In every age, Islam has been the compass guiding human life, giving meaning to existence and anchoring societies in times of turbulence. Yet in the present era, as modernity reshapes values and lifestyles, the essence of faith seems to be slipping away, replaced by hollow rituals and superficial displays. Nowhere is this struggle more visible than in Kashmiri society, where tradition and modernity collide with growing intensity. Faith in its true sense is not confined to rituals, appearances, or mere verbal affirmations. It is the inner flame that shapes morality, humility, compassion, and justice. The spirit of faith is what transforms prayer from a routine into a source of strength, fasting from hunger into self-discipline, and community into brotherhood. When this spirit is alive, religion becomes a force that uplifts both the individual and society. When it is absent, rituals lose their meaning, and religion turns into an external ornament. Kashmir has long been known as a land of spirituality. From the Awliyas to the scholarship of ulema, the valley has preserved a legacy of inner devotion, simplicity, and God-consciousness. Faith was not only preached but lived in daily life seen in generosity, hospitality, and the deep connection to nature. However, as global currents of materialism, consumerism, and modern identity politics reach the valley, this legacy faces erosion. The change is visible in daily practices. Mosques are fuller than ever, but hearts seem emptier. Religious gatherings are crowded, yet the ethics of honesty, humility, and kindness often remain sidelined. Faith has become more about form than substance, more about appearance than transformation. The result is a growing dissonance: a society proud of its religiosity but struggling with corruption, disunity, and moral confusion. We once walked into mosques with dedication, hearts alive with devotion, and joined the gatherings of faith with unshakable spirit. Elders and parents were held in deep reverence, their words carrying weight and blessing. Prayer was offered with full concentration, each bow and prostration felt, not merely performed. The poor and needy among us were never left unattended, their dignity safeguarded by neighbors who cared. Relatives’ homes were filled with the hustle and bustle of visits, laughter, and warmth, yet today years can pass without meeting, while tall fences now stand where compassion once lived. Modernity in itself is not the enemy of faith. Education, science, technology, and social reform are gifts when guided by ethical and spiritual principles. But when modernity is embraced without a moral anchor, it breeds arrogance, selfishness, and rootlessness. In Kashmir, the race for status seen in ornamental houses, lavish weddings, imported fashion, and the obsession with virtual image has reduced religion to a background ritual. Even our daughters are on social media with loud singing of religious Nazms, with molviya etiquettes though it is prohibited in Islam for them, yet they gather large followings. What does this Deen mean for them then, except a mockery—totally a mazaq. The Qur’anic emphasis on humility and simplicity is often drowned out by the noise of material competition. Moreover, the younger generation finds itself torn between inherited tradition and the allure of globalized culture. Social media, entertainment, and fast-changing values create a sense of detachment from spirituality. Many youth participate in rituals but feel little connection to their inner meaning. For them, faith risks becoming more cultural than spiritual, more inherited than experienced.

The greatest danger is the reduction of spirit of religion to ritual alone. When prayers are offered without sincerity, they become mere bodily exercises. When fasting is reduced to food schedules rather than spiritual discipline, its transformative power is lost. When charity is given for prestige rather than compassion, it loses its soul. In Kashmir, the abundance of rituals has not prevented social evils: growing drug addiction, broken family ties, rising domestic violence, and widespread dishonesty in business and politics. This reflects a painful truth that rituals without spirit cannot heal a society. The challenge, then, is not to abandon rituals but to restore their soul. For Kashmiri society, this requires a conscious effort to revisit the essence of faith. Spirituality must be reclaimed as the heart of religion, guiding daily life beyond the mosque. Parents must nurture sincerity in children, not just outward compliance. Teachers must embody ethics alongside knowledge. Religious scholars must preach with depth, highlighting not only rulings but also wisdom, compassion, and justice. Rekindling the spirit of faith also means returning to simplicity. Kashmir’s strength lay in its traditions of humility, community bonds, and contentment. Reviving these values can protect the society from the emptiness of materialism. It also means confronting hypocrisy: practicing honesty in business, fairness in politics, and kindness in family life. These are not modern or traditional demands they are timeless requirements of faith. At the crossroads of modernity, Kashmir must choose its path. If faith continues to be reduced to empty rituals, society will face a moral vacuum, where material success masks spiritual decline. But if the essence of faith is revived, modernity can become an ally rather than an enemy. Technology, education, and progress, when grounded in spirituality, can uplift Kashmir to new heights while preserving its soul. The question is not whether to embrace modernity or tradition it is how to integrate both without losing the heart of faith. The answer lies in reclaiming religion as a living spirit that inspires humility, justice, and compassion, rather than a hollow shell of rituals.
The spirit of faith is the invisible heartbeat of a community. In Kashmir, this heartbeat once defined culture, politics, and everyday life. Today, as modernity challenges old ways, the loss of its soul. To prevent that, faith must be lived sincerely, not just performed. I am personally disturbed by this decline, for my own childhood and that of my friends was deeply religious, rooted in sincerity and respect. Today I feel something is missing in my society, as though the spirit of Islam itself has been buried beneath formality by we people. I fear that coming generations will see Islam as something strange, detached from its essence. What a chaos it is to watch the faith reduced to ritual while its soul withers away. At this crossroad, Kashmiri society faces a defining choice: whether to let faith fade into ritualistic shadows or to revive it as a radiant force that guides a generation lost in the noise of modernity. The future will be shaped by this choice, and with it, the very soul of the valley.

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