You’ll hear all these tech bloggers, time and again, from as far back as anyone remembers, refer to the most basic, entry-level iPhone as one that is or was ideal to give to your grandpa or grandma, or to your mom or dad, and the general idea behind all this is that, well, they never need all those fancy features, and if they even do, well, they can use technology from a couple years ago, because it does work. Ah, yes, and the logic gets even greater, because early on, you were passing down your phone over to them, and still can, but yes, aging parents, or aunts and definitely grandparents, are worth that iPhone you don’t want anymore, or that new basic iPhone, that no one wants.
You see, from the Muslim point of view, this is, in the Western parlance, utter bullshit. And this mentality has also crept into the minds of some of our affluent fellow men and women who regularly subscribe to these wide-reaching, video after video blaring, Western-minded kids.
The idea of taking care of your elders is opposite in Islam. Not only that, the idea of suggesting or wishing something for someone is also opposite in Islam. If you’re ever going to want to or wish something for your fellow Muslim, it’s gotta be what you like or prefer for yourself or what you feel is right, based on the factors that you consider when choosing something for you. And for our elders, you’re going to buy them the best your money can afford, because it’s not about those features they won’t use, or the latest tech you probably don’t even use, it’s about earning a reward for your after-life. So money, or that urge to upgrade, is just selfish, materialistic, Western, hollow, unholy, and pure hocus-pocus.
You’ll find this post a little fiery, it is, and when I write in English, things are way too serious and straightforward, than when I write in Urdu, which is mellow and funny. Still, even in Urdu, this post would have come out stinging.
Success, specially of likes and follows, isn’t success, it’s just the reward Allah subhanawataala bestows on someone who, again, in the parlance of the West, works their ass off. Or like they’d say when we were kids, burns the midnight oil, but today’s kids, would never understand this, unless of course they’ve studied English as a language. You’d be surprised, most of these YouTubers, are often barely educated. A pretty face (or body), a pretty voice (or accent), and that energy. Boy, have to commend them for that. You could take one of theirs’ energy and spread across a hundred of us, and we’d do wonders. It’s that much effort for something that fades away so fast.
If it’s about budgets, buy the Nothing Phone, or a similar phone, but Ah! If iPhone is your thing, buy them an iPhone, just save up as it’s said so nimbly, didn’t you, for your own? Here’s the thing, our Prophet ﷺ and the Quran, give great weight to what we spend on our parents, or how we care for them, so when buying something for them, or choosing something, remember, you’re going to be in their place one day or another, and sooner than you think. Then, if you’ll be happy with a passed-down phone, or one that just gets the basics done, because your son or daughter thought so, well, good for you, I’ll simply flick it out the window. I don’t need anyone to pass me down stuff, I own and use my own. If I can’t, alhumdoliah – I’ll hopefully won’t complain.
The West is doing this, they’ve unlearnt most of what their culture had ever taught them. They’ve picked up things from other cultures and tried to own them. Then they’ve tried to educate all of us, specially the Muslim world, to do away with our culture and adopt this new broken stuff they keep wagging their tails about. And we’ve responded by unlearning what we knew, and learning what these goons are blasting us with, uncouth, improper, indecent behavior. It should be the other way around. Ever seen someone who owns a Mercedes, any Mercedes drooling over someone’s Toyota, any Toyota? If they are, you should probably stay away from them.
This world is only that. The world to come is where our choices will either make it or break it for us. If you love something, recommend the same to your friends and family. If you hate something, hate it enough for them too. If you want to be just, buy the same for your family or give them what you own (downgrade, eh?), but only out of love, not because you’re doing them some godforsaken favor. But then, it takes a lot to change our ways.
The iPhone SE has always, in their parlance, sucked. The iPhone 16E sucks. If you think it’s good for someone in the family, or for a friend, give your phone to them and buy one. Let’s see how long it will stick with you.