Allah the Almighty has created humans with the ability to connect with all other beings in the universe and rule them over. For humans are the vicegerents of the Divine (Haqq) on this earth and the most perfect manifestation of His names. This comprehensive characteristic of humans, encompassing all beings, is both their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. Indeed, humans are tasked with caring for everything from the fish at the bottom of the sea to the birds in the sky, and from the plants, minerals, and living beings beneath the soil to those above it. However, this care must be proportionate to need and measured. For example, it is normal for a doctor to be concerned with all kinds of medicines found in every part of the world related to their profession. Similarly, it is commendable for a politician to closely follow global affairs. What is abnormal is the modern human’s waste of attention on hundreds of unnecessary matters. Imam Rabbani explains this nature of humans as follows:
“Another issue here is that humans are in need of many things. The needs of other beings are few; a single human alone is in need of all the things that other beings collectively require. In this regard, their connection with objects and beings is much more intense compared to other creatures. Often, this intense connection distances them from Allah. What is manifested in the collective mirrors of other beings is manifested in the single mirror of a human. Because of this, humans are the most superior of creatures, as well as the most unfortunate of them.” (45th Letter)
As a requirement of the duty of vicegerency, our Lord has placed within humans an insatiable curiosity and an instinct to learn everything. The digital world exploits this need and curiosity, making humans dependent on it. When combined with our inclination towards games and entertainment, the vortex of the digital world sweeps many of us away. In the Quran, our Lord says about worldly life: “This worldly life is nothing but amusement and play, but the true home is the Hereafter, if only they knew.” (Al-Ankabut, 64) What was once understood as a metaphor has now become a reality.
People indeed spend a significant portion of their waking hours playing games on smartphones and computers. In the hands of evil forces, social media poses a great danger to humanity and, consequently, to Islam. Even those who enter the digital world using only its permissible aspects eventually become addicted to it. Escaping this state, which Sufis call “alaik” (unnecessary external connections), is becoming increasingly difficult. Interestingly, it is not only the youth but also the elderly and middle-aged who can become enslaved to this digital world.
The digital world manipulates all the emotions embedded in the human soul—sexuality, aggression, curiosity, dominance, and the desire to be loved and admired—in the worst possible way, inflaming these emotions and distancing people from the Divine (Haqq) and the truth. Undoubtedly, in earlier times, such seductive entertainments and trivial pursuits also occupied people. However, these frivolous matters captivated a relatively smaller portion of society. Today, however, wasting time in the digital world has become a general addiction among children, the elderly, men, and women. Psychologists, sociologists, doctors, and psychiatrists must work to find a cure for this affliction. Or finding a better alternative a halal social media, where people don’t harm each other.
If we look at the issue from a Sufi perspective, Sufis have always fought against such dangers. The Naqshbandis, in particular, have important solutions in this regard, the most significant of which is “nazar ber kadem.”
“Nazar ber kadem” means fixing one’s gaze on one’s feet, protecting the eyes from unnecessary sights, and thus pruning the seeker’s (salik) trivial pursuits and unnecessary interests. Every sensory organ is a great blessing, but among them, the eye holds a unique place. Wherever the eye looks, the heart follows, and the images we see later occupy our hearts. Every evil glance is like a poisonous seed planted in our hearts. Indeed, today’s digital world, which enslaves the eyes, poisons the soul and causes its addicts to lose their human emotions. The captives of this false world forget the purpose of their existence, and their hearts are filled not with divine love but with what Sufis call “mâsiva” (love for anything other than Allah).
Imam Rabbani describes this state as shamelessness and says: “To prefer the love of mâsiva (anything other than God) over the love of Haqq, and especially to waste this love (on material desires), is the ultimate level of ugliness and shamelessness. Perhaps the modesty referred to in the hadith of the Prophet (s.a.w.), ‘Modesty is part of faith’ (Tirmizi, 2016), is about this shamelessness. The sign of the heart’s disengagement from anything other than Allah is its complete forgetfulness and turning away from mâsiva.” (109th Letter)
Turning away from mâsiva does not mean completely abandoning worldly affairs or never using the opportunities of the digital world. For many beneficial works are also carried out through the digital world. What is important is that we use all forms of technology, not that they use us. The Naqshbandis recommend being “kâin and bâin” in all worldly matters to achieve this: using something but not giving one’s heart to it. We can apply this within the digital world: the seeker (salik) is present in the digital realm for a purpose, but their heart remains detached from this world, for they dedicate their heart solely to the love of their Lord.
The Imam says: “A person is with whom they love. Blessed is the one who harbors no love in their heart other than the love of Allah and has no desire other than Him. Even if such a person is outwardly engaged with people (in worldly affairs), inwardly they are with Allah. The love of two beings cannot coexist in the heart at the same time. Once a bond of love is established with one, there is no room for others in the heart.” (24th Letter)
Those on the path of spiritual journey (seyr u süluk) must hold themselves accountable more than anyone else and stay away from all forms of addiction that waste human time. This is by no means an easy task. Therefore, the need for spiritual training has become much more important than in the past. For establishing a balanced relationship with modern technology and the digital world is something only spiritually strong and resolute individuals can achieve. Blessed are our brothers and sisters who have freed themselves from the evils of the digital world and used it for good.
As we conclude our writing, we wholeheartedly share in the joy of our Muslim brothers and sisters in Syria who have achieved a great victory against oppression and congratulate them. May our Lord show us the liberation of all oppressed Muslims, especially in Gaza, in the near future. Amen.
Süleyman Derin