The Crisis of Connection: Reclaiming Human Touch in Service
We face a paradox in our time. As technology promises to connect us more than ever, we find ourselves increasingly disconnected from the very people we are meant to serve. In our work with members of our Jama'at, we are finding less contact, less response, and less meaningful engagement. The question confronts us: How did we arrive here, and what must we do to reverse course?
Digital Dependence Has Failed Us
Our first failure is clear: digital dependence has made us lazy. We have convinced ourselves that sending an email or a WhatsApp message constitutes outreach, that posting announcements on social media fulfills our duty to connect. Yet the results speak for themselves. Tangible encounters have been replaced by pixels on screens. It has become obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. We have substituted technology for human touch, and in doing so, we have abandoned the very foundation upon which the Jama'at was built: genuine human connection.
This is not to say technology serves no purpose. It is excellent for informing, though equally capable of misinforming, and it certainly increases the pace of communication. But good relationships take hard work. You cannot be lazy about it. You cannot dial it in or send an email and consider your responsibility fulfilled. The work of carrying the weak with us, which is indeed our sacred duty, can only be accomplished through tangible meetings with them.
The Crisis of Attention and Relationship Building
We all know this truth, yet we have abandoned it. The crisis of attention in our age demands mindful attention in return. You get things done through relationships, not through digital notifications. We must perpetuate relationship building at national and local levels to achieve maximal benefit. This requires us to keep reminding, keep requesting, through our words and example. We must find new ways and revive time-tested ways to galvanize our members so they become more responsive participants.
Tawakkul Deficit Syndrome
Beyond the technological and organizational failures lies a deeper spiritual crisis—what we might call Tawakkul Deficit Syndrome (TDS). Jis dum ghafil us dum kafir: the moment we become heedless, we become disbelievers. We have failed in prayer and experienced the failure of our prayers. We say Inshallah, Alhamdolillah, but these sacred phrases have become lip service, reflex words we utter without thought or sincerity.
What I am suggesting may not sound very tangible, yet if we do what we can do honestly and then turn to God and cry and weep for help, it will happen. When we pray to God for issue resolution, we have learned to redouble our prayers, plead and weep and keep trying. We ask Khalifatul Masih(aba) for prayers and our elders as well. Why, then, do we not apply this same intensity to our organizational work?
Leading by Example: Our Collective Failure
The recent discussions about social media misuse amongst our youth and children highlight our collective failure, played back endlessly on a loop. It is a reflection of the weakness within when we as leaders fail to carry out our duties responsibly and do not lead by example. This is perhaps what the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) meant when he said in January 1903, "Meri Jama'at nasai se durust na ho gi balkay nishaano se durust ho gi": My Jama'at will not reform itself through mere reasoning or advice but through signs.
Yet the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) also cautions us by saying, "Khulooq ki islah Khaliq hi kar sakta hay"—only the Creator can reform character. This emphasizes the critical importance of prayers. If we are honest with our responsibilities, it will make us sober. If we truly perform our duties, it will keep us sober as we realize the enormity of our work.
The Grace Before Us, Unutilized
We have in our midst the most tangible manifestation of God's grace and mercy in Khalifatul Masih (aba), yet we fail to capitalize on his instructions and guidance for the beneficence of ourselves and our membership. Yes, perhaps the growth of human consciousness and technology has made us more disobedient. One of our duties is to carry the weak with us, remind them, help them, and pray for them. When we as National Jama'at Officers perfect our commitment to deen ko dunya pay muqaddum karoon ga: placing faith before worldly affairs, then perhaps we can start pointing fingers at others.
Managing Human Problems
When dealing with human beings, we must understand a fundamental truth: we manage problems; we do not solve them. We can solve mechanical problems or mathematical problems. When dealing with human beings, it's tempting to strive for perfection, but perfection can be the enemy of good if it keeps us from completing our work or making our goals a reality.
Consider the failure of getting reports back. If local Jama'ats do not report back, it is still our problem, and we need to find a way to get those reports. Yet we repeatedly say so many did not send reports or we have no data from these Jama'ats, and that seems to be the end of it. Our efforts are reduced to sending messages and emails and waiting for something to happen. When it does not happen, we simply note that no report was sent back.
This is unacceptable. We must apply the same persistence to our organizational work that we apply to our prayers.
The Way Forward
Moral values cannot be downloaded, they need to be uploaded the old-fashioned way. Through forced effort. Through Salat and prayers. Through associating with people who are righteous and who have wisdom. Through kindness and compassionate advice and nudging. It therefore behooves us to keep an eye on our lost brothers and sisters. Keep in touch. Pray for them. The grace of God will bring them back to the path of rectitude.
We try and we fail repeatedly. We are mortals with ideals, but we cannot reach ideal status. Yet this should not discourage us; it should humble us and drive us to our knees in prayer. As Allah says in Surah Al-Mumin (40:56): "Wa-staghfir lidhanbika wa sabbih bihamdi rabbika" - "And ask forgiveness for thy frailty, and glorify thy Lord with His praise."
We must rethink and redirect our efforts. We must acknowledge our failures, seek forgiveness, and commit to tangible human connection. Only then, with sincere effort combined with sincere prayer and true Tawakkul, can we hope to fulfill our duty of carrying the weak with us and building a thriving, responsive Jama'at.