Cloning
1-I was watching the news the other day I couldn’t but help noticing a big difference between two men having a conversation, one had a beard, the other was clean-shaven.
Then I remembered the aya pertaining to men to go to the mosque after taking their full ‘zeena’(beautiful apparel).Men are at their utmost maturity in their 30-50 years.
Bismaillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
{O children of Adam ! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: Eat and drink: but waste not by excess for Allah loveth not the wasters.} (S.7 A.32)
On the contrary to the women’s case where they were ordered to hide theirs, except to certain people.
What happened is the reverse:
-Men have hidden their zeena that Allah has given them,by shaving the beards and wearing weird attire,and women have revealed all they should’ve covered!! It’s ironic isn’t it?
2-On going to al-Eid prayer I have noticed the Pakistani brothers doning their ‘Kamis Sherwal’ nearly in all the countries I’ve been to, and they were, let’s say ‘smart-looking’ in their attire! Then I remembered all nations, and how each man looked in the traditional head-dress and costume of his nation, truly what a beautiful sight. Each one of them held himself in dignity and self-respect.
**Of course dignity and respect does not mean to trail the tails of ones robes like some people do , out of conceit and pride for that is forbidden:
Ibn Omar reported Allah’s messenger(pbuh)having said : “He who trails his (lower)garment with pride,Allah will not look at him on the day of judgement.”
-Nowadays most of the people of the world have left the ‘Old Ways’ and a sort of cloning started to go on around. Everybody’s doning clothes from the west whether it befits them or not.The Chinese who have always been proud of their ways, theEuropeans all want to wear boots and jeans,everybody is just trying their best to look like the characters portrayed in the movies and on TV. Everybody’s not wearing a moustache and beard ,everybody is just an imperfect clone.
-In the seventies and eighties when we were all busy trying to be clones of fashion,I didn’t realize the depth of this hadith:
“La’an Allah almutashabihat birrijal walmutashabbihin binnissa’a”!
Meaning: “ Allah’ curse be on the women who mimic(imitate) men ,and on men who mimic women.”
Now as I look around and see what is happening to the Umma I bear witness that:
{ Nor does he say(aught) of his own desire.It is no less than inspiration sent down to him.He was taught by one Mighty in Power}.(S.35 A.3-5)