Popular loneliness

Are you aware that many of those seemingly very happy, handsome, rich, athletic, lively people are feeling extremely lonely?

And  they are so lonely indeed; most of them turn to social media, expecting friendship from imaginary people in an artificial world. It is not uncommon for such people to be thoroughly aware of every tiny detail of their Internet friends –consisting most of the time of  stories of dubious veracity- but live a life that is completely isolated from the real world. Most of the time, they don't even know who lives next door.

And then there are those who seek love and friendship in their birds, cats or dogs. Indeed, animals are amongst the greatest blessings in this world and are amazing gifts from God with their remarkable cuteness tapping into those feelings of compassion and love in humans. However, some people use them as a shield to protect them from their loneliness. While they freely spend a fortune on their pets, they don't think about homeless children trying to sleep on the curb out in the cold.

Have you also seen those people who smile in their pictures with their friends and share it with thousands of their followers but at the same time, constantly complain about their loneliness?

You most likely  know people who are struggling with loneliness.

How many people do you know that prefer to surf the Internet rather than being with their families or friends, or helping them?

How many people do you know that prefer to answer their Facebook posts rather than helping someone, or answering a question or at least saying something nice?

Does your child prefer to be fixated on his phone or computer screen instead of talking to you?

All of these point to a serious problem…

Loneliness is like a slowly creeping disease. Crowded places, parties in famous clubs where people seem to have fun, huge business blocks where hundreds work, are actually full of lonely people.

The reason lying behind this popular loneliness is there for everyone to see: People learn how not to think starting in  their childhood. They do not think about love, or understand its importance and how much they need it. After a while, this indifference becomes so tangible, they become numb to even the greatest of beauties.

They always want something better, more expensive, more flamboyant and mostly, they crave ever more popularity. But when they get that, they can’t even feel happy, because they are already on the lookout for more.

Surely everyone should strive to achieve better, and this is a reflection of our desire for Heaven in our souls. However, it should not be confused with this never-ending greed for worldly goals; it is a bad personality trait that makes what is beautiful worthless and only leads to an immense amount of waste.

The only way to fight off this bad character trait is faith in God, and the  Qur'an.

God creates the shortcomings of this world so that people think about the reasons for them:

God creates a beautiful child, a colorful bird, or a fantastic rose with an amazing scent; He does this so that people see the immaculate details in them and appreciate them.

God creates a poor person so that people are grateful for what they have; He creates wars so that people can appreciate peace and brotherhood.

God creates old age, so that people understand they don't own their beauty as everything that is beautiful inevitably goes down an irreversible road of decay; this urges people to understand the true, fleeting nature of this world.

People who don't know how to think in line with the Qur'an turn into individuals who take everything for granted in an egoistic attitude and usually never feel happy about anything. Instead of communicating with or helping real people, they build an imaginary world where they drown themselves in their loneliness.

Children who don't think about what God wants from us or follow His wishes can easily be introverted in huge groups of friends; or world-famous artists in their heyday can have emotional breakdowns and commit suicide as a result of their loneliness.

What God wants from us is for our own happiness. People who do not lead their lives in the way God advises us will have no choice but to feel unhappy and depressed.

Religion is about sublime character traits; it is about love. It is about experiencing love with passion. It is loving people, having a deep love for the creation of God. It is passionately loving flowers, insects, birds, and most importantly humans. It is refraining from gossip, saying hurtful words, getting carried away by worldly desires; it is working for the goodness and happiness of all, being in love with God and having an intense desire to see the manifestation of God in Heaven forever. It is living for God.

A person that believes in God knows that he is never alone. Even if he is confined in a small place, or stranded in some deserted location, he knows that God is always with him. God is always close to him; closer to him than his own jugular vein. When he has two friends, the third one present  is always God. God is always with him. 

  Have you not considered that God knows what is in the heavens and what is on the earth? There is in no private conversation three but that He is the fourth of them, nor are there five but that He is the sixth of them - and no less than that and no more except that He is with them [in knowledge] wherever they are. (Surat al-Mujadila, 7)

This is the best gift, the utmost comfort and luxury possible for a person. For believers, God is the best friend, the best guardian and the only one to be sought refuge in.   Is not God sufficient for His Servant? And [yet], they threaten you with those [they worship] other than Him. And whoever God leaves astray - for him there is no guide. (Surat az-Zumar, 36)

Adnan Oktar's piece on Harakah Daily