“Uncertain times” is a refrain that fills UNDP reports, discussions
by climatologists, economists, political scientists and filters down to
individuals anxious about the future of their children. It is seen as a sign of our times – an
anomaly of our making, of our neglect, suggesting urgent attention will redress
and restore all to an even keel.
However, increasingly scientists propose that uncertainty is
a fundamental feature of the universe. American mathematician John Allen Paulos
concluded “Uncertainty is the only certainty there is", echoing the 1st
century Roman thinker, Pliny the Elder’s statement, "The only certainty is
that nothing is certain."
Seeking certainty is a modern construct whose roots can be
traced to the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. It separated state and religion, promoted
reason and scientific inquiry over ‘blind faith’. The truth was what could be
experienced by the five senses, be scientifically examined and rationally
explained. Diderot wrote, “If you want me to believe in
God, you must make me touch him.” Religion was respected, but as a personal matter.
As culture critic NBM House puts it “They believed they
could conquer the world, solve every problem, and explore every crack and
crevice of knowledge. There was nothing they couldn’t figure out, nothing they
couldn’t know.”
Before Enlightenment, and in all cultures not influenced by
Western philosophers, religious or spiritual beliefs helped people cope with
uncertainty. Natural events, personal loss or successes were determined by
Divine Will, or cosmic order.
Uncertainty was not a flaw in human understanding, but an
opportunity to question, learn, and grow, and uncover the truth. Sufis find peace,
not in knowing the answers, but in letting go of the need to know. Sufism
treats uncertainty not as a crisis to be feared, but as a sacred space of
bewilderment (hayrah) that deepens the human connection to the
Divine. The Divine Essence is recognized to be beyond human conception. Absolute
unknowing is the core of Divine reality.
Yunus Emre, a highly educated Islamic judge, abandoned his
prestigious legal position to seek spiritual enlightenment. To erase his ego
and intellectual pride, his spiritual master only allowed him to respond to
legal and intellectual questions with "I don't know." This is quite
the opposite of Descartes’ “I think therefore I am.” Descartes makes the
individual ego the center of reality, while Sufism tries to destroy that ego
completely.
Postmodern philosophers such as Jean-François Lyotard revived
the concept of Positive Unknowing, first proposed in the 13th
Century by Thomas Aquinas, who was greatly influenced by Muslim scholars. It is
a conscious letting go of fixed beliefs to achieve a deeper spiritual
understanding, but also to open a space for new ideas and explorations. Limiting
our experience to what our senses can perceive, closes to us the larger
dimensions of existence.
Coming down from philosophical heights to everyday concerns,
ordinary Pakistanis face their own daily uncertainties - will they get selected
for a job, will they reach school on time? Will they have a better life in
another country? - as they hurl their bikes across oncoming traffic like surfers
riding the waves. Pakistanis living their lives through decades of intense political
and economic uncertainty, have understood that they must build resilience
rather than try to control unpredictable outcomes. Learning to live with uncertainty becomes one
of life’s greatest skills. It encourages deeper thinking, innovation,
open-mindedness, a willingness to listen, and finds strength in collective
wisdom. Searching for prescribed or false certainty divides people, and closes
the mind.
The arts thrive on uncertainty. Exploring the unknown has
inspired art, poetry, music and photography.
Artists feel at ease with ambiguity, exploring the spaces between the
known and the unknown. They invite the viewer to see the world from new
perspectives. The arts thrive on experimentation. Creative people step into the
unknown not to find answers but to celebrate the complexity and wonder of the
world around us and engage with the mysteries of existence. Unknowing is not
the same as ignorance, but becomes a positive state.
To quote NBM House “A painting, a poem, or a melody does not
solve a mystery — it deepens it, allowing us to glimpse truths that cannot be
articulated in formulas or theories.”
Durriya Kazi
September 7,
2026
Karachi
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