Voice of British Muslim Women

Nooresahar Ahmad, Hampshire 

There was an anecdote that the late writer Kurt Vonnegut liked to tell. It began with him leaving his home office, a stack of manuscript papers in hand, with the intention of going out to buy a single envelope in which to put them. His wife questioned him as he left: ‘why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in a closet?’ Because, said Vonnegut, he knew he would have ‘a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a lot of people. […] And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And ask a woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don’t know,’ he went on, ‘of course, the computers will do us out of that.’ But what ‘the computer people’ don’t realise, he said, is that such experiences are essential to our lives.  

While technological developments can make our lives easier and save us time, there comes a point where we may sacrifice important things, like human connection and the appreciation of our surroundings, for the sake of convenience. Vonnegut’s words have only become more apt as the years have passed. The internet and social media, for all their benefits, do seem to have made us more alienated from each other and our environment, and have had harmful effects on our attention spans and literacy skills.  

The theme of this year’s International Literacy Day, taking place on 8th September, is Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era. Though we are fortunate enough to be able to read, there are real threats that are currently being posed to our, and our future generations’, literacy. The number of people who read for pleasure have dipped to record-level lows in the last few years. 25% of primary school leavers struggle to read at the expected level. There could be many reasons for this concerning trend, including the decades of slashed funding for libraries and schools, and the impact COVID has had on a generation of children’s education.  

Another significant factor is that many adults have abandoned reading themselves and have been discouraged in pursuing the skills that make a good reader: thoughtfulness, focused attention and critical thinking. In recent surveys, less than 50% of parents reported reading to their children below the age of 5, for reasons such as stress, lack of time, boredom, and their own lack of reading abilities. In the last two years we have seen a boom in generative AI, which is increasingly being used as a means of ‘cognitive offloading’, i.e. people using ChatGPT to perform any brainwork, from academic research to menial tasks, that they lack the will to carry out themselves. This results in lower brain engagement and the erosion of neural pathways; research has shown a significant correlation between frequent AI use and lower critical thinking skills. Such skills are an important part of literacy — particularly when it comes to navigating disinformation, propaganda and blatant untruths.  

It is unsurprising, then, that reading is becoming less common in an age where we are constantly encouraged to follow the quickest and most convenient route. Reading is a practice that can be lengthy and slow, requiring patience and focus. The rewards for the time put in, however, are innumerable: reading is proven to significantly reduce stress levels and anxiety; increase one’s lifespan; preserve brain health later in life, preventing conditions like dementia; help with sleep, and even improve relationships. Those who read in childhood are found to have better academic outcomes, as well as greater social mobility.  

The Holy Quran has emphasised the importance of reading and critical thinking skills since the very beginning of its revelation. The first revealed verses of the Quran state: ‘Convey thou in the name of thy Lord who created, / Created man from a clot of blood. / Convey! And thy Lord is Most Generous, / Who taught man by the pen, / Taught man what he knew not’ [96:2-6]. The Five-Volume Commentary points out that ‘it is really very significant that frequent mention should have been made of “pen” in a Book which was revealed among a people who had no respect for, and had made rare use of, it and which was revealed to a person who himself did not know how to read and write.’  

In fact, the Quran is a text which not only rewards close and thoughtful reading but demands it of us. Scholar Daniel A. Madigan writes: ‘In the Quran God continually revisits the signs in nature and history with a series of formulaic refrains expressing the desired response: ‘Perhaps you/they might…’ ‘Will you/they not…?’ ‘Surely in that there are signs for a people…’. The verbs used in these three refrains are strikingly intellectual — learn, reflect, reason, remember, heed, perceive, think.’ Out of a people who could not read, Allah created a community devoted to reading, memorising, reciting and studying the text of the Quran. As Madigan points out, reading is presented as a practice which is inextricably linked to interrogating, discovering and improving one’s faith.  

The antidote to a lack of literacy was given to us in the Quran long ago: we must pay attention, be thoughtful, properly reflect. It may not seem to make a lot of difference whether we buy an envelope online or in person but, either way, it’s certainly important that we have carefully read whatever we put inside it.