Page 39 - The Truth of the Life of This World

tasks is considerable. We have often come across surveys that have been
conducted to find out how much time is spent shaving, bathing, hair-care,
skin-care, manicuring etc. The results of such surveys are astounding, and
reveal how much precious time such daily tasks consume.
In the course of our lives, we encounter many people. At home, in the
office, on the streets or in the shopping-mall, we see many smartly dressed
people in their best states. They are people with shaved faces, clean hair
and bodies, ironed shirts, well-polished shoes. However, such careful
grooming requires time and effort.
From the moment one wakes up in the morning until the time one goes
to sleep, one has to involve oneself in endless routines to keep clean and
fresh. Once we wake up, the first place we head for is the bathroom; dur-
ing the night, the proliferation of bacteria causes a bad taste and unpleas-
ant odour in the month, forcing us to brush our teeth immediately.
However, in order to get ready for the new day, the essentials are not lim-
ited to brushing teeth. Neither does washing just the face and hands suf-
fice. During the day, hair becomes greasy and the body becomes dirty. At
night, in the midst of a dream, it might not be possible to stop sweating.
As the only way to get rid of unpleasant body odours and sweat, one feels
the urgent need of a shower. Otherwise, it would not be pleasant to go to
work with greasy hair and a bad odour coming from the body.
The variety of materials used to make one's body clean enough to face
others is surprisingly wide. This is, surely, enough evidence of the body's
endless needs. Besides water and soap, we need numerous essentials to
clean the body: shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, tooth polish, dental
tape, cotton buds, body powder, face cream, lotions; the list goes on and
on. Apart from these essentials, there are hundreds of other products
developed in laboratories to enhance body care.
As well as bodily care, everyone must also spend a considerable
amount of time cleaning clothing, house, and surroundings. No doubt, one
cannot keep oneself clean unless one is in a clean environment.
In brief, a certain part of life is spent solely to provide for the needs of
the body. Moreover, we need many chemicals for this end. Allah created
man with many weaknesses, yet He also provides the methods to tem-

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