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Fighting for the Community in an Age of Loneliness

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27-September-2017

Islam is about community. Fighting isolation is one of the most important tasks of the 20th century Muslim.

Islam by its very nature is a religion that does not let people isolate themselves from others, at least not for long periods of time. The greetings of peace (salaams), having to go to Friday prayers, getting married, going to Hajj, an so on are designed in some respects to prevent isolation, a phenomenon which saturates the current society we live in. Participating in the community is a battle against the isolation that is dominating so much of the world, particularly in the West which we find ourselves in.

Our youth need to learn the significance of conversing directly with their family and friends. The youth spend much of their communication via text or social media which are devoid of real interaction. They are not only growing more and more isolated, but they are also losing their social skills. The adults are no better. They are suffering from the same disease and we risk becoming a network of isolated individuals instead of a community.

For the young ones, the backyard is not enough. Parks and family picnics are good places to go where friendship and family bonds can grow and potentially last a lifetime.  Isolation is not normal, but it also takes commitment to keep and preserve a community. This means that you should find times where the TV, phones and computers are off for at least a short while so that the family can spend quality time together. It is only by directly communicating that a meaningful relationship can be built where the other’s being, emotions, features can be expressed. An emoji on a text and seeing a person’s actual smile are radically different worlds.

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