Page 98 - The Debased Culture of Superficiality

96 THE DEBASED CULTURE OF SUPERFICIALITY

But then when He tests him by restricting his provision,
he says, “My Lord has humiliated me!” (Surat al-Fajr:
15-16)
However, this is the nadir of shallowness. To be positive
when conditions are good, and to become ungrateful when
the situation changes, is behavior that should be avoided.
Similarly, to disregard Allah, grumble and complain and
become depressed in times of difficulty, reflects the same
shallow way of thinking. In everything that happens,
Muslims put their trust in Allah. To have a fine moral char-
acter and be patient, moderate, intelligent, perceptive,
resourceful, sensible, balanced, forgiving, compassionate,
and loving brings the deep joy of faith. When a believer sees
these good qualities in himself, he is very happy; and it is yet
another pleasure when he senses the joy of faith that other
believers have taken from him.

Their Understanding of Friendship
Friendship is based on mutual intimacy. But a shallow
person can perceive sincerity and intimacy as not requiring
the use of reason. His smiles, conversations, behavior and
expressions reflect a shallow mind, and he displays even
more shallowness in the name of intimacy. He can easily do
something shallow in the presence of one he regards as an
intimate friend, but would avoid doing the same in someone
else’s presence. For example, he’ll talk to his friend about
private and confidential matters. Or he talks about illness or
physical weaknesses, whose mention does no good at all.
Instead of choosing easy solutions, he describes his ailments