Islamic Civilization: From Books to the Internet, What Did We Lose?

 

Islamic Civilization: From Books to the Internet, What Did We Lose?

Scholar with manuscripts fades into youth on laptop under bright screens, old books gather dust, symbolizing lost knowledge.


Introduction

As a Muslim born in the digital era, I often ask myself: What would our knowledge heritage be like if we had the internet back then? Or conversely, what did we lose when we shifted from the tradition of books to touchscreens? This simple question opens a long discussion about how Islamic civilization once led the world in knowledge and the challenges it faces when today’s Muslims drown in an ocean of unfiltered information (Esposito, The Oxford History of Islam, 1999).

Books: Symbols of Knowledge and Discipline

Looking back, a book (kitab) was not just paper and ink. It symbolized knowledge, discipline, and an unbroken chain of transmission. Scholars like Imam al-Ghazali, Ibn Sina, and Ibn Khaldun wrote books that contained not only texts but structured systems of thought passed down through trustworthy chains (Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, 1974). The tradition of books demanded patience reading thoroughly, taking notes, debating, and then teaching others.

For me, this is the core strength of Islamic civilization back then: knowledge was passed down with adab (proper manners). It wasn’t just memorization but deep understanding. That’s why medieval Muslim scientists are still respected by the Western world today (Morgan, Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, 2007).

Internet: Instant Knowledge Without Chain

Now, we live in an era where books move to e-books, lectures to short videos. I’m not anti-internet in fact, I use it every day. But I see something missing: patience and the sanad (chain of knowledge). Sanad is not only about teacher-student transmission but the authority of knowledge. Back then, people traveled for months to learn from one scholar. Now, anyone can go viral talking about Islam without clear sources (Kellner, Media Spectacle, 2003).

Information floods us daily. Unfortunately, it’s not always accurate. Many young Muslims learn religion from one-minute clips. As a result, understanding is often half-baked. This is where the phenomenon of “celebrity preachers” comes from speakers who often care more about algorithms than accuracy.

From Scholarly Debate to Online Bickering

One legacy of Islamic civilization is the spirit of ikhtilaf (constructive disagreement). In the past, scholars debated intensely with manners, producing timeless references. Now? Debates turn into comment wars on social media. I often wonder: do we really inherit that scholarly spirit, or are we trapped in divisive squabbles? (Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, 2002)

Should We Only Long for Books?

I’m not romanticizing a return to dusty libraries while abandoning the internet. That’s not what I mean. I truly believe the internet is a great blessing if used with wisdom and adab. We can read thousands of classic books that were once hard to access, listen to lectures from scholars worldwide in real-time (Esposito, The Future of Islam, 2010).

What I regret is our lack of a filter. This flood of information makes people lazy to think critically. Everything is fast, everything is instant. Yet books were once taught to train us to endure and think deeply.

How Should the New Generation Respond?

The big question: what can today’s young Muslims do? I see hope. Many Islamic digital literacy initiatives have emerged. Some young preachers and intellectuals are building learning platforms that combine classic texts and technology. For example, online tafsir courses, virtual study circles with traditional methods, or long podcasts unpacking classic books chapter by chapter (Khan, Islam and the Future of Tolerance, 2015).

The challenge: are we willing to leave our comfort zone of endless scrolling and enter serious learning spaces that demand time, manners, and patience?

From Books to the Internet: What’s Lost and What Must Be Restored

To be honest, I feel what’s lost is not the technology. The internet is not the problem. What’s missing is the culture of asking, referring, and the patience to truly learn. The generation of books was patient enough to debate for hours in madrasas. Our generation often explodes in seconds in comment sections.

So, I believe our duty is not nostalgia but to replant adab. If books once symbolized disciplined thinking, then the internet should be a bridge to broaden the chain of knowledge, not break it.

Closing

In closing, I want to stress my view: technology is a trust. Books and the internet should strengthen each other. We can’t turn back to a world without the internet, but we’d be foolish to abandon the literacy legacy that once made Islam a beacon of world civilization (Morgan, Lost History, 2007).

Perhaps this is our generation’s unfinished mission: to face the flood of information with patience, reconnect the chain in the digital era, and ensure the knowledge we absorb remains high in quality and adab.

Lokasi: GWC7+PC Blodgett Mills, NY, Amerika Serikat

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