Vaccination Against Discontinuities

In order to follow the discussion in this article, it is imperative for you to read two previous articles (Continuity of Sustenance, Preparing for the Discontinuity of Sustenance). From this point on, I am assuming that you have read them.

So, we are in a quest to find a vaccine, or better a family of vaccines, against the discontinuities that threaten our existence and our faith due to their magnitude and extreme duration. This clearly is a research area and must be an ongoing one due to the ever changing life conditions and the ever improving methods and devices of evil. Below, I am sharing with you some of my conclusions from personal experiences and discussions with people.

An idea in this regard can be obtained from the example of the prophet Muhammad pbuh. Had he come today, what would he do in order to strengthen the faiths against the disturbing discontinuities? This question may sound nonsense and even ridiculous to you, because, one, he is not coming back, two, who are we to empathize with a messenger of God. Still, in the Quran, God tells that there are good examples in the person of the prophet for those who believe in God and the afterlife. So, why not try a time travel and pay a visit to our doctor?

"You have had a good example in God's Messenger for whosoever hopes for God and the Last Day, and remembers God often." (33/21)

The first event that draws my attention is the prophet's action during the battle of Hunayn. Initially, the Muslim army was dispersed and bewildered in the face of the enemy, and the Muslim soldiers were running back from the field. Upon seeing this, Muhammad pbuh stood against this flow and shouted as strong as he might: "I am the messenger of God, there is no lie in this." Such bravery gave a shock to the Muslims, because they realized that the prophet was standing alone and trying to fight against the enemy, all the while trying to call his friends to their senses. It didn't take too long for the Muslim army to recollect and execute a conclusive assault leading to victory.

This event is an analog to the discontinuities we are discussing. It shows that if you yourself are able to stand against the adversity, when others are bewildered or even giving up, that action of yours can function as a vaccination to your fellows. Allah sometimes guides his servants through the example of some other servants. And if He has blessed you with the faith, conviction, strength and guidance to stand against the adversities, then you must share your inspirations and ideas with others, remind them the conditions of their agreement with God, and trigger an immunity against disbelief. 

Another idea of vaccine can be found in the concept of patience. Patience is an indispensable component of survival in dire conditions. So, the activities, exercises that strengthen your patience can help you endure the extreme tests later on. For example, doing sports that take a long time and extreme effort to complete are superb for this purpose. Marathon running (quarter, half or full), mountain climbing are two such examples.

Similarly, a factor that undermines the will power and feeds depressive thoughts is the absence of a meaning in what is happening. Research has shown that people who see a meaning in their suffering can both endure the tough conditions better and can come out stronger, whereas those who see no meaning are more likely to fail or come out destroyed. So, practices that help us see a bigger picture in the complicated things or events can also help us survive the pitch dark times that seem like eternity. In this regard, making puzzles (500, 1000, or 2000 pieces) or other artistic productions that take long time to complete (embroidery, sculpture, painting, etc.) can be highlighted.

Next idea is Quran memorization. Here, I am not talking about memorizing only the short chapters. I am talking about memorizing several pages, or even tens of pages, even if you cannot memorize the entire Quran. There are several benefits coming with this. First, the reason we are trying to device a vaccine is that we want to become and remain loyal servants of Allah. So, having His living word with us wherever we go is a prime source of energy and help. Even when nobody can be with you, He can speak to you through His word that is in your mind. You can recite it for tens of minutes or even hours. The One who has the control over everything and the One who gives meaning to anything is communicating with you as you utter every single word of Quran. Another reason for Quran memorization is that it takes patience and effort to do, and knowing more of the Quran helps you see everything through better and larger lenses, which connect this practice to the two previous reasons.

Last but not the least, another vaccine suggestion that again connects to everything explained so far is doing good willed actions or charity projects that push you to your limits and beyond so that you must get out of your comfort zone and force things and people desperately, all the while praying to Allah for a successful end to your project. This effort is certain to bring you face to face with your Creator, and it is meant only for you to conduct that communication. That is, I cannot go beyond telling you to try it.

"Behold! Abraham said to his father and his people: 'I do indeed clear myself of what you worship. (I worship) only Him Who made me, and He will certainly guide me.' And he left it as a Word to endure among those who came after him, that they may turn back (to Allah)." (43/26-28)

Preparing for the Discontinuity of Sustenance

Can you imagine what would happen if the entire world had insufficient oxygen to breath for 1 minute? If you are one of those who can hold their breath for well over a minute, this would not pose a big problem. However, many people would not survive such a shock and many others would come out severely, and perhaps permanently, injured. What if this unfathomable disaster lasts for 2 minutes? 

The above thought experiment brings up the issue of strength in the face of scarcity of the essentials. And that connects us to the concept of fasting in Islam. Especially the fasting during the long summer days pushes the bodies and wills to their limits. Yet the believers force themselves to obey the command of God and wait for the time of sunset to break their fast. Pondering over this worship through the perspective of the above thought experiment, we can see that God is strengthening the believers through fasting so that when a scarcity occurs, which will definitely happen throughout the course of life several times, the believers can survive not only in their bodies but also in their faiths. This last point about surviving in faith needs further scrutiny.

"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits,..." (2/155)

Surviving in your faith automatically connotates other concepts: inflictions and challenges to your faith, strength of your faith, death in your faith or flourishing in your faith. For example, freedom and justice are essential needs of humans. An unusual delay in the delivery of justice or an irrationally long duration of an oppressive regime put people in a strenuous state of mind where they feel obliged to question the veracity of their faith and their adherence to it. Absence of basic sustenance for many while the ridiculous wealth possessed by the few and continuation of this structure over time while God's apparent indifference to this state may push people to trying life styles where they act regardless of God's commands. Such lethal situations for faith are part of the destiny, and if the believers are not prepared for them, their survival in faith is rather unlikely. If the occurrence of such trials are inevitable, how can the believers prepare for them?

The very first step in addressing any situation is properly understanding it. The trials discussed here are not simple trials that put you through hardship. These are the events that you would clearly label as "heartless, treacherous, merciless", and they compel you to question whether God is really merciful and compassionate as He says in the Quran so many times: "if He is so, then why is this situation?" These are the events that crush the connections between the believers and their adherence to the traditions narrated to them. That is, the words and actions of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the people who represent his tradition come under scrutiny. This is when the believers can at last truly empathize with the atheists and understand why they are so stuck with the problem of evil!

"[Remember] when they came at you from above you and from below you, and when eyes shifted [in fear], and hearts reached the throats and you assumed about Allah [various] assumptions." (33/10)

In fact realizing the existence and severity of situations that may shake us from our foundations is not limited to the events in the adult life. From a very early stage, we humans are hardwired for detecting and coping with cases of irreversible consequences. I am talking about the early years of childhood when we learn and start thinking about death. It doesn't take too long to ask the most dreaded question: 

"Mom, dad! Are you going to die? What is going to happen to me when you die?"

One approach in solving these problems is abandoning life itself so that they won't happen. That is, you bring your own discontinuity so that the uncertainty of its otherwise occurrence becomes certain. This is the approach of the sufis or the ascetics, where they abandon the worldly life, eat less, sleep less, interact with people at minimum. They reduce their existence so that they won't face a fundamental quake in their lives, because there is nothing to shake. This way of life brought about the generations that eventually left the material world and the world of knowledge, i.e. science and technology, to those who don't have a regard for God. So, the power shifted to the people who did not prepare themselves for the life after death. 

Today, following the same route means not interfering with life at all and becoming an item of display in documentaries. It means becoming a topic or figure in epic movies but remaining passive and inactive when it comes to real life. Is this what God wants?

"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. " (49/13)

"The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them..." (9/71)

"They did not prevent each other from committing sins nor would they themselves stay away from them. Evil was what they had done!" (5/79)

To be among people and to have immunity against the evil that may befall you due to your faith,  an easy solution seems to be vaccination. Just like fasting on the long, scorching summer days, a practice or a set of experiences can be / must be developed so that people can prepare themselves to excruciating moments of endless misfortunes. Similar to the vaccines that can upend the spread of a pandemic, this social/psychological vaccination can ensure the survival and flourishing of the believers through the extreme challenges facing their faith. 

Then, what could that vaccination be like?

 

Continuity of Sustenance

Imagine yourself living in a world where the length of a day, duration of daytime and the span of a year is constantly and unpredictably changing. Imagine that even the orbit of your home planet is not steady, but changing over time irregularly, so that even the sky is not constant. Would you be able to develop a proper perception of time and space, given that there are no regularities governing your life?

This thought experiment is important to realize the essential role of regularities and their continuity in our lives as conscious living beings. Although we may not be aware of them, such constancies and regularities and our expectation of them to be there forever are at the heart of our mental constructs. To make my case more clear, I am going to invite you to consider other thought experiments. 

If you lived in a place where rain is rare, would you be able to invent dams and devise power generation through rotating turbines? If you lived in a country where electricity is sporadically provided for limited durations, would you be able to create systems that demanded continuity of power in large amounts? For example, would you be able to build trust in the power system and proceed to invent computers and computer controlled systems?

Together, these examples show that in order for us to develop paradigms, make inventions and create worlds, we need the resources to be in sufficient, preferably abundant, amounts and we want them to be available continuously. Without abundance and continuity, it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, for a new concept to immerge and survive based on that resource.

What's more, this situation is not limited to our interaction with and use of the outer world. It also influences our interactions with each other. Take the example of the couple life. The spouse who take the favors of the other for granted and who has developed a sense of trust in the unconditional continuity of those favors is very much prone to committing unacceptable behaviors towards the other. However, a healthy couple life is established on mutual trust and confidence, which feeds a sense of continuity of favors and which brews happiness in the hearts. 

The same analysis can also be reflected on the relationship between the children and parents. The children who have unbounded and unconditional confidence in the tolerance and forgiveness of their parents are likely to become spoiled and disrespectful. However, confidence in the mercy and compassion of the parents is a pillar of the healthy psychology for a child at the same time.

These two cases regarding the spouses and the children point at the fact that we need a continuity of love, trust and connection in order to build healthy personalities and societies. However, the same concepts are also at the root of  developing abusive personalities.

Interesting enough, we observe the same dynamics and the double-edged sword situation in our interaction with our Creator. Although we may recognize and glorify Him as the One who gives us sustenance and who gives guidance whereby we can find out new resources and techniques, the continuity of these blessings independent of our recognition of their source is a key drive to oblivion to the Merciful Grantor.  

"And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said, 'I do not think that this will perish - ever. And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return.' His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: 'Have you disbelieved in He who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man?' " (18/35-37)

This is why and how the existence and continuity of the blessings in our lives cannot be taken as a measure of the correctness of our actions. This is why and how we must be careful about the voices in our heads and the suggestions of other people, when it comes to trusting the mercy of God or forgetting His wrath while committing actions that incur worldly benefit in violation of the boundaries set by God.  

"... let not this world's life deceive you, nor let the archdeceiver deceive you about Allah." (31/33)

And all this is true even when it makes complete sense through a logical justification of our actions that brings benefit in illicit ways, because the human mind is both very creative and rather willfully blind when it comes to justifications.

"... Thus We have made pleasing to every community their deeds..." (6/108)

Having shared these words to raise awareness on a subtle point, I would like to bring the discussion to a sensitive conjunction. Whether we like it or not, the events in our lives and in the life of humanity are going to unfold in ways that may not align with our expectations. Such transformations and alternations at various scales of time are reflective of God's ultimate decree in the story of humanity, which we call history or destiny depending on the context (also see Alternation of Seasons in God's Attitude). So, the constancy that I have been discussing so far is not there all the time. Some things change so slowly that we take them for granted, yet others change rather regularly according to certain dynamics, and still others are manifestations of indeterminism. So, our trust in things of this world, be them natural phenomena or people's attitudes, is subject to shaking. When our trust is shaken, it is not as easily restored as it was built. 

Now remember that a believer connects anything and everything with the Lord of the worlds who is aware and in control of things and events. So, when a believer's trust in people is shaken due to excruciating sufferings, their trust in God is also put in trial. In other words, just like all of our mental and psychological dynamics have a correspondence in our relationship with our Creator, the shaken trust to the existence and people also reflects an impact on the trust in God. And this state of uncertainty brought by the absence of trust hinders any efforts of recovery, because now there is the fear of getting caught unprepared. Such brittle mindset is especially true of the younger generations who are in the construction stage of their lives. So, given a shaken trust in God and a fear and unwillingness to restore that trust, what can be done?

Each person is different, and so, the answer to this question for each person will have its own unique aspects. Here, I would like to share a few points that may be the common factor for all. I would be glad if you included your suggestions in the comments.

Creating a cozy home in winter

When God brings winter, we cannot stop it. It comes. However, He has given us the urge and power to make homes where we can protect ourselves and those around us from the harsh conditions of winter. Similarly, when dramatic devastations occur, even if we cannot stop the avalanche of events, we can at least try to create a micro climate of stability and safety, where the youngsters can continue their faith journey.

Not digging the graves

When someone dies, no matter how much you love them, no matter how much they have done to people, their body must be buried. Clinging to the dead body, or digging out the corpse from the ground in order to not lose sight of that loved one is not going to do any good, but bring more harm. After all, death is the will of God, even if there are apparent causes leading to the event. Similarly, when the believers are shaken through events that demolish their efforts, instead of lamenting desperately and trying to restore the old, they must focus on coming alive renewed. And the same must be taught to the youngsters so that they can take lessons from the past mistakes and develop skills for renewal.

Death awareness management

No one has a guarantee to live forever, and death is the most certain thing in this life. Yet, we forget it. Even a person who is diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a 6 month life until death thinks about the death at the end of those 6 months, when death can actually come much earlier due to whatever reason. In short, in our lives, our awareness of death needs a bit of management. This situation is similar to the loss of trust in the continuity of blessings from God. Those blessings can come to an end at any time due to any apparent reason, but when things go as they are, we forget about this subtlety and give in to an illusion of unconditional continuity. We come to our senses only when things start breaking apart. However in reality, what is constant throughout those events is the omnipresent and all encompassing will, power, wisdom and mercy of God. When we build that illusion of unconditional continuity of blessings in our minds, we are sticking to only one name of God, and so, we are actually obscuring our full vision of God. What is needed is an awareness of God through His various names, not just one. Needless to say, awareness is not awareness unless it is accompanied by relevant actions.

Tracing the mutations

The cells in a living organism has mechanisms to check if the genetic material is conserved. If it is mutated, there are two options. If the corrupt part can be fixed and the cell can bring itself back to healthy condition, this is done. If such restoration is not possible, then the cell drives itself to a controlled death. If we establish an analogy between the genetic material and the Quran, we can say that believers must constantly check their integrity through a direct relationship with the Quran. When such unmediated connection is compromised, and intermediaries are placed between the believers and the Quran, then successive mutations and mistakes unfolding like an avalanche are unavoidable. So, be them young or adult, believers must reunite with the Quran in order to restore their trust with God, because He is the guarantor of anything and everything else.

Taking the Example of God for Online Education

 A great challenge of our time is online learning. On one side, it provides a continuity of education despite physical or biological problems, but on the other side, it puts us face to face with the fact that we are human beings and need physical co-presence for a sustained focus, effective learning and a satisfactory human interaction. Although these challenges become more pronounced for the youngsters, they impact the adults as well. Is there a guide showing the right path in this context?

Pondering over such issues, it occurred to me that we could find help from an unexpected source. We humans are not the only ones doing distance learning/teaching. Although we are not aware of it, there is an education going on in the entire world through a broadband and ubiquitous broadcast. A teacher we have never seen is trying to teach us things. Yes, that teacher is God. And I think there are lessons we could learn from His distance teaching techniques.

1. Forming local groups and assigning local leaders

Throughout the history, God communicated His words to humanity through messengers. These messengers were individuals directly from within the communities, and especially in the rather ancient times, there were multiple messengers at the same time, each for their own people.

Similarly, although the teacher might be away from the students, the students are close to each other. At least, there are groups that live in each other's proximity. So, in order to foster a group spirit and create a learning atmosphere, encouraging the groups to form is rather useful. Next, in order to facilitate a division of labor and to emplace a factor of trigger for others, selecting leaders within groups is important. In order to avoid a sense of "not my job", the position of leadership can be shifted among the group members.

2. Using examples from familiar daily life items and events

A key feature of the Quran is that it directs our attentions to the things that we witness always and ignore due to familiarity. Those familiar things, however, contain elements of miraculousness when studied with care. In fact, such deliberate study and contemplation is a key ingredient of a healthy relationship between God and His servants. 

Becoming irrelevant is one of the pitfalls of education today. Not everything that a student learns in a lesson is directly related to a job or to an experience they might have in real life. In order to give relevance and induce awe, involving daily items and events for experiments or for examples is a key treatment. This becomes even more important and vital for online education where retaining student attention and increasing retention of the course material is an extreme challenge.

 3. Never neglecting the one-to-one interaction

Class environment is a whole sale type affair in the education system. This, however, is a major hurdle in real education. In its original definition, education means a permanent change in the behavior of the learner. Such level of achievement cannot be established without a focused interaction between the educator and the student. Similar to the daily prayers, which are unmediated communications between the Creator and the individuals, teachers must establish one-to-one interaction time with their students.

4. Homework to enable learning by doing

Reading the Quran, one thing you cannot miss is the constant juxtaposition of faith and action. In short, if you believe in God and the judgment day, you must act in accordance with your belief. Those who utter words of faith but fail to act accordingly are those whose faith has not yet been ingrained in their hearts. To achieve this, nevertheless, they are encouraged to act even if in small steps. 

In an environment of distance learning, a similar approach is indispensable. Students must put into practice what they were taught in the lessons and feel it in their heart. They must toil to achieve something, even if small, and must get out of their comfort zone to acquire a habit  of trying. Of course this will not happen just by assigning homework. The teachers must keep in touch with their students through on-to-one communications and guide them, and if necessary motivate them.

5. Encouraging mutual help in the exams

At several places, Allah instructs the believers to help each other in doing good and avoiding evil. He encourages and praises those who recommend each other the truth and patience. This notion of group study is only newly taking roots in the modern education. More often than not, helping each other is unconditionally treated as cheating in exams. When put in a class environment, however, this approach creates masses that are left behind. Online learning exacerbates this wound of education, sadly. Yet, encouraging a sense of group, motivating the students to help each other to learn, while ensuring individual progress through the one-to-one interaction between the teacher and the students can solve many problems and enable education in the real sense.