How Hijab Came to my Family

20 years back there was no female in my paternal or maternal family who covered her head with a scarf or dupatta. Not even my grandmother who wore sleeveless blouses in her youth. I can use this fact to elaborate on how ‘liberal’ my family is as well how ‘ignorant’ it was about the particular concept of hijab in Islam.

Interesting how something can be perceived by one man as liberty and the other as ignorance. Anyway, moving on…

How it Started – Back in 1998, my closest cousin, Kiran, moved to UK for her higher studies at the age of 18. When she came back to Pakistan, the family was inquisitive about the head scarf she wore everywhere she went on top of her jeans and tops. Her mom too, after a few months, followed suit. When questioned, they explained the importance of covering up satar in the light of the Quraan and ahadith. This was in 1999, when I was 10. And this is when I, my mom and my grandmother realized how wrong it was not to cover up.

For a few years we didn’t copy them, but we did respect their hijabs. A couple of years later, my mom started going to the market with her head covered. As a pre-teen, I watched and things started seeping in.

The Pushing – Even though I was indifferent to or perhaps even liked the hijab, I never thought  of adopting it. After all I was just 12. Also I was not to be pushed into it. Once, my granny asked me to put a dupatta on my head because we were to meet a religious person. I scrunched up my nose and refused. No one tells me what to do with my clothes. Though later I had to put it on with a sullen face.

But I was never pushed into anything luckily permanently. The only requirement set by my dad was ‘modest’ clothing i.e. wearing loose clothes. So until today most of my time at home got spent wearing loose tops and jeans/pjs/pants. They are way more modest than fitted kameezes with dupattas left behind on the iron stand.

2005 – At the end of grade 10, I came to terms with the practice and decided that I would cover my head in a consistent fashion. The scariest part was speculating my mom’s reaction who did not cover up at family gatherings and weddings. But mashaAllah, when she found out, she encouraged me and stood up for me. Very soon, I saw her covering up at events too, mashaAllah. And since, then the scarf/dupatta/chadar has never left my head even inside my house in the presence of na-mehrams.

2006 – I guess, this is the year when it happened. My grandmother stopped wearing saris, something she wore all her life as a primary dressing, and switched to wearing kameezes to ensure that her belly wasn’t showing.

2010 – My only paternal uncle’s daughter, Hana, started practicing hijab too. Born and brought up in London, she could’ve gone either ways. But I think it was the sort of community in East London and my uncle’s religious nature that contributed to her choice. Alhamdulillah, her two teenaged sisters too are gradually coming to hijab and her mom followed suit too.

This is also the year when I started wearing an abaya – something no cousin or aunt of mine carries, unfortunately.

2012 – Another khala’s two daughters, now 16 and 17, seeing me and my elder cousin, Kiran, have now started doing hijab too at family events.

A summary: I have a total of 12 female cousins, 6 hijabis and 6 non-hijabis. All non hijabis but one live in the West.

Interestingly in all cases, the daughters started taking the hijab first and their mothers followed suit soon.

The criticism – No matter what you do, you can never please everyone. There are relatives who support the hijab, there are the indifferent ones and of course there are the critics too. My mom’s 65 year old aunt, who’s a Ph.D and a professor at Karachi University commented on how my hijab was extreme. And I don’t blame the lady. After six decades of her life, watching girls dress up like fire crackers at weddings, she must have naturally felt put off by my loose pistachio colored abaya. Understandable. Even for relatives who support the headscarf, abaya is something that is taking time to get swallowed.

And the criticism goes equally for the young men in the family who have adopted religious values and sported beards. (Point: my family isn’t sexist :P)

In the end, what does matter is the growing tolerance towards the very concept of women complying with the Islamic hijab. With a little acceptance of the elders, who have already lived out most of their lives, the younger generation has a long way to go in terms of changing the socio-cultural landscape.

Heart : A Peephole to Your Future

Ever dreamt a dream that was all about things you were going through? And the fears, joys, tension, hopes, etc. of your real life, all followed you in that dream?

Our dreams are like a mirror to our real life. They tell us what awaits us when we wake up.

Similarly, this world is a Dream too. And somehow it is a clear mirror of what awaits us when we will wake up on the Day of Judgement. So what is it exactly that indicates what awaits us on the Big day?

Our heart.

Here is what Allah has to say:

“It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith. And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allah Knowing and Wise.”

Surah Fath - (48:4)

The pious, the blessed ones, the ones loved by Allah are bestowed upon by golden gift of Faith. And the verse clearly says that those with Faith have hearts filled with tranquility. This tranquility further strengthens Faith.

SubhanAllah! Such are the hearts of those who will be among the successful ones on the Day of Judgement.

To get an idea of what awaits us in the future, let's ask : does my heart feel tranquil? Does it feel tranquil in sadness? Forget sadness, does it even flow with peace when I am doing the happiest of activities such as dining out, shopping or talking to a friend? Is the peace we feel even a shadow of the sort of peace that Allah bestows upon His loved ones?

The answer certainly determines what awaits us in the future.

The rest, I shall leave on the All-knowing and Wise who is also very Merciful.

Of Cursed Blessings and Blessed Curses

Everything in this world is the test from Allah.

Health and sickness – Friendship and enmity – Wealth and poverty – Wisdom and ignorance – Hope and despair – Prosperity and loss – And so on…

None of these things are blessings or curses on their own. As Muslims, we perceive all these elements in a very different light.  We believe that anything that brings us closer to Allah, that makes us more muttaqi, and eventually more deserving of Jannah is a blessing. And anything that kills the quality of our eemaan and actions and eventually exposes us to the wrath of Allah on the day of Qayamah, is a curse.

So blessings may come our way disguised as curses and curses as blessings.

Coming to a few examples – It is said that poverty is a curse and yet it is possible that poverty may bring a person very close to Allah and actually be a blessing. Another example would be of education. Education makes man civil and yet it also has the power to induce arrogance – one of the worst sins – in hearts.

We must note that there are some things that humans are more likely to make good and bad uses of.

Like the Prophet (SAW) said,

"There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) Health and free time for doing good."

Hadith # 421, Book 76, Sahih Bukari.

So in spite of health and free time inherently being blessings, they turn into curses because of our lack of their use. They will be liabilities for us on the day of Qayamah.

Similarly, while wealth is perceived as one of the greatest assets for man, the Prophet (SAW) said,

“… I am afraid that worldly wealth will be given to you in abundance as it was given to those (nations) before you, and you will start competing each other for it as the previous nations competed for it, and then it will divert you (from good) as it diverted them."

Hadith # 433, Book 76, Sahih Bukhari

The challenge in this world is to realize that things that might make us feel utterly blessed, may actually be curses because of the way we make use of them – such as wealth, knowledge, power, friendship, etc. Because of how we will be answerable about them in the Final day.

And losses, sorrows, pains and calamities which might be so unwelcome might become a means of salvation simply because how close they brought us back to the True Beloved.

How I came to Wear an Abaya

I have been wearing the headscarf since 2005 when I was 15. Later, around in 2007, I learned more about the Islamic dress code for women and realized that an abaya was an essential garment. But it wasn't until 2010 that I actually started wearing one. It took me three years to prepare myself for I knew wearing an abaya is no easy task. Some of the issues that I had resolve before following my religious ambitions were...

1. I Will Have to Wear it EVERYWHERE!

Once a woman dons an abaya, she endorses it in totality. Hence, whenever she steps out of her house, the abaya accompanies her. However, there are times when a woman might be tempted to take off her abaya just because of the glamor around her, such as in weddings and parties.

Bringing myself to the resolution of wearing an abaya everywhere, including weddings and parties, was a tough decision but I think it was worth the while Alhamdulillah.

 

2. Breaking the News - Anticipating Heart Attacks

My parents and relatives have significantly contributed to my life. Hence, they have expectations from me in return. Since no girl in my family is a hijabi, breaking the news to them that I will be wearing a boring black abaya to weddings was an upheaval task. I was apprehensive that they would reject my plan outright or make negative remarks.

But fortunately, my mother supported me. Even though she doesn't wear an abaya herself, she thinks that I have made the right decision. As for my father, having lived in the Middle East for around three decades, he is culturally attuned to the outfit and the only problem he has is the 'plainness' of my abayas.

 

3. Carrying it in the Professional World

I also wondered how my abaya will affect my profession. I believed that my impression before my college professors, interviewers, colleagues at my workplace would be radically altered because of my abaya. And this was yet another challenge that I had to prepare myself for.

 

4. The Heat

During summers Karachi can get really hot and that's when men loosen their ties and undo their buttons while women resort to wearing lighter fabrics. But if one is in an abaya, there isn't much choice. You can't wear a fabric as light as 'lawn', you can't take your headscarf off or do things that let air touch your skin. Although, most of the places I go to on a routine basis have airconditioning, there are times when I do feel terribly hot and I knew this would happen before donning the abaya. And it was another hurdle that I had to brace myself for.

 

5. My Personal Commitment versus My Temptations

Being a woman, I have never been too fashion forward, but I haven't been behind the times either. Like other women, I know the therapeutic effect of dressing up. Just by wearing a certain color can entirely change one's mood. And the joy of wearing new clothes to college or wearing a certain outfit that you know is going to turn heads can be an uplifting experience. Committing yourself to an abaya means saying good-bye to fashion in public. It means that you have to shift to a completely different alternative universe when it comes to dressing.

This has the potential to create a desperate desire in a hijabi woman to wear what non-hijabis do in the public, to feel joy of people praising them for their styling sense and beauty. And many actually give in to this temptation by unraveling themselves at weddings and other events they consider 'important'. This was the part that I had to mentally prepare myself for most before donning an abaya.

For a long time, I had been gathering courage and faith to execute what I had been wanting to do for so long. But it was a video I watched that finally pushed me to practice what I preached to myself.

It was an interview of Shabina Begum. Shabina is citizen of UK who sacrificed two years of her education fighting for her right to wear an abaya at school. She thought it was more important to practice her religion than anything else. MashaAllah, her family supporter her in her cause and she fought a legal battle with her school for letting her wear an abaya. Watching this video, I thought - there is a Muslimah, in a non-Muslim country, sacrificing so much just so that she can practice Islam. While here I am, with these minor challenges not doing what I should have right when I reached puberty.

Hence, finally in March 2010, at the age of 20 I started wearing an abaya to every place I went. It has been a very fulfilling journey since then alhamdulillah.

Men of Today and Yesterday - A Summary

If one wishes to speak to one's Lord, one prays to Him and if one wishes to hear one's Lord, Quran speaks out and so vividly it does so that a heart which has even one tiny shred of Emaan softens, and wishes to do nothing else but submit to the All Merciful, All Forgiving.

I happened to re-read Surah Al Fajr and it has become my third favourite Surah after Surah Ikhlaas and Surah Al Asr. It is as succinct and wholesome as a summary can get, a summary of what Man has done on Earth and what Man shall get right at the end - each one, his due share.

Here is the translation of Surah 89: Al Fajr by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. I typed it out from my own copy of Quran, so there is no error.

By the Dawn

By the ten Nights

By the Even and Odd (contrasted)

And by the Night when it passeth away;-

Is there (not) in these an adjuration (or evidence) for those who understand?

Seest thou not how thy Lord dealth with the ‘Ad (people). –

Of the (city of) Iram, with lofty pillars

The like of which were not produced in (all) the land?

And with the Thamud (people) who cut out (huge) rocks in the valley? –

And with Pharoah, lord of Stakes?

(All) these transgressed beyond bounds in the lands.

And heaped therein mischief (on mischief).

Therefore did thy Lord pour on them a scourge of diverse chastisements:

For thy Lord is watchful.

Now, as for man, when his Lord trieth him, giving him honour and gifts, then saith he, (puffed up), “My Lord hath honoured me.”

But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence from him, then saith he (in despair), “My Lord hath humiliated me!”

Nay, nay! But ye honour not the orphans!

Nor do ye encourage one another to feed the poor! –

And thy Lord cometh, and His angels, rank upon rank,

And Hell, - that Day, is brought (face to face), on that Day will man remember, but how will that remembrance profit him?

He will say: “Ah! Would that I had sent forth (Good Deeds) for (this) my (Future) Life!”

For, that Day His Chastisement will be such as none else can inflict,

And His bonds will be such as none (other) can bind.

(To the righteous soul will be said:) “O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!

“Come back thou to thy Lord, - well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him!

“Enter thou, then, among My Devotees!

“Yea, enter thou My Heaven!”

Yes, let’s be Liberal – to the Point of Nudity on Public Roads.

I remember, at school, I was once asked to prepare a speech on ‘Enlightened Moderation’. At that point in time, the term was newly ‘imported’ from the West, as informed to me by a grand-uncle. He had asked me to stay away from it for behind the unperceivable veil of a term as innocent as ‘Moderation’ lay a whole new ideology that attempted to change the perceptions, ideas, beliefs and actions of the upcoming generations of Pakistan.

Almost a decade later, the term no more sounds strange to me. I have read, heard and seen quite a lot on the media about the seemingly never-ending debate about ‘Extremism’ versus ‘Moderation’, ‘Liberalism’ versus ‘Conservatism’ and ‘Freedom-of-Expression’ versus ‘Oppression’. These terms have been dwelt upon by minds disproportionately than far more important ideas have been such as justice, morality and economic progress has, specifically talking about Pakistan. Now, the result today can be clearly seen.

The generation I belong to has mentally defined these terms for itself (after being inspired by certain ideological campaigns by certain people within and outside the Pakistani border), the definition being that

“ ‘Moderation’, ‘Freedom-of-Expression’ and ‘Liberalism’ are ideas that collectively seek to borrow and adapt (actually the worst of the and rarely a few good) social and cultural values of the West and to strengthen a few degraded traditions from within our own culture. ”

This, I think is the ‘Net Effect’ of the term an adolescent heard years ago,  a term that grew into a whole belief in the fact that whatever a person feels like doing and however, he has all the right to do it and should be encouraged to go ahead with it even if it is as shameful as…

photo by the author

… posting a larger-than-life-sized-billboard degrading a woman! . . .

  

Today, in Pakistan that was ‘created in the name of Islam’, a fast-food franchise’s billboard ad uses not only the picture of a model who seemingly is wearing nothing to sell something as irrelevant and mundane as cheese-sticks but also captions it as ‘Kya Cheese Hai’.  It translates into English [Kya = What, Cheese = Thing, Hai = is] as ‘What a Thing!’… Speaking about the connotation of the phrase, it is so derogatory and disrespectful for a woman in Pakistani culture that the least a woman would do would be to slap a man who would pass such a remark on her, if she has the strength to.

This example very well illustrates the definition I mentioned above of ‘Liberalism’, and the terms of its like, for what was done in Pakistan by this franchise seems clearly inspired by one of the worst practices of the West –capitalising on feminine beauty. Here have a look…

I have censored the picture because I believe that I don't have to
post nude photos of my fellow sisters in order to prove my freedom of expression.

Right in the middle of the road a 40 feet high billboard ad features a naked woman again, to sell something as mundane as trainers!– and the only concerns the Western media shows about it is that it might cause road accidents!!!

At this point when the society fails to call bad as bad as it is, and the few voices that rise are lost in the continuous noise being made in the name of ‘Freedom-of-Expression’, I wonder if I make any sense at all to anyone out there.

Picture courtesy : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1300827/Naked-Kelly-Brook-posters-blasted-deadly-distraction-drivers.html

Freedom of Speech?

I randomly found this piece of prose on Facebook as different people's statuses and couldn't agree with it more. Very succinctly put. Makes me wonder what is going on in the world.

When you attack black people, they call it ...

Racism

When you attack Jewish people, they call it...

 Antisemitism

When you attack women, they call it...

 Sexism

When you attack homosexuality, they call it...

 Intolerance

When you attack your country, they call it...

Treason

When you attack a religious sect, they call it...

 Hate Speech

But when they attack the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), they call it...

 FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Rendezvous With Dr. Afia's Mother

I feel very scared when I write this down. There is a whole war going on as I struggle to decide what I should do and what I should not. I feel so sleepy yet I can’t sleep. All this conflict is just killing me so better out than in.

Well, today I got to meet probably the bravest mother in the world; Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s mother.

The meeting stirred so many emotions in me sympathy, shock, utmost sadness, helplessness yet hope, optimism and faith intermingled with fear, hesitance and scepticism that it has caused this unrest in me that isn’t letting me sleep so I think it’s the best time to put this into black and white. And now that it is all fresh, it will be my most honest version of the thoughts that got triggered after my meeting with this brave woman.

Firstly and most importantly, Mrs. Siddiqui, Dr. Afia’s mother is the most optimistic person I have ever seen in my life. She is the mother of a woman who lives in the most inhumane circumstances unimaginable to a common man.

Her mother tells us that Dr. Afia is currently kept in a 6 foot by 6 foot ‘cage’ which contains her lavatory as well and is watched by a ‘soldier’ 24/7. Her teeth are broken by now by the beatings she gets by the ‘butts’ of guns regularly and that all her skin is covered in pus-and-blood-leaking wounds. Her brother upon visiting her once and seeing her suffering condition got a heart attack and recovered from the shock after three months. Yet, this brave mother passionately and inspiringly speaks of hope, of a day when her daughter will come back to her house and knock at the gate. She says this with her head held high. We are awed at her optimism, her strong-heartedness and her determination.

Then we see the other side as well. We hear a mother talking about her youngest child Afia who was the dearest and most pampered among all her siblings ; a girl whose wealthy father got dressing material especially from Egypt that wouldn’t feel prickly on her tender skin ; a girl who grew into a academically genius student as well as a religious person who could promptly quote from the Quran and Ahadees. We hear her talk about a young Afia who did humanitarian work even in the US. And as she recalls the younger Afia this mother’s heart breaks and tears leak in front of the audience she talks to. She says that she indeed believes that her dear Afia will come back home to her but the thought of what horrible things are being done to her daughter right now … I just can’t put into words, sorry.

Putting this down here, feels horribly terrible to say the least. It makes me relive what Mrs. Siddiqi talked about. My heart bleeds right now as I uncontrollably weep imagining a woman being savagely tortured almost to death in a far off country away from her family in a cold cell.

Then perhaps the strongest thing after faith in Allah, that induces hope in me are the words of Dr. Afia’s mother.

‘Dekh layna jab woh ayaygi...’

(You will see, when she will come…)

I had written this the very night I came back from Dr. Afia’s mother’s residence on March 25, 2010. For those who don’t know, the Iqra Society at IBA had conducted a Guest Speaker Session with Miss Mariam Ridley who raised her voice about Dr. Afia. The session was attended by over 200 people at an announcement just a few hours prior to the event. Dr. Afia’s sister, Dr. Fauzia, kind as she is, invited the organizers of the event at dinner at her and her mother’s place as a token of appreciation for whatever little bit we contributed to the cause.

Tick Tock Tick T...

Adil studied Business Law all semester exceptionally hard. He topped both the mid terms, passed his quizzes and assignments with flying colours and was all set for an ‘A’. Today, the final exam day, he wakes up in his bed and his yawn turns into a piercing shriek. He finds out that he has overslept and missed his final exam! Imagine his state.

Hareem took her 4-year-old cousin to the shopping mall and left her with the salesman for a minute while she tried out a pair of drainpipe-jeans in the trial room. When she came back both the salesman and her cousin were nowhere to be found. She can now do nothing but sob.

Ali was crossing the road in a hurry to catch the IBA point. His cell phone rang, he lost his concentration for a split second and … *HIT*. His parents call that split second back everyday but in vain.

Time is time. Whether it is an hour, a minute or a split second, its value is immeasurable, unquantifiable, inexplicable and undeniable. They say time is money, I say it would be ridiculous to even attempt to compare something as infinitely valuable with something as limited as money. Can that split second Ali lost his life in be ever evaluated?

If time is not just money, what is it? Being humans and therefore bearing an erring nature we can not solve this mystery ourselves. Hence, we recall what our Creator has told us. He said,

“By the time, verily Man is in loss, except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and in the mutual enjoining of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.”- Surah Al Asr

Hence, time for us is the only chance to save ourselves from being among the ‘men in loss’. Furthermore, we have to use it the right way. Surah Al Asr tells us that we should use our time to work upon our faith in the Creator who cares for every single cell that we are made up of instead of staying up all night long playing games, to apply Islam to our lives the Kaizen* way instead of wasting our precious hours sleeping till two in the afternoon, to spread the truth ( after having acquired it ourselves off course) instead of endlessly delving ourselves deep in frivolity that gives us neither worldly nor spiritual gain and along with these efforts to practice patience in the face of hardships instead of resorting to vailing, complaining and therefore ending up neutralising the thawaab earned earlier.

If a certain act does not fit in one of the four categories – faith, good deeds, truth and patience –then we are clearly killing time and therefore putting our whole eternity at stake. Remember, we are immortals!

Islam and Marketing

Since I have a presentation tomorrow for which I haven't even chosen an article, research work to be done for API, more than 20 marketing articles to be discovered and analysed and tens of chapters to be read before the end of this month, it is natural that I do anything but what I am supposed to do.

So here goes an article which I had written in BBA II for the Iqra Society. Hope you like it!

''In this rapidly industrializing world, where science never ceases to create new wonders, where the fashion and film industries flourish and where markets introduce hundreds of new commodities, services and even brands to consumers each year, hence prosper, it is a pity that the general ethical, moral and religious standards move quite in the opposite direction. Of course, it would be unjust to blame only one factor for this deterioration of humanity because one evil gives birth to the other and hence, creates a whole web or rather cycle of anti-social elements. These factors definitely vary in their intensities and so do their magnitudes. And these elements are so deeply entwined that it becomes a complex task to distinguish the merits and demerits of one from the other’s. Furthermore, the chore becomes even more challenging when an attempt is made towards improving these moral conditions by classifying phenomena into ‘wrong’ or ‘right’. In such an event when logic fails to define these relative issues and where consensus is desired, Islam, in my opinion serves as the rope that ties humanity together.

As Muslims, we must seek and are in fact accountable to improve the conditions of whatever areas of life we dwell in. Today, we are business students and tomorrow will bring us a lot of opportunities to prove ourselves one way or the other. Apparently, we usually do study about application of ethics in the corporate world but the theories get lost somewhere in the struggle to stand out amongst one’s peers and to impress one’s superiors. In such events it is only the fear of Allah and the Hereafter that guides one to the right way. For many ‘marketing’ may be the key-word. Yes, I see marketing as a pillar today which supports businesses unconditionally and goes to any length to promote the product at hand no matter what. Hence, it is the duty of the individuals behind shaping the marketing industry. Islam can and should be used as the sole guide for it is in my opinion ‘extremely moderate’ (perplexed???)

There are many modes of marketing, several of which, fortunately, have still not found their way into our country. However, the ones those exist are misleading enough and need to done something about. Below, I have tried to put how many aspects of advertisements and other marketing techniques go against Islam, hence, are socially, morally and ethically wrong, even if we fail to recognize them as so.

INCOMPLETE FACTS 

And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is). 

(Verse 42, Chapter 2(Surah Al-Baqara)) 

Normally salespersons blow the positive points of the product at hand out  of proportion. Apart from the exaggeration, advertisers deliberately leave out the undesirable features. The verse above asks to strike balance among all the facets of the subject telling all the facts in the right proportion. Hence, it would also inform consumers about the adverse effects of the product and save many users from health problems and other hassles.

HYPOCRISY 

Advertising agencies are created to advertise and only advertise. Had they had any ethical values, curses such as cigarettes, drinks, etc would never be portrayed in such a positive manner which lures our youth into trying them and into even further evils. However, the brainchild behind a successful ad himself knows the harms and avoids it. The models too, who apparently make huge claims about products do not themselves believe in it. Hence, their claims are nothing but out right lies.

Most loathsome is it in the sight of God that you say what you do not do! 

(verse 3, Surah 61( Surah Saff))

Allah hates hypocrisy. Naturally, if we stick to the right path, we won’t even have the need of using these sinful tricks.

HARAM PRODUCTS/ SERVICES

We saw earlier that the advertising industry is blind and does not care about its methods. Furthermore it does not even care about the nature of product it sells. In fact, even in a Muslim country like Pakistan, we do see advertisements of contemporary banks, on our television sets, in spite of the fact that Riba (usury) has been declared a major sin.

“That they took riba (usury), through they were forbidden and that they devoured men’s substance wrongfully – We have prepared for those among men who reject faith a grievous punishment.” 

(Verse 161, Chapter 4(Surah Ni’sa))

In fact, foreign channels, which we frequently watch, also advertise drinks, haraam edibles and other forbidden things.Repeated exposure to such advertisements can if not make us use these products, at least lessen our resistance towards them, ultimately carrying us away from Islam which asks to condemn the wrong according to our capacities.

VIOLATION OF HIJAB

One of the worst features of marketing today is violation of the limits prescribed by the Quran and Sunnah regarding Hijab. Today, we hardly find a billboard, a tv ad or poster without an attractive woman. The westerners, in the name of art, culture and ‘liberalism’ make their mothers and daughters’ beauties public to be view and ‘enjoyed’. And hijab is not just limited to the extent we cover our bodies up to. According to the our Prophet (PBUH) it has six basic conditions :

1. The extent should be covered (from naval to the knee, for man and the whole body except the face, hands and feet, for women)

2. The attire should not resemble that of some opposite religion.

3. The attire should not resemble that of the opposite gender.

4. The clothes should not be close-fitting and reveal the figure.

5. The cloth should not be translucent.

6. A Muslim’s robes should not reflect worldly honour.

However, almost all of these conditions are violated in advertisements and go unnoticed because we have incorporated them in our lives and become habitual. In fact, the advertising/ modeling industry has recently affected our minds so much that many men today have started adopting feminine characteristics in their attires in the name of ‘metro sexuality’.

Furthermore, it must be noted that hijab is not just restricted to clothes. A Muslim is required to display decency is his body language, while interacting with the opposite gender and even in solitude. However, today we see transverse waves coming from the ad industry.

EXTRAVAGANCE

Marketing obviously has modes other than television ads as well. Today corporations look out for prominent social events like seminars, conferences and even graduation ceremonies or corporate dinners and if approached in a convincing way grant huge sums of money as sponsors. The aid is primarily given so that the sponsors may get a chance to advertise themselves and share the credit for the success of the event. It must be noted that these events though do have a sensible vision but are so much draped by unnecessary worldly pomp and show that it becomes unpleasant in the sight of Allah.  The speakers or chief guests if coming from off station areas are kept at 5-star hotel rooms with costs more than what is required. The interior of the venue is so decorated that violates all the rules of simplicity and humility taught to us by Islam. Definitely, the marketing sector is not to be completely blamed here. As, previously mentioned, this corruption is more like a cycle than any thing else.

MUSIC

The prophet said, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection."

No. 5226 (The Book of Drinks), Sahih AlBukhari

Most may think that an advertisement without music will be lifeless but it is not so. Today, we can easily capture natural sounds and with sound editing softwares, (without manipulating the original piece) enhance its pleasant features. For instance, Peace TV, a 24-hour Islamic channel, owned by the IRF (Islamic Research Foundation) uses sounds of waves, birds, water, etc to make their presentations attractive. It also extracts portions from Nasheeds.

 SYSTEMATIC CORRUPTION 

We usually see that negative elements have more permittivity than positive ones. Hence, one wrong act supports the other which may be even worse. Social sectors, specially the ones that deal directly with masses of people, just as the marketing industry have very spontaneous and long lasting effects on people.

However, as Muslims it is all up to us how we set our priorities.

“O my people! This life of the present is nothing but (temporary) enjoyment: it is the Hereafter that is the Home that will last.” 

(verse 39, Chapter 40, Surah Mu’minun)

 May Allah bless with guidance all those who seek it. Ameen.''