The greatest mistake of the modern age is confusing happiness with pleasure. Today, people spend their innate quest for endless pleasure on momentary gratifications, caught in the dopamine-driven cycle. The mechanism of the nafs is inherently addicted to pleasure. However, when this natural tendency is surrendered to algorithms and consumption, humans no longer become slaves to their own will but to pleasure.

When we consider the issue from an analytical point of view, the view we come across is as follows: the dopamine in our brain is actually a mechanism given to keep us alive and encourage us to strive. But today, the modern era is misusing this mechanism. Scrolling through a video, waiting for a post to get likes, or leveling up in a game... Each of these sends a false sense of accomplishment to the brain. As the nafs becomes accustomed to the small pleasures it obtains effortlessly, it forgets the taste of true success and contemplation that require patience. With the fleeting pleasures that Bediüzzaman described to us as "temporary delights," humanity today has become an object of addiction through the hands of screens and the market. When a person ceases to be patient, they lose their freedom.

We need to see the equation established by capitalists. The economy is no longer interested only in our money; it now targets our minds directly. Advertisements, apps, and many other types of content create a constant sense of dissatisfaction in us, constantly driving us to seek new doses. In fact, addiction isn't a side effect; it's a direct outcome targeted by this system... Because an addicted person cannot question. An addicted person is merely a consumer, having surrendered their will to the system. The nafs acts as the system's greatest ally here. An undisciplined nafs is like a fish ready to be caught on any hook. But we know that "He who knows his nafs knows his Lord," and he who cannot control his nafs is not truly free.

The culture of pleasure is raising an impatient generation. In the past, waiting for a book to be finished, a letter to arrive, or a fruit to ripen was a test that strengthened willpower. But now, waiting is seen as a waste of time, and effort as a burden. This situation also harms our spiritual lives. For worship and obedience require patience and perseverance. Those who submit to momentary pleasures find the tranquility of prostration, the peace of prayer, and the meaning of contemplation boring. This is precisely where the danger lies. Addiction blocks not only the body but also the paths of spiritual escape.

So how do we break free from this cycle? First, we must recognize the fine line between pleasure and enjoyment. Sensual pleasures are something taken from the outside and consumed until they are gone. On the other hand, spiritual delight is like a spiritual fruit that springs from within and increases as it is shared. Realizing that the glittering and artificial life the world offers us is actually a dopamine trap is half the battle to freedom. The way to strengthen our will is through letting go. Abandoning the unnecessary pursuits, pointless screen scrolling, and superfluous preoccupations that take us away from ourselves... Being able to say a small "no" is actually a great declaration of freedom.

Ultimately, it's impossible to remain neutral in this battle between nafs and dopamine. We will either take control of our will and direct this mechanism towards noble goals, or we will remain nameless addicts to this immense pleasure. We must remember that true freedom is not about opening every door to the desires of the nafs, but about holding the keys to those doors ourselves...

Translated by Ethem ERBAŞ