Salaam alaykom readers,
This blog I want to write and hopes to combat the mimicking of bad culture. I have recently seen how much the bad culture has impacted our Muslims. I know the these are not the only place that have this bad culture. But for the this blog I will be pointing this type of bad culture out that I have seen impact our Muslims at a large.
So many may question or maybe they may even attack me on this topic because many will have this idea that it's not that bad. In fact maybe some will say they only let their children play with toys that are from these bad culture ideas. But I am hoping to stir up a thought, a reflection or hopefully understanding of its consequences for a temperal pleasure in sha Allah.
When you allow these types of movies or playing with these types of toys one intentionally or unintentionally allows this types of ideas to be feed to their children. Learning something is like bread or water when we consume the knowledge of anything it has an affect on our souls. Just like if I handed my child a piece of haram meat there would be a spiritual and bodily effect of that child. Or if I gave them a halal piece of meat that child would have a better spiritual and bodily state. I want to focus on the spiritual side of this however I have this idea that what effects the soul may effect the body (we just aren't seeing it).
I want to bring to your attention a greater reflection to help us really understand what I am saying. Let's reflect on a well known character that all of you have heard of, maybe even you yourself have watched him or played with a toy that was this character. Batman.
I want to present to you what you may never have known but be certain in this day and age your child already knows about him but not really. They have seen and heard and even may have watched Batman.
Who is Batman? Have you looked into who he is or what he stands for? I mean you may be buying these very toys for your child. This isn't just restricted to Batman but I am using this as an example. Here is a quick over look to who he is... the character that plays Batman is Bruce Wayne he returned to Gotham City after many years of study and training with his body and mind developed to perfection. What is the Islamic view of perfection? Well to answer this I want to share with you a piece from the book 'The Perfect Man' by Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari "Therefore, we should know what is meant by a perfect man? How he appears spiritually and intellectually, with his peculiarities, in order that we may improve ourselves, and our society based on that model? If we do not know the Islamic definition of a perfect human being, we cannot become a perfect Muslim, or even a relatively perfect human being.
From the viewpoint of Islam, there are two ways of knowing a perfect person: One way is to refer, firstly, to the Holy Qur’an, and secondly, to the traditions (Hadith), for definitions of a perfect man meant to be a best practising Muslim. A perfect Muslim is a person who has attained perfection in Islam; a perfect believer is one who has attained perfection in his faith. Now, we must see how the Holy Qur’an and tradition have portrayed such a person, and with which peculiar attributes. To be considerate, we have many things to quote from both of these sources.
The second way is to regard a real individual who is built up on the model of the Holy Qur’an and Islam, and not an imaginary phantasmal being; but a real and objective personality who exists in various stages of perfection: at its highest level, or, even at slightly lower stages.
The holy Prophet (S) himself is an example of a perfect man in Islam. Imam ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib is another example."
So with that we see by far Batman was not in this definition of perfect as it says he is.
Next about Batman is that the first person inspired by him was Catwoman, a dangerous seductress using her style and methods towards her own ends. Well I don't think I have to say to much on this part as to what it is trying to tell your kids or in fact us adults... I will define seductress in case some don't know. Seductress is a woman who seduces someone, especially one who entices a man into sexual activity.
And again, we see the character Riddler in batman and was another deranged genius who felt a psychological compulsion to demonstrate his intellectual superiority, and constructed elaborate crimes while delivering clues daring law enforcement to catch him.
They call this character and imply that not only is he deranged (mad; insane) but he's a genius (exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability.) I have to say he's far from intellectual as intellectual would overide his criminal attitude however for sake of argument let's say he's intellectual but not using it correctly. What is this teaching our kids that their is a way to try to sneak around and to misuse our intellect...? have you ever seen kids pretending to be him... Though our main focus is on Batman, their is a whole different ball game of what is being feed to your kids and to you.
There is another criminal in the movie named Carmine "The Roman" Falcone at one point, Batman even invaded the Roman's personal bedroom, assaulted him, stripped him to his underwear, leaveing him hogtied to his bed before dumping his car into the river. Humiliated.
Well again I think that says it all... in Islam we believe that all humans are born in a state of hounor and no one should try to dishonour someone and there are many rules of how to treat a criminal in our beliefs and one is certainly not stripping him and humiliating them like that!!
With multiple romance to women throughout the series and woman who are far from modest, and the idea that fighting is the only option to confront crimes the ideas are feed over and over as the movies, episodes and play become a great interest and captures one by believing this this is Ok.
My last point to this topic is enjoining good and forbidding evil. We know that their are times when one can't enjoining good and forbid evil but even if we can not do anything about these types of things on the outside we must refuse to accept it in our lives, in our children's lives and we should dislike it, we shouldn't give in and allow it to be feed to us or our kids. It isn't a harmless thing. Many kids that have become attracted to these types of characters have gone off doing sinful things.
We must stand for what is right even if we stand alone!
