The Evolution of Nihilism and Its Opposition to Religious Faith (Part two)
Why Should Nihilism Be Addressed?
The modern West has launched extensive propaganda campaigns in various forms against monotheism and the divine purpose of human creation, to the extent that; knowingly or unknowingly; it has pushed people toward nihilism.
Unfortunately, the hegemonic humanist arrogance of the modern West is facing unprecedented crises and challenges and is growing weaker by the day. Over centuries of oppressive and imperial domination, Western modernity has expanded and deepened nihilism, especially humanistic nihilism, among nations, peoples, and societies across the globe.
As a result, all nations and peoples, in one way or another, have fallen into some degree of nihilistic despair and meaninglessness.
With the advancement of technology in the contemporary world, modern Western civilization; through a system of quasi-modern Westernization; has imposed its dominance over many countries, attacking the religious identity, culture, morality, traditions, and most importantly, the lifestyle of Muslims.
This organized assault of modern Western colonialism has opened the doors of various forms of nihilism into our lives, thoughts, and conduct. Gradually, the destructive and catastrophic effects of this denial of meaning, particularly of nihilism, have turned into a serious challenge and existential threat for us; a ruinous danger that must be confronted.
Although liberation from the grip and satanic essence of nihilism is possible only through religious faith, the struggle against modern and quasi-modern nihilism, and the path to transcend its destructive dominion, requires the formation of a critical self-awareness; an awakening that examines the West, Westernization, and nihilism themselves.
For most of those seeking deliverance from the dominion of this emptiness, developing such a reflective and analytical consciousness is an indispensable necessity.
For a wide range of people who might be able to emerge from the darkness of nihilism through enlightenment, the development of a critical self-awareness toward nihilism; a consciousness rooted in Islamic teachings and the wisdom of faith; can serve as a foundational means.
Such awareness would place this broad group in a position where; by removing humanistic influences and nihilistic doubts from their hearts and minds, they can prepare the ground for the emergence and actualization of salvific religious faith within themselves.
Therefore, it appears that forming a negative (analytical and deconstructive) critical self-awareness toward the nature, forms, and manifestations of nihilism is a necessary prerequisite for the majority of those who seek to consciously and intellectually resist nihilism.
This self-awareness is vital for all who wish to, by following the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and entering the illuminated realm of religious faith, free themselves from the dominance and evil of nihilism.
Such a critical and reflective awareness of the West, Westernization, and nihilism must undoubtedly be Islamic in nature and inspired by divine revelation and its teachings, drawing its essence from the pure knowledge of Islam.
For it is only through the radiant teachings of Islam and by harnessing the incomparable spiritual energy that springs from faith, that one can escape the quagmire of modern Western dominance and its various forms of nihilism; and thereby create the groundwork for the liberation of all humanity.
The Stages of the Emergence of Nihilism and Its History
Nihilism is a philosophical school of thought that denies all forms of moral value, promotes absolute skepticism, and rejects the very existence of inherent meaning or truth.
The founder of the nihilist movement is Mikhail Bakunin (1814–1876 CE).
Nihilism; or the doctrine of meaninglessness; emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Russia as a school that opposed all forms of aesthetics and defended only utilitarianism and scientific rationalism.
The Russian writer Ivan Turgenev popularized the term nihilism when he used it in his famous novel Fathers and Sons (1862) to describe the character Bazarov, thus introducing the word to the broader public.
The nihilists were a loosely organized political movement active in Russia from the 1860s, during the reign of Alexander II, until the October Revolution of 1917. They challenged the authority of the state, the church, and the family, and advocated for a social order founded on rationalism and materialism as the only valid sources of knowledge, with individual freedom as their highest goal.
Over time, however, the nihilists drifted toward sabotage and anarchy, and by the late 1870s, all political groups that resorted to terrorism and intimidation came to be labeled as nihilists.
According to nihilistic philosophy, neither the creation of the universe nor the existence of humanity possesses any purpose or inherent meaning.
According to the defenders of this worldview, God does not exist, traditional morality is false, and non-religious morality is considered impossible. Therefore, life has no meaning, and no action is superior to another.
In the modern world, various forms of nihilistic outlooks exist. Artistic movements such as Dadaism, the philosophical trend of deconstructionism, and the cultural movement of the punks are often regarded as examples of nihilistic thought.
As previously mentioned, nihilism, which may also be rendered as negationism, nothingism, or indifference, is an approach that rejects the concepts imposed upon human thought.
However, in its technical meaning, it signifies the denial of everything, or the rejection of all solutions ever proposed to the question “What must be done?” an attitude born of despair, resulting in silence before that very question.
It expresses the worthlessness of all values and the criticism of all doctrines that have attempted to provide an answer regarding the essence and purpose of humanity.
Nihilism is more a feeling than a complete philosophy; it is not a coherent system of thought. It represents a denial of philosophy itself and the possibility of knowledge, a denial of the value of anything.
But if the denial of everything is permitted, then the very act of denial must also be denied. It rejects all things, knowledge, morality, beauty, and reality.
In such a worldview, no statement holds value, and everything becomes futile.
Yet, for those who have not fallen into despair and hopelessness, it is difficult to accept that nihilism constitutes a worldview, or that it represents a frozen state of human existence; a standstill of being.
