# Is Western culture uniquely shallow?

*Is the glitter of entertainment uniquely Western? Consciousness and meaning*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wce73zqci_i/s/21/
- Date: 2020-07-10 · Kind: discussion · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Shaykh Omar Baloch | Cynicism, Consumerism & the Catch 22 of Riba | Mindtrap with Mufti #30 (1:16:33–1:21:06)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCe73zqCi_I&t=4593s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wce73zqci_i/

**Topics:** Islam and modernity; Soul, nafs and consciousness

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says the pull of glitter and the thirst for knowledge are human, not Western, and that people now seek meaning more than ever.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says that, in all honesty, he feels the split Iqbal described is not exclusively Western: human beings have always been drawn to entertainment, dance, music and intoxication, and the unquenchable thirst to know, which Socrates tied to wonder, is human nature, though Western societies may personify it more in a given era. Mufti adds that in the last two decades more people in the West want to understand consciousness, see consumerism on steroids as unhealthy and care about health and the environment. The guest agrees that people are asking existential questions, and Mufti says people want meaning and purpose more than ever. The guest says the lockdown has left people with little to do but think, that many non-Muslims are learning about Islam, but that, as Max Weber said, the dice has been cast, and with AI and corporations society is likely to break down further.

## Sources and names cited

- Shaykh Omar Baloch
- Muhammad Iqbal
- Socrates
- Max Weber
- the COVID-19 pandemic

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:16:33–1:21:06)

[1:15:53] Iqbal and the whole thing you see okay him saying look we're gonna is gonna is gonna come back it's gonna come full circle to what the prophets taught okay obviously as a Muslim you know I'm not gonna that's that's absolutely brilliant I mean my understanding of what the prophets taught was simply to reconnect creation with the creator it was not you know something incredibly complex it was a and in that simplicity lies a you know an amazing structure but ok coming to this point he was saying before that that you quote looked that the Western cultures have these two aspects this kind of in this core of knowledge and

[1:16:32] this core of this glittery kind of shell but in all honesty I look I feel that that's not exclusively in any way Western human beings have always been drawn to entertainment it's not like the West invented dance or they invented sex or they invented let's say drugs even in that case I mean they may have invented some modern drugs that that may have been invented today in in in the West but the concept of intoxication is a you know it's an it's an ancient concept so and and just dancing or having drums beating drums or playing music or just

[1:17:11] chilling out level hadith this kind of thing is a human pastime you know it's been since since time immemorial so and on the same token this unquenchable thirst to know you know as Socrates had kind of put it that we wisdom begins with wonder that we will forever have this burning this kind of passion within us to know and I I feel that is just describing the human nature it's not describing West society's per se maybe Western societies in a particular era they personify that

[1:17:49] more than other societies in some errors but it's just human beings we as human beings are drawn to glitter we're drawn to what attracts us but at the same time we have these inner qualities that want to know that want a deeper the more linked with consciousness and don't you feel in this day and age right now like in the last couple of decades or not even color especially in the last two decades maybe there has been a rise of people wanting to know more about things like consciousness wanting to know more about like you know they are transcending as

[1:18:28] well this and this is people of the West this isn't Muslim I'm not speaking about Muslims people who recognize that consumerism you know you spoke of consumerism that consumerism on Stead's on steroids is unhealthy I think a lot of Westerners or people recognize that that they think that this is you know this kind of just shop til you drop kind of concept is a very unhealthy kind of lifestyle and you know we need to eat more healthier we need to kind of do things more healthy we need to care about the environment wean and what is consciousness there may be other you know we need to connect with this don't you think this

[1:19:07] culture has kind of risen since like let's say you know there's more of an awareness of it today than they was like in the early 90s let's say would you not agree yeah I do but the problem remains for me the same is that these people who have this consciousness right and and they're asking these you can say exists an shal questions yeah and I think people are more open to this an existential kind of angst I would feel that people want meaning in life and purpose in life and they want that you know that my life meant something and it

[1:19:47] has some meaningful result and I think that is probably more true than ever than I've seen I think people are more open to so I'm in this in situation we're in okay okay that's interesting they have nothing else to do except to think about exist Angela questions right so it's like you know we've all been put into prison and a lot of non-muslims are using this time to learn about it's not a lot a lot a lot a lot of people you know and and that's definitely one of the positive results so yeah you're absolutely right there are more non-muslims concerned with

[1:20:26] issues of health there are nor more non-muslims that are more aware they have more general awareness right but they're not in a position to change the church it's like you know Weber Max Weber sociologist he said the dice has been cast what ice the dice has been cast what you feel or what you are wanting individually it the dice has been cast and so the the trajectory we're in with AI and corporations and the way the society is probably gonna break down further people will be in

[1:21:05] more you have the richest country in the world in America where 99 percent of its people are in debt an average debt of $8,000 okay you have you have America trying to make it force the world to buy oil in dollars and China and Russia are saying no we're not going to do that so we're really reaching a you know a dead end where something has to give in my know and and by the way I you know with these things it's I agree with these matters that consumerism is kind of you know there is this kind of this craze this kind of

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment wCe73zqCi_I/s/21. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wce73zqci_i/s/21/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.