When a car manufacturer tells you:

When a car manufacturer tells you:

*"This car runs on gasoline, and you must put oil in the engine, water in the radiator, and so on..."*

And then you come along and put diesel, air, and dirt into it—will it work?!

Of course it won't work, and people will call you crazy.

Our Creator—Exalted is He—defined a specific geography for us to inhabit. Where the land is rocky, our houses should be built of stone; where it is clay, our houses should be built of clay.

He grew wheat for us here, so our food should be wheat.

Rice over there, so their food should be rice.

And dates in another place, so their food should be dates.

The point is: what suits me here does not suit someone else in India, and so forth.

Yet we come and oppose what Allah created for us, imitating this one in his food, that one in his attire, and those over there in their housing.

Then disasters strike, becoming a calamity upon us.

What do we have to do with multi-story buildings when Allah made the earth spacious for us?!

What do we have to do with rice—which has corroded our bones, destroyed our joints, exhausted our pancreas, and left us with diabetes, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis?!

Yes, I am not a doctor, but most of these diseases are modern creations and not native to our environment.

So let us return to building our homes from clay; they are cool in summer and warm in winter.

And let us eat bulgur—for it is the sturdy strength of our knees.

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### Commentary & Reflection

This text relies on a striking instructional concept, reminding us that violating the laws of the universe and natural human inclination (*Fitrah*) can bring hardship and harm upon man, using a vivid, relatable analogy. This carries a lovely moral value, as calling for moderation and warning against blind imitation is a commendable principle in its essence.

However, the idea requires a degree of balance and scrutiny for its argument to be fully sound:

* **Adaptation vs. Isolation:** The diversity of environments does not necessarily mean that everything coming from the outside is harmful.
* **Progress vs. Nature:** The evolution of housing styles or dietary habits is not entirely a departure from natural inclination; much of it is the product of science, experience, and accumulated knowledge.
* **Modern Health:** Modern diseases are rarely attributable to a single type of food or habit alone; rather, they stem from a whole system of factors—lack of movement, overconsumption, stress, and the modern lifestyle.

**The most balanced approach:**

We should preserve what suits our environment, health, and identity, while maintaining a conscious openness to what benefits us from the experiences of others—without extreme rejection or blind assimilation. Wisdom lies neither in isolation nor in mindless imitation, but in good choice.

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