This is something directed to people who are constantly agitated, sorrowful, sad, depressed or generally frustrated with life in the modern world.
Do you ever wish you were far away from modern civilisation? I have a theory. I think a lot of people ultimately get sad and down because of the shackles of modern living.
Not so much the innovations, rather as a result of our affluence, we have become very dependent on the technology around us and efforts of other people. We have as a result of this, people with a sense of great self entitlement and a deranged, dysfunctional society with an abundance of spiritual diseases that are highly contagious and largely left untreated and these are passed on from people to people leaving their marks and damaging the pure fitrah that we are born on.
I think a large number of souls are dead and in need of having life injected into them.
Personally, I feel like a total prisoner in the modern world. The whole 9-5 thing is just one aspect. I hate the way society is structured. I hate materialism. I hate that we are constantly made (influenced by media and all other forms of brainwashing) to yearn for all new forms of technology (by that, I mean things like ipods, ipads, PS3, or whatever) and wordly 'happiness'. I hate that we are programmed from birth to make a life for ourselves in this world as though it is the be all and end all of everything.
I hate that throughout our lives, wants are ingrained into our lives to so far an extent, that we end up considering them to be needs. I hate that we are groomed to have self-entitlement towards the good-life.
What do we really need as people? I think: Food, water, clothing, a roof over our heads, warmth, family, friends and that's it for the most part. Those are our absolute needs. I'm not saying things beside these are bad, but rather we should strive to always be content with whatever befalls us, as long as we have these main things, as the rest are not necessities in the truest sense of the word.
In light of all this, I honest to Allah, feel like I want to just go away from it all. To somewhere far and remote. A place that is calm, serene and peaceful. Like say the Alaskan wilderness. Where you live off the land. You have clean fresh air. You fish, you forage, you hunt, you make and live in your own humble cabin, you store your own food, you make your own fire, you wash your clothes with your own hands, you do things in a simple way. Ultimately, you're self-sufficient. You're free, not bound or dependent upon anybody and you eat and live from the fruits of your own work. You would always have something to do.
Do you ever feel like that yourself? Do you think such a thing could help you feel more 'alive'? I know it would help me tremendously. I would do it in a heartbeat if I could. Have you never felt like getting away from it all?
I think at the heart of it, it all depends on how content we are as individuals. If we yearn for too many things in this life, the simple life I describe wouldn't appeal. It would seem boring and counter intuitive. To a content person, however, it would be a place where freedom is beckoning.
Say there was a very small muslim village that lived in this simple fashion. There was a mosque at the centre of the community too. Would you ever wish you could just get away from modern civilisation to that place for the sake of rest and being at peace?
Once again, not to say modern civilisation hasn't brought good for humanity in terms of technology. There have been tremendous benefits, but purely from a spiritual perspective - do you think living in such a place or even a retreat to one for a year or so could possibly do you good?
Alpha dude you have the highest reps on this forum and i know that you are not responsible for other's feelings. I will give you something to lift you up . When you feel down and when you show your down feelings then know that you are affecting others. Sorry to say that.
Alpha dude you have the highest reps on this forum and i know that you are not responsible for other's feelings. I will give you something to lift you up . When you feel down and when you show your down feelings then know that you are affecting others. Sorry to say that.
Wow. I'm not down! I'm just voicing thoughts. I didn't mean to make others feel down. I'm sorry, I didn't even realise I was giving off such an impression.
Wow. I'm not down! I'm just voicing thoughts. I didn't mean to make others feel down. I'm sorry, I didn't even realise I was giving off such an impression.
no your not giving off that impression. i think you are a very deep spiritual person mashaAllah
Don't worry . Its just that this subject about societies brings me down. You saying don't you feel like you wanna escape all this and go into the wilderness . Well sure i want to , after my neighbour put a gun in my head just for a parking space and after 1 girl i used to know got a bullet in her head because people were shooting up in the air to cheer up for a lebanese politician while he was speaking live. Yep sure i want to escape.
I find the clutter and distraction and stuff that goes against Islam to be unnecessary and detrimental to the spiritual health of people
Yes, I'm totally ok with that. And, it's probably because of their natural life, the first muslims and the compaignons of the profet were more strong than us. Indeed, the prophet said : خير القرون قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم (the best muslims are these who are with me, and then those who will be after them, and then those who will come after..)
That shows that muslims are getting worse in every generation, and that may be because of the progress in their way of living. But, wanted us to be born in these late times, and he certainly wanted us to be useful in the earth even in these conditions, So there is certainly some good that we can take from our life today.
I think there is another hadith (I'm not really sure of that) of the prophet saying that in the late times, if a muslim make the tenth of good work (prayer, sadaqa, ...) then allah will reward him as he has done a full good work.
Nah, they need something that changes their lives completely and I think staying away from civilisation for a length of time, they might not even want to come back lol.
What I mean is: say there was a year long retreat where there was a simple life as I described - would such people find it helpful to bring their souls back to life?
I think that many people do indeed crave the simple life and move away from society and live fully productive and happy lives. I think there are others who would go nuts in such environments and conditions and would probably become as Dagless describes, missing the "creature comforts" and ready to go back. A lot of it just depends on the individual. People who are generally unhappy seem to stay unhappy no matter where they are. Put them in any environment and they will find things to complain about. Their misery is self-imposed, but they attribute it to everything but self. People who are generally happy and at peace will find themselves happy any place they go. Their inner peace is not dependent on external circumstances. Environment can help or hurt, but it is not the underlying source. I think that even the happiest of people would find themselves down in an environment that is poisonous.
For me personally, I love to live a simple life in the middle of nowhere. Of course, I am happy anyplace I live. I am certainly most at peace in a place where all the poisons of the world have not accumulated. Life is wonderful and I would not choose to move back into a big city.
Bro you speak the truth, materialism and us constantly pursuing our desires has ruined our lifestyles. Everything is becoming fake, theres so much materialism, so much going on that if don't keep up with it we're become failures according to society
He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: and He is Full of Mercy to the Believers. [Quran {33:43}] www.QuranicAudio.com www.Quran.com
What I mean is: say there was a year long retreat where there was a simple life as I described - would such people find it helpful to bring their souls back to life?
I would love to live alone all my life in a "cave". If I had enough food and books, I wouldn't need anything else. Everything else just causes stress.
format_quote Originally Posted by cat eyes
id be able to handle it inshaAllah but i just dont want to be left alone.
ID need companionship and just the basic essentials for a human to survive.
I'm not like that at all, I become unhappy when I'm not alone
The more time I spend alone, the happier I am...
Last edited by Argamemnon; 03-21-2010 at 11:44 PM.
Say there was a very small muslim village that lived in this simple fashion. There was a mosque at the centre of the community too. Would you ever wish you could just get away from modern civilisation to that place for the sake of rest and being at peace?
Somethin like that would appeal to me, like at the time of the prophet. We'd be free from the pressures of modern society, we won't always have to prove ourselves, always having to keep up with the latest items of dunya etc etc. Now a days everything is structured, must get good grades, must get degree, must get good job, must get married by this age, must acheive this, must acheive that etc. Theres too many expectations to live up to. Life would be much more simpler, happier and possibly overall easier without all of it.
Its kind of like when I go to London, coming from leicester it feels like I've gone 20 years forward, life there is so much more fast paced, up to date, so many things to do so much stuff to keep up with.
It's the same for people I know coming from london to midlands, they feel everything is slower, more boring etc
He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: and He is Full of Mercy to the Believers. [Quran {33:43}] www.QuranicAudio.com www.Quran.com
I would love to live alone all my life in a "cave". If I had enough food and books, I wouldn't need anything else. Everything else just causes stress.
I'm not like that at all, I become unhappy when I'm not alone
The more time I spend alone, the happier I am...
Nah bro thats not what alpha dude meant, that you seclude yourself in a cave.
What he meant was living life without materialistic things which aren't necessary to live a happy life. Friends are family are human neccessities, you'd go mental without them.
He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: and He is Full of Mercy to the Believers. [Quran {33:43}] www.QuranicAudio.com www.Quran.com
Nah bro thats not what alpha dude meant, that you seclude yourself in a cave.
What he meant was living life without materialistic things which aren't necessary to live a happy life. Friends are family are human neccessities, you'd go mental without them.
I know what he meant bro. I was just revealing my own dream, regardless how extreme it may sound to most people.
I used to think it this way you're thinking. Thinking that the modern way is the culprit for most of my uncontented way of life.
But then i began to realise...i'm not fully gratitude. I keep seeing those who are much better than i am, which i should actually be grateful and not comparing myself too much.
Remember the hadith that says to keep looking for those who below than us. I only began to truly comprehend that.
By having complete gratitude...then only you will feel contentment.
Wassallam
25:36 And the true servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk the earth with humility and when the ignorant address them, they respond with words of peace.
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i think you are a very deep spiritual person mashaAllah 
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