By Ojetola Ridwan Olawale
The pain in me is being relieved as my pen writes today with a view to correcting one of the most rampant social faults into which people of different religious beliefs are engaging without thinking of the day of accountability as well as the physical damages that always accompany this social fault.
The thought of how modesty was valued in the olden days comparing to what we have today always medicines the wound in my heart and at the same time adds salt to it because our so called society has been under the captivity of Shaytan (the accursed ) and instead of us fighting for Independence, we continue promoting the deeds of Shaytan among which bleaching is included.
Of the many outlets among which Shaytan has entered the life of this generation, bleaching is one and it is one of the deeds propagating Zina in our society today. Gone are those days when only women bleached! But it is very painful today that both men and women bleach their bodies all because they want to look more beautiful and attractive to the opposite sex and no wonder our country is full of hunger, fears , suffer , pain and bitterness since we have forgotten the promise of Allah on any nation or society which contributes to the growth of the tree of this forbidden fruit (Zina). Allah quoted Shaytan as saying in Qur’an 4:119 ” verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will arouse in them false desires and certainly, I will order them to change the nature created by Allah and whoever takes Shaytan as a protector instead of Allah has surely suffered a manifest loss”
When are we going to realise the fact that we are being deceived and misguided by Shaytan? When are we going to realised that this path we are following is a path to our loss and perish? When are we gonna turn away from our sins and beg God for forgiveness maybe our loss in this country will be returned? These are questions that always trouble my mind. In fact, Shaytan has been so technically advanced in Nigeria and many other countries that many powerful chemicals are being produced in the name of cosmetics and our people are running Helter skelter, vying for all means to get these bleaching materials and our government too doesn’t desist from importing them as well as other products that can propagate Zina in our society among which pornography is included and our young teenagers too are now being exposed to bleaching as well as watching pornography.
People have even abandoned the good deeds which Allah has promised to fetch them rewards in life and hereafter because their money is being spent on cosmetics. In fact, the major agenda, the craze for beautification, which the modern woman has set for herself calls for a serious concern. A large percentage of modern woman’s income and that of her husband is spent on cosmetics both for the body and hair. The situation has been so worsened that some people have lost their family responsibilities all because of body beautification.
The most very pathetic is that Muslims who understand the implications associating with this sinful act are not excluded in practising it. I was so disappointed when I saw a nursing woman in Hijab being accused of using bleaching creams for her kid and all she could say was that she was using it to maintain the color of her child, so so so disappointed.
The people engaging in this act should know that they are friends of Shaytan and enemies of their creator, Allah. They are friends of Shaytan because they are bleaching to attract the opposite sex thus propagating Zina and there is no way they will not be tempted to look at each other at the first glance. At the second glance, Shaytan whispers into their hearts, making their bodies alluring to each other and they have no choice than to follow Zina of the eyes with that of the private parts.
They are enemies of God because they are telling God that he is not a perfect creator. When Allah has said in Qur’an 23: 14 that “Blessesd be Allah, the Best of Creators”
Apart from the fact that they will taste a great suffer in the hereafter, they should also be aware of the injurious effects associating to bleaching in life most of which include screen cancer and rough skin. It is also pathetic that some are even going for plastic surgery cos they wanna prove to God that He is not a perfect creator. This is Nothing but vanity because our body becomes useless once the life is taken from it by Allah.
Let us have the fear of Allah and repent from our sins. Say no to bleaching and u are a step out of the captivity of Zina in which u are.
Thanks for reading,
Jazakumullahu Khairan
Ojetola Ridwan Olawale is a student of Obafemi Awolowo University studying Linguistics and African Languages
