Broken Bonds 

By Mushtaq Hurra 

Conquering the moon and Mars is undoubtedly an extraordinary accomplishment of man, digging deeper into mantle and core of the earth is indeed a phenomenal feather to his crown, flying gigantically monstrous airplanes high above different strata of atmosphere sounds startlingly mind-boggling, profound reduction in distances between men and countries with the advent of swift modes of transportation and communication to unimaginable levels is unbelievably stunning, exploring and unraveling the mysteries of universe is testimony to his incredible technological prowess, but, neither his muscular fortitude nor his mental mettle stations him at the throne of the world as the viceroy of Allah. It is rather the exceptional attribute of love, sympathy and compassion which elevates him beyond the heights of celestial hierarchy. These are the angelic attributes and virtues which earn him the appellation like Ashraful Makhlooqat (Crown of creations).

Unlike other biological creatures on the planet, man is born with a unique trait to bond with others. His birth decides his blood relations, and his upbringing and education determines his social relations. This beautiful ability to connect with others bestows him prominence and distinction in the world. Maintaining and nourishing the relations crowns him as the head of the world. So, this innate ability to take care of his affinities and relations with his fellow men and women, is the basic mantra of being human. Even Allah SWT has cautioned man not to breach the uterine and non-uterine relations. 

Prophet Muhammad Sala-Lahu Aliahi Wasallam used to exhibit deep reverence, respect and love for his relatives and friends. His unparalleled ties with His four friends who later succeeded him, has attained proverbial and axiomatic stature in the history of Islam. So, the quality of bonding with others, makes ibni-Adam the standout creature on the planet. The elixir that irrigates the human relations, is love and sympathy. 

A few decades back, human relations were strong and healthy. We used to make frequent visits to our relatives’ homes which would cement the bonds stronger and healthier. I vividly remember how my mother and my grandmother used to visit our different relatives periodically. And they would always take maize cobs, stone-fruits and seasonal green yields,  indigenously grown vegetables and even pickles to our different relatives’ homes as a token of love and gratitude. Unlike modern day junks like pastries, cakes, juices and carbonated beverages, our illiterate ancestors were quite health conscious. Pride, conceit, show-off and greed had no place in their lives. Now, our ego freezes our feet to visit our relatives’ homes. Even siblings living under one roof hardly talk to each other albeit a few exceptions. Parents are being abandoned and sent to old-age homes. The mess in our relations is evident in our behavior with our families and communities. Demoniac traits coupled with social media incarceration has reduced us to mere mammals. 

Though the technological deluge has adversely changed our preferences and priorities, we can’t blame it alone for the bitterness in our relations. We can’t afford to keep away from technological advancements because such languid and lackadaisical approaches will make others trample us under their feet. 

Nonetheless, our innate virtues and basic human attributes have become dormant, vices and demoniac traits have grown corpulent. Our enslavement to digital gadgets has fanned the flames. We must learn to use the technology prudently and sagaciously. Ironically, we have fallen prey to its ugly pangs. The inundation caused by our easy access to different social media platforms and sites, has sunken us all in the sea of unconsciousness, insensitivity and oblivion. We waste our time and resources on the screens. Our digital connections have become vibrantly stronger but our real relations have become weaker, brittle and fragile. We have thousands of online friends across the globe but have lost our real well-wishers, sympathizers and friends. 

Now, whom to blame for the chaos and the decline in our relations? Who should be held responsible for the strangulation of the prime human attributes? Who should be reprimanded for the tumbling values? Why have we made the yoke of slavery as our destination? Who is the culprit ? 

Obviously, all of us! 

Avarice, greed, lust, jealousy, hatred and boasting have dethroned us from the elite position of Ashraful Makhlooqat. These vices have blemished our angelic character, and our wickedness has done all the damage to our precious human values. Crisis of deterioration and disintegration is rapidly growing in our relations. We no longer visit our sisters’ homes in person. We no longer bother to meet our relatives and friends periodically. 

Let’s all delve deeper into the burgeoning crisis and the rift in our relations. We should not let technology decide our fate. It is meant to mitigate our woes and hardships but we have chosen its nasty wrath. We have happily put on the yoke of digital slavery around our minds and hearts. Parents, teachers and other concerned stakeholders must teach our children the  judicious use of the technology. And we all must work hard to imbibe values and virtues in our young people. Let’s all pledge to restore the rich legacy of our value system which is attributed to Lalded, Shaikhul Alam and other revered saints. We must work tirelessly to teach our children to hold human bonds in high esteem and reverence. 

• The Author is a Teacher and a Columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]

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