Teknoloji Çağında Savaş, Kaygı ve Anlam Arayışı

Search for meaning

EACH age has brought its own set of unique challenges. The present epoch is no different, as immense technological advances go hand in hand with widespread war, uncertainty and anxiety. We are witnessing the rise of machines with mind-boggling capabilities — superintelligence, they call it — while at the same time people seem to be losing their humanity, as the arrogant and the powerful bomb and maim innocent children, without facing accountability. We ask each other: what will tomorrow bring, what world will our children inherit? These anxieties are not limited to any one country, religion or race. It seems that most of humanity — at least ordinary people who have no role in perpetuating this bloodshed and chaos — is deeply concerned about what the future holds. Perhaps in these troubled times, when materialistic philosophies fail to offer any satisfactory explanations, the message that the Holy Prophet (PBUH), whose birth we celebrate, brought over 14 centuries ago soothes the nerves and gives us some perspective: this world is transient, full of trials, and we will be made to answer for our deeds in the Divine court. This, arguably, is the core of the Quranic message and the Prophet’s Sunnah, and the crux of the message brought by all previous prophets. It explains that if the tyrants of today who spread chaos across the earth escape justice in this world, they will surely be brought before the Almighty tomorrow to answer for their crimes. As a hadith states, “the heavens and the earth stand upright by justice”. In the Noble Prophet’s life, we find examples of how to bring order to our personal and spiritual lives, as well as how to address society’s challenges. His message covered war and peace, periods of adversity and ease, how to live in the world and prepare for the hereafter. Regarding the transient nature of the world, Hazrat Ali relates that the Holy Prophet “took only that which he absolutely required from this world…”. This indicates that at all times — especially in these times of economic precarity — moderation and abstinence can help us weather the storm, as opposed to insatiable greed and the desire for more. Believers are patient in adversity. In another hadith, the Noble Prophet is reported to have said: “My Lord has commanded me to be generous and do good and He has forbidden me from being stingy and from oppressing others.” This itself is a complete remedy to address society’s ills, as it emphasises helping others, doing the right thing and resisting oppression. This ties up perfectly with another tradition attributed to Hazrat Ali, where he says that “…whenever a destitute remains hungry, it is because some rich person has denied him his share”. These noble sayings point to the deadly sins — greed; oppression; injustice — that afflict our society, as well as the world at large. Some are power drunk, attacking others and threatening to lay to waste entire civilisations. In fact, their arrogant pronouncements echo the words of the tyrants the Quran has cited, such as pharaoh, Haman and Nimrood. Elsewhere, in societies like ours, which wear the outer garb of religion, the spiritual message of the Quran can hardly be found, as the weak and the oppressed continue to cry out for justice. Whether it is tyranny across the oceans, or turmoil within ourselves and our environs, if we refer to the hadith that states that “the world is the sowing field of the Hereafter”, things start to make sense. For example, if we ‘sow’ good deeds in this world — looking out for others, helping the weak and the voiceless, honouring the rights of God and man — we will ‘reap’ eternal peace in the next world. Conver­sely, and this brings comfort to victims of injustice, those who sow chaos on the earth will reap the harvest of their evil deeds in the world to come. In these times of uncertainty and immense global upheaval, it seems that patience (sabr) holds the key to success. After all, in the Holy Quran it is stated that “Allah is with the patient” (2:153). Meanwhile in hadith, those who bear afflictions with sabr are given glad tidings. But patience/sabr does not mean accepting injustice. As people of knowledge point out, it means rejecting all forms of oppression, staying the course and bearing internal and external hardships with fortitude. During his own blessed life, the Holy Prophet faced many different kinds of adverse circumstances, from the initial days of his mission in Makkah to the establishment of a state in Madina. But he dealt with all these challenges with help from the Divine, and immense strength of character. Therefore, the message is clear for believers; as the hadith states, they are grateful in prosperity, and patient in adversity. This formula can bring meaning to those searching for a direction in these times of trial. The writer is a member of staff. Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2026