Soul Crunch : Technologically progressing. Spiritually regressing.

When we think that we might’ve already got the latest phone, before you know it another phone with a sleeker design and more hi-tech functions enters the market. Each time we scroll down to Brudirect’s ‘Your Health’ section, there would be news popping up on latest findings on cancer, sleep, drugs, etc. All these scientific and technological developments just seem to be on the fast lane with no red lights to be seen anywhere. Unfortunately, the same thing can’t be said about our spirituality. Our people today is facing a spiritual crisis. WE are facing a spiritual crisis. We’re too tied down to the world (dunia). We’re always seeking for that instant gratification. Using prohibited durgs to get high. Using alcohol and sex to get that excitement. Chasing after wealth and fame to feel happy and gain that sense of power. But are any of these things actually making us happy? Has it actually given us contentment?  The immediate yet temporary excitements that we get from all these “wrong doings” are nothing but temporary. As soon as the the feeling frizzles out, we’d feel that void again, then we’d end up doing the same things that are clearly against our natural disposition (fitrah) all over again. Islam believes that all human beings are born in a state of fitrah –  knowing the difference between right and wrong, the knowledge of a Creator, a Greater Being and the submission to Him. Thus, the emptiness, grief and dissatisfaction that we feel is a mere manifestation of us going against our fitrah.

It’s great that we are technologically progressing, but it doesn’t mean that we should let our spirituality be left behind. No space for religion in the modern world? Islam is a religion that doesn’t compartmentalise spirituality and life. Life as a whole and religious practices go hand in hand. We have guidelines in how to lead our life – how to interact with one another, how to run a honest business, how to eat and drink, etc. And surprise! Surpise! It is still applicable till this day! Spirituality does not restrict us, but it frees us instead.  Spirituality frees us from our raging nafs, and peer/worldy pressures. Being free from all these can actually allow us to choose what we want to do. Now that is real freedom. Freedom is not defined by being able to wear what’s “trendy”, or being able to date whoever, however and whenever. Realise that the society and the media plays a huge role in “setting the trend”. So complying to their expectancies is the same as being forced to do as such. One might argue that  the same thing can be said about religion. A religious belief demands us to comply to a list of rules and regulations and become a servant to God. Well, let me just put it this way; “who” is more worthy of our obedience and worship – the pages of cosmo, or God?

In this time and age, we have collectively forgotten. The worldy demands and the little trinkets have distracted us from God and our real purpose in life. We’ve got it all wrong. A huge house, a hot boyfriend, and the latest gadgets are not going to keep us happy. The only way to feel that contentment and that constant high is by getting closer to Allah, submitting to Him, and by becoming a true Muslim like our Prophet Muhammad SAW, his companions and the other outstanding Muslims. To get that peace, happiness, serenity, satisfaction and spiritual high we’d need to go back to the basics and return to our fitrah. So we need to act now, and act fast in order to spiritually progress for the benefit of ourselves and the entire humanity. Now this can be done by balancing 3 things:

1. Ibadatillah – Worship Allah
2. Immaratal ardh – develop the earth
3. Tazkiyatinafs – Purify the nafs

I’ll elborate further on these three points in a different post (possibly separately for each point), so watch out for the next “Soul Cruch” post I’ll try my best to do a “Soul Crunch” post a maximum of once a week, insya Allah.