We were supposed to find meaning in true love, but love fades and divorce is abundant. And we were supposed to find meaning in our jobs, but entire fields become obsolete and we become discarded. It’s been long since we were supposed to find meaning in patriotism, too painful to dedicate one’s self to an increasingly corrupt leadership and an overall fragmented country. They took away religion because religion was constraining and promised us that we could find our own meaning. But that became too hard of a task —looking out into the world or deep into ourselves and finding nothing great enough to surrender to. So we took up the anchor that it’s all meaningless —we tried to dedicate ourselves to our own happiness but that proved too great a task without the constant support of drugs and therapists bills we could not sustain.
People are attempting to cling on to something, the internet is filled with a million subcultures and ideologies that people cling onto with their life. But it all falls flat. The meaninglessness, the emptiness, is a consequence of our turning away from God. And no, you can’t say, “The scholars and Masjids are also corrupt.” Besides for this statement being overstated; faith is personal. It’s not just personal, but it is ultimately personal. A meaning that we find because it is there to be found —because it is real. Not make-believe, not each man for himself, not there for some but not for others but real and accessible to all who choose to embark on the path.
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Related:
- Life is a gift https://bythefigandtheolive.com/lifeisagift/
- Alienation and Return (1) https://bythefigandtheolive.com/alienation
- Alienation and Return (2) https://bythefigandtheolive.com/alienation2
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Consider picking up a copy of my book, 40 Hadith of ‘Aisha, An English collection of 40 Hadith narrated by the beloved wife, scholar, and sage ‘Aisha bint Abu Bakr, available here.
Salaamu alaikum, what a beautiful question. In the absence of meaning. I began reflecting on just the title. When there’s no meaning, there’s no purpose, there cause to action, no movement, no fruit, bearing no fruit, it’s empty, it doesn’t have worth. What is the value of what I am doing? I had to check in and ask myself, “Are you saying Allah is not great enough, not important enough to surrender, or surrender only in the way that I define surrender?” Then I was reflecting on “the emptiness is from us turning away from Allah”. I try to fill it and it doesn’t get filled, and I am in denial about the emptiness. And when I fill it with efforts for Allah’s pleasure it’s ever so sweet, and yet I forget this sweetness and we are created to forget, so the act of submission must be sweet, I think to myself.
Waalaykum Asalam, Than you so much for your beautiful reflection.