‘Uncertain times’ is a refrain that fills United Nations Development Programme (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 that “Uncertainty is the only certainty there is“, echoing the first 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, which separated state and religion, and 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. The French philosopher Denis 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 the online cultural critic who goes by the pen name 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.”
From the anxieties of everyday life to the mysteries of the universe, uncertainty should be seen as an invitation to wonder rather than as a crisis
Before the 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, grow and to 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 recognised as beyond human conception. Absolute unknowing is the core of Divine reality.
Yunus Emre, a highly educated Turkish 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 the French philosopher Rene Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am.” Descartes makes the individual ego the centre 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 the Italian theologian 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 to find 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 is a Karachi-based artist.
She may be reached at
durriyakazi1918@gmail.com
Published in Dawn, EOS, September 13th, 2026
