After I went to high school, my standards regarding everything have changed. I remember one co. from my elementary school once told me she couldn’t believe how deep I’ve changed. I met new friends, they were those plastic girls group of high school. I have no idea how I gathered with this type of girls, but I did.
Malls were the new style of shopping back in Egypt in 1997. It then started to pop up in the entire country. Classy people went to malls, so I didn’t shop from anywhere else. Make-up was something I never liked in my life, but I liked it in high school. My clothes started to get tighter, my head veil went shorter, and God, I hate high-heels, but I liked them in high school. I bought around 10 pairs of high-heels that can compete with skyscrapers! It was the normal mentality of plastic girls at school. This is why I changed to something I barely like, and I’m barely convinced with. To compete with the top mentality, to be seen, to get above the surface, that’s all.
Each community has a specific mentality
One of my friends told me that her son had to get an ear operation that she didn’t want for him. And when I asked, she told me that in her community –which was around Russia as I remember- children had to get their ears flattened!!! What? Why?! Because, we don’t want people to humiliate them with how their ears look like. OK, I’ll stop here, no more commenting.
And so on, a community which make girls wear extremely tight shoes since birth so their feet get smaller. A community in Egypt which is very very poor people get loans (and end up in jail for not being able to pay them back), in order to buy their bride daughters pricey-home supplies they can’t afford.
Communities where guns are the only speakers. Communities where they refuse refugees thinking they’ll steal their jobs. A community where parents are left behind when they get old. A community where children often end up in shelters, away from their parents. A mentality that destroys bodies and brains. A mentality that holds people in education for half of their lives, just to end up in a poor career. A mentality that makes all people only seek fame and being millionaires.
Aren’t there laws to stop those destructive mentalities?
Laws regulate actions, and reduce bad actions. And thoughts are good preparation for the mindset. But beliefs are the sources of the intentions and motivation. They control minds, hearts and actions. Laws can stop you from doing something when you’re seen. But when you’re not seen, it’s all about the mentality, character, and motivation. A set of beliefs in Islam is held to create a fair mentality for materialistic people, and a great mentality for non-materialistic people. A set of beliefs which considers all types of people from criminals to good vibes, and the genius.
It’s harming the eyesight of the living
When the final Messenger of God, Muhammad -peace and mercy be upon him- lost his son, he went with his companions to bury him. Then after they did, Muhammad went tidying a stone over the grave. One of his companions started to shed tears, telling him that he’s already dead, it wouldn’t harm him if it wasn’t tidy. Muhammad said: “It doesn’t harm the dead, but it harms the eyesight of the living”.
I thought for a while, my God, how hard do we try to train our kids on making their rooms look tidy enough? How many fights? It’s because we give them a plain order. We even sometimes invent a silly reason like “Santa won’t bring you your favorite bike this year if you didn’t keep your room tidy”. We invent shallow motivation for the kids. Motivation that lacks real living values or benefit. Kids grow up to discover that Santa doesn’t even exist in the world. But when you tell your kids this true story, no matter how hard you’re lost, keep it in a fine look, so you won’t harm the eyesight of the living, which leads to heaven at the end, as Allah (The Creator of heavens and earth) is pleased on how we acted back then.
One verse in the Quran holds all human capacities
When it comes to losing the soul of a loved one, people vary in a huge way. Sometimes later on they themselves are surprised of how they acted back then. God created 4 stages in Sharia for different categories:
– 3 of them are about the personal capacity:
You who believe, fair retribution is prescribed for you in cases of murder: the free man for the free man, the slave for the slave, the female for the female…”
…But if the culprit is pardoned by his aggrieved brother, this shall be adhered to fairly, and the culprit shall pay what is due in a good way. This is an alleviation from your Lord and an act of mercy…”
…If anyone then exceeds these limits, grievous suffering awaits him.”.
All of the 3 personal capacities are in 1 verse [Quran.com/2/178]
– 1 is community right, and the judge should rule in it or drop it:Fair retribution saves life for you, people of understanding, so that you may guard yourselves against what is wrong.” [Quran.com/2/179]
When it comes to legislation, you’ll never find in any law an excuse for the culprit. Although they’re human laws, there’s no space for humanity in them. But it’s a main principle in Sharia Law, and a practical one, that Muslims recognize and bear in mind.
I say:
- Fool ones try to change the behavior,
- Smart ones try to change the mindsets,
- And only the wise ones who start with repairing the belief.
