Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 115
115 in mental slavery. For the desire to seek resemblance with others in this manner springs from a sense of inferiority complex. A person feels that the culture and civilisation and circumstances and outlook of a certain people are far superior and higher than the culture, civilisation and circumstances and outlook of his own community, and starts looking down upon himself in comparison with them, then, falling into mental slavery, he begins to imitate them blindly. No doubt, therefore, that such a person would be listed as a member of the community he seeks to imitate. The Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has, therefore, by means of this Hadith, warned the Muslims against imitating the ways and culture of other communities and commanded them to adopt the Islamic culture instead, believing it to be the best and highest of all other cultures and civilisations; otherwise, they will land themselves in the worst sort of mental slavery and thus lose their distinct identity and their excellent individuality. And there is little doubt about it that mental slavery is far worse than secular slavery. A man who is a slave temporarily is no doubt a subject of the other fellow, but in spite of it, his heart and his mind are free. But one who is mentally a captive, in spite of being a free man temporarily, loses the freedom of his soul and mind and his deeds are in no way better than those of the monkey who knows only aping and dancing to the tune of others. But it is a pity that notwithstanding these wise instructions of their chief (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him), Muslims of today have taken to the worst form of slavery of Western countries. When the British came to India, a substantial section of Muslims surrendered abjectly before their culture and betook themselves to decking themselves up with its plumage. Their beards disappeared. Their dress beat a hasty retreat before the onslaught of ties and collars, goblets of wine overflowed in their feasts, and their womenfolk discarded their veils to display their alluring garments publicly. Does not all this add up to