From Collapse to Clarity: Why Now Is the Time to Study the Qur’an
Disclaimer: As a novice reader of the Qur’an, I try to understand it and seek guidance from it. The following piece does not claim to offer any definitive conclusions. Whatever resonates with the truth is from God alone, and any error is due to my own limited understanding. Nonetheless, I urge you to read the Qur’an and pray for my guidance.
The Uncertain Plot:
In the early months of last year, I came across Essays in Skepticism by Bertrand Russell. It did not give me a concrete understanding of why we should be skeptical about anything. Moreover, its contradictions seemed more apparent than its critical nuances. I then turned to Byung-Chul Han, a contemporary philosopher who questions every aspect of modern life and rethinking, yet again leaving the reader suspended in uncertainty. Countless discussions and varied readings from different philosophies and philosophers, most of them Western, have yielded nothing but an intensified sense of existential doubt.
MIT conducted a study in 1972 which predicted that rapid economic growth would lead to societal collapse in the mid 21st century and we’re unfortunately right on schedule. It concludes that the current business trajectory of global civilization is heading toward the decline of economic growth within the coming decade and at worst it could trigger societal collapse around 2040. The analysis does not point an inevitable apocalypse, but it does signal that without major shifts away from relentless growth, economic and industrial decline and its social symptoms are likely to unfold within this century.
The end of history suggests that humanity may have arrived at the final stage of ideological evolution, where liberal democracy fused with market capitalism stands as the ultimate and most viable political order. Yet this culmination gives rise to the “Last Man”, a comfortable, consumption-driven individual devoid of ambition or transcendental striving. In the absence of ideological struggle, the life risks flattening into routine satisfaction, and humanity though materially secure, hovers on the edge of stagnation and spiritual emptiness.
The dawn of artificial intelligence and the age of information abundance may overwhelm the masses with greater ignorance rather than deeper understanding. Hyperconsumption and the relentless quest to know everything have turned contemplative thinking into a task outsourced to large language models. The major forces of the twenty-first century, namely politics, the economy, and technology, seem to be drifting toward instability, if not collapse.
Amid this confusion and chaos, humanity needs an anchor to hold onto, something that can guide its boat safely to the shore.
The Disorders:
The hyperactivity of everyday life deprives human existence of contemplation and the capacity to pause and reflect. It creates a sense of losing both the world and time itself. Intentional contemplation often leads to personal growth and a clearer direction in life. Ultimately, the choice to embrace such change rests with us. The Qur’an emphasizes such reflection, understanding, and turning away from purely worldly and utilitarian pursuits in order to seek higher truths.
What is creation? What is longing? What is purpose? What is life? Man asks, and then blinks.
When his long, healthy, yet uneventful life becomes unbearable, he turns to hedonism. In the end, he is consumed by it. He tries to extend his life indefinitely through a rigid dynamics of health, yet paradoxically it is cut short before its natural time. Instead of truly dying, he simply comes to an end in a kind of non-time. Today, everything tied to time becomes obsolete far more quickly than before. Events and things turn into relics almost instantly and slip out of our attention.
Hyperconsumerism and the culture of acceleration have made us impatient and docile. For someone to sit for a few hours and study the Qur’an requires shedding tons of virtual baggage carried on the shoulders. One such burden is the sectarian debate over which translation of the Qur’an to study. Many other shackles like this bring the seeker to a standstill.
The Qur'anic Order:
When the Qur’an was first revealed, it shook people deeply. Its message was powerful and new, and those who heard it felt its weight and beauty in a way that stirred strong reactions. But as time passed, later generations became familiar with its language. What once felt overwhelming slowly became ordinary. The sense of awe experienced by the first listeners began to fade as people grew used to hearing it.
The Qur’an is not an instant miraculous recipe. It requires time from the reader. The guidance and wisdom one draws from it are directly proportional to the time given and the depth of contemplation. The Qur’an demands patience. It does not welcome haste, laziness, or careless generalizations. What it asks from the reader is steady consistency, for illumination unfolds gradually. It discourages empty ritualistic attendance. The eschatology also indicates that just before the Hour (end times), there will be days when knowledge will disappear, ignorance will become widespread. Some tradition even mentions that the Quran will vanish in one night. No verse in the scripture or in the heart of anyone will be left behind. Be mindful of the complaint of the Prophet regarding the neglect of the Qur’an:
And the Messenger has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur’ān as [a thing] abandoned.
The Ultimate Remedy for Depressive Psyche:
The sense of emptiness is a basic symptom of depression. A person often feels nothing at all. At times, only pain makes them feel real. For the depressive subject, the self becomes a burden. It grows tired of itself. Unable to step outside its own weight, it turns inward again and again, and in doing so, slowly erodes. The more it collapses into itself, the more hollow it becomes.
The Qur'an brings back the subject to the transcendental rememberence:
Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace
Remember your Lord inwardly with humility and reverence and in a moderate tone of voice, both morning and evening. And do not be one of the heedless.
And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed [i.e., difficult] life, and We will gather [i.e., raise] him on the Day of Resurrection blind.
Your Turn:
Guidance comes from Allah. The Qur'an was sent as guidance for all humankind. It is not an obscure or inaccessible text reserved for a priestly elite. Its most fundamental purpose is to show the right path through reasoned reflection and appeals to fitrah, the innate moral and spiritual disposition within the human being.
If you are anxious, uncertain, or living in doubt, sit down with the Qur’an. Move through its verses patiently and with humility. It will not leave you unattended. Do not approach it to defend preconceived notions. Do not approach it to search for scientific proofs or to refute others. Do not approach it merely to extract philosophy. In the beginning, approach it with the intention of beginning a conversation with your Creator and seeking guidance. The exquisite pearls of the Qur’an reveal themselves over time, unfolding their depth throughout the journey.
Whether you belong to science, history, philosophy, law, medicine, or any other field, push yourself to study the Qur'an. Not to use it as a tool to validate your academic arguments or selectively extract verses to fit your discipline, but to seek guidance and truth with intellectual humility.
The Qur'an is not a footnote to our theories. It is a text that invites reflection, moral clarity, and self-examination. Approached sincerely, it challenges the reader before it answers the reader.
Respond to this call before you are called for questioning:
And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
If you found this beneficial, remember me in your prayers and share it with those around you.
References:
- Surah Furqan - 25 : 30
- Surah Ar-Ra'd - 13 : 28
- Surah A'raf - 7 : 105
- Surah Taha - 20 : 124
- Surah Qamar - 54 : 17
- Francis Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man.
- Donella H. Meadows et al., The Limits to Growth.
- Donella H. Meadows, Jørgen Randers, & Dennis L. Meadows, Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update.
- Bassam Saeh, The Miraculous Language of the Qur'an: Evidence of Divine Origin.
- Byung-Chul Han, The Scent of Time: A Philosophical Essay on the Art of Lingering.
- Byung-Chul Han, The Expulsion of the Other: Society, Perception and Communication Today.
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