By:. Bintang Antares.
Preliminary
Modern age in the West, which began in the seventeenth century, an early victory supremacy of rationalism, empiricism and positivism of religious dogmatism. This fact can be understood, because the modern West was built on the basis of the separation between science and philosophy from the influence of religion (secularism). The combination of rationalism and empiricism epistemology in a package which gave birth to what Huxley called the scientific method (scientific method).
The findings of empirical scientific method and rational character miraculously brought the progress of science and technology pengetahunan incredible. Industry and various scientific discoveries brought easiness of life, opening new horizons of life, and gave birth to a new life pattern called modernism. Modernism is characterized by rationalism, progress, and secularism.
Thus, the modern West is the age when man finds himself as a force that can resolve the problems of life. Human beings are seen as great, which is independent of God and nature. Western modern humans deliberately break away from its attachment to God (theomosphisme), to further build the human order that is solely focused on humans (anthropomorphism). Man becomes master of his own fate, resulting in dissolution of spiritual values. As a result, modern Western man in the end was unable to answer the problems of life itself.
Modernism eventually felt carry emptiness and ketidakbermaknaan life. Arise various criticisms and new quest. Humans need a new mindset that is expected to bring awareness and new life patterns. In terms of human consciousness, in practice, symptoms of the search for meaning of life and self-discovery efforts on beliefs laden with spirituality. "Organized Religion" (organized religion) is not always able to meet expectations. Therefore, an emerging trend to return to originality (fundamentalist), charisma can determine (cults) and phenomena that extraordinary (magic).
The diversity of modern man tends to be a personal quest. Of course, this does not always bring positive results. A number of splinter religious groups (cults or sects) exhibit negative symptoms, even it is not possible in this kind of thing happens manipulation of the state with the intention of taking advantage of thirsty men who lost their grip and life orientation.
In relation to the above, how Islam sees the spiritual crisis of modern man? Can Islam be used as an alternative to human pursuits future? This is the underlying importance of discussion in this paper.
Crisis Spirituality Modern Man
1. Loss of Vision Divine
Modern civilization that developed in the West since the days of the renaissance is an experiment that has failed so badly, so that mankind into doubt will question whether they can find other ways in the future. It is, as said by Hossein Nasr, because modern man who rebelled against God, has created a science-based intelligent light - so different from what we see in the traditional Islamic sciences in the classical heyday - but based on the strength reason (ratio) a mere mortal to obtain data through the senses, so that modern civilization is only enforced on the basis of the human concept that does not include the most essential aspect of the man himself.
As a result of the above phenomenon, Western society, which is often classified as the post-industrial society, a society that has reached a level of material prosperity with the technology in such a way that completely mechanical and automatic, rather than getting closer to happiness in life, but on the contrary, more and feel a sense of anxiety even due to the luxuries of life he achieved. They have been a devotee of science and technology, thus unwittingly reduced human integrity and rationality of the system is trapped in the network technology that is not human. Against such a phenomenon, Hossein Nasr uses two basic terms, the axis and the rim or center and periphery, to distinguish two categories of human life orientation.
"Life in this world seems to still not have a spiritual horizon. It is not spiritual horizon was not there, but because of who witnessed the panorama of contemporary life is often the people who live on the edge (periphery or rim) circle of existence, so he can only watch everything from the point of view alone. He always does not care about the existence of a circle radius and completely forget the axis or center (axis or center) circle of existence that can be achieved with the fingers.
Nasr said repeatedly, albeit with a different expression, that modern societies are on the margins of existence itself, moving away from the center, both concerning himself and the environment kosmisnya. They are content with the science and technology, as a result of the 16th century renaissance movement, while thinking and religious understanding which is based on the teachings of revelation increasingly abandoned. With a more popular expression, Western society has entered the post-Christian era and the developing understanding of secularism. Secularization, borrow explains Peter L. Berger, can be divided into two forms: the social meaning of the separation of religious and political institutions. Which is more important in the context of religion is "the application of the processes of the human mind in the form of secularization of consciousness". By Harvey Cox clarified the meaning of secularization, namely: 'liberation of man from the control or commitment to religious values ". Furthermore, he said, secularization occurs when humans turn away from the "there" and just focus on "the world here and now".
The process of secularization of consciousness, leading to modern humans lose self control so easily overcome by a variety of mental illnesses, and he becomes oblivious to who he is and for what life is and where afterward. Nasr wrote:
"The problem of environmental destruction by technological, ecological crisis, and the like, all sourced from illness or forgetfulness amnesis diidap by modern humans. Modern man has forgotten who he really is. Due to modern humans living on the edge of the circle of existence, and he was only able to obtain knowledge about world that is qualitatively and quantitatively superficial change. From knowledge merely external, then he attempted to reconstruct the image of himself. way, modern humans farther from the center of existence, and getting mired in bondage edge of existence.
According to Nasr, that the development of modern western society that has lost its vision of divinity, have blunted intellectusnya vision in seeing the reality of life and living. The term has a connotation capacity intellectus "eyes of the heart", the only element of the essence of man who could look the shadow of God implied by the universe.
Due intellectus on the dysfunctional, then surely anything that modern humans achieved on the edge (rim or periphery) is nothing more than the knowledge that "fragmented" (fragmented knowledge), no longer intact, and not knowledge that will bring wisdom to see the nature of the universe as a single unity, the unity and omnipotence of God mirrors. One can see reality more fully when it was at its height and the center point. Nasr pointed out, "Just higher (level of existence, pen.) To understand the lower".
Man to be able to achieve that level of existence, would have to hold a spiritual ascent and train sharpness intellectus. Nasr emphasized that the fragmentary knowledge can not be used to see the reality of the intact except her own vision of the whole intellectus earlier. Then it was said that in any case the whole knowledge of nature can not be achieved but through the knowledge of the center (center), or axis, since this knowledge but it also contains the existing knowledge on the side as well as the connecting trellis-trellis. It also says, man can know himself perfectly, but only if he got help divine knowledge, due to the presence of relatively simply be meaningless if diikatkannya what the Absolute, God.
The cause of the "fall" (fallen) modern western man, when traced back, will be found in the school of philosophy Cartesian dualism, which is a place in the West. Since tersistematisasikan rationalism is growing, people are only seen from the point of fisiolois-outward. Cartesian Dualism reality of divided into two: the material reality and the reality of mental, or physical reality, and reality of reason (ratio), while the spiritual dimension thrown. In fact, he said, the conception metafisikan was originally a "sacred science" (scientia sacra) or "knowledge of divinity" (Divine knowledge), not the "philosophy of the profane" (profane philosophy) as it developed in the West today.
In a more precise expression, Western metaphysics should now cored "love of wisdom" (the love of wisdom) switch to the "hatred" policy (the hate of wisdom). The concept of the West in the form of philosophia metafisikan to empirical data, so it is only able to produce a false conception of the spiritual (pseudo-spiritual).
In Descartes' rationalism know, it is said that the truth of something that is believed to be in accordance with the criteria defined by the ratio. Dalil Cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I am), by Nasr also considered as a method of riding glasses too glorifies reason and tend to deny the existence of human beings as a whole over the totality of existence.
The knowledge that is produced only by the psychic consciousness (not spiritual), and the ratio is only fragmented and temporary. Knowledge that will bring happiness and peace will only be achieved if someone had opened her eyes, or vision intellectusnya, and always held a spiritual ascent toward spiritual wisdom through the central point of religion. Humans are so, even though he lived within the limits of space and time as well as work with the fragmentalis science disciplines, but he will be able to understand the secrets of the nature of nature so that they can manage it. While aware that the eyes of his heart that they manage are fellow creatures of God that hinted of his creator, Yang Rahman and Rahim.
Such criticisms appear aimed at contemporary Western thought. Modern humans, have created a situation in such a way that runs without any control, so therefore they are mired in a wedged position, which in turn led to the destruction of not only the environment, but also human destruction.
2. Spiritual Void
As a result of overly glamorize ratio, easy modern man spiritual emptiness disease infestation. The rapid progress in the field of science and philosophy of the 18th century rationalism felt unable to meet basic human needs in the aspect of transcendent values, a vital necessity that can only be extracted from the source of divine revelation.
That signaled or, say, the verdict on the picture of the modern man who has fallen (fallen). In this perspective, Berger said: "The values of the supernatural has been lost in the modern world. Disappearance niali-value can be expressed in a formula rather dramatic sentence as 'God is dead' or 'The End of the Age of Christ'."
With the loss limits are considered and believed to be sacred and absolute, modern humans and, coiled in a relatively-paced world, especially the system of values and morality are built. Marcel A. Boisard said, "The West has lost its sense of the supernatural (supernatural) on a large scale".
The condition of modern man today, because it ignores the most basic needs, a spiritual one, then they can not find inner peace, which means lack of balance within. This situation will be more acute, especially when the emphasis on increasing material needs so that the balance will be broken ..
Realizing that modernization was not able to meet the spiritual needs of human beings, it is no wonder that people are now abuzz for a return to the religion that is working, among others, to give meaning to life. In this context, Naisbitt in Megatrends 2000, said: "The phenomenon of religious revival is a trend that was inevitable in a society that is undergoing a process of modernization, as a counter to an increasingly secular life".
In the Western world, the tendency to return to the spiritual world is marked by the spread of religious fundamentalism and spirituality. The emergence of this phenomenon is quite interesting to study because the pattern is very different from mainstream religions (formal religion), even if not to say contradictory. So as said by Naisbitt and Aburdene are solely the issue of "spirituality" instead of "organized religion". Keberagamaannya complexion tends to be a personal search, regardless of religion there, such as Christianity, Buddhism, and others.
As a result of these trends, emerging cults and sects are very extreme fundamentalist spiritual. For example, such cases Davidian David Koresh with his Clan, which burned down after U.S. troops surrounded, or Reverend Jim Jones who invited jama'ahnya mass suicide in the forest, or in the case of cult Japanese kills Ashahara mass railway bridge underground railway.
All it basically, due to confusion in determining their life. They were upset and lose control in the face of an increasingly difficult life. Souls and their inner-inner busy looking, but they do not know what they are looking for. In view Hossein Nasr, the spiritual in the Western sense tends to be understood merely as a psychological phenomenon. This development can not be separated from the human consequences that arise in the process of modernization, which then pushed him seek refuge that provides protection and rapid satisfaction. This is achieved by entering the fundamentalism and spirituality.
Development of spirituality in the form of fundamentalism, in many cases, often leading to psychological problems. Spritualisme the fundamentalist frame-only offers jani absurd or false promise of safety and peace of mind that is temporary (palliative). Moreover, religious fundamentalism spawned attitudes exclusive, extreme, and doctrinal, and intolerance with understanding others.
In such a situation, can Islam as an alternative to modern man's spiritual quest? How to make Islam more attractive packaging and the demand by people who are thirsty western spirituality?
Islam: The Future of Alternative Spirituality
Islamic spirituality or Sufism teachings seem to have a strong significance for modern Western society, as they begin to feel the dryness of mind and compliance efforts are now increasingly urgent. They were looking to both the Christian and Buddhist teachings or just an adventure back to nature as 'uzlah' out of boredom because the scientific-technological twist. In situations such confusion, Islam is still not seen as an alternative search, since (1) Islam is seen from the side-formalistic and legalistic obligation for adherents many forms and does not have spiritual wealth, (2) Islam in the West bercitra orientalis in the negative by mistake view Islam through literature and the mass media. As a result, Islam underestimated by the West: (3) For the West, it is still very alien when Muhammad placed as spiritual leaders, and Islam has a very real spiritual riches they desire. Citra idol a spiritual tokok they think only about the Buddha Gautama, who left the royal luxuries of life, sin or Christ the Children of Adam, or the Gandhi whose life is so simple even a huge personality. While Muhammad? He is better known as the warlords are too busy with penakhlukkan territory and establish temporal power.
Now is the time to introduce an inner dimension of Islam as an alternative to western man. Islam needs to be socialized with them, at least there are three main objectives. First, participating share a role in saving humanity from the condition of confusion as a result of the loss of spiritual values of. Second, introducing literature or understanding of esoteric aspect of Islam, the modern Western society. Third, to provide a reaffirmation that indeed the esoteric aspects of Islam, Sufism, is the heart of the teachings of Islam, so that when the area is dry and no longer throbbing, then keringlah other aspects of Islamic teachings.
But, how Islam can be practiced in modern Western society? There are at least three levels of Islam that could affect the West. First, there is the possibility of practicing the spiritual teachings of Islam are active. At this stage one should limit the pleasures of the material world and then directed her to meditate, pray, purify the mind, examine the conscience, and perform other religious practices such wird, for example.
Secondly, Sufism may well influence the West by presenting Islam in a more attractive, so people can find practices true Sufism. West so keen on Islam, then Muslims should be able to present and preach Islam to the West with a more attractive, which is a balance between worldly activities with the hereafter. This method has been successfully practiced in Islamic broadcasting in India, Indonesia and West Africa. Of course, the methods and activities in the West is different from the above countries, but essentially the same. That is, Islam opens great opportunities for the Western spiritual quest was hit by the crisis of meaning of life.
Third, by introducing Sufism as aids to recollection (remind) and reawakening (wake) Westerners from sleep. Since Sufism is a living tradition and rich with metaphysical doctrines, cosmological, and psychological and psycho-religious therapy, the mean mysticism or Sufism will be able to revive the Western spiritual aspects of life that had been thrown out and forgotten.
According to Alister Hardi, the human need for religion is a matter of its nature. However the development of man, he will always need the teachings of which are transcendental. Because of the need to know God is the nature of human nature needs. Seeing this trend, with offers above, we expect Islam to be able to play its role to the search-religious seekers in the West.
A. Cover
From the above, it is known the significance of Islam for the modern man the West. Humans need a handle modern Western moral and meaning in life. Islam, the teachings of spiritual wealth, offering an alternative to the modern human soul-searching. In terms of modern human consciousness, and the package offers more exciting Islam, Islam in the future will be much in demand by Western man. At present, Islam began to rise in countries such as the United States, the former Soviet Union, and other countries.
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