Facing Modernity

Modernity, in simpler sense,  means having the characteristics of  recent times. Man has been lover of modernity, always. It was the inner urge that goaded him to fly in space, move from raw herbs  to  laser treatment.

It is a great tragedy that some Muslims have come to, or been made to, believe that modernity is something antagonistic to faith. That the two are arch rivals and modernization towards development of science and technology is an ideology confronting faith. Some have equated it with near blasphemy. Some call it a show of extravagance on various ceremonies in utter disregard to investment in education, research, science and technology. Thus Muslim world has generally faced the modernity with many absurdities.

Today humankind misses the contribution of the Muslim world since 16th century though it was not an empty barrel as proved by the preceding millennium. That is why one of the famous historians namely Dr. Yuval Noah Harari in his book ‘Sapiens’ says, “ The insights of Muslim economists were studied by Adam Smith and Karl Marx---. The Far East and the Muslim world produced minds as intelligent and curious as those of Europe. However, between 1500 and 1950 they did not produce anything that comes even close to Newtonian physics or Darwinian biology.”

Modernity is not westernisation but a continuum of improvement. The West took the bull by horns and gave due attention to the timely challenges which rewarded them with power to lead. Culture is no barricade as  poet Dr. Iqbal  has said in his  Persian poetry which in English  somewhat translates to; ‘power of the west is not due  to flutes and guitars nor due to dances and veil-less daughters, nor due to magical beauty of red faces nor due to trimmed hair style. Their supremacy is not due to secularism nor is their advancement due to Latin script. Power of Europe flows from science & technology. It is this fire that is burning in their lamps. Wisdom does not lie in cutting & clipping of clothes and the turban is no obstruction in science and technology.’

Man is naturally drawn to best achievements. Prudence, foresight, statesmanship and action thereto though among the prominent teachings of Islam are overlooked practically. This has  led the Indian origin autodidact  Ahmed Hussain Deedat  - a thinker, author and an orator on Comparative Religion from South Africa - to say that ‘some people are live but on wrong road while Muslims are a dead people on a right road’. Muslims have to be modern in true sense of the word  sans any second thought.

The author is a former Sr. Audit Officer and Consultant in the A.G’s Office Srinagar.