Page 106 - The Debased Culture of Superficiality

104 THE DEBASED CULTURE OF SUPERFICIALITY

this state is like a dangerous illness that can blind the human
spirit. Under this culture’s degenerating influence, a person
who cannot appreciate beauty has damaged with his own
hands the wonderful blessing that Allah has given him.
Finally, this person’s life falls into the state Allah describes
in the Qur’an:

On the Day when those who disbelieved are exposed to
the Fire: “You dissipated the good things you had in
your worldly life and enjoyed yourself in it . . .” (Surat
al-Ahqaf: 20)
However, the human spirit has been created to take plea-
sure in every sort of spiritual and material beauty. It is dis-
posed to appreciate beauty. But a person accustomed to his
own superficiality and lives without improving on what is
good and beautiful in his character, blinds his spirit. He
becomes unable to notice beautiful things before his eyes
and the wonderful artistry, harmony and symmetry in the
things Allah has created. Caring only about his own sur-
vival, he chooses goals that are debased and unworthy of the
purpose of human life. If he sits down before a fine meal, he
will have no awareness of the effort that went into preparing
it and no ability to understand its subtle, aesthetic touches.
He will never understand that its careful preparation is a
wonderful blessing and gift from Allah. In such a situation,
he will engage in superficiality regarding that meal.
Also, some people with this mindset attach no impor-
tance to the cleanliness of their bodies or their environment.
As Allah says in the Qur’an, they live in filth because they
do not use their intellect: