Maintaining faith in the modern era can be challenging amid the rapid development of technology, changing lifestyles, and social media. While technological advances offer many benefits, they also present challenges for Muslims to remain committed to Islamic values. In an educational environment such as Industrial Engineering UII, students also encounter these developments as part of their academic and social lives.
Amid a constantly changing world, faith serves as a guide to help people stay on the right path. Keeping up with the times does not mean following every trend. Rather, it means choosing what brings goodness without allowing oneself to drift away from Allah.
Maintaining Faith in the Modern Era
Islam does not prohibit Muslims from embracing modern developments. Muslims can continue to learn, work, socialize, and use technology as long as these activities remain within Islamic values.
Technology can even serve as a means of learning about Islam, spreading goodness, and broadening knowledge. A study titled “Enhancing Student Religiosity Through Islamic Content and Influencer Expertise: Social Media Contribution as Mediator,” involving 180 Muslim university students, found an association between the quality of Islamic content on social media and religious practices. This suggests that the issue is not simply whether technology should be used, but how and for what purpose it is used. Social media can become a platform for learning and spreading Islamic teachings, but it can also become a space for seeking validation and attention.
Challenges to Maintaining Faith in the Modern Era
Modern life makes it increasingly easy for people to see the achievements, lifestyles, and personal lives of others through social media. Without realizing it, this can encourage people to compare themselves with others and seek recognition.
This issue is also discussed in the study “Piety, Social Pressure, and Riya’: Religious Practices of Yogyakarta Urban Muslim Youth in Digital Media,” which examines urban Muslim youth in Yogyakarta. The study shows that digital media can provide a space for young people to express their religious devotion while also creating social pressure through the pursuit of likes and followers.
This is where faith plays an important role as a reminder. Muslims should ask themselves: “Am I doing this truly for Allah, or because I want to be seen and recognized by others?”
The World Is Temporary
Allah reminds humanity about the nature of worldly life in the Qur’an:
اِعْلَمُوْٓا اَنَّمَا الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَّلَهْوٌ وَّزِيْنَةٌ وَّتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِى الْاَمْوَالِ وَالْاَوْلَادِۗ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ اَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهٗ ثُمَّ يَهِيْجُ فَتَرٰىهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُوْنُ حُطَامًاۗ وَفِى الْاٰخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيْدٌ ەۙ وَّمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ ۗوَمَا الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَآ اِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُوْرِ
“Know that the life of this world is only play, amusement, adornment, boasting among yourselves, and competition in wealth and children, like rain whose resulting plants please the farmers; then they dry, and you see them turn yellow, and then they become debris. And in the Hereafter there is severe punishment, as well as forgiveness and pleasure from Allah. And the life of this world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion.” QS. Al-Ḥadīd [57]: 20
This verse reminds us that worldly life is temporary. What may seem extremely important today will eventually pass. Popularity, followers, trends, appearance, wealth, and worldly achievements are not the ultimate measures of human success.
Therefore, worldly possessions may be enjoyed and utilized, but they should not cause the heart to lose sight of its ultimate purpose. Times may change, but faith should remain our guiding principle.
5 Ways to Maintain Faith in the Modern Era

How can Muslims remain steadfast amid the currents of modern life? Maintaining faith in the modern era requires consistency in how we worship, interact with others, and use technology.
First, maintain a strong relationship with Allah. The demands of worldly life should not become an excuse to neglect worship. Prayer, supplication, reading the Qur’an, and remembering Allah can help keep the heart grounded and directed toward Him.
Second, choose a good environment. Social relationships have a significant influence on the way people think and behave. Good friends can remind us when we become careless, strengthen us when we feel weak, and encourage us to do good.
Third, use social media wisely. Not every piece of information needs to be consumed, and not every trend needs to be followed. Muslims should learn to choose beneficial content and avoid things that may negatively affect character or disturb inner peace.
Fourth, maintain sincerity. When doing good deeds, the opinions of others should not become the primary motivation. Actions performed for Allah do not always need to receive recognition from other people.
Fifth, continue learning. A changing world requires knowledge. With sufficient religious knowledge and broader understanding, Muslims can better distinguish between progress that brings benefit and changes that may lead them away from Islamic values. Educational environments can also provide opportunities for students to develop knowledge, skills, and values that support them in navigating modern life.
Staying Faithful in a Changing World
Ultimately, maintaining faith in the modern era does not mean rejecting technology or avoiding change. Instead, Muslims should learn to embrace modern developments wisely while continuing to uphold Islamic values and maintain their sense of direction.
Times may change. Technology may continue to develop. The way people communicate may evolve. Yet, faith remains a guiding principle.
Faith does not require us to leave the modern world; it teaches us not to lose ourselves within it.
By treating worldly life as a means to worship Allah and do good, Muslims can benefit from modern developments without allowing themselves to be swept away by them.
The greatest challenge is not living in an increasingly modern world, but remaining a servant of Allah when the world offers countless things that can make us forget Allah.
Kaila Bilbina M.S.











