Page 74 - The Debased Culture of Superficiality

72 THE DEBASED CULTURE OF SUPERFICIALITY

movements and ways of using the voice. For example, a per-
son may lower his voice in the course of a conversation,
meaning that some special information not to be heard by
everyone is about to be given to a selected confidant. Mostly
women use this tone of voice when speaking about another
or mocking someone. Similarly, they sometimes lower their
voices at certain points in the conversation and roll their
words in their mouths to prevent others from understanding
what they are saying, and so that only the one to whom
they’re speaking will understand.
Generally in this culture all facial expressions are used
for a negative purpose, distorting the natural lines of the
face. When having a conversation full of resentment, for
example, these people narrow their eyes and purse their
lips. So the face takes on an unpleasant expression, and their
words come out with an unnatural emphasis. In the same
way, some carefully put on unnatural accents that they
regard as modern, rolling their words in their mouths or
lisp, making themselves hard to understand.
Gossip is widespread in this debased culture, especially
among women. They talk about the most basic subjects,
engaging in endless conversations filled with malice, dissen-
sion, jealousy and resentment about people. They never
think of this truth that Allah has revealed in the Qur’an:
. . . Three men cannot confer together secretly without
Him being the fourth of them, or five without Him
being the sixth of them, or fewer than that or more with-
out Him being with them wherever they are. Then He
will inform them on the Day of Resurrection of what