The Flood of Machine Culture

“Machines’ rule is death for the heart, Instruments crush the sense of compassion!”

Often, I recite one of Iqbal’s verses with a subtle modification:

The current era’s machine culture has, for the most part, transformed modern humans into ‘nonhumans’ by giving them ‘progress.’ Except for a ‘small group ‘ steadfast in faith and ethics, the majority of people have succumbed to this widespread corruption. As a result, neither divinity nor humanity remains within them. This grave aspect of the machine revolution was recognized early on by Iqbal, the ‘knower of secrets.’ He aptly said:

متحکو کی ےہ دل ےک ےیل ومت، ونیشمں

!اسح ِس رم ّوت وک لچک دےتی ںیہ، آالت

With respect to modern conditions, the positive use of technology is one thing, and the overwhelming flood of machine culture is quite another. Our principle regarding modern technology should be to use technology, not let technology use us.

However, the crisis of the present age is that this machine culture has entirely turned humans into mechanical animals. Consequently, the modern person is generally no longer human but has become a ‘non-human,’ devoid of all human qualities and divine feelings, reduced to a soulless human robot.

While discussing ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI) with a Muslim expert from the IT sector, I once said that first, these tyrants made humans into machines, and now that humans have fully become machines, they are struggling, through artificial intelligence, to make machines into humans.

Events indicate that in such a state, not only will the number of ‘non-humans’ practically increase for a mere ‘trivial pride ,’ but the divine masterpiece known as humans will become mere obedient clerks, working as slaves to machines, deprived of all human abilities, as is now evident in ‘every developed’ and ‘civilized’ place.

Famous scientist Stephen Hawking expressed this danger in a statement, saying that the infinite development of artificial intelligence could itself be at the cost of the end of the human race: “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” [The Economic Times, March 14, 2018]

Stephen Hawking further elaborated in his statement, indicating that we have reached a point of no return in this matter, leading us towards self-destruction: “I believe we have reached the point of no return… and we are in danger of self-destructing.”

Poet of reality, Dr. Allama Iqbal, foresaw this scenario a century ago in ‘Bang-e-Dra’ (1905) and correctly predicted:

تناایکےہ ھجت وک ’ونیشمں‘ ےن وکر ذوق ابص ےس یھب ہن الم ، ھجت وک وبے لگ اک رساغ

“What have machines made you so dull-witted, That even the breeze couldn’t bring you the scent of flowers?”

گی م ھ اری ذہتبی اےنپ رجنخ ےس آپ وخد یشک رکے

! گاہو وج اش ِخ انزک ہپ آایشہن ےنب اگ، اناپدیئار

“Your civilization will commit suicide with its own dagger,

The nest built on a delicate branch will not be stable!”

Famous scientist Albert Einstein shed light on this reality, expressing his fear that one day modern technology would eventually dominate the human world, and our world would become merely a dwelling place for fools: “I fear the day when technology overlaps with our humanity. The world will only have a generation of idiots.” [Albert Einstein]

Similarly, famous American author Eric Holdman stated that reliance on technology to this extent is depriving the new generation of human skills such as good writing and human connections: “The generation of young people now entering the workplace don’t know how to communicate. They are poor writers, and their coordination and collaboration skills are lacking. Some of this would have to be a direct result of being wedded to their ‘digital assistants’.” [govtech.com]

Undoubtedly, this flood of machine culture is a highly lethal phenomenon for humanity. Machines should have been kept at the level of machines, and humans at the level of humans. God made humans ‘human,’ and in accordance with this divine scheme, they should remain ‘human’ at all costs, regardless of how much this rapid flood of ‘progress’ tries to extinguish their divine light.

In the current era, despite the light of electricity, such ‘darkness’ is rapidly spreading in almost all ‘developed’ places. Akbar Allahabadi commented on this phenomenon in his unique style:

However, undoubtedly, it will be a severe and irreparable loss for humanity if, in the storm of progress, the light of human nature and the bright lamp of the heart is extinguished because it is the life and sensitivity of the heart that is called life and faith. Without this life, vitality, compassion, and sensitivity of the heart, humans are not humans. Khwaja Mir Dard Dehlvi (died 1758) rightly said:

Nowadays, there is widespread talk everywhere about the virtues and blessings of this machine culture. Everywhere, this thought and this culture dominate. Both religious and non-religious people sing its praises, considering it a ‘supreme good’ (summum bonum).

While conversing with a few individuals about these modern ‘blessings,’ I once remarked that the

کھناربق ےک پمیل ےس آوھکنں وک اچبےئ ر

!ہے تاجا چلا روینش آیت ےہ، اور ونر

ئےجامر نہ تو ےھجم ہی ڈر ےہ، د ِل زدنہ !سے جینے ہک زدناگین ابعرت ےہ، ریتے

“Shield your eyes from the lamp of electricity, Light comes, but the illumination goes away!”

I fear that this living heart might die, For life itself is defined by your existence!

state of these ‘blessings’ is such that we are now incapable of reading in the light of electricity and digital ink what was written in the light of a lamp.

The truth is that mere material glitter and technical prowess can never be the criterion for something being a ‘supreme good.’ This materialistic mindset and purely materialistic view of life are the same myopic and blind approach referred to in a saying of the Prophet as the ‘one- eyed ‘ nature of the great fitna (trial) of Dajjal, meaning lack of insight and blindness.

The reality is that a phenomenon can only attain the status of a ‘supreme good’ when it guarantees faith and ethics and is filled with devotion to God and human compassion. In such a state, the main thing to see is whether in this flood of material progress, humans have attained the primary position or have they merely become secondary beings? Has their inner peace and spiritual tranquility increased, or are they now engulfed in a kind of mental ‘confusion ‘ and intellectual decline? Do they have time left for themselves or not?

In such a state, we must pause and reflect on whether the benefits gained from these modern advancements have come at the cost of our humanity? Are the values that constitute the essence of humanity alive, or have they perished? Akbar Allahabadi correctly said:

From a factual perspective, the answer to all these questions will almost be in the negative. If a person sees with the eyes of insight, all this has become a written message on the wall, which can now be seen everywhere with the eyes of the head. Even a common person is experiencing these soul-wrenching realities with extreme intensity.

Experiences testify that the general spirit of humanity is not only gradually diminishing but also becoming extinct. Soulless religious rituals have replaced heartfelt worship, and the formal displays of rituals and manners have now become ethics. Generally, these rituals are now considered the essence of religion and humanity, and the importance of faith and ethics is completely forgotten. Soulless digital and professional etiquettes are equated with the living Islamic and divine ethics characterized by the fear of God, good morals, and genuine human compassion.

The crisis of the coronavirus has now turned even the remaining humans into ‘non-humans,’ establishing them in an ideal manner, full of enchantment and commercial cunning, online and digitally. The human being of today is no longer the same as before the coronavirus but now appears entirely changed in terms of human emotions and human relationships.

Hence, the greatest tragedy of the time is that good people are not only gradually becoming fewer, but due to the continuous ‘non-human’ experiences of insensitive people, the good and

یکھووشقنں وک مت ہن اجوچن، ولوگ ں ےس لم ےک د

!ہے ہیایک زیچ یج ریہ ےہ، ایک زیچ رم ر

“Do not judge the pictures, meet the people and see,

What is living, and what is dying!”

compassionate individuals are also changing and becoming ‘salt in a salt mine.’ Many such individuals are now forced to withdraw and remain silent under the influence of the environment. This is no simple matter but a horrifying phenomenon of the approaching apocalypse.

Summary

In such a state, it is necessary that the few remaining ‘humans’ in this vast crowd of pseudo- humans must not be disheartened. Instead, according to the situation, they should strive to stay close to nature at every level of life. They should use the remembrance of God as their support in this dark period of humanity. They should continuously kindle the divine light of faith and ethics with the help of God’s true servants. They should sincerely continue selfless service to humanity, guiding and supporting them as much as possible.

In these conditions, our state should be like that of the humble man whom Iqbal described:

The duration of falsehood is very short. Its end is nothing but destruction and downfall, “Indeed, falsehood is bound to perish.” On the contrary, permanence and eternity are destined only for truth and honesty. Therefore, the people of truth need not fear or despair: “Do not lose heart, and do not grieve, for you will be superior if you are [true] believers.” (Aal-e-Imran 3:139)

ہےہاوہاےہ وگ دنت وزیت، رگم رچاغ انپ الجر نہوہ رم ِد دروشی سج وک دخا ےن دےی ںیہ، ادنا ِز رسخوا

“Though the wind is fierce and strong, his lamp still burns,

That humble man whom God has given kingly ways.”