Page 10 - The Debased Culture of Superficiality

INTRODUCTION

When we think of a superficial person as understood by
most people, generally we imagine an individual ignorant of
the rules of etiquette; one who is uneducated, uninformed,
immoderate and who often does not know how to behave in
certain situations. But what this book will dwell on is not the
kind of superficiality as generally understood; we will dis-
cuss, in terms of religious morality, how superficiality can
become a spiritual state. The superficiality we will examine
here is much deeper, more radical: a sickness that is more
serious than commonly understood. And, unless Allah wills
otherwise, it is a great danger that can draw a person into
Hell.
We will discuss the superficiality that infects a person’s
behavior and thinking when he does not expand his spirit
according to the moral teaching of the Qur’an and is unwill-
ing to draw closer to Allah and seek His favor. This superfi-
ciality manifests itself when a person has only a weak grasp
of Allah’s infinite power, of the purposes that lie behind
events that transpire in the world at large, and of the true
meaning of life. There is a total difference between moral
character of a true Muslim, who comprehends Allah’s exis-
tence and mighty power, and the character, personality and