Alienation and Return (1)

Alienation is the state of being withdrawn or separated from a group, person, or situation to which one was formerly attached.

There are quite a few definitions of alienation, including those specific to Marxism and psychiatry. The best definition, for our purpose, in the one above. Alienation in some ways isn’t particularly special or interesting. We all withdraw at times, voluntarily or involuntarily, at different points in our lives. But, what do we do with that separation? Our culture demands that we shove devices in our faces and plug ourselves into the latest content —which is never-ending. It demands that we consume; alcohol, pornography, Youtube, Netflix, etc. Some also fall into despair; drugs become an escape whether illegal or prescribed. Withdrawn, lonely, and depressed. Our culture doesn’t give us many tools to make isolation a worthy experience. Maybe a yoga class a week or 10 minutes a day of meditation for those inclined but the rest of our time is to be utilized, through making money and spending it —working and consuming.

But alienation does not have to lead to a downward spiral. Alienation can lead to enlightenment, it would —if one follows the stories of the prophets, almost be deemed necessary on route to the destination. Whether in a whale, a cave, or simply rejected by people; alienation, isolation, and, withdrawal are necessary to reach the other side. And it’s an opportunity not only to reach a level of enlightenment about one’s self, others, and the world but also to reach a relationship with God Himself.

Though we know and believe that zuhud is to hold the world in your hand and not your heart the world is inherently a blinding distraction and only with effort does it become a means to God and not a distraction from Him. Thus when we are alienated we have a chance for a direct connection that is not often as apparent when we are comfortable in our worldly position (or with our worldly possessions. You can only experience real zuhud, I recall one of my teachers saying, when you have something to lose. To go from a life of splendor and ease, of rebellion and consumerism, to a life that is pleasing to God —that is the real trial. When you say you believe, and you do good deeds but you are tested with trials and tribulation, will you then believe? The trial is to worship God when the ship sails smoothly and when it turns over, both when you need Him and when you “don’t”.

The manifestation of our attachment to God is often found when we are detached from others or even from ourselves. While we don’t wish to suffer the trials of those of old, we do want to learn from them. And we want to take heed like they did or learn from their mistakes. God often warns us in the Quran about those who will say in this life, “Will we believe in what the fools believe” and in the next life they say, “send us back, we now believe”. We should dread such an outcome, we want to believe before there is no choice but to believe, we want to draw near to God before the waves wash over us, and we want to attach ourselves to Him through alienation. We want to create an internal state that sees Him without having to be alienated, that sees the world as the facade that it is —sees the veils and does not fall prey to consumption.

InshaAllah, we hope to share a few reminders over the next few weeks, to remind ourselves and others to utilize alienation as a way to turn towards God and not away from Him.

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