
— Ali al-Wardi · 1913 – 1995Source: Wʿāẓ al‑Salāṭīn, p. 61 (1954) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence is attributed to Ali al‑Wardi and appears as a passage in Wʿāẓ al‑Salāṭīn, commonly located on page 61.
- What remains uncertain
- Minor textual variants appear across editions and online transcriptions, but there is no serious evidence of another author.
Understanding the quote
Al‑Wardi warns that political success can rewrite a movement’s past: accusations of foreignness and heresy often become, after victory, framed as sacred, inherited tradition. The line appears in Wʿāẓ al‑Salāṭīn (commonly cited p. 61) and points to how power reshapes collective memory.
In the original · Arabic
كل حركة اجتماعية جديدة تُتهم أول الأمر بأنها من صنع الأجانب والزنادقة، فإذا نجحت واستولت على الحكم صارت من صلب الدين ودخلت في سجل المقدسات الموروثة
The story behind it
Al‑Wardi’s family name is traditionally linked to an ancestor who produced rosewater—a small biographical detail often noted in accounts of his life.
Going further
- The era
- In modern Iraq, amid shifting regimes and contested religious authority, Al‑Wardi applied social analysis to historical narratives.
- The thinking
- He uses social‑scientific reasoning: beliefs and holy language are treated as outcomes of social interests and power, not just private faith.
- Key word
- Sacralization of power: the process by which political victory is recast as religious or sacred legitimacy.
- Who quoted it
- The sentence is frequently shared in Arabic quotation collections and on social media to comment on revolutions and later religious legitimations.
Three challenges to live it
In the app, you pick the one that fits your day, and in the evening you say how it went.
Write one page (10–15 min) about a current movement you see being demonized and describe how its story might be rewritten if it seized power.
Ali al‑Wardi points out that power reshapes narratives. Writing this scenario makes it easier to spot how collective memory and labels can be rewritten.
Pick a historical case and spend 20–30 minutes researching how public narratives shifted after it took power; record three pieces of evidence of rewriting.
Ali al‑Wardi highlights how victory changes collective memory. Investigating a concrete case grounds that insight and shows the mechanisms at work.
Have a 15–20 minute conversation today with someone who disagrees and explore how each of you would justify a contested movement’s historical legitimacy.
Ali al‑Wardi emphasizes that who controls the narrative shapes history. A focused dialogue surfaces competing stories and the social processes behind them.
How does your view of a movement change if it wins and takes power?
Report an error
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