Modern in KBBI means up-to-date and / or attitudes and ways of thinking in accordance with the demands of the times. In a simple sense, modern is a contemporary way, whatever the activity if you use an up to date way, it can be called modern.
The author himself does a modern way when writing articles, if in the past using a pen, then printed and disseminated, now the author uses a laptop and is disseminated through the website, of course using the internet network. So this includes the contemporary way.
The problem is that when modern is defined as a way to spread absolute freedom, the more modern it becomes more secular, the more modern the westernization, the more modern the more it is further from Islam, if so then these things are 100% wrong.
Often collided between modern and Islam, Islam is precisely what brings out the state of Jahiliyah to the modern state, from worshiping stone, visual and other materials, to worshiping Allah Azza wa Jalla whom no one can resemble Him.
Islam brought mankind into the period of enlightenment, into a modern civilization, which highly upheld science and rationality. Various works of Islamic scholars and figures were once the standard of modernity throughout the world.
However, the free giving of works by Islamic scholars and figures and communities to all corners of the world was perverted by the colonizers, matters related to materialism were separated from matters related to Islam, for example the collection of money in one institution such as Baitul Mal so that wealth could be distributed to the whole community, replaced by the separation of social things from commercial matters, thus the Bank was formed.
Practically banks are commercial, even a usury system, there is no longer any Islamic element, purely contemporary. Such a situation actually makes the modern era retreat to the primitive era, where the most powerful, both individual and social, who have a lot of money, who will control the economy, are communism and capitalism.
But actually the Ulema will never be separated from Islam, and will not run out of ways in spreading Islam, one of which, banking is brought again into the modern era, becoming a Sharia bank, in which there are Islamic elements such as without riba and the existence of social funds.
If it is concluded, modern does not only mean technology and science, but modern means balance and justice. Balance between the world and the hereafter, just with God, fair between man and man, and just man with nature.
Modernity without Islam is primitive even though it uses up to date methods, because modern begins with thoughts and deeds, not material and contentment.
Wallahualam Bishawab