Imbalance in Earthly and Spiritual Dimensions of Life

Man’s first body structure was built from extract of clay (sulalatim min teen) and after bringing it under a permanent physical law essence of (maa immaheen) despised water (semen) became the source of reproduction. Salt, vitamins, iron and many others natural element found in the crops, fruits and vegetables grown in the fields and farms make the organic substances of which his body is a compound. So his reproductive seed is actually concentrate of all these earthly matters. All of its early states in womb, nutfah, clot, lumps of flesh and then the bones covered with flesh are different material stages it passes through, all the components of the essence grow. Almost first four months of growth in the womb human being remains with no prime and pride and no dissimilarity with the animals in corporal needs and nature. Most eminent and sublime stage of this created beings comes when Allah, the Creator, the Sustainer, breathes in him His soul. From here man gets uplifted from the level of other animals and Fitratullah, with which he is created becomes his distinction. This elevated soul itself has its requirements to get on and progress. It gets strength by prayers, invocations, remembering and glorifying Allah, the Exalted. Abiding by the moral traits and following the teachings of His revealed Book and His Prophet pbuh is a way to reinforce soul. A sincere struggle for inviting the people to all that is good, enjoining nobleness and virtue and forbidding sinful and vicious deeds helps in nourishing the spirituality and enhancing the soul.

Human physique has its own needs to grow and survive. Food, sleep, protection and satisfaction of sexual desires are the major wants of body which have never been negated or restricted by the teachings of the prophets sent for guidance of mankind. Emphasis is only on taking care it does not become the crux paralyzing the soul. But actually what happens? There remains no limit of the wants of earthly life. The more extracts of clay and essences of despised water are let get power the more man plunges into the marsh of epicurean and hedonistic trends. Subduing the soul only gluttony and sexuality start governing the body. Hence man, in spite of being created in the best stature and with Fitratullah, gets himself lowered at the degree of the lowest of the beasts. He becomes venomous more than the snakes, greedy more than the crows and the dogs, wicked more than the foxes and savage more than the wolves (laqad khalaqnal insaana fi ahsane taqweemin, thumma radadnaho asfala saafelin). Self (nafs) succeeds only in case it contains its position of Fitratullah and is refined (qad aflaha man zakakaha) and is unsuccessful when it is corrupted and foisted, (wa qad khaaba man dassaha).

The civilizations based on materialism have a little concern about protecting the basic nature of man which is, of course, pure and as indicated in a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad pbuh, is corrupted only when the parents do not give proper guidance and when general social environment in which the child grows is under the sway of unscrupulous media gurus, politicians, capitalists and industrialists take the position of watchdogs of the civilization. Thinking their interests thriving in maximum spiritual and moral spoil of the society they create a lustful atmosphere ignoring the needs of soul and leaving a little room for sustenance of spirituality. Interests of these custodians of cultural hallmarks are in enhancing luxurious and lustrous trends and crushing Fitratullah.

Most significant political features of presently prevailing western civilization are a transparent accountability system, prevention of illegally and unconstitutionally grabbing of the power and an assured procedure of change and transfer of power if an elected government fails to deliver and does not come up to the expectations of people. But as against this merit, on social and moral side it has given lollypop of unlimited individual freedom and the greatest thing snatched from the ‘sons of civilization’ is their modesty. Modesty, one of the greatest elements of Fitratullah, holding man from transgressing the moral limits has no worth in their cultural values. Nudity, sexuality and voluptuousness have been of the past and still are important segments of the present materialistic civilization.

What their fashion designers exhibit in fashion stores wardrobes are the designs of the dresses making the most inflaming parts of the women bodies exposed. Their cosmetic industries bring the perfumes in the markets sexually provoking both the sexes. Their publishers publish the magazines and newspapers with naked women pictures and the books urging sex hunger. Furniture, pottery, decoration pieces, setting pattern of not only bedrooms, even inner atmosphere of bathrooms is intentionally kept to stir up sex appetite. Hardly a little number of the advertisements of the products on TV screens and print media pages, may they be related or not to female needs, are without display of sexy womanly physiognomy.

As more the glitters of the civilization daze more it pushes man in a moral and spiritual indigence. The scale for keeping a wise balance in material and spiritual needs of man has quite a big dip toward earthly requisites. The west is proud of its rise in knowledge and wisdom but what a strange that statesmen, intellectuals, politicians and even religious leaders show a little apprehension about outweighing disadvantages of materialism in their societies. They let not arise the nature of their communities above the level of extract of clay and essence of despised water and live in accord with Fitratullah.