Got a chance to watch a video on WhatsApp. In this video, the kind of life and lifestyle people of different countries of the world will have in the year 2050 was mentioned. It showed the rise of technology and how people will have improved their lives with the help of modern technology. At the end of the video, Pakistan was shown where anxious people were waiting for electricity.
This is apparently a joke, but it is a perfect example of the political, social and religious issues that our people are still entangled with. The reality is that the problems that most of the world has dealt with in the last century are still problems for us today. It is also a fact that current affairs programs are the most popular in our country. The reason for this is that the problems of our present do not seem to end so that people can move beyond it and think about the future.
In such a situation, when our Prime Minister mentioned the arrival of the fourth industrial revolution in a speech in his recent visit to China, most people were unable to understand what fourth industrial revolution is. Even those who are aware of it at some level do not understand the implications that the coming age is bringing with it. I will discuss these things in detail today.
Industrial Revolution and its Effects
Before understanding the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it is important to understand what the Industrial Revolution is. At the beginning of human history, the only means of obtaining food for humans was to hunt animals and gather fruits and plants to run their life system. This period is called the Age of Hunter-Gatherer. After a long period of time, humans themselves learned to sow and harvest plants on a large scale, and the agricultural era began. This was followed by the Industrial Revolution three centuries ago, when humans made machines their means of livelihood.
Each of these eras had its own effects and consequences on human society and individuals. These effects and consequences is a detailed topic itself, but I am presenting an example to explain that a special structure of the scope and relationship of men and women came into existence due to the requirements of hunting and the agricultural period. In both these periods, since animal power was the main standard of force, the social status of women became very weak and their scope became very limited. In the industrial revolution, as animal power was replaced by machine power, the status of women began to change and now in this information age, the status of women has changed a lot. Leave aside Pakistani society, women are seen working alongside men everywhere, even in religious societies such as Saudi Arabia. Another example of these effects is the invention of the railway, which not only changed the concept of travel in the industrial age, but also changed the relationship, communication, housing and population issues. Similarly, mass migration to cities during the industrial age brought about many social, economic and political changes. There are many more such examples which show that the industrial age was not merely a change in the means of production but had far deeper and far-reaching effects.
However, the main point was to state that the industrial revolution brought about a great change in the world and machine replaced animal power. It was the first industrial revolution in which the machine was driven by the power of the steam engine. The second industrial age was one in which electricity replaced the steam engine and large-scale automatic machines made production much faster and cheaper. The third industrial age was what we saw with our own eyes when the invention of the computer not only improved the production process, but ushered in a new era itself. That is, the information age, as a result of which the entire world has become a global village in the true sense.
The result of this information age was that most of our society, which was still practically living in an agricultural age unlike the rest of the world, became increasingly influenced by the modern world. A process of change began in our society that began in Europe during the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment. The process that took place there in centuries is now being completed here in decades.
What is the fourth industrial revolution?
Now the world is entering the fourth industrial age, its effects will be very deep and comprehensive. But first it is important to clarify what this fourth period is. This fourth industrial age is the one in which machines will begin to take over the practical systems of our lives after the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. At the same time, we will be connected to the whole world through the internet with countless devices all the time. A simple example of this is an automatic car in which the passenger will sit comfortably just by indicating his destination and the car will automatically stop on reaching his destination. These machines will not only take over the systems of our offices and homes, but with the help of nanotechnology, they will be installed inside our clothes and body, doing many of our tasks. For those unfamiliar with the name nanotechnology, let me explain that it is the creation of much smaller products from matter at the atomic and molecular level. A nanometer means one billionth of a meter. An object as thin as a newspaper page with negligible thickness can contain a hundred thousand nanometers. So in this technology, products are being made at such a small scale and they are attached to other materials where they perform many functions. For example, glasses are being made with the help of nanotechnology in which the nano particles clean the water on the glass itself. Thus, the glass is not fogged by the water, but the windows remain clean as if they had been cleaned with a cloth, despite the rain. Now imagine a house where you are enjoying the rain outside through the clear windows of your house. To prevent the rainwater from entering the room and spoiling the contents, you closed the window glass, but it was not fogged by the water. Likewise with this technology clothes are also being made that do not leave stains on them. Or cloths are being made for cleaning at hospitals and at homes that will immediately identify any type of germs.
Impacts of the Fourth Industrial Age
The impact of this new era will be so profound and all-encompassing that it is difficult to comprehend at this time. Here people have not yet fully understood the effects of the industrial and information age, so in the coming era to which I call the automation age, it is not wise to assume people will understand its effects or expect them to be prepared for them. But for me the explanation of these things is very important from the point of view that religion and its da’wah are going to have very profound effects in this coming age as religion addresses people on an intellectual level and educates people on a social level. Therefore, serious problems are going to arise in the coming decades on both these levels. Although the actual scope of the impacts of the fourth industrial age is economy, production, distribution of resources etc. but their ultimate impact will be on the intellectual and social level. Therefore, it is important to understand them.
I am a positive minded person. Therefore, I look at this aspect very positively that due to living in information age and global village, we are already informed about the upcoming era. Otherwise, when the industrial revolution took place in the world, we could not even know about this incident. And the news came when a handful of British came from thousands of miles away and enslaved the entire subcontinent on the basis of the power gained as a result of the Industrial Revolution. It is a different matter that our ignorant intellectual leadership till today teaches us that these were some traitors whose treachery put India on a plate and served it to the British. Otherwise, they couldn’t even dare to end our power in India.
To this day we are dominated by this same intellectual leadership, so it is very unlikely that anything reasonable will be heard now. However, it is fortunate that there is no longer an era of political occupations, so there is less fear that we will be politically occupied, but the strong possibility is that culturally in the third industrial revolution and economically and socially in the fourth industrial revolution, we are going to be captured completely.
However, if a miracle happens and we have a reasonable leadership who is aware of the importance of education, then the situation can improve. Otherwise, it is more or less certain that in the coming age the position of the ignorant nations will be the same as that of the poor in the villages and their share in the resources of the world will be the least.
I am not discussing the political and economic issues of the coming era, this is not my topic. I am just pointing out that Pakistan and the entire Islamic world are mostly dependent on three things. Human population, petroleum and agriculture. In the coming years, the first two of these three things will become obsolete due to robots and electric vehicles, and agriculture will be completely controlled by developed countries as a result of the development of genetic engineering. But leaving this discussion here, I will mainly talk about social and intellectual changes.
Social and intellectual changes
Let’s talk about intellectual changes first. From the religious point of view, there are three periods of human history. One was the period of polytheism in which polytheism was the central concern of the dominant nations of the world. This was the age in which all the prophets came. The second period was Tauheed (oneness of God) which started after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And the third period is that of atheism, which began after the industrial revolution and continues to this day. This last period is the name of intellectually understanding the universe without God and practically the name of living without God. First, the information age has brought this concept of denying God into our homes. The coming automation age will increase the dependence of humans on matter and machines so much that most people will not care about God and the hereafter. The reason for this is that though the concept of God has been in human nature since eternity, but two things keep this concept alive in the world of means. One is that every blessing is the gift of God who is above the means and secondly every trouble can be averted by God who is above all means. The coming age will increase man’s dependence on means so much that intellectually the concept of God cannot be denied, but psychologically people will begin to consider themselves as independent of need for a God. Thus, even if no one intellectually denies God, still in practice people will live without needing Him. Earning money from morning till evening and spending it on various entertainments will leave people with no time to reflect on the higher realities of life.
This intellectual process will be reinforced by changing social conditions. Each of our next generations born into the Automation Age will be completely different in terms of their perceptions and observations. For example, the girls of the next generation will see that despite being physically weak, they can compete with men in every field on the basis of their mental capacity alone. In the automation age, every woman will earn her own and will not be economically dependent on men. Moreover, now everywhere she will be assisted by machines that will work for her in seconds. She will develop the ability to compete with men in every field with the help of these machines. After which many prevailing concepts will lose their place.
To understand this situation, imagine a time a few decades from now when a highly educated woman will get up from her office and sit in her self-driving or flying car (both of which have been invented) to go home. She will say the word “Home” and sit with her eyes closed. This silent vehicle will bring her home in comfort. On reaching the door of the house, she will blink her eyes and the door of the house will open automatically by identifying her eyes as the owner. Inside the house, her robot will be there to welcome her, taking the things in her hands and putting them in their place and making tea or coffee for her and serving her right away. Also, it will provide necessary information about her husband and children, details of phone calls etc. and other necessary information. Apart from doing all the work, this robot will also be responsible for protecting her from every aspect.
This is just a small example of what the automation age is bringing with it. Most of the examples we have described have been invented. Now it’s just a matter of how long it takes for their general use. The world is moving towards this future with partial changes.
Change of thoughts due to the influence of circumstances
I put an example before the readers to explain my point, which will give them an idea of how circumstances change human beings. We had heard great scholarly and intellectual debates on the subject of the picture since our childhood and even adolescence. The whole emphasis of religious thought was to convince that the picture is forbidden. But after that, the information age started, which is based on the picture. So now this whole discussion has become completely irrelevant. Every scholar takes a picture with satisfaction and not out of compulsion but often out of passion scholars appear on TV and post pictures on Facebook. As for the debates about the sanctity of the picture, now they are only a part of history. Even in the dreams and thoughts of the new generation that will grow up, it will never come to mind that even the picture used to be forbidden among us.
Countless changes like this will begin to take place under the influence of time and circumstances. I don’t have the slightest doubt that the teachings of the religion of Islam, as presented by Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the guidance he brought that is the Holy Qur’an, are capable of withstanding all times. Because this is the instruction of the Lord, who knows all times. But contrary to the thing which the prevailing religious thought presents in the name of religion, it is certain that each of these things has to leave its place. Because its basis is human understanding and no human understanding can stand before the flood of time.
Two examples
However, it is not that simple. When certain concepts are being presented as pure religion and they are forced to leave their place in front of the demands of the situation, it is not only about these principles. Rather, a kind of mistrust arises regarding the religion itself and its teachings. We have given the example of women above to explain that many of the things that are thought as religious about women today, sooner or later most of them will have to change due to the pressure of the situation. But if these things change, they can cause distrust in the religion itself. While the fact is that our religion is given by the Lord of the worlds. If this religion was viable in an ancient tribal society, it is viable in modern society as well. If religion was perfect in the agricultural age, religion will remain perfect in the information and automation age.
Therefore, in such a situation, the same interpretation of religion will be able to withstand the flood of time, which will be based on the Holy Qur’an. Quran is the main source of our religion. This is the most authentic book brought by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). How this book is suitable for our times, understand it from the above two examples. That is, from the example of the picture and the case of women.
When the teachings of the Holy Qur’an regarding the picture are studied, it is found that the Holy Qur’an does not directly discuss it. However, it sheds light on this issue from two aspects in an indirect way. In the Qur’an, some idols or images have been discussed which were polytheistic in nature. The Quran strongly condemns them. But on the contrary, while describing the favors of Allah on Prophet Solomon in Chapter Saba, it is also mentioned that he used to get jinn make idols or statues along with other things.
Therefore, this shows the principle that those pictures or statues that lead to polytheism or any other disorder of faith and morals are forbidden. But those who do not find any such issues, religion has no objection to them. This is in accordance with the overall teaching of religion, in which the demands of faith and morals are of prime importance. In the light of the Qur’an, when these traditions and works are studied in which pictures are described, then the most accurate explanation is that the images that the Holy Prophet described as evil were images of polytheistic nature. On the contrary, it will be justified on the basis of the difference between the image being animate or inanimate; or as in that period, like painting, an attempt has been made to justify the mirror images by distinguishing between permanent images, mirror images and temporary images, then this does not solve the problem. Because first of all making permanent pictures has now become a daily task which cannot be avoided. Another is that many mirror images such as the Internet Pornography remain illegal despite being graphic because the real reason is the violation of sacred belief or morals, whether it’s in a fine art sculpture, a common photograph or images from the internet and TV. There is no problem in practical life if the principles of the Holy Quran are adopted, however, apart from that the series of questions cannot end.
Similarly, in the case of women, according to the prevailing jurisprudential opinions in our country, it is considered that their testimony is not admissible in cases of criminal offenses such as murder, adultery, etc. This is not a case of half-full testimony. There is no basis for this in the Quran that the testimony of women is not admissible. It is not even in the hadiths. The Qur’an has not specified any code of testimony in any other case except adultery, but has left it to the age and culture. So, from the testimony of the individual to the DNA, cameras, fingerprints, whatever the judge is satisfied with, the decision will be taken. The Qur’an has no objection to this. It is also rationally known that the methods of proof of guilt may differ in each era. Therefore, the teaching of the Quran is always practical. But whenever there is a case where teachings of the Qur’an are not considered, it will not be applicable in new situations.
When all these problems about religion will come before the new generation, which has grown up seeing sit-ins and terrorism in the name of religion, it can be estimated that what kind of rebellion against religion can be born and is being born.
The main task to be done
In such a situation the main task to be done is to continue the process of thinking about religion on the basis of the Holy Qur’an at the scientific level because according to a tradition which according to some researchers is a saying of Hazrat Ali, the Holy Qur’an’s wonders will never end and scholars will never sit satisfied. So this book is the best answer to the challenges of every age.
The second thing to do is to present the real call of Islam i.e. faith and morals to the world in the best style. Today’s man is better prepared to understand this teaching of the Qur’an. According to us, bringing the present era is also the wisdom of Allah (SWT) in.
Allah (SWT), Who is the All-seeing, the present age and the coming age do not come without His will. This is part of His scheme to bring the world to its end. There are two main purposes for creating this cycle. One is that in this era of information age, His message should reach every person of the world. The second is that the paradise which He has promised to His pious servants, a small practical map of it should be shown to the people in the coming automation era. On the other hand, apart from the concern of atheism, humanity has accepted these values as the real values which the Qur’an itself presents as its basis. That is, the promotion of justice, kindness and the end of oppression and violation of rights. There is only a difference between us and humanity in the matter of Almighty and obscenity. If the world accepts the first thing, then it will be easy to convince the second. Moreover, today’s man is ready to listen and accept the arguments of the Holy Qur’an which are completely rational. Now the need is that these arguments should be fully presented to the world
Therefore, even before the beginning of this era, Allah (SWT) has arranged that the original da’wah of religion, its original law, its reasoning and its proof have been fully clarified at the scientific level. There is nothing in this original religion, original da’wah, original law and original reasoning that cannot be proved or is not feasible. The call of faith and morals, its evidence and the original law of the Sharia in its unadulterated form is applicable in every era and every age.
If the world accepts this invitation, then there will be a period of peace, security and prosperity in the world. Automation Age will come as God’s mercy to the world. Otherwise, this series of atrocities will continue. The strong will continue to crush the weak.
Therefore, according to us, the main purpose of bringing this era is to spread this unadulterated invitation of religion to the whole world and bring peace and prosperity to the world. But if people do not believe even after that, then Allah (SWT) will make a final decision regarding the entire humanity. The promise of resurrection will be fulfilled and humanity will be annihilated along with all its progress for what it has done.