The degeneration that we see in present Muslims had been predicted by the Prophet. According to a Hadith:

A time will come when nothing except the name of Islam will remain [among Muslims] and nothing except the words of the Quran will remain [among Muslims]. (Shuab al-Iman, al-Bayhaqi) This is not surprising because every community undergoes degeneration, and Muslims are no exception to this principle.

This degeneration does not set in in the first generation, but in the generations that follow. This is why reformers are required to suggest what work needs to be done to revive degenerated people. To regain the spirit of Islam, we need to identify the right reformers from the wrong ones.

How can we revive the Islamic spirit among Muslims?

Muslims should be able to revive the Islamic spirit by reading the Quran in a language they can understand. During one of my travels, I met a Muslim who used to carry a pocket Arabic Quran and used to keep reading it as and when he got some time. Upon enquiry he told me that he had been doing this for fourteen years. I asked him what he thought was the gist of the Quran. He said that he read the Quran for receiving heavenly reward and not to derive meaning by studying it.

This is generally the case of those who read or recite the Quran. The true spirit of Islam would be inculcated in Muslims if they read the Quran so that they understand its meaning and follow its import.