All the points mentioned above are crucial, especially nowadays when the West-dominated civilization, despite its outward glitter and ostensibly attractive wrappings in which it is being served, fails man in a number of critical sectors of his existence. Thus, many of the basic existential questions and dilemmas are yet to be adequately addressed, let alone be solved.

Those questions and dilemmas revolve around the nature and purpose of life and death, the idea of God, man and his life mission, the universe, morality, the soul, knowledge, aliens (the question whether we are alone in the universe) etc.

Surely, what man has accumulated of his material wealth is not in a position to offset the lack of answers to the above fundamental questions. That is so because man’s objective on earth is not to hanker after and amass material, but rather spiritual, intellectual and ethical, fortune and prosperity.

Nobody fancies perishable riches and assets, which he is set to lose anytime. Everyone wants real, rather than virtual, assets. Nobody wants to have today, but not have tomorrow.

Unquestionably, the greatest asset with a person is his self. Hence, nobody is happy with the prospect of him dying or disappearing forever. Nobody wants to die and become nothing. We all use our fleeting lives trying our best to become one day somebody or something.

Accordingly, the state of the modern man is such that he seems to have everything, yet, in actual fact, he has very little, or nothing. He seems to know everything, yet, in fact, he knows very little that is real and authentic.

Though unconditional happiness and love, as the two most magnificent and most coveted life ideals, are on everyone’s lips, yet the modern man falls miserably short of achieving and genuinely experiencing them. So depressed and despondent is he and his lifestyle that true happiness and love might be of those things he will never even partially realize.

This estimation makes sense in that true happiness and love are not compatible with a confused, disoriented, uncertain, doubtful, superstitious and ignorant person. He cannot help himself, so how could he be useful and helpful to others? Such a person does not have enough courage, nor capacities, for true happiness and love. He is not qualified for them. Thus, they repel one another.

Though he tries to deny it, the modern man knows all too well that living for something which he will soon part with forever is not the way life should be lived. There should be something more meaningful, purposeful and consequential to life. But what is that?

Since there are no definite, nor satisfactory, answers forthcoming, the modern man, in order to somehow gratify momentarily his restless soul and inquisitive mind, evolved a myriad of sweet lies, fibs, mysteries, fairytales, myths and doubts regarding the most serious life aspects.

So much so that it could be asserted that the modern civilization, despite it priding itself on being a civilization of enlightenment, reason, science, freedom and liberalism, is based on actual ignorance, uncertainty, agnosticism, narrow-mindedness, superstitions, fabrications and falsehoods. It has mastered the art of deception, guiding man to the abyss of the unknown – of which everyone is most terrified — and in the end, to his utter ruin.

Modern civilization seduces, beguiles and makes its devotees addictive to its bogus promises and splendor. On the whole, it is an extremely destructive force. It “kills” and shuts man forever inside the “cave” of his skeptical mind and corrupted soul (nafs or self). Islam’s aim is to rescue man from such a distressing agony.

That petrifying fate is vividly depicted at the end of the chapter where Almighty Allah refers to the greatest losers in respect of their deeds. They are those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought, deceived by the superficiality, allure and showiness of their means and standard of living, that they were fine and were acquiring good by their deeds. So, their hollow works – along with the defective philosophical foundations for them — were in vain, and on the Day of Resurrection, no weight or importance will be assigned for them (Al-Kahf, 103-105).

Finally, the solution for the spiritual, cultural and civilizational predicaments of mankind lies in the substance of the first and last verse (ayah) of the chapter, which sandwich the whole of its content and messages. That solution is to the effect that the only way forward is the Quran as the last testament from Allah to mankind, and as mercy, a guidance for the people, clear proofs or signs, and the criterion or judgment between right and wrong.

With the Holy Quran onboard, the people will be able to come to terms with, and to fully grasp, the greatest ontological truths, especially such as are related to God, life, the Prophet and his heavenly mission, man and his life objective and purpose.

So, therefore, as the last words of the chapter:

…whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord (Al-Kahf, 110).