A new, hip trend in Islam?

I apologize in advance if you guys get tired of hearing me talk about religion here in Egypt... but man, it's really everywhere. I don't know, maybe it's like this in the southern United States with regards to Christianity (somehow I doubt it), but it's like every restaurant or shop I go into with a TV, there is a mullah talking about some aspect of Islamic theology or just giving some kind of "practical" spiritual advice like, for example, "doing righteous deeds will save you from hellfire." Yeah, thanks.

Today though, I saw something particularly interesting. There was a channel showing a much younger, clean-shaven guy dressed in Western-style clothing talking about how we should pray that our deceased relatives are living pleasant afterlives and that they are close to God. I found myself strangely delighted by him as I ate my kebabs and tahini. His outward appearance--young, non-bearded, hip sideburns, wearing a striped polo shirt and stylish denim jeans--struck me as out-of-the-ordinary for a "mullah". He also wore a smile--something not common for your typical bearded sheikh-- as he spoke about the important of prayer, praising God as he wished that everyone's deceased relatives were enjoying the afterlife.

I had to say that I was a bit surprised that someone that young and that "Western" in appearance (not to say that all religious Arabs look like the Taliban) had seemingly such a reasonable and penetrating perspective on spirituality. And his talk wasn't the fiery poisonous rhetoric about infidels or whatever the stuff that we in the West normally hear coming out of the Muslim world. It was just plain and simple spiritual advice shared in a loving manner. It made me wonder if maybe this trend will continue-- getting back to the spiritual "basics" of religion rather than the divisive, man-made politics-dressed-as-religion rubbish that is so often focused on by Middle East scholars in the West.

Or maybe this is an observation that should be considered in isolation. Maybe he's just one guy that is trying to buck the trend. Or maybe he was just having an "off" day from his usual tirade against the Jews. Who knows.

But anyway, it was cool to see that walking out of that restaurant as the call to prayer sounded for the last time today.