Some of you may have heard of the movie “The Matrix” and some of you may have seen it. (There is a series of them). Basically, the movies are dealing with two different realities. In the movies, humans live in an imagined reality, the true reality is a dark world controlled by machines. The ones who wake up to realize and see this reality are shocked, and struggle for independence and to save more of humanity. I will not go into too much depth, but there are many philosophical aspects.
I would say that we live in a situation that is somehow similar to the situation described in those movies, (well… apart from the machine-reality described in the story of course).
Let me elaborate…
سورة الحاقة ١-٣
الْحَاقَّةُ
مَا الْحَاقَّةُ
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحَاقَّةُ
Surah Al-Haaqqa 69:1-3
The Sure Reality!
What is the Sure Reality?
And what will make thee realise what the Sure Reality is?
We live in a system, we have a systematic approach to life, the fact that we live in a very routined fashion. We are part of these routines, and are so engaged in our way of life that we don’t really see beyond that. We just are. We wake up, go to work, go home, pick up the kids, eat, go to sleep, and the same cycle every day. And we are happy as long as we are content. In fact, Morpheus (one of the main characters of the movie) kind of points all this out to Neo (the main character), as they go through his training, preparing him to face his challenges in trying to free the minds of people…
Morpheus:
The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you’re inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system […] You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.
Kind of sounds like the situation here.
سورة البقرة ١٧١
وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلَّا دُعَاءً وَنِدَاءً ۚ صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
سورة الحجر ١٤-١٥
وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَابًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّوا فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ
لَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَارُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَّسْحُورُونَ
سورة النمل ٨٠-٨١
إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ
وَمَا أَنتَ بِهَادِي الْعُمْيِ عَن ضَلَالَتِهِمْ ۖ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
Surah Al-Baqara 2:171
The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to shout Like a goat-herd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom.
Surah Al-Hijr 15:14-15
Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein,
They would only say: “Our eyes have been intoxicated: Nay, we have been bewitched by sorcery.”
Surah An-Naml 27:80-81
Truly thou canst not cause the dead to listen, nor canst thou cause the deaf to hear the call, (especially) when they turn back in retreat.
Nor canst thou be a guide to the blind, (to prevent them) from straying: only those wilt thou get to listen who believe in Our Signs, and they will bow in Islam.
“Free your mind”, as Morpheus constantly points out in the film. We either imprison our minds to this materialistic world, or we can realize there is something much larger at work.
سورة السجدة ١٢
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذِ الْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُو رُءُوسِهِمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ رَبَّنَا أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا فَارْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ
Surah As-Sajda 32:12
If only thou couldst see when the guilty ones will bend low their heads before their Lord, (saying:) “Our Lord! We have seen and we have heard: Now then send us back (to the world): we will work righteousness: for we do indeed (now) believe.”
Whether you are into science fiction movies or not, the first one of the Matrix films is worth a watch, even from a philosophical point of view. Simply disregard and see past the exaggerations in the film and apply your own thinking…
The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.
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