FREEDOM…..WHERE DOES IT END??

 “You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you, hand span by hand span, cubit by cubit, until even if they enter the hole of a lizard, you will do so too.” We asked, “O messenger of Allah, do you mean the Jews and the Christians?” He said, “Who else?”

Narrated by Al Bukhaari, 3269; Muslim, 2669

In the recent future, there have been a lot of ‘drastic’ (should I dare use the word) changes in the behavior of the Pakistani youth. I am a Pakistani and I belong to the age-group which is categorized as the future of our country. Over the past few years, I have noticed that our generation has been increasingly inclined towards following whatever the media presents to us as trendy or chic; or for that matter whatever the west is practicing. We seemed to have forgotten that there is no limit to the road that we have embarked on. If we keep following it, it will lead us into oblivion. We need to remind ourselves that we are Muslims first and foremost, and we need to practice what our religion preaches and anything else comes after that.

The reason I am writing this article is because I want to mirror back to folks and make them realize that deviating from Allah’s path will lead us to destruction. This article therefore, is a very well-intended wakeup call for Muslim youngsters. Following trends that have no basis in our religion will not have a positive effect on anyone. I am sure everyone has heard the story about the crow who tries to act like a swan ends up loosing both sides.

As a teenager, I started noticing that people were copying the media-portrayed, fabricated images of perfection too much. Not just personality wise, but in how to behave, how to talk how to walk how to live, what to buy…everything.  They even made us believe that people who did not practice this so-called trend-setting era of revolution were somehow unacceptable and perhaps in someway inferior to those who did. And we went along with this and adapted this portrayal like kids following the Pied-Piper!  Over the years this pattern has progressed rapidly and it continues to grow into a never ending cycle. I am quite frankly; taken aback by the fact that no one is able to see through this.  I have seen females going from wearing a hijaab to wearing sleeveless and translucent clothing. I have seen guys go from being fully dressed to wearing shorts, torn pants and undershirts and not feeling the least bit embarrassed about it. I have seen television radically transform to allow things like dancing, provocative behavior and open sexuality to become a norm. And all of this is described as “happening”, “cool” and “hip”. Whatever the origins of these words are, we need to define what they mean and really decide, as Muslims, if that is the image we want to represent.

To do this, first of all we need to figure out where this need to shed off our clothing or exposing ourselves to be acceptable in society derives from? What is the mindset or lack of it thereof that makes us think that we have to dress a certain way or follow a certain trend to feel good about ourselves? What is it we lack that makes us so vulnerable to the idea of changing ourselves to personify artificiality? Why has everything turned so physical and material all of a sudden? Why have we lost our humility and humbleness? Who is programming us to think this way?

Personally, I feel that the biggest reason is deviation from religion. We have lost ourselves and our identities. If we were steadfast in our beliefs, none of this would be emerging as an issue to be concerned about. The second big influence is the media for portraying shallow self-imaging,  and thirdly personal inferiority complexes that make us look up to things that are glamorized and have no solid standpoint of their own.

Before going any further, its worth pointing out that the culture that mystifies us and seems to hold somewhat exaggerated glory and greatness is the western culture. This was founded on a lot of qualities that Islam preaches. Honesty, integrity, respect, devotion, hard work and dedication. These are basically the things that made a strong foundation for them so they were able to rise above all the others and made themselves an icon for people to feel proud to follow. And if we ponder closely, these are the qualities that we gave up and they have started to loose, that is leading them into a downward spiral of demoralization.  History proves that before all this modernization happened, people here were “oppressed” (for the lack of a better word) too. They have not always been autonomous like this.  What I am trying to say is that when people started liberating themselves, the cycle just kept on expanding. There were no limits set to it, so, it is still in continuance.

How much more liberation is needed? This is the question.

They have emancipated themselves from the sacred ties of marriage and religion; they have even liberated themselves from the “excruciating” bonds of having to wear clothes!  Only God knows what in store next. But where are we going to go and what are we going to do with all this “freedom”? It’s a question worth asking, but can anyone answer it?

Because of these factors, sexual misconducts are becoming a raging epidemic in the western society. There is nothing left to discover or explore…they have seen it all and they have done it all, therefore there is nothing left to intrigue them, just an animal hunger that has to be satisfied no matter what.  This can be explained by using a simple example. If a person keeps watching the same program and eating the same food everyday, he/she will inevitably get tired of it.  Similarly in the west, nothing is enough to keep them content anymore. Since no limitations are exercised, everything has become run-of-the-mill. So to keep themselves interested and engaged they keep moving a step further towards extremism each day without thinking what the end will be. Now it is up to us to decide if we want to follow the same track or correct ourselves before it is too late.

We, as a nation should realize and identify what our values are when it comes to social conduct and righteous behavior. Islam teaches us to live a balanced life and practice worldly deeds alongside the religious ones. We should honor these guide lines by adhering to them and making them a part of our lives. Freedom for both men and women has a different meaning in Islam than what the west believes in. In our religion, even freedom has it limits and boundaries. If this was not the case, then the whole social infrastructure would fall apart. We all have limits when it comes to dressing, behaving and living our lives. For example a Hadeeth quotes that once Hazrat Asma bint Abi Bakr came to see the Prophet (PBUH) in somewhat light clothing. He turned his face away from her saying “Asma, when a woman becomes mature, nothing of her body should be seen except (pointing to his hands and face) these two parts.”  Similarly there are Hadeeths about the way men are supposed to dress and behave socially. These rules are set to prevent society from going into sexual immoralities.  They are there to protect us from the whispers of the Shaytaan and the temptations of sin.

My view of the situation is that there is nothing wrong in wanting or striving to be successful in life, but when this desire starts to surpass and overlook the divine laws of Allah, then it becomes extremely wrong. As for women feeling suppressed and trapped by these rules...well there are plenty of examples in the present day and in history which prove the theory of Muslim women being confined in the system. Hazrat Khadija, first wife of the Prophet (PBUH) managed her own trading business before and after marrying the Prophet (PBUH). Razia Sultana was also a Muslim woman who even fought wars. Women in the middle-eastern countries work in all professions to this day while remaining in properly covered attire.  So the need is not to change the way we dress to be popular, the need is to recognize ourselves and be identified as Muslims, to belong to our religion, to find strength in its character and be proud of it, instead of being ashamed. The need is to make ourselves stronger and project a positive self image of what we are and where we come from. To have the courage to be the leader not the follower. Because, it is a proven fact that if you are happy with who you are, and if you are comfortable in your own skin…..then you have the ability to inspire others and be a real idol yourself, instead of looking up to a fake and shallow epitome of greatness.