Sifting Facts From Fiction

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam

7 November 2024

In these times of 'brain rot' (OUP's latest Word of the Year) when fiction, fabrication and fables are overshadowing facts and faiths; when every ideology is trying to establish itself as the best on the basis of misinformation and unsubstantiated claims, it's imperative to remember the Egyptian Nobel laureate (1988) in Literature, Naguib Mahfouz's famous statement, "Faith, as well intentioned as it may be, must be built on facts, not fiction."

In his insightful quote, Naguib Mahfouz emphasizes the importance of grounding faith in reality rather than fiction. While faith is often regarded as a well-intentioned belief, Mahfouz contends that it should not be detached from verifiable facts.

In today's world, where misinformation and unsubstantiated claims can spread rapidly, this quote carries even greater relevance. Faith founded on facts accomplishes two vital purposes – it ensures greater credibility and instils a sense of realism in our convictions. By acknowledging the necessity of aligning faith with truth, Mahfouz encourages individuals to critically examine the basis of their beliefs, promoting a more balanced and rational perspective on spiritual matters.

Though Mahfouz is projected as a loyal Muslim, he was a closet atheist/agnostic who wrote 'God has died'. It appeared in his novel Awlad Haretna (Children of Gebelawi, 1959). I read a lot about it, but never succeeded in finding the original copy in Arabic, though I later read the book in English. One must know this background to fully understand Naguib's statement who realized that much of all faiths is fiction and very little facts.

In fact, if you remove fictional parts and portions from all faiths, what's left is a cipher. All scriptures are the best examples of outlandish fiction. Shelve them, all faiths will collapse like ninepins. Fiction is not just the soul of a faith, it's the essence of today's social media and world.

That's why, the gullible users believe in the WhatsApp posts that Nehru was 'actually' a Muslim and the entire Nehru Khaandaan (clan) had Muslim connexions, M K Gandhi was a half-Muslim, but for Shivaji, entire Deccan would have been converted to Islam and all that spurious and unverified information.

Facts don't appeal to us the way fiction does.  Attempts to manipulate citizens through the purposeful creation and dissemination of false information – is one of the biggest challenges facing society today. Sifting fact from fiction is the biggest challenge that we're facing at the moment.

While dirty tricks have long existed, the internet and social media have made them far more powerful. On the internet, the absence of gatekeepers – the editors, sub-editors and fact-checkers who filter and verify claims before they air in traditional media – allows for great freedom of speech. But the flip side is that this includes the freedom to spread malicious, fraudulent and dangerous material.

A few decades ago, a professional journalist who disseminated unchecked information would have been blackballed by his or her peers. But for social media trolls, there are seldom adverse consequences. Here, anonymity is critical: culprits hide their identities, safe in the knowledge that they can’t be held accountable. Now falsification has become a norm. In other words, it's the new normal. We enjoy dubious posts and quickly forward them as if it's our religious duty, seldom bothering to verify whether it's true or false.

After all, facts are insipid, prosaic and vapid, whereas fiction and falsification are forever juicy, gossipy and they taste like forbidden fruits! Don't they?

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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.

URL:    https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/sifting-facts-fiction/d/133953

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