‫اﻟﺣﻣد � اﻟﺣﻣد � ﻧﺣﻣده وﻧﺳﺗﻌﯾﻧﮫ وﻧﺳﺗﻐﻔره وﻧؤﻣن ﺑﮫ وﻧﺗوﻛل ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﻧﻌوذ ﺑﺎ� ﻣن‬

‫ ﻣن ﯾﮭده ﷲ ﻓﻼ ﻣﺿل ﻟﮫ وﻣن ﯾﺿﻠﻠﮫ ﻓﻼ ھﺎدي‬،‫ﺷرور أﻧﻔﺳﻧﺎ وﻣن ﺳﯾﺋﺎت أﻋﻣﺎﻟﻧﺎ‬

‫ وﻧﺷﮭد أن ﺳﯾدﻧﺎ وﻣوﻻﻧﺎ ﻣﺣﻣدا ﻋﺑده‬،‫ وﻧﺷﮭد أن ﻻ إﻟﮫ اﻻ ﷲ وﺣده ﻻ ﺷرﯾك ﻟﮫ‬،‫ﻟﮫ‬
‫ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﻋﻠﻰ آﻟﮫ وأﺻﺣﺎﺑﮫ وﺑﺎرك وﺳﻠم ﺗﺳﻠﯾﻣﺎ ﻛﺛﯾرا ﻛﺛﯾرا‬،‫ورﺳوﻟﮫ‬
!‫أﻣﺎ ﺑﻌد‬

FOREWORD

Ma'sha Allah and Mubaarak! A Kitaab prepared very well and

covering all the necessary and important aspects of morality and
chastity! A Kitaab that is of utmost importance and necessity for all
people especially Muslims and at all times especially presently! The
very core fibre and foundation of any society, community, nay that of
mankind is morality and chastity and these are interwoven with
Imaan and Islam. They go hand in hand. The very foundation of a
stable and strong society are these very qualities and their absence
results in man being degraded and becoming like animals and even
worse. This kitaab should not only be read but studied with the
sincere intention of practising on it. If we just make the sincere
intention, Allaah (Jalla Jalaalahoo), in His infinite Mercy and Kindness,
will make it not only easy but a pleasure to live a life of proper
morality and chastity. The enjoyment and sweetness of which will
actually be tasted and experienced. May Allaah (Jalla Jalaalahoo)
reward Moulana Moosa tremendously and perpetually for this great
service to Deen and the Muslims and mankind at large. Aameen
Thumma Aameen!

May Allah (Jalla Jalaalahoo) grant us all the best of Deen, Dunya and
Aakhirat. Aameen.

(Moulana) abdulHamid Ishaq (Daamat Barakatuhum)

(Principal of Darul Uloom Azaadville)

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 MORALITY AND CHASTITY

Allaah  has created passions and desires in every human being.

If these passions and desires are subjected to Islamic rules and
regulations, then they will create values of love, virtue, truth, and
integrity. On the other hand, those who become slaves to their
passions are doomed to a life of deprivation and restlessness, for the
carnal desires, once unrestrained and uncontrolled, become
insatiable. The desires continue increasing, and a person’s object of
life is to then maximize his sensual pleasures. A person cannot
progress spiritually and even materially.

Allaah  has created men and women such that they have been
endowed with a powerful urge for sexual love, as well as the capacity
to sexually attract each other. Their features, complexion, speech,
and mannerisms have a strange spell on the opposite sex. However,
since human beings are not like animals, which possess no higher
purpose in the world than fulfilment of desires, Allaah  has
created modesty within human beings.

Modesty and well as purity of mind, body and soul are of fundamental
importance to the lofty moral culture of Islam. When shame is lost,
immorality with its disastrous consequences becomes the order of
the day. Doors of the worst kinds of vices which destroys the moral,
spiritual, and physical fibre of the human being are opened. Man then
becomes worse than an animal.

Shaytaan is man’s greatest enemy. He desires to destroy man’s life of

this world and the hereafter. In the Qur’aan, Allaah  mentions
the statement of Shaytaan when he was expelled from Jannah:
‫ﻣِنم ﺑَﯾ ِْن أ َ ْﯾ ِد ْﯾ ِﮭ ْم َوﻣِ ْن َﺧ ْﻠ ِﻔ ِﮭ ْم‬
ْ ‫ ﺛ ُ ﱠم ﻻﺗِﯾَﻧﱠ ُﮭ ْم‬.‫ﺳﺗ َ ِﻘ ْﯾ َم‬ َ ‫ﻗَﺎ َل ﻓَ ِﺑ َﻣﺂ أ َ ْﻏ َو ْﯾﺗَﻧِ ْﻲ ﻷ َ ْﻗﻌُدَنﱠ َﻟ ُﮭ ْم ِﺻ َرا‬
ْ ‫طكَ ا ْﻟ ُﻣ‬
َ‫ﺷ َﻣﺂﺋِ ِﻠ ِﮭ ْم ط َوﻻَ ﺗ َ ِﺟ ُد أ َ ْﻛﺛ َ َرھُ ْم ﺷﻛ ِِر ْﯾن‬ َ ‫َوﻋ َْن أ َ ْﯾ َﻣﺎﻧِ ِﮭ ْم َوﻋ َْن‬

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 [Iblees] said, “Just as You have led me astray, I too shall certainly lie
in wait for them on Your straight path.” “I shall then fall upon them
in front of them and behind them, and from their right and from
their left. And You will not find the majority of them to be grateful.”
(A’raaf verse 16-17)

Ibn Abbaas  said,

،‫ﺷ ِ ّﻛ ُﻛ ُﮭ ْم ﻓِﯾﮭَﺎ‬ ْ ‫ ﻣِ ْن َﺑﯾ ِْن أ َ ْﯾدِﯾ ِﮭ ْم أ َ ْي‬:‫ﺎس‬
َ ُ ‫ﻣِن ِﻗ َﺑ ِل ْاﻵﺧِ َر ِة ﻓَﺄ‬ ٍ ‫ﻋ ﱠﺑ‬َ ‫ط ْﻠﺣَﺔَ ﻋ َِن اﺑ ِْن‬
َ ‫ﻲ ْﺑ ُن أ َ ِﺑﻲ‬ َ ‫ﻗَﺎ َل‬
‫ﻋ ِﻠ ﱡ‬
ْ َ
،‫ َوﻋَن ﺷَﻣﺎﺋِ ِﻠ ِﮭ ْم‬.‫ﻋﻠ ْﯾ ِﮭ ْم أ ْﻣ َر دِﯾﻧِ ِﮭ ْم‬ َ ُ
َ ‫ﺷﺑِﮫ‬ ُ َ ْ ُ ْ ّ ُ ْ َ
ْ ‫ أ‬،‫ َوﻋَن أﯾْﻣﺎﻧِ ِﮭ ْم‬،‫ أ َر ِﻏﺑُ ُﮭ ْم ﻓِﻲ ُدﻧﯾَﺎھ ْم‬،‫َوﻣِ ْن ﺧﻠ ِﻔ ِﮭ ْم‬
.‫ﺎﺻﻲ‬ ِ َ‫ﺷ ِ ّﮭﻲ ﻟَ ُﮭ ُم ا ْﻟ َﻣﻌ‬َ ُ‫أ‬

“‘from in front of them’ means that I will create doubt regarding the
Hereafter in them. ‘Behind them’ means that I will encourage them
in matters of this world. ‘From their right’ means that I will confuse
them in the matters of their deen. ‘From their left’ means that I will
beautify sinful acts in their eyes.’”

Once sin is beautified in a person’s eyes, he loses his shame and

modesty. Immorality becomes the order of the day. The system of the
heavens and earth is affected. Major calamities occur in the world.

Abdullaah ibn Umar  narrates that once ten of them were in the
company of Rasulullaah  when he said, “I seek protection of
Allaah from five things which may overtake you. When immorality
becomes rampant in a people, they will be overtaken by epidemics
and such diseases which never existed before. When a people are
involved in giving short-weight and measure, they will be overtaken
by famine, hardship, and oppression of the authorities. When a
people stop paying zakaat, rain is withheld from them. If it were not
for the animals in their midst, never would there have fallen rain for
them. When people violate pledges and promises, Allaah will
overwhelm them with their enemies from other nations. Thus, the

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enemy will take by force their wealth.” (Ibn Majah no. 4019, Shuabul-
Imaan no. 3042)

Abdullah ibn Abbaas  said, “Whenever stealing from the spoils

of war appear in a people, terror is cast into their hearts. When
fornication spreads in people, there is much death among them.
Whenever people lessen their measures and weight, provisions are
cut off from them. When people judge without right, killing spreads
among them. When people betray the pledge, then Allaah gives their
enemies power over them.” (Muatta Imaam Maalik no. 1670)

In the frenzy of a person’s youth, a person does many actions which

are sinful and a cause for sorrow later on in life.

Rasulullaah  said, “Youth is a type of madness.” (Al-

Maqasidul Hasanah no. 586 and 241, Kashful Khafaa no. 1530, Faydul
Qadeer no. 4928)

Youth has been termed as a part of insanity due to the fact that a
person – sometimes - does acts in his youth which he himself would
not believe in his later years. A youngster is generally full of energy,
and when expressing this, he sometimes commits insane deeds.
(Faydul Qadeer)

It is for this reason that on the Day of Judgement, one of the five
questions asked will be about one’s youth.

Ibn Masood  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “The feet

of the son of Adam shall not move from before his Sustainer on the
Day of Judgement, until he is asked about five things: about his life
and what he did with it, about his youth and what he wore it out in,
about his wealth and how he earned it and spent it upon, and what

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he did with what he knew.” (Tirmidhi no. 2417, Musnad Bazzaar no. 1435,
Al-Mu’jamus-Sagheer no. 760)

Keeping in mind these points, the following booklet has been

prepared to explain to the youth the importance of guarding their
chastity and the harms of fulfilling their desires.

This following relevant topics have been mentioned in this book:

1.) Chastity and purity – Importance and benefits

2.) Shame and modesty
3.) Harms of following desires
4.) Fornication and adultery
5.) Homosexuality and lesbianism
6.) Pornography
7.) Masturbation
8.) Tawbah (Repentance)

Many books were used in the preparation of this booklet. Amongst

these are:

1.) Books of Tafseer and Ahaadith

2.) Hayaa aur Paakdamani by Moulana Dhul-Fiqaar Naqshabandi
3.) Islam on homosexuality by Mufti Muhammad Zafeeruddeen
4.) The Killer Sex by Dr Jawed Jamil
5.) Effective Remedies For Spiritual Maladies
6.) Common Sins
7.) Muslim Women And Modern Challenges by Ml. Afzal Ismail

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8.) Marvellous Maidens In Islamic History by Ml. Imraan Kajee
9.) Zina- The Seduction Of Shaytaan by Ml. Imraan Kajee
10.) Stories Of Repentance by Muhammad Abduh Mughawiri
Articles prepared by Uswatulmuslimah, Jamiat Kwazulu Natal and
Ihyaauddeen have been used also.
May Allaah  accept this weak effort and make it a means of
protection of our imaan, modesty and purity, leading us to Jannah
and its everlasting enjoyments. Aameen

Moosa Kajee

Azaadville

Shabaan 1442/ April 2021

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 CHASTITY AND PURITY – IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS

One of the noblest qualities a person can possess is that of chastity.

Even non-Muslims knew that this was a special teaching of Islam.
When Heraclius, the emperor of Rome called for Abu Sufyaan (who
had not accepted Islam as yet and was at that time an archenemy of
the Muslims) to ask regarding Rasulullaah , Abu Sufyaan
was forced to utter, “He tells us: worship Allaah alone and do not
ascribe any partner to Him. Abandon what your fathers [and
forefathers] believe in.’ He also orders us to establish salaah, to be
truthful, to remain chaste, and to maintain ties of kinship.” (Bukhaari
no. 5980, Muslim no. 1773)

Chastity is amongst the special quality of the Ambiyaa and the pious.
Rasulullaah  actually made duaa for it and taught us many
duaas for our purity.

Rasulullaah  used to supplicate,

َ َ‫ َوا ْﻟﻌَﻔ‬،‫ﺳﺄَﻟُكَ ا ْﻟ ُﮭدَى َواﻟﺗﱡﻘَﻰ‬
‫ﺎف َوا ْﻟ ِﻐﻧَﻰ‬ ْ َ ‫اﻟﻠ ُﮭ ﱠم إِﻧِّﻲ أ‬
O Allaah! I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and independence.
(Muslim no.2721)

‫واﻟرﺿَﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻘَدَر‬ ِ ُ‫ واﻷ َﻣﺎﻧَﺔَ و ُﺣﺳنَ اﻟ ُﺧﻠ‬،َ‫ﺻﺣَﺔَ واﻟ ِﻌﻔﱠﺔ‬

ّ ِ ،‫ﻖ‬ ّ ِ ‫اﻟﻠﮭ ﱠم ِإﻧﻲ أﺳﺄَﻟُك اﻟ‬
O Allaah, I ask You for good health, chastity, trustworthiness,
beautiful character and being pleased with Your decision. (Al-Adabul-
Mufrad no. 307)

‫ َوأ َ ِﻋ ْذﻧِﻲ ﻣِ ْن ﺷ ِ َّر ﻧَ ْﻔﺳِﻲ‬،‫ﺷدِي‬

ْ ‫اﻟﻠﱠ ُﮭ ﱠم أ َ ْﻟ ِﮭ ْﻣﻧِﻲ ُر‬
O Allaah! Inspire me with Your guidance and save me from the evil of
my nafs. (Tirmidhi no. 3483)

ِ‫ َواﻷ َ ْﻋ َﻣﺎ ِل َواﻷ َ ْھ َواء‬،‫ق‬

ِ ‫ت اﻷ َ ْﺧ َﻼ‬ ْ َ‫اﻟﻠﱠ ُﮭ ﱠم ِإﻧِّﻲ أَﻋُوذُ ِﺑك‬
ِ ‫ﻣِن ُﻣ ْﻧﻛ ََرا‬
O Allaah! I seek Your protection from evil character, actions, and
desires. (Tirmidhi no. 3591)

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 ،‫ﻣِن ﺷ ِ َّر ﻗَ ْﻠ ِﺑﻲ‬
ْ ‫ َو‬،‫ﺳﺎﻧِﻲ‬ َ ‫اﻟﻠﱠ ُﮭ ﱠم إِﻧِّﻲ أَﻋُوذُ ﺑِكَ ﻣِ ْن ﺷ ِ َّر‬
ْ ‫ َو‬،‫ َوﻣِ ْن ﺷ ِ َّر ﺑَﺻ َِري‬،‫ﺳ ْﻣﻌِﻲ‬
َ ‫ﻣِن ﺷ ِ َّر ِﻟ‬
‫َوﻣِ ْن ﺷ ِ َّر َﻣﻧِ ِّﯾﻲ‬
O Allaah! I seek Your protection from the evil of my ears, the evil of
my eyes, the evil of my tongue, the evil of my heart and the evil of
my sperm (i.e., my private part). (Tirmidhi no. 3492, Abu Dawood no.
1551, Nasai no. 5456)

،ِ‫ﻋ ْﯾﻧِﻲ ﻣِ نَ ا ْﻟﺧِ ﯾَﺎﻧَﺔ‬ ِ ‫ﺳﺎﻧِﻲ ﻣِ نَ ا ْﻟ َﻛ ِذ‬

َ ‫ َو‬،‫ب‬ ّ ِ َ‫ َوﻓَ ْر ِﺟﻲ ﻣِ ن‬،‫ﺎق‬
َ ‫ َو ِﻟ‬،‫اﻟزﻧَﺎ‬ ِ َ‫ط ِ ّﮭ ْر ﻗَ ْﻠﺑِﻲ ﻣِ نَ اﻟﻧِّﻔ‬
َ ‫اﻟﻠﱠ ُﮭ ﱠم‬
‫ﺻدُو ُر‬ ‫ﻓَ ِﺈﻧﱠكَ ﺗ َ ْﻌﻠَ ُم َﺧﺎ ِﺋﻧَﺔَ ْاﻷ َ ْﻋﯾُ ِن َو َﻣﺎ ﺗ ُْﺧﻔِﻲ اﻟ ﱡ‬
O Allaah, protect my heart from hypocrisy, my private part from
fornication, my tongue from lies and my eyes from treachery, for
verily You know the treachery of the eyes and that which the hearts
conceal. (I’tiaalul-Quloob of Kharaaiti no. 287)

BENEFITS OF CHASTITY

Great benefits have been promised in this world and the hereafter for
those who remain chaste.

1.) Different Types Of Goodness In This World

Allaah  has promised complete success for those who possess

certain qualities.

Allaah  states, “Successful indeed are the believers, who are

humble in their Salaah, who do not pay heed to futile talk, who
continually pay the Zakaah, who guard their private parts, except
from their wives or the slave girls that they possess. For then, they
are free from blame. Then whoever seeks beyond that, it is they who
are the transgressors. [Successful also are those] who are observant
of their trusts and pledges, those who are watchful of their Salaah. It
is they who are the inheritors, who shall inherit Al-Firdaws (the

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highest level of Jannah). They shall abide therein forever.” (Mu’minoon
verse 1-11)

The above verse proves that if a person seeks to fulfil his desires by
any means other than his wife or slave girl, he is of those who
transgress the limits of what is lawful. Unlawful means would include
adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, masturbation, etc. (Such a
person will be deprived of success.)

Success refers to success in this world and the hereafter. The incident
of Yusuf  clearly illustrates how he protected himself from evil,
and the result which ensued. At times, a person has to undergo some
difficulties in protecting himself, but the final result is always one of
success and goodness.

1.1) Honour In This World

Zulaykha, a beautiful woman, placed Yusuf  under a very
severe test – a test which many fail. She was completely enraptured
by his beauty. She utilized all the means of trying to charm and allure
him and cause him to lose control over his heart.
She was wealthy. She possessed all items of luxury and enjoyment.
Yusuf’s  was under her command and present before her at all
times. She was now in solitude with him. She locked all doors
preventing anyone entering or leaving.

On the other hand, Yusuf  was young, it was his time of

strength and power, he was of sound mind, and he was unmarried.
She invited him to fulfil his desires. Yusuf  merely said, “I seek
refuge in Allaah” and all the links of Satan’s net were broken. This is
because how can anyone’s assault be effective against the one who
seeks refuge in Allaah? Yusuf  thought at this time turned to
Allaah, who nurtured him and granted him countless bounties. How
could he disobey such a kind and benevolent Being?
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Yusuf  was a human being with human feelings. He too had an
involuntary inclination and desire which crept into his heart. This is
similar to a fasting person having a natural desire for cool water on a
hot day. However, he neither intends drinking it nor is such
involuntary inclination harmful. In fact, staying completely away from
it despite this involuntary desire entails additional reward. If a person
is inclined towards an evil act but does not commit it, then this is
recorded as a good act in his register of deeds. Allaah  says,
“Despite his desire and inclination, he did not commit the evil out for
fear of Me.”

Had Yusuf  not seen the proof of his Sustainer at that time, he
would have followed the inclination of his heart. What was this proof
and evidence? It was the absolute conviction in the prohibition and
abhorrence of adultery which Allaah  had conferred upon him.
(When a person has conviction that Allaah  is watching him and
he has to stand before Allaah  one day, it becomes easy for him
to abstain from sins.)

Despite possessing all the means at his disposal, Yusuf  ran in

order to open the door and flee. Zulaykha pursued him in order to
stop him from fleeing. Coincidentally, the back of Yusuf ’s shirt
came within her grasp. She held it in order to draw him back. While
drawing him back, the shirt tore. Yusuf  nevertheless
succeeded in leaving that place. At that time, the woman’s husband,
Aziz, suddenly arrived on the scene. The woman immediately
concocted a story. She accused Yusuf  of intending evil with
her. She then said that he deserves to be imprisoned or be given some
other severe punishment. This is the disloyalty of the people who
follow their lusts. As long as they gain benefit, they will remain by you.
As soon as some harm comes to them, they will attempt to escape
and place the blame on the other.

10 | P a g e
Yusuf  now had to expose the truth. It was the woman who
tried to seduce him, and he had run to save himself. This dispute was
going on when an infant member of the household gave testimony in
favour of Yusuf  in a beautiful manner. By the will of Allaah, he
was able to speak and express Yusuf ’s innocence and his grand
status in the sight of Allaah. Allaah  honours those who protect
themselves in amazing manners.

The speaking and testimony of the infant in favour of Yusuf  is

in itself proof of Yusuf ’s honesty. The shirt being torn from the
back, or the front should be considered to be an additional indication
to his honesty. The argument which he put forth was extremely
acceptable to those who were neutral observers: if, according to the
allegation of the woman, Yusuf  advanced towards her, then
he would have been facing her. It is obvious, that in the ensuing
confrontation, the shirt would have torn from the front. If Yusuf
’s claim is correct that the woman invited him towards her, and
that he ran towards the door whilst she chased him in order to get
hold of him, then it is obvious that the shirt will be torn from the back.
In this situation, Yusuf  was not facing her. Instead, he had
turned his back to her and was running away from her.

Nevertheless, when it was seen that the shirt was torn from the back,
the Aziz understood that this was all the guile and deceit of the
woman, and that Yusuf  was not guilty. He then requested
Yusuf  to forget the incident or else it would be a cause of much
humiliation and disgrace in the future. He asked his wife to seek
forgiveness for her sin either from Yusuf  or from Allaah, for
she was certainly the guilty party.

However, Zulaykha did not give up. On another occasion, her friends
too began persuading Yusuf  that he should obey his well-
wisher and mistress and should not oppress her. He should also
11 | P a g e
ponder over the consequences of his disobedience. There was no
benefit in putting himself into difficulties and hardships. It is said that
although they verbally interceded on behalf of Zulaykha, each of
them secretly tried to attract Yusuf  to herself. When Yusuf
 realized that they were all after him and that Satan had cast
his net from all sides, he supplicated before Allaah  with full
determination, resolve and fortitude, “Save me from their plots and
intrigues. Even if I have to be imprisoned in this regard, I will prefer
prison to committing a sin. If You do not help me, there is the fear of
me losing myself and falling prey to their plots.” Yusuf  said, “O
my Sustainer! I prefer the prison to that which they invite me. If You
do not repulse their plot away from me, I will be inclined towards
them and I will thus become of the foolish.” Yusuf  was
prepared to bear the humiliation of imprisonment, but he was not
prepared to engage in sin. He goes to jail, stays there for a few years,
but eventually emerges with such honour that till today we
remember how he protected himself. He is eventually made the king
of Egypt. Yusuf  said, “Surely whoever has the fear of Allaah
and restrains himself (will be greatly rewarded because), Allaah does
not destroy the reward of the righteous.” In every era, a person who
lives a life of purity, Allaah  will grant him honour and respect.
On the other hand, those who live immodest lives are eventually
destroyed.

1.2.1) Unseen Help Of Allaah 

Abdullaah ibn Umar  narrates, “I heard Rasulullaah 

saying, “There were three people from one of the past nations who
were walking when rain fell upon them. So, they took refuge in a cave
in a mountain. A rock from the mountain fell onto the mouth of the
cave and thus sealed them off. One of them said to the others,
‘Nothing will save you from this rock except your supplication to

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Allaah  by virtue of your good deeds.’ One of them said, ‘O
Allaah! I had extremely old parents. It was my habit that I never gave
milk to my family and slaves before giving my parents. One day I went
far off in search of grazing trees. I therefore returned late in the
evening. I found that my parents had already fallen asleep. I milked
[the sheep] as was my habit and brought the milk [to them]. I stood
at their side, not wanting to wake them up from their sleep. At the
same time, I did not want to give my family and slaves before giving
my parents. I remained standing with the bowl in my hands, waiting
for them to wake up. The children were screaming at my feet [out of
hunger] but I continued waiting till the break of dawn. They then got
up and drank their milk. O Allaah! If I did this solely for Your pleasure,
open for us [this cave] by removing this rock.’ Allaah  opened
it partly, but they were unable to come out.”

“The second person said, ‘O Allaah! I had a cousin who was the most
beloved to me.’ Another narration states: ‘I loved her as passionately
as men love women.’ I desired having sexual relations with her, but
she refused me. Eventually, a year of famine befell her and so she was
forced to come to me [for assistance]. I gave her 120 gold coins
(Dinaars) on condition that she yields herself to me. She agreed.
When I got full control over her – and in another narration – when I
was about to engage in the act [of intercourse], she said, ‘Fear Allaah
and do not break the seal of virginity unlawfully.’ So, I turned away
from her despite the fact that I loved her so passionately, and I left
the gold which I had given her. O Allaah! If I did this solely for Your
pleasure, open for us [this cave] by removing this rock.’ Allaah 
opened it partly, but they were still unable to come out.”

“The third person said, ‘O Allaah! I hired labourers and paid them
their wages, except for one man. He left the wage that was due to
him and departed. I invested his wage and the money increased

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profusely. He came to me after some time and said, ‘O servant of
Allaah! Give me my wage.’ I said, ‘All these camels, cows, sheep and
slaves that you see are part of your wage.’ He said: ‘O servant of Allâh!
Do not joke with me.’ I replied, ‘I am not joking with you.’ He then
took all of that and herded it away without leaving behind anything.
O Allaah! If I did this solely for Your pleasure, open for us [this cave]
by removing this rock.’ The rock moved completely, and they came
out walking.” (Bukhaari no. 2272, Muslim no. 2743)

1.2.2) Abu Hurairah  narrated that Rasulullaah  said,

“Ibrahim  emigrated with Sarah and entered a village where
there was a king or a tyrant. (The king) was told that Ibrahim had
entered (the village) accompanied by a woman who was one of the
most charming women. So, the king sent for Ibrahim  and
asked, ‘O Ibrahim! Who is this lady accompanying you?’ Ibrahim
replied, ‘She is my sister (i.e., in religion).’ Then Ibrahim 
returned to her and said, ‘Do not contradict my statement, for I have
informed them that you are my sister. By Allaah, there are no true
believers on this land except you and I.’ Thereafter, Ibrahim 
sent her to the king. When the king got to her, she got up, performed
Wudhu and Salaah and then supplicated, “O Allaah! If I have believed
in You and Your Apostle and have saved my private parts from
everybody except my husband, then please do not let this pagan
overpower me.’ On that, the king fell into a condition as though he
was being throttled and started kicking his legs. Seeing the condition
of the king, Sarah said, ‘O Allaah! If he should die, the people will say
that I have killed him.’ The king regained his power, and proceeded
towards her but she got up again and performed Wudhu and Salaah
and said, ‘O Allaah! If I have believed in You and Your Apostle and
have kept my private parts safe from all except my husband, then
please do not let this pagan overpower me.’ The king again fell into a
condition as though he was being throttled and started moving his
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legs. On seeing that state of the king, Sarah said, ‘O Allaah! If he
should die, the people will say that I have killed him.’ The king got
either two or three attacks, and after recovering from the last attack
he said, ‘By Allaah! You have sent a Satan to me. Take her to Ibrahim
and give her Hajar.’ So, she came back to Ibrahim  and said,
‘Allaah humiliated the pagan and gave us a slave-girl for service.”
(Bukhaari no. 2217, Muslim no. 2371)

1.2.3) A pious person narrates: I was once making Ṭawaaf of the

Kaʿbah when I heard a young woman saying, “O most honourable
Allaah, Your pledge exists since time immemorial, and I remain
steadfast upon it.”

I asked, “What is this pledge between you and Allaah?”

She replied, “It is with regard to a strange incident that occurred in

my life. I was once in a ship on the ocean, when a severe storm struck,
and the wind caused everything on board to be destroyed. All the
passengers drowned, except myself, this baby I have in my arms and
a slave. I managed to cling tenaciously onto a piece of wood with my
baby and the slave did the same. When the sun rose, the slave began
to move towards us by wading through the water with his hands.
Upon reaching us, he mounted the wood we were holding onto and
tried to seduce me.

I said to him, “O slave of Allaah, we are in a predicament wherein we

have little hope of safety through obedience to Allaah . What
will happen to us if we choose the path of disobedience?”

He ignored my question and retorted, “Leave me alone! By the oath

of Allaah, I will not be prevented from fulfilling my intention.”

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He stretched forth his hand, snatched the baby from me and threw it
into the sea. At this point, I lifted my gaze to the heavens and
exclaimed, “O Allaah, You are closer to a man than his heart. Protect
me from this slave by Your strength and power. You have power over
all things.” Immediately, a creature emerged from the sea, swallowed
the slave in a single gulp and disappeared beneath the water.

The waves continued to toss me around, until I reached an island. I

related my story to the inhabitants, and they were astounded. With
bowed heads they exclaimed, “You have an amazing story to tell but,
we have something even more amazing to relate to you. We were
sailing on the ocean, when a creature emerged from the water in
front of our ship. It was carrying a little baby on its back. We then
heard a voice, saying, “Take this child, or you will perish.”

One of us stretched forth our hands and took the child from the back
of the creature. It then vanished into the water. Immediately, we all
took an oath to Allaah  that we would not commit any sin from
that day onwards.”

They handed the baby over to me. My experience is from the amazing
signs of Allaahʼs greatness.

1.3) Exquisite Fragrance And Honour In This World

There was once a person whose body would always exude the
fragrance of the most exotic musk and perfume. A friend one day
asked him, “What is this wonderful fragrance I always smell on you?
You must be spending a lot of money on musk if you apply it so often!”
The person replied, “By Allaah! Never have I purchased musk, nor
have I ever applied it!” His friend was astonished and asked, “Then
where does your fragrance come from?” Not keen to answer the
question, he said to his friend, “Why are you asking me?” His friend

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explained, “I hope that Allaah  will let me benefit in some way
by what you will tell me.” On his friend’s coaxing and urging, he
eventually narrated the following, “In my youth I was a very
handsome lad. My father was a merchant, and I would generally
spend my time with him. One day, an old woman came to him and
purchased some cloth. As she did not have the money with her to pay
for it, she asked my father if he would send me along to her home
where I would collect the money. My father agreed. Hence, I
proceeded with her until we finally stood before a grand, palatial
home. The old woman ushered me into a stunning courtyard and as I
entered, my gaze fell on a beautiful young girl who was seated atop a
raised seat on a silken cushion. The instant she saw me, she was
dazzled by my beauty and immediately demanded that I join her on
her seat. I staunchly refused. Instead of coming to her senses, my
rejection only incited her to get down and come to me. Then, in a fit
of infatuation, she began pulling and tugging me towards herself. I
was in a genuine predicament. Thus, in order to escape from her
embrace, I asked her if I could use the toilet. Although impatient, she
acceded and shouted for her slaves who guided me to the toilet. I
entered the toilet where I relieved myself into my hands. Not wasting
a moment, I smeared the filth over my body, clothing, and face. When
I exited the toilet, the eagerly awaiting girl was greeted by the sight
and smell of not a handsome youth but a person literally covered in
human waste! The flames of her passion were, at once, thoroughly
doused and she screamed to her servants in horror and disgust, “This
is a madman! Throw him out immediately!”

I happened to have only one Dirham with me. On leaving, I purchased

some soap and thereafter went to the river where I cleansed my body
and clothing of the filth. When I was done, I went back to my father
and did not tell him a word of what had transpired. When I went to
sleep that night, I saw a dream in which a handsome man with an

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excellent fragrance came to me. I asked him who he was to which he
replied that he was Jibreel . He said to me, “Allaah  has
sent me to give you the glad tidings of Jannah and to reward you with
some of its perfume because of the extent to which you went to avoid
falling into sin.” He then passed his hands over my face, body and
clothing and departed. When I awoke the next morning, I smelt an
exquisite fragrance which, to this day, still perpetually wafts from my
body.” (At-Targheeb wa Tarheeb lil Yaafi‘ee pg. 165)

1.4) Acceptance Of Duaas

Once the city of Delhi was afflicted by a severe drought. All the
Ulamaa of the area gathered in an open field to pray to Allaah 
for rain. Many men, women and children accompanied them, and
their animals were taken along as well.

From the early morning until Asr, they stood out in the burning sun
and prayed, “O Allaah, we are in a drought, please send us rain
through Your mercy.” But there was no sign of rain.

A young man was passing by and saw the huge gathering. He stopped
his conveyance and asked, “Why have you people gathered here?”

They replied, “We have been here from early morning, praying for
rain. We have cried and begged Allaah . Even the little children
have been calling out in desperation. The entire day has passed like
this, but the mercy of Allaah  has not descended upon us.”

The young man remarked, “I see. Allow me a few minutes to pray to

Allaah  as well.” He proceeded to his conveyance, where he
began to pray. Immediately, the clouds gathered, and it began to rain.
The Ulamaa were astounded and hastened towards him to find out

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who he was. He was undoubtedly a Mustajaabud Daʿwaat (a person
whose prayers are readily accepted by Allaah .)

They asked the young man, “Please advise what prayer you made.”

The young man replied, “My mother is seated on this conveyance.

She is such a pure and chaste woman, that no strange man has ever
seen her and vice versa. I took hold of a corner of her garment and
prayed to Allaah , ‘O Allaah, I am the son of this pure woman.
If her chastity holds any status in your sight, please send down the
rains to your servants.’ Due to this, Allaah  sent down the
rains.” (Khawaatine Islaam Ke Imaan Afroz Waaqiʿaat page 160)

1.5) Get Something Better In Return

It is reported from Abu Qatadah and Abud Dahma who said, ‘We
came to a man from the people of the desert and asked him, ‘Did you
hear a Hadith from Rasulullaah ?’” He replied, “I heard him
saying, “You will never leave something for the sake of Allaah, but
Allaah will give you something better in return.” (Musnad Ahmad no.
20739)

This is the system of Allaah . The incident of Yusuf  was

mentioned above. He sacrificed his desires for some period. In return,
Allaah  granted him kingdom and honour in this world as well
as the highest of stages in the Hereafter.

Allaah  has granted us sufficient Halaal (lawful) avenues to the

extent that we do not need to resort to Haraam (the prohibited).
Many a person who abstains from Haraam out of the fear of Allaah
 is blessed with Halaal through the Shariah of Allaah .
The time span between committing the Haraam action and the Halaal

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action was only a short while. How truthful the words of Shaikh Ibn
Ataaullah Iskandari  are, “Our Sustainer is far beyond this, that
the servant treats Him on a cash basis, while He rewards him on a
credit basis.”

Read these strange incidents so that you may witness therein the
recompense of the grand Sustainer:

a.) A pious student was once studying in Delhi and would sleep in a
nearby Masjid. One night, a young woman was on her way to visit
some of her relatives, who resided in the area, when a riot broke out.
She could not manage to escape the commotion and violence in time
and quickly ran into the Masjid in fear of her life. When the student
noticed her, he was alarmed and explained that the Masjid was not
an appropriate place for her to hide. “People may notice us here and
my honour will be tarnished. They will then evict me from the Masjid
to the detriment of my studies,” he pleaded. She explained, “If I leave
the safety of this Masjid, I fear that my honour and dignity may be
blemished by the rioting mobs out in the streets.”

Her explanation silenced him as he realised the gravity of the

situation. He directed her to a corner of the Masjid, where she could
remain seated, and returned to continue with his studies. He was
immersed in his books for the duration of the night, but occasionally
he would place his finger in the flame of a lamp that he was using as
a source of light. The young woman too remained awake and intently
watched the young man. Close to dawn, he said to her, “The rioters
have dispersed, and the streets appear to be safe. I am prepared to
accompany you to ensure that you reach your home safely.”

“But” she remarked, “I will not leave this Masjid until you explain to
me why you kept placing your finger in the flame throughout the
night.”
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He replied, “That is a private matter, and I would request you not to
question me further about it.” But the young woman would not give
in. When he realised that he could not convince her otherwise, he
explained, “Shaytaan was continuously enticing me to fulfil my
desires with you. Hence, I kept placing my finger in the flame to
remind myself of the unbearable intensity of the fire of Jahannam. If
I could not bear the negligible burns from a worldly flame, how would
I ever bear the torment of the fire of Jahannam? I am grateful to
Allaah  that He saved me from sin throughout the night.” The
young woman left and reached her home safely. She was from a
wealthy family and was soon to be married to a family relative. She
immediately declined the offer to marry him and said to her parents,
“My desire is to marry the student from the Masjid.” Her parents and
family tried their utmost to convince her. Others began harbouring
suspicions regarding her. When she heard their remarks, she
explained what had transpired on that fateful night and concluded,
“The student has the fear of Allaah within his heart, and such a man
will never harm or inconvenience others. My desire is to marry him.”

Eventually, her family consented, and the marriage was performed.

The student who had lived in a Masjid now became the owner of his
very own home, due to his fear of Allaah . (Aadabul
Mutaʿallimeen pg. 23)

b.) Hasan Basri  narrated, “There was a fornicating woman who

had exceeded the people of her era in beauty and would not let any
man sleep with her unless he paid her one hundred Dinars. One day,
a man saw her and was attracted to her, so he went and worked until
he earned the one hundred dinars and came to her. She told him,
“Pay it to the man at the door so that he may count it and weigh it.”
When he did this, she told him to enter. She had a luxurious home
and a bed made of gold. She told him, “Come to me.” When he was

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about to have intercourse with her, he suddenly remembered his
standing before Allaah on the Day of Resurrection, so it was as if he
was struck with lightning and his desire was extinguished. He said to
her, “Allow me to leave you, and you can keep the money.” She
replied, “How can you do this now, when you saw me and was
attracted to me, and went and worked hard to collect the one
hundred Dinars, and when you are finally with me, you do what you
did?” He said, “By Allaah, I did not do this out of anything except for
the fear of Allaah, and the thought of my standing between His
Hands.” She said, “If you are truthful in what you say, then I want to
marry nobody except you!” He told her, “Let me leave.” She said: “No,
not unless you promise me that you will marry me!” He said: “I cannot
do anything until I leave first.” She then said to him, “You must
promise Allaah that if I come to you where you live, then you will
marry me!” He said, “It might be so. We will see.” So, he put on his
clothes, left her, and travelled back to his land. She later travelled to
his land with all that she owned - regretting the circumstances under
which they had met each other - until she arrived and asked about
him. When she arrived at his home, it was said to him, “The queen
herself has arrived and asked about you!” When he saw her, he was
in such a state of shock that he collapsed and died. His body fell into
her arms, so she said, “As for him, then I have missed out on the
chance to be with him. Does he have any close relatives?” It was said
to her, “Yes, his brother, but he is a poor man.” So, she said to him, “I
will marry you out of my love for your dead brother.” She married him
and bore for him seven righteous sons.” (at-Tawwabeen by Ibn
Qudaamah al-Maqdisi page 41-42)

c.) There was once a pious person from among the Bani Israeel who
was extremely handsome. He used to make baskets and sell them.
One day, he passed by the door of the king with his baskets. The slave
of the queen was standing at the door and she immediately, upon
seeing such a handsome man, ran to the queen and informed her that
22 | P a g e
the most handsome man she had ever seen is at the door selling
baskets.

The queen immediately instructed him to come in, expressing her

desire to purchase baskets. The poor fellow innocently entered. What
did he know of the events that were about to occur? Seeing him, the
queen was overtaken by his beauty. She said to him, “Why are you
roaming around selling baskets? Leave those baskets down on the
floor and cover yourself with this quilt.” She then commanded the
servant, “Bring the aromatic oils and the fragrant perfume, so that I
can please myself with him and he can please himself with me.” She
then turned to him, saying “Remain here and you will not have to sell
these baskets ever again.”

He refused, picked up his baskets and started walking away. The

queen said, “Even if you refuse, you can’t leave till you do not become
intimate with me. All the doors are locked. Where are you going?” He
pleaded to her, but in vain. He then said to her, “Grant me leave for a
few minutes, so that I may go upstairs.” She felt that nothing was
wrong with this request and thus agreed.

He asked for a container of water to be taken upstairs for him and

himself climbed the steps. It is possible that he took the water to
make Wudhu. He went up and searched hither and thither for an
escape route or something which he could use to climb down the
building, eventually becoming dejected on not finding any. He
solemnly sat down in one corner and began speaking to himself, “O
Nafs (my carnal desires), for seventy years, you have tried to please
your Rabb day and night. Such a night has come to you which will
destroy all of that. (Tonight, your examination is being taken.) Be
aware, if you are unfaithful to Allaah, in the slightest manner tonight,
then all your years of good deeds will be laid to waste. (Pleasure is
short-lived but the punishment in the hereafter is long). And then, in
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the Hereafter, how will you ever face Allaah with only these evil
actions.”

He continued warning himself, until he got the better of his Nafs.

Eventually, he mustered enough courage to jump from the window.
As he leapt out of the window, Allaah  sent Jibreel  to
assist, saying, “O Jibreel, My slave is ready to kill himself, just to save
himself from My displeasure and disobedience. Catch him with your
wing and make sure that he is not harmed in the least bit.” Like a
compassionate father taking his child in his arms, Jibreel 
lowered him to the ground. He rushed back home, leaving the baskets
behind in the palace. It was already past sunset. His wife was taken
aback on seeing his condition. She asked, “Have you sold the baskets
or not?” He replied, “I made no money on the baskets today.” The
wife, out of concern, asked, “What will we eat today?” He replied,
“Today, we will adopt patience for the pleasure of Allaah, but you
should light the oven so that the neighbours don’t come to know of
the fact that we have no food and feel sorry for us.”

The wife lit the fireplace and began listening to all the details of the
incident from her husband. A short while later, the neighbour came
to ask for firewood. She was told to take it from the fireplace. When
she came to the oven, she saw bread baking. She ran back telling
them, “You are engaged in conversation and the bread in your oven
is completely baked. If you delay any longer, it will burn.” The wife
stood up in fright and went to see. She saw that the oven was full of
bread. They ate to their fill.

She then said to him, “Your Allaah had only granted you this honour
because you are honourable in His eyes. Why don’t you make du’aa
to Allaah to grant us prosperity and affluence for the rest of our
lives?” He asked her to be patient over these minor difficulties, but
she insisted. Finally, he consented to her request. In the last portion
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of that night, he awoke to worship Allaah, and made du’aa to Allaah
thus, “O Allaah, my wife is adamant in her wish; grant her such wealth
by which she will be able to live comfortably for the rest of her life.”
A tray was suddenly seen in the house, carrying a precious jewel
which shone so brightly that the entire house lit up in its light. He
shook his wife’s leg to awaken her and said, “Get up and take what
you were asking for!” She replied, “Wait a minute. Did you wake me
up for that? I just saw in my dream a whole row of golden thrones,
which were studded with jewels and green emeralds. But there was
a gap which looked unsightly, where one such jewel was missing. I
asked, “For who is this?” I heard a reply, “This is your husband’s sitting
room.” I asked, “Why is there a gap here?” The reply came, “This gap
was formed as a result of that which your husband had asked for in
advance.” I don’t want anything which will make your sitting room (in
Jannah) look ugly. Ask Allaah to take it back.” He did as she instructed,
and the tray suddenly disappeared.

This virtue is not exclusive to only certain persons. Whoever fears

Allaah  and safeguards himself from disobeying Allaah 
so that he is cautious not to be disobedient until his death, then
Allaah  will assist him in a similar way and will render even the
impossible as possible for him. (Tambeehul Ghaafilin of Faqih Abu Layth
Samarqandi Hanafi page 291)

d.) Al-Amir Shuja’ud-Din Muhammad Shirazi, a state-official of Cairo

related, “I was with a person in the upper regions of Egypt in an area
called Sa’eed. He was very hospitable to us and honoured us greatly.
The person was of a very dark complexion and was an old man. Some
of his children came before us who were very beautiful and of a fair
complexion. So, we said to him, “Are these really your children?”
“Yes,” he explained, “you must be surprised at their fair complexion
and my dark complexion.” We acknowledged our surprise. He said,
“The mother of these children is a European. I married her when I was
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a young man in the days of the king an-Naasir Salahud-Din during the
battle of Hittin.” We asked, “How did you come to marry her?” He
replied, “There is a very strange story with regard to her.” We said,
“Tell us about it.”

He said, “I once planted flax in this area, which I harvested and

cleaned, at the cost of 500 dinars (gold coins), but I could not find a
buyer willing to pay any more than the cost for it. I took it to Cairo,
and thereafter to Syria, but was still unable to get more for it.
Eventually, I took my goods to Acre, where I sold some of the flax on
credit for a period of 6 months, while I kept some of it with me. I
rented a shop in which I began trading slowly till the expiry of 6
months.

While I was busy trading, a European woman who was the wife of one
of the soldiers came to me. The European women walk about in the
marketplaces without any face covering. She came to me in order to
purchase flax. I was overwhelmed and astounded by her beauty. I sold
her some flax and was very generous to her by selling it at a
discounted price. She returned after a few days. I sold her more flax
and was even more generous to her than the first time. She came on
several occasions, and she realized I was attracted to her. I one day
said to the old woman who usually accompanied her, “I am madly in
love with her. Do you think I could gain access to her?” The old
woman conveyed this to her. She replied, “All of our souls - mine, hers
and yours- are going to leave (this world).” I said to her, “If my soul
leaves with her, it is no serious matter.”

She eventually agreed on condition that I should give her 50 dinars

and she would come to me. I counted the 50 dinars and handed them
over to the old woman. She said to me, “Make ready for us your place
and I will spend tonight with you.” I went and made whatever
preparations I could – food, drinks, lights, sweetmeats, etc. My house
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overlooked the sea. It was summertime. I therefore laid out a carpet
on top of the house. The European woman came, we ate, and we
drank. It became dark and so we slept beneath the skies while the
moon was shining upon us, and the stars were sparkling on the ocean.
The time had arrived for me to fulfil my desires with her.

I said to myself, “Are you not ashamed of yourself? You are away from
home, beneath the skies, overlooking the ocean, and yet you have
the audacity to disobey Allaah with a Christian woman? You will thus
be eligible for the punishment of hell and the punishment of this
world as well.” I said to myself, “O Allaah, I make you witness that I
have abstained from this Christian woman tonight out of shame for
You and fear from Your punishment.” I then slept till the next
morning. The woman got up angrily the next morning and went away.

I went to my shop and sat there. Suddenly I saw her passing by me

together with the old woman, and she was in an angry mood. She
looked like the moon [in her beauty]. I was immediately overtaken
[by her beauty] and said to myself, “Who do you think you are that
you are leaving this gorgeous young woman without fulfilling your
craving? Do you think you are Junaid Baghdadi or Sirri Saqati?” I then
went to the old woman and said, “Come back.” She replied, “By Jesus,
we will not come back to you unless you pay us 100 dinars.” I said,
“Okay, I agree.” I went back to my shop and counted the dinars. She
thus came to me a second time. The same thoughts came back to me,
and I therefore abstained from her solely for Allaah.”

She left angrily and I continued to my shop. After some time, she
approached me and spoke to me like a stranger. She said, “By Jesus,
you will not be able to enjoy me, except if you pay 500 dinars, or else
you can die in grief.” I realized that her price was excessive, but I made

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a firm resolution that I will suffer the loss of my flax and hand myself
over to her.

While I was thinking about all this, a person announced, “O Muslims!

The truce between us and you is now over. We are giving respite till
Friday to the Muslims who are here to settle their affairs and return
to their lands.” The announcement was the point of separation
between me and the woman. I began collecting the money for my flax
which was owed to me and began making agreements for the
remainder.

I took quite a bit of goods with me and left Acre (seaport in Palestine).
My heart was still drowned in the love of that European woman. I
reached Damascus and sold the goods at a far higher price, because
there was a shortage of them after the truce had ended. Allaah
 blessed me with a very good profit, till I became a prosperous
businessman. I then began trading in slave-women, in the hope that I
would forget about that European woman. I thus engrossed myself in
this business.

Three years passed in this way. The Battle of Hittin eventually took
place and the Sultan Naasir (Salahud-Din) took charge of the kingdom
and conquered many lands including the coastal regions by the help
of Allaah . I was asked by his attendants to send a slave-woman
to Sultan Naasir. I had a very beautiful slave-woman which I sold to
him for 100 dinars. They paid 90 dinars to me in cash and returned to
the king to request for the remaining 10 dinars. They did not have
even 10 dinars in the treasury on that day, because all the money had
been spent. The officials therefore consulted with the king in this
regard. He instructed, “Take this person [referring to me] to the
treasury where the European female prisoners of war are housed. Let
him choose one of them in exchange for the 10 dinars which are owed
to him.” I went to the treasury, looked at the women and recognized
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the woman who had taken for herself all that money of mine. I said,
“Give me that one.” I took her and proceeded home. In privacy, I
asked her, “Do you know me?” She replied, “No.” I said to her, “I am
that trader with whom such and such incident had taken place. You
had taken my money and you finally said, “You will not be able to see
me unless you pay 500 dinars. And now I have taken you as a slave
for 10 dinars.” She said, “Extend your hand. I bear witness that there
is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is the
messenger of Allaah. She thus embraced Islam and became a very
good Muslim.

I said to myself, “By Allaah! I will not sleep with her except after
marrying her.” I went to Ibn Shaddaad, the judge, and related to him
the entire incident. He was astonished and solemnized my marriage
to her. She spent that night with me and fell pregnant.

I continued with the army, and we went to Damascus. Within a few

months, the messenger of the king arrived with orders asking for all
the prisoners and slaves to be returned due to some agreement that
had taken place between the Muslim and Christian kings. The men
and women captives and slaves were returned. Only my European
wife remained with me. The officials asked about her, they persisted
in searching for her. Information was given to them that she was with
me. They then came to me in search of her. I was asked to present
myself before the king and was so frightened and my colour had
changed. She said to me, “What has happened? What has afflicted
you?” I said, “The messenger of the king came, and all the male and
female slaves and captives were returned. They have now come to
ask for you.” She replied, “There is nothing to worry about. Take me
to them; I know what to tell them.”

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I took her and presented her before the king, Sultan Naasir, with the
European messenger sitting to his right. I said, “This is the woman
who is with me.”

The king and the messenger said to her, “Do you want to return to
your homeland or remain with your husband? You and the others
have been freed.” She said to the king, “I have already embraced
Islam and I have fallen pregnant. Here, you can see how big my
stomach is. The Europeans can no longer benefit from me.” The
messenger said to her, “Who is more beloved to you, this Muslim or
your European husband?” She gave the same reply to the messenger.
The messenger said to the Europeans who were present, “Listen to
what she has to say.”

The messenger then said to me, “Take your wife and you may go.” I
thus turned around and left with her. The messenger then hastily sent
a message to me, saying, “Her mother entrusted me with something
for her and said to me, “My daughter is imprisoned. She has no
clothes and is dishevelled. I wish that you could send this box to her
and hand it over to her.” I thus accepted the box and we continued
to our house. She then opened the box and found the clothes that her
mother had woven for her from the very same flax I had sold to her.
She also found two heaps of money – the 50 dinars and the 100 dinars
[which I had given her]. They were exactly as I had given them to her.
These are my children from her. She is still living, and she is the one
who prepared the food.” (I’laamun Naas bima waqa’a lil Baraamikah vol.1
page 114, footnotes of Risaalatul Mustarshideen by Shaykh Abdul Fattah
Abu Ghuddah-quoting from Mataali’ul Budoor fi Manaazilis Suroor)

Shaikh Abdul Fattah says, “It becomes clear from this incident and
from other incidents similar to it that the person who abstains from
the prohibited for the sake of Allaah , Allaah  bestows
him with a replacement that is lawful. Our Sustainer is far beyond
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this, that the servant treats Him on a cash basis, while He rewards him
on a credit basis.”

2.) Respect Even After One’s Demise

Abdur-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam  narrated, “Ataa and

Sulayman (his brother) bin Yasar went to run an errand outside
Madinah along with some companions of theirs. When they reached
the outskirts of the city, they stopped at a house to rest. Sulayman
and his companions went to see to some of their needs, and Ataa
stayed in the house alone, performing Salaah. Suddenly, a beautiful
Bedouin woman entered upon him, so when Ataa saw her, he
assumed that she needed something from him, so he sped up his
Salaah a little and then asked her, “Is there something you need?”
She answered in the affirmative. He asked her, “And what is that?”
She replied, “Come and have your share of me, for I am filled with
desire, and I am without a spouse.” So, he said to her, “Get away from
me, and do not cause me to burn in the Fire along with you!” She then
continued to entice Ataa until he started weeping and repeating,
“Woe be to you! Get away from me!” and his weeping intensified
until the woman herself saw his weeping and the grief that was inside
of him, so she herself began to weep because of his weeping. While
they were both sitting and weeping, his brother Sulayman returned
from seeing to his needs, and when he saw his brother Ataa weeping
and the woman on the other side of the house weeping, he himself
began to weep as a result of their weeping without asking them about
anything. When the weeping intensified and grew louder, the woman
got up and left the house. Their companions, who were standing
outside of the house, then got up and came in, and Sulayman
remained after that without ever asking his brother about the woman
out of respect for him, as he (Sulayman) was the younger of the two.
They then proceeded to Egypt to see to their errand, and they
31 | P a g e
remained there as long as Allaah willed. One night, Ataa was sleeping
and woke up crying, so Sulayman said to him, “Why are you crying,
brother?” So, Ataa’s weeping intensified, and he said, “Because of a
dream that I had tonight.” Sulayman asked him, “And what was it?”
Ataa said, “Do not inform anyone of it as long as I am alive! I saw Yusuf
 in my dream, so I went to look at him along with others who
were looking at him. So, when I saw his beauty, I wept. He then looked
at me out of all the people and said, “Why are you weeping?” I
replied, “May my father and mother be ransomed for you, O Nabi of
Allaah! I remembered the wife of al-Aziz and how you were tested
with her, and what you experienced of imprisonment and separation
from Ya’qub; I remembered all of this and wept and was amazed by
it all.” So, he (Yusuf) said, “Will you not then be even more amazed
by the one who was with the beautiful Bedouin woman on the
outskirts of the city but rejected her?” I realized to whom he was
referring, so I wept and woke up weeping.” At that point, Sulayman
asked, “My brother, and what was the situation with this woman?”
So, Ataa told him the story, and Sulayman did not tell anyone about
it until Ataa had passed away, where he informed a woman of their
family who later said, “And this story did not spread in Madinah
except after the death of Sulayman bin Yasar.” (Pearls of the Path)

3.) Chastity Of Family Members

Rasulullaah  said,
‫َﻛ َﻣﺎ ﺗَدِﯾ ُن ﺗُدَا ُن‬
As you do, so will be done to you.
(Al-Asmaa Was-Sifaat of Bayhaqi no. 132)

If a person wants his family members to remain chaste, then he

should do likewise. It is the system of Allaah  that treats a
person in accordance to his actions. Our actions are similar to a
boomerang. As it is thrown, it bounces back onto a person. If good

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actions are done, good results ensue. If evil is perpetrated, then the
ensuing result is evil. Rasulullaah  said, “Be chaste, your
women will remain chaste, be kind to your parents, your children will
be kind to you.” (Mustadrak of Haakim no. 7259)

A True Story - (Mentioned in one of the Arabic Newspapers)

A man who wanted to remain anonymous said, “I was in college with

friends and had many relationships with girls. One time, I met a girl
and formed an unlawful relationship with her. That’s how I kept it
until she became pregnant. Then when her family discovered the
matter, and when the girl told them about me, her brother came to
attack me.

So I said to him “I don’t know this girl. Go look elsewhere.” I then left
him and went away. Since they had no proof against me, they left me.

I forgot about the matter. Years passed. Once I entered my house and
saw that my mother had fainted. I tried waking her up but whenever
she woke up, she screamed and fainted again. After this occurred
thrice, I asked her, “Mother, what happened?”

She screamed and said, “Your sister!” She replied, “She became
pregnant from the neighbour.”

I went to attack him, and he uttered the following to me which was

like an arrow that went through my heart. Do you know what he said?
“I don’t know this girl. Go look elsewhere.” SubhaanAllah (The same
thing I said to the family of the college girl (years back).

As you do, so will be done upon you. And that was it, I went through
severe mental anguish after that.

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Then years after, I decided to get married. After the engagement and
the marriage contract, we got ready for the wedding. On the day of
the wedding, I got a surprise, my bride had committed fornication
before.

Then she said to me, “Shield me (hide the misdeed), may Allaah shield
you.”

So, I said to myself, “This is my punishment.”

Enough! What I am in is enough punishment.

He says, “So I took the second strike and gulped this lump with
hardship, and I spent many years with her until we had a baby girl
who was like the moon.” Then when she reached 6 years of age, the
girl came running in from outside crying. What happened? The house
guard raped her.

Imam Shafiee  said,

‫ﺑﻣﺳﻠم‬
ِ ‫ف ﻧﺳﺎؤﻛُم ﻓﻲ اﻟﻣﺣرم وﺗﺟﻧﺑوا ﻣﺎ ﻻ ﯾﻠﯾﻖ‬ ‫ﻋﻔّوا ﺗﻌُ ﱠ‬ُ
‫ﻓﺎﻋﻠم‬
ِ ‫ﻛﺎن اﻟوﻓﺎ ﻣن أھل ﺑﯾﺗك‬ ُ َ ْ ٌ
‫إن اﻟزﻧﺎ دَﯾن ﻓﺈن أﻗرﺿﺗﮫ‬
‫ﻓﺎﻓﮭم‬
ِ ‫ﻟﺑﯾﺑﺎ‬ ‫ھذا‬ ‫ﯾﺎ‬ ‫ﻛﻧت‬ ‫إن‬ ‫داره‬ ‫ﺑﺟ‬ ‫ﻣن ﯾ َْز ِن ﯾُ ْزنَ ﺑﮫ وﻟو‬
‫ﺑدرھم‬
ِ ‫درھم ﯾُزنَ ﻓﻲ أھل ﺑﯾﺗﮫ‬
ٍ ‫ﻗوم ﺑﺄﻟﻔ ْﻲ‬
ٍ ‫َزن ﻓﻲ‬ ِ ‫ﻣن ﯾ‬
Stay chaste and your women will be chaste and save yourself from
that which is unfit for a Muslim.
Verily, adultery is a debt, if you have taken this debt, know that its
payment will be taken from the people of your household.
One who commits adultery, in return adultery will be committed
with him, even though it will be committed against the wall of your
house. O man! If you are wise then you should know it.
Whoever fornicates for two thousand dirhams in any group of
people, adultery will be committed in his family for one dirham.

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 (Diwan Ash-Shafi’ee page 112)

4.) Safety On The Day Of Judgement

The day of Judgement will be extremely difficult. Rasulullaah 

said, “On the day of Resurrection, the sun will be brought close to the
creation to such an extent that it will be one mile away from them.”
Sulaym ibn Aamir , the person who narrates from Miqdaad
 said, “By Allaah, I do not know what he meant by a mile (meel).
Did he refer to a measure by which the land is measured, or did he
refer to the dipstick which is used to dip in antimony which is then
applied to the eye [because the word meel also refers to this].”
[Rasulullaah  continues], “The people will be submerged in
perspiration according to their deeds. There will be those who will be
submerged till their ankles, others till their knees, others till their hips,
and there will be those whose mouths the perspiration will bridle.”
Rasulullaah  demonstrated with his hand to his mouth.
(Muslim no. 2864)

The person who protects himself from immorality when he has the
opportunity to do so will be amongst the fortunate to be saved from
the severities on the Day of Judgement, as he will be honoured with
shade under the Divine Throne.

Abu Hurayrah  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “There

are seven people to whom Allaah will provide shade beneath His
shade on a day when there will be no shade except the shade
provided by Him. They are: (1) a just leader, (2) a youngster who grew
up in the worship of Allaah, (3) a person whose heart is attached to
the musjids, (4) two people who love each other for the sake of
Allaah, they meet for the love of Allaah and part ways for the love of
Allaah, (5) a person whom a woman of nobility and beauty tries to
seduce, but he says, ‘I certainly fear Allaah’, (6) a person who gives in
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charity and conceals this charity of his to such an extent that even his
left hand does not know what his right hand spent, (7) a person who
engages in the remembrance of Allaah in solitude, and so his eyes
shed tears.” (Bukhaari no.1423. Muslim no. 1031)

5.) Allaah  Is Pleased With Such A Youngster:

Rasulullaah  said, “Verily Allaah becomes pleased with a

youngster who isn’t inclined (towards those sins and futilities which
other youngsters are inclined towards. His attention is towards
righteous deeds and staying in the company of the righteous and
pious. He grows up in the obedience of Allaah .) (Musnad Ahmad
no. 17371, Musnad Abi Ya’la no. 1743 and Al-Mu’jamul-Kabeer vol. 17-page
309 no. 853)

Ibn Umar  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “Verily

Allaah loves the youngster who utilizes his youth in the obedience of
Allaah.” (Hilyatul-Awliyaa vol. 5 page 360)

Yazid ibn Maysarah says, “Allaah  says, ‘O youngster who has

sacrificed his desires for My sake, spent his youth for Me, you are like
some of my angels.” (Az Zuhd of Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal no. 547)

6.) Death Of Martyrdom

Abdullah ibn Abbaas  reports that Nabi  said,

“Whoever falls in love, remains chaste, conceals this from others and
then passes away, passes away as a martyr.” (Tareekh Baghdad of Hafiz
Khatib Baghdadi vol. 3 pg. 166)

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Note: This hadith is in no way promoting Haraam or illicit
relationships. Rather, it demands chastity when one becomes
infatuated after an accidental glance.

7.) Jannah

Yahya ibn Ayyoob Khuzaa'ee narrates that he heard from someone

that there lived a youngster during the time of Umar  who was
extremely devoted to worship and was always in the Masjid. Umar
 was very impressed with him. The youngster had a very old
father and would visit his father every day after performing the Isha
Salaah. However, his road passed by the door of a woman who used
to flaunt her charms by the roadside because she had become
infatuated with him. As he passed by one night, she made a persistent
effort to seduce him until he eventually followed her. As she entered
through her door and he was about to do the same, he remembered
Allaah. The evil intention vanished instantly and the following verse
of the Qur'aan came to his tongue:

ِ ‫َﺎن ﺗَ َﺬ ﱠﻛﺮواْ ﻓَِﺈ َذا ُﻫﻢ ﱡﻣ ْﺒ‬

‫ﺼ ُﺮو َن‬ ُ ‫ﻒ ِّﻣ َﻦ اﻟ ﱠ‬
ِ ‫ﺸ ْﻴﻄ‬ ٌ ِ‫ﺴ ُﻬ ْﻢ ﻃَﺎﺋ‬ ِ‫ﱠ‬
َ ‫إِ ﱠن اﻟﺬ‬
‫ﻳﻦ اﺗﱠـ َﻘﻮاْ إِ َذا َﻣ ﱠ‬
Indeed when the temptation (to do evil) from Shaytaan reaches
those who fear Allaah, they remember (Allaah and engage in Dhikr,
thinking about His punishment and recalling the rewards for
abstaining from sin) and their eyes instantly open (they realise
Shaytaan’s plot and ignore the temptation). (Surah A'raaf, verse 201)

The youngster immediately fell unconscious. The woman then called

for her maidservant and with her help, the two of them carried him
to his door. He was made to sit, and his father's door was knocked.
When his father came out to look for him, he found him unconscious
in the doorway. He summoned for some of his family members, and
they together carried him inside the house.

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When the youngster regained consciousness after a considerable part
if the night had passed, his father asked, “Dear son! How are you?” “I
am well,” came the reply. When his father then asked him in the name
of Allaah what had happened, he informed his father about the
incident. “Dear son,” the father asked, “What was the verse you
recited?” When the youngster recited the verse he had recited at the
time, he again fell unconscious. Although the people tried to revive
him, this time he had passed away. It was still night when they bathed
him, shrouded him, and buried him.

It was only the following morning that the people informed Umar
 about it. Umar  immediately went to console the father.
“Why did you not inform me (of the funeral)?” Umar  enquired.
“O Ameerul Mu'mineen!” the father replied, “It happened during the
night (and we did not wish to disturb you).” Umar  then told
them to accompany him to the grave and when they arrived there,
Umar  addressed the youngster by his name and recited the
verse,

ِ َ ‫ﺎف َﻣﻘَﺎ َم َرﺑِّ ِﮫ َﺟﻧﱠﺗ‬

‫ﺎن‬ َ ‫َو ِﻟ َﻣ ْن َﺧ‬
The one who fears standing in the presence of his Rabb (on the Day
of Qiyaamah) shall have two gardens (of Jannah). (Surah Rahmaan,
verse 46)

The youngster responded twice from within the grave saying, “O

Umar! My Rabb has already given me both these gardens in Jannah.”
(Tareekh Dimishq of Ibn Asaakir vol.45 page 450, no 5319)

Another narration states that the youngster said, “Dear uncle! Go to

Umar, convey my Salaams to him and ask him what the reward will
be for the person who fears standing before his Rabb.” The end of this
narration states that Umar  went to the youngster's grave and

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said, "You shall have two gardens if Jannah. You shall have two
gardens of Jannah.” (Shuabul-Imaan no. 722)

8.) Connection With The True Beloved (The Greatest Of All Gifts):

Shaik Sa’di  explains that, despite love’s apparent glamour, it is

in reality nothing but hallucinations and fantasies. The real and
genuine tranquillity of the heart lies only in attaching it to Allaah
 and turning the gaze away from the creation. After
mentioning this, Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb
 states, “The author, in his humble opinion claims that the entire
universe is constantly undergoing change. If the whole universe
undergoes transformation, it is natural that its components and
particles will undergo the same process. Thus, the changing and
perishing of beautiful objects, which are components of this ever-
changing universe, is an undeniable fact of reality. When even sins
and transgression destroy the pleasures of this transitory existence,
then it is indeed foolish to grant preference to this fleeting dream
over the eternal, everlasting life of the Hereafter. The person that
makes a created object the ambition of his life, he has sold himself
into the slavery of a slave; a helpless slave in the hands of another
helpless slave like himself. He thus brings “bondage upon bondage”
on himself. Prostrate and submit your desire before Allaah 
and then observe the pleasure and sweetness of Ibaadah. He who
shatters his desires for the pleasure of Allaah  becomes a
means for the guidance of others, who see the path to Allaah 
through the Noor (effulgence) of his shattered heart. While walking
in a public place, if the gaze is directed at a strange woman, the Noor
of the heart is extinguished, and the heart becomes unsettled and
restless. If there is a beautiful woman or lad living in the vicinity, then
the possibility of committing a major sin is highly probable and such

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a person is in mortal danger. He should immediately leave the vicinity
or else lead a life of extreme precaution and abstinence.

Some people that were afflicted by this malady requested the author
for some remedy. I directed them to Zikrullaah and prohibited them
from meeting or seeing their beloved ones. Hardly a few days had
elapsed when they returned and expressed their appreciation for the
advice. The proper cure for this malady is redirecting the heart
towards the Real Beloved. This is achieved by abundance of Zikr and
the companionship of the True Lovers of Allaah  (the Auliya-
Allah). The person who discards his personal desires for the sake of
Allaah’s pleasure, is generally considered by the ignorant masses as a
person who is leading a very restricted and deprived existence,
whereas he alone knows what pleasure Allaah  pours into the
depths of his heart! When a person suffering from lovesickness
repents at the hands of a true Waliullaah (Friend of Allah) and
traverses the path of Love, he will quickly reach his destination. Day-
to-day experiences indicate that those whose hearts are easily moved
and affected by beauty, when directed in the correct avenue, become
extremely valuable and precious. When the soul is leaving the body,
it matters not whether it is sapped away in a gutter or on a king’s
throne; the only differentiating factor is whether the heart is attached
to Allaah  or not! (Effective remedies for Spiritual Maladies)

MODESTY AND ITS MERIT

There was once an eagle that lived atop the highest of mountains,
nesting among the crags. One day, the eagle felt curious about the
village that lay at the foot of the mountain and decided to pay it a
visit. As it landed on the ground below, an old lady suddenly threw a
sack over it, capturing it and taking it to her home.

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Once at home, she took the bewildered and frightened eagle out of
the sack. Never having seen an eagle before, she looked at it and
exclaimed, “You poor bird! Nobody’s been looking after you! Your
nails are so long and filthy! And your beak has become curved and
sharp! And your wings are overgrown! Shame!” Saying so, she clipped
the eagle’s wings. Then, she trimmed its beak. Finally, she cut its
talons.

Obviously, that was the end of the eagle. With its wings trimmed, it
could no longer fly. With its talons trimmed, it could no longer hunt,
and with its beak cut, it could no longer eat. What seemed like
kindness was, in reality, absolute cruelty to the eagle as it effectively
killed the bird. Furthermore, it obliterated the beauty and unique
features of the eagle, which lay in its curved beak, hooked talons, and
large, powerful wings, and rendered the eagle indistinguishable from
an overgrown chicken.

In comparison to this example, Allaah  has blessed the Ummah

of Rasulullaah  with the quality of modesty and shame. This
is their own special quality that sets them apart and distinguishes
them from every other nation and religion, and this is the quality on
which the survival of their imaan is dependent. To some people,
shame may seem to be a hindrance and obstacle in the path of
‘progress.’ The reality is that stripping a Muslim of shame is an act of
utter cruelty and completely handicaps a person, preventing him
from progressing on the path to Jannah.

Literally, the Arabic word Haya means shyness. Islamically, Haya

refers to the shyness which a person feels within himself and before
his Creator when committing a wrong. It is a force of conscience
which prevents him from indulging in indecency and obscenity. The
moral teachings of Islam are in place to awaken this feeling of shyness
in man and develop it as a part of his behaviour, so that it may serve

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as a strong moral deterrent against all evil inclinations. While it is
found in both the genders, it is found to a greater extent in women.

Rasulullaah  has said, “Modesty and Imaan have been

joined together. When one leaves, the other follows.” (Mustadrak
Haakim no. 58)
When modesty has been combined to Imaan, we can understand that
if a person inculcates more modesty in his life, his Imaan will also
proportionately progress, and if one loses his modesty, he will soon
thereafter lose his Imaan. (May Allaah  save us all!)

Similarly, Rasulullaah  has mentioned, “Indeed every

religion has a distinguishing characteristic, and the distinguishing
characteristic of Islam is modesty.” (Ibn Maajah no. 4181)
If a Muslim is void of modesty, he or she will eventually become
indistinguishable from the disbelievers. Sadly, this is commonly
witnessed today, where many Muslim brothers and sisters, on
account of their dressing, etc., cannot be distinguished from the
disbelievers.

It is a lamentable reality that we live in an age of indecency,

shamelessness, and immorality. However, instead of being swept
away by the tsunami, we should rather strive to rekindle the spirit of
modesty and shame – especially as the very survival of our Imaan
depends on the level of our modesty. By means of this trait, a believer
is saved from many vices and evil qualities. Due to this quality, beauty
is created in man’s speech and actions.

Allaah  has created the peel of a fruit as a means of adornment

and protection for the fruit. Once the peel is removed, the fruit loses
its beauty and protection, and in no time, it begins to rot and loses all
its good. In the very same way, Allaah  has created clothing for
man as a means of beauty as well as protection from the cold and
heat of the environment. Once the clothing is removed, he loses his
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beauty and becomes exposed to the cold and heat of the
environment.

Just as Allaah  has created physical clothing for man, as a

means of beauty and protection for his body, Allaah  has
created spiritual clothing for man as a means of beauty and
protection for his spiritual soul. This spiritual clothing is the clothing
of modesty. When the topic of modesty is discussed, it is generally
modesty in dressing that comes to mind. However, although modesty
in dressing is essential and extremely important, modesty is not
restricted to dressing and attire. Rather, modesty refers to
conducting with shame and respect in all branches of a person’s life,
whether fulfilling the rights of Allaah  or the creation.
When one studies the blessed life of Rasulullaah , one
realizes that Rasulullaah  was an embodiment of modesty.
From his acts of worship to his eating, sleeping, interacting, and even
attending the call of nature, every action portrayed the highest levels
of shame and modesty. In every dimension of his blessed life, he
ensured that the desired degree of modesty was never compromised.
He always showed special importance to inculcating modesty in the
Sahaabah , in their dressing and attire and other facets of life
and ensured that they remained completely distinct from the
disbelievers.

The reason for Rasulullaah  attaching such importance to

modesty is that it serves as a shield to protect one’s Imaan as well as
preserve one’s Islamic morals and values. When one possesses the
quality of modesty within his life, this modesty will guide him to

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conduct, in every situation, with shame, modesty and respect,
fulfilling the rights of Allaah  and the creation.

When the spiritual clothing of modesty is removed from one’s life, his
Imaan and deen is left exposed and vulnerable to the environment of
sin and evil. He will not deal with people with respect and be
concerned about fulfilling their rights. Rather, he will only be
concerned about his personal or worldly benefit. He will go to wrong
places, associate with wrong company, listen to music, and view
Haraam on the internet, cell phone, etc. This is all on account of him
not having modesty for Allaah , thereby breaking the
commands of Allaah  and not fulfilling the teachings of
Rasulullaah .

In the Ahaadeeth, Rasulullaah  had foretold the coming of

such crucial times before Qiyaamah where this quality of modesty
and shame will gradually leave the lives of people. Rasulullaah
 said that the learned will not be respected and followed,
and people will not conduct with shame and respect before people of
nobility and dignity. People will speak Arabic, yet their hearts will be
like the hearts of the disbeliever. (Musnad Ahmad no. 22879)

In this Hadeeth, Rasulullaah  indicated that at that time, the

value system of Islam will be at a decline and there will be a
degeneration in the quality of shame and respect in the lives of the
Muslims, resulting in them following the ways of the disbelievers.

The result of modesty leaving the lives of the Ummah is that

presently, Muslims have adopted the path of shamelessness and
immorality which is idealized by the disbelievers. Hence, most homes
have been affected by photography and the evil influences of the TV,
internet, etc. Currently, with the invention of the smart phone, it is

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easy for one to commit sins at the mere press of a button, and hence
sins are being perpetrated throughout the world on a macro-level.
Rasulullaah  foretold that when immorality and vice will be
the order of the day, then await earthquakes, pandemics, epidemics,
plagues, viruses, and sicknesses that were never heard of and will be
such that it will leave people perplexed and helpless.

PLEA FROM A CHRISTIAN WOMAN

Hereunder is a plea from a Christian woman to Muslim women:

To My Muslim Sisters (By A Christian Woman)

The following is an abridged article written by a Christian lady (Joanna

Francis) to the Muslim women begging them to protect themselves
from immodesty.

“Between the Israeli assault on Lebanon and the Zionist ‘war on

terror’, the Muslim world is now centre stage in every American
home. I see the carnage, death and destruction that have befallen
Lebanon, but I also see something else: I see you. I can’t help but
notice that every woman I see is carrying a baby or has children
around her. I see that although they are dressed modestly, their
beauty shines through. But it’s not just outer beauty that I notice. I
also notice that I feel something strange inside me: I feel envy. I feel
terrible for the horrible experiences and war crimes that the
Lebanese people have suffered, being targeted by our common
enemy. But I can’t help but admire your strength, beauty, modesty,
and most of all, your happiness. Yes it’s strange, but it occurred to me
that even under constant bombardment, you still seemed happier
than we are, because you were still living the natural lives of women.
The way women have always lived since the beginning of time. It used
to be that way in the West until the 1960’s, when we were

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bombarded by the same enemy. Only we were not bombarded with
actual munitions, but with subtle trickery and moral corruption.

Through temptation - They bombarded us Americans from

Hollywood, from fighter jets or with our own American-made tanks.
They would like to bomb you in this way too, after they’ve finished
bombing the infrastructure of your countries. I do not want this to
happen to you. You will feel degraded just like we do. You can avoid
this kind of bombing if you will kindly listen to those of us who have
already suffered serious casualties from their evil influence. Because
everything you see coming out of Hollywood is a pack of lies, a
distortion of reality, smoke, and mirrors. They present casual sex as
harmless recreation because they aim to destroy the moral fabric of
the societies into which they beam their poisonous programming. I
beg you not to drink their poison. There is no antidote for it once you
have consumed it. You may recover partially, but you will never be
the same. Better to avoid the poison altogether than to try to heal
from the damage it causes.

They will try to tempt you with titillating movies and music videos,
falsely portraying us American women as happy and satisfied, proud
of dressing like prostitutes, and content without families. Most of us
are not happy, trust me. Millions of us are on anti-depressant
medication, hate our jobs and cry at night over men who told us they
loved us, then greedily used us, and walked away. They would like you
to destroy your families and convince you to have fewer children.
They do this by presenting marriage as slavery, motherhood as a
curse, and being modest and pure as old-fashioned. They want you to
cheapen yourself and lose your faith. They are like the serpent
tempting Eve with the apple. Don’t bite.

Self-value - I see you as precious gems, pure gold or the ‘pearl of great
value’. All women are pearls of great value, but some of us have been
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deceived into doubting the value of our purity. Our pearls are
priceless, but they convince us that they’re cheap. But trust me: there
is no substitute for being able to look in the mirror and seeing purity,
innocence and self-respect staring back at you. The fashions coming
out of the western sewer are designed to make you believe that the
most valuable asset is your sexuality. But your beautiful dresses and
cloaks are actually sexier than any other fashion, because they cloak
you in mystery and show self-respect and confidence. A woman’s
sexuality should be guarded from unworthy eyes, since it should be
the gift to the man who loves and respects you enough to marry you.
And since your men are still manly warriors, they deserve no less than
your best. Our men don’t even want purity anymore. They don’t
recognize the pearl of great value, opting for the flashy rhinestone
instead. Only to leave her too!

Your most valuable assets are your inner beauty, your innocence, and
everything that makes you what you are. But I notice some Muslim
women push the limit and try to be as Western as possible, even while
wearing a veil (with some of their hair showing). Why imitate women
who already regret, or will soon regret, their lost virtue? There is no
compensation for that loss. You are flawless diamonds. Don’t let them
trick you into becoming rhinestones, because everything you see in
the fashion magazines and on television is a lie. It is Satan’s trap. It is
fool’s gold.

A woman’s heart - I’ll let you on a little secret just in case you’re
curious: premarital sex is not even that great. We gave our bodies to
the men we were in love with, believing that this was the way to make
them love us and want to marry us, just as we had seen on television
growing up. But without the security of marriage and the sure
knowledge that he will always stay with us, it’s not even enjoyable!
That’s the irony. It was just a waste. It leaves you in tears. Speaking

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as one woman to another, I believe that you understand that already.
Because only a woman can understand what’s in another woman’s
heart. We really are all alike. Our race, religion and nationalities do
not matter. A woman’s heart is the same everywhere. We love. That’s
what we do best. We nurture our families and give love and support
to the men we love. But we American women have been fooled into
believing that we are happiest having careers, our homes in which to
live alone, and freedom to give our love away to whomsoever we
choose. That is not freedom. And that is not love. Only in the safe
haven of marriage can a woman’s body and heart be safe to love.
Don’t settle for anything less.

It’s not worth it. You won’t even like it and you’ll like yourself even
less afterwards. Then he’ll leave you.

Self-denial - Sin never pays. It always cheats you. Even though I have
reclaimed my honour, there’s no substitute for having never being
dishonoured in the first place. We Western women have been
brainwashed into thinking that you Muslim are oppressed. But truly
we are the ones who are oppressed; slaves to fashions that degrade
us, obsessed with our weight, begging for love from men who do not
want to grow up. Deep down inside, we know that we have been
cheated. We secretly admire and envy you, although some of us will
not admit it. Please do not look down upon us or think that we like
things the way they are. It’s not our fault. Most of us did not have
fathers to protect us when we were young because our families had
been destroyed. You know who is behind the plot. Don’t be fooled,
my sisters. Don’t let them get you too. Stay innocent and pure. We
Christian women need to see what life is really supposed to be like for
women. We need you to set an example for us because we are lost.
Hold onto your purity. Remember: you can’t put toothpaste back in
the tube. So guard your “toothpaste” carefully!

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I hope you receive this advice in the spirit in which it is intended: the
spirit of friendship, respect, and admiration. From your Christian
sister with love.”

WHEN IMAAN ENTERS THE HEART

Ponder over the level of shame and modesty which is found after
Islam truly enters the heart. Colonel Ameerud-Deen , a great
inviter towards Islam, narrated the following:

In the animal kingdom of America, where man marries a man and a

woman marries a woman, where a man and woman live under the
common law without being married, where nudist colonies are
common, in such an animal kingdom, a dancing girl and her husband
embraced Islam. They used to dance in the discos, where there are
wine glasses, dim lights, and little tables at which American girls with
skimpy bikinis and little brassieres are seated. Many Muslims from all
over the world go to these nightclubs, drinking and gambling.

It was decided by mashwarah that I should take a Jama’ah (group of

inviters to Allaah) to one such nightclub. When we rang the bell, a
woman came out, wearing a small little brassiere and a little bikini,
and said, “Yes, gentlemen, what can I do for you?” When I saw her
approaching, I was shaking from head to foot. I didn’t know what to
do. Since it was decided by mashwarah to go, we went. I said, “You
see, we want to speak to the owner of this hotel.” His name was
Ahmad, a Palestinian Arab. She said, “All right, I’ll bring him just now.”
She got hold of him like a little chicken in her right hand and said,
“Ahmad darling, your friends want to see you.” I tell you, I pray to
Allaah that none of our friends ever witness such a scene. Ahmad said
to us, seeing us with turbans, big beards, and long kurtas (Qamees),
“Brothers, why have you come here?” We said, “We have come
because you have advertised the nightclub called ‘Khaybar Pass’, so
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we have come to see this. We are also human beings; we want to see
what’s inside this nightclub.” He exclaimed, “What! You want to go
inside!” I said, “Yes, my darling brother. We are speaking in plain
English. We want to go inside.” He said, “All right, come in.”

Anyhow, we went inside. Inside, we saw small tables and little red
lights. The rest of the place was in darkness. You could hear the
tinkling of the wine glasses and the Jazz music playing. I tell you,
brothers, may we never see such a scene again. All our (Muslim)
friends were seated with the beautiful American girls in their lap and
wine glasses in their right hands. Anyhow, we got them together. (In
Syria, I had marched for 1000 miles on foot in 1962 (24 years ago),
from Damascus to Halab and from there further. It was there that I
learnt Qur’an and Hadith, how to read the Qur’an and the Arabic
language from an Arab tutor.) I gathered those people and spoke to
them in the Arabic language for one hour. They are all Arabs. I cried
bitterly and they all cried. Fourteen fellows came outside and went
for four months immediately from there (for the purpose of Da’wah
and Tabligh). That was the changing point in their lives. Those
fourteen fellows became the leaders for Tabligh and Da’wah in
Central America. After they returned, they brought many Arabs into
Deen.

With them came one dancer, an Afro-American girl by the name of

Jean, and her husband. He was a drummer and she used to dance.
She used to wear a small bikini and a small brassiere. She said, “I also,
with my husband, want to embrace Islam.” I said, “Maa Shaa Allaah.
You are very lucky.” She asked, “What am I to do?” I said, “Four things;
anybody who does these four things, his Imaan will increase, and he
will see Jannah and Jahannam in front of his eyes.” She said, “What
are the four things?” I said,

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a) Ibaadah – pray to Allaah (Salaah), fast in the month of Ramadhaan,
pay the poor-tax (zakaah) if Allaah gives you the wealth and perform
pilgrimage (Hajj) once in your lifetime. This is a small little book (of
basic Masaa’il). We are only a few (Muslim) people in America. This is
a vast country which stretches 3500 miles from East to West and 2500
miles from North to South.” Those were the beginning days, when
you had to perform your prayers on ice at many times. Jama’ats
(groups of people travelling with the purpose of reviving Islam) were
kicked out of Masjids, taken to courts, and beaten up. I told her, “You
take this book. You and your husband should study it. This is my
telephone number. If you have any difficulty, phone me. I will try my
best to reply to you. In the city in which you stay, there are a lot of
Muslims. You can even ask them.

b) The second thing to do is to invite your family (give them da’wah).

Through the invitation (da’wah), the aspects that you will invite
towards will enter into your heart. Your ears are nearest to your
tongue. When you talk with your tongue, it will first enter your ears
and your heart. It will then enter the hearts of the people you are
addressing. This is the system of Allaah. Do this! Give this invitation
with strength and don’t be afraid of anyone. Allaah will help you.

c) The third thing you must do is to make ta’leem of Fadhaail (the

virtues of the various Islamic practices). This is a book in English called
‘Teachings of Islam’ (Faza’ilul A’maal). The author is Moulana
Muhammad Zakariyya  (who was still alive at that time). You can
also find this in your city. It doesn’t cost much money.

d) Stand up in the late hours of the night for prayer (Tahajjud). Read
the Qur’an in the night in this prayer and cry to Allaah (in Dua at the
end of this Salaah).” They said, “But we don’t know how to read the
Qur’an.” I said, “It doesn’t matter. Stand up facing the Ka’bah and say,

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‘O Allaah, O Allaah, O Allaah, we are new entrants into Islam. We want
You to give us guidance.’ If you cry to Allaah in the night, one day will
come when you will be an example for the whole of America.” She
asked, “That’s all?” I said, “That’s all. Assalaamu alaikum.”

I also said, “Remember one thing. Allaah does not take this work from
anybody who does not change according to his invitation. When you
give the invitation, you yourself must change. This dress of yours must
come off and you must wear the full dress. What is the full dress? You
must wear sleeves till your wrists, your neck must be closed, and you
should tie a scarf. If Allaah gives you the courage, you should wear
the full Burqa’ (body covering) with the veil (Niqaab) in front of your
face, because the order of Allaah is ‘enter into Islam in totality and do
not follow in the footsteps of Shaytaan’ (Baqarah verse 208). Do you
understand?” She said, “Yes, I understand.” They then went away.

After three months, one night at 2:30 am, at the time of Tahajjud, this
girl phoned me. In America, the nights are very long in winter;
Tahajjud time remains till 6:30 am and the sun rises at 8:30 in some
areas. She said, “It is a question of life and death.” I said, “In the
darkness of the night, you are calling from another country. It must
be costing you a lot of money. Why didn’t you write a letter, I would
have replied?” She said, “Don’t talk of money! If all the wealth we had
accumulated during the period of our ignorance of Islam was spent to
understand one Mas’ala (problem) that will save us from the pangs of
Hellfire, it is a very cheap business.”

Then she said, “When we did those four things for three or four
months, the love for Paradise and the hatred for Hellfire entered into
our hearts. We thought ‘what should we do about our families’. They
are going directly towards Hellfire by drinking, womanizing, doing
whatever they like and following their desires. We therefore decided

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to have a family meeting. The men of our families would be in one
house, and the women would be in one house, because there are no
mixed parties in Islam.” She had embraced Islam just three months
ago but understood that there are no mixed parties in Islam. She
continued, “I was going in the bus. After promising you that day, I
never wore that European dress again. I began wearing the cloak with
full sleeves and pants and tied my hair with a scarf. I wore the full
Burqa’ (body covering) with the veil in the front. I was going in the
bus. The bus started to move fast, so I held onto the railing. My sleeve
slipped four inches, and this much of flesh was exposed.” She started
to cry, at 2:30 am. She said, “Tell me, Colonel Sahib! Tell me! Will this
flesh burn in Hellfire.” What answer could I give, my dear brothers? I
said, “My dear sister, I can assure you that it will not burn in Hellfire.
Your thought is enough to save you from Hellfire and take you to
Paradise.” She insisted, “But tell me what I should do in the future?”
I said, “Put elastic on the end of your sleeve so that it will not open in
the future.” I realized that she was flying high in the sky (of Imaan)
while I was still stuck to the earth. This is the result of Tabligh and
Da’wah.”

We make Du‘aa that Allaah  bless the entire Ummah of

Rasulullaah  to inculcate the blessed quality of modesty and
shame in their lives, repent for their sins and come onto the complete
sunnah of Rasulullaah  in all facets of their lives.

BENEFITS OF MODESTY

A person with modesty is attractive in the sight of the creation and

accepted in the sight of the creator. The Noble Qur’aan mentions the
incident of Shuaib ’s daughter who was sent to call Moosa
. Allaah  describes the manner of her walk “And one of

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the two came to him walking with shame.” (Qasas verse 25) Even the
walk and speech of a modest person is beloved to Allaah?

The most superior of Allaah’s creation was imbued with this sublime
quality to the highest level. Abu Saeed Khudri  narrates,
“Rasulullaah  was more modest than a virgin woman in her
private chamber. When he saw something which he disliked, we
recognized it by his facial expression.” (Bukhaari no. 6102, Muslim no.
2320)

“More modest than a virgin woman in her private chamber’ refers to

a virgin woman who is meeting her husband for the first time in
solitude. Such a woman is an embodiment of shame and modesty.
Here the lofty status of the modesty of Rasulullaah  is being
described.

Goodness, blessings, and righteousness emerges from modesty.

Imraan ibn Husayn  narrates that Rasulullaah  said,
“Modesty brings nothing but good.” (Bukhaari no. 6117, Muslim no. 37)
A similar narration states, “Modesty is good in its entirety.” Or he
said: “Modesty in its entirety is good.” Since modesty prevents a
person from disobedience, evil character, and a host of immodest
actions, it has been referred to as good.

An Arab poet so beautifully states,

‫إذا ﻟم ﺗﺧش ﻋﺎﻗﺑﺔ اﻟﻠﯾﺎﻟﻲ وﻟم ﺗﺳﺗﺢ ﻓﺎﺻﻧﻊ ﻣﺎ ﺗﺷﺎء‬

‫ﻓﻼ وﷲ ﻣﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﯾش ﺧﯾر وﻻ اﻟدﻧﯾﺎ إذا ذھب اﻟﺣﯾﺎء‬
‫ﯾﻌﯾش اﻟﻣرء ﻣﺎ اﺳﺗﺣﯾﻰ ﺑﺧﯾر وﯾﺑﻘﻲ اﻟﻌود ﻣﺎ ﺑﻘﻲ اﻟﻠﺣﺎء‬
If you fear not the final result of the actions of the night, and you
possess no modesty, then do as you please
By Allaah, there is no goodness in life and in this world when
modesty disappears
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 A man will live with goodness as long as he possesses modesty, the
branch will remain in existence as long as its cover remains.

A person divested of this quality is in actual fact deprived. Nabi

 said, “One of the advices that people learnt from the
previous messengers is that when you do not possess shame, do as
you please.” (Bukhaari no. 3483)

This shows that a person without shame is not bound to any moral
code. His life is similar to that of an unbridled animal. Nabi 
said, “When Allaah  intends to destroy any servant, He
snatches modesty away from him.” (Ibn Majah no. 4054)

It is by means of modesty that a person will live a life of purity and

chastity. The trait of modesty and chastity are inseparable.

This quality needs to be cultivated and nurtured, not mocked at and

ridiculed. Ibn Umar  narrates that Rasulullaah  passed
by a man from the Ansaar who was advising his brother about
modesty. Rasulullaah  said, “Leave him, for modesty is part
of Imaan.” (Bukhaari no. 24, Muslim no. 36)

The Ansaari companion was explaining to his brother the harms of

excessive modesty, since due to shame, man is many a times deprived
of attaining his rights as he feels too shy to proceed to demand them.
Nabi  prohibited him from this action.

Question: Modesty is an intrinsic quality in all people. How then can

it be regarded as a part of Imaan and how can one be rewarded for
possessing this quality?

Answer: Even though modesty and shame are an intrinsic quality, it

has to be nurtured so that it can be utilised according to the dictates
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of the divine commandments. This level of shame is required and
demanded. Abdullaah ibn Masood  narrates that Rasulullaah
 said, “Be modest before Allaah as you ought to.” The
companions said, “O, Nabi of Allaah, we are modest, and all praises
are solely due to Allaah.” Rasulullaah  remarked, “It is not
as you think. The reality of being modest before Him as you ought to
be means that you should protect the head and what it encloses, you
should protect the stomach and whatever it encloses, and you should
remember death and annihilation. Whoever intends the hereafter
will abandon the beauties of this world. Whoever has done this has
been modest before Allaah as he ought to.” (Tirmidhi no. 2458)

If this intrinsic and inherent quality is developed by pondering over

Allaah ’s bounties and seeing one’s weaknesses, then the
required level of modesty as demanded in Islaam will be achieved.
Therefore Nabi  prohibited the companion from advising
his brother to lessen this natural quality, as this was the stepping-
stone to acquiring the desired level.

Abu Hurayrah  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “Imaan

is over seventy or over sixty branches. The most superior of which is
to say that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and the
least of which is to remove a harmful object from the path. And
modesty is part of Imaan.” (Bukhaari no. 9, Muslim no. 35)

Even though modesty is included as a branch of Imaan, it has been

especially singled out here, since this will lead one to fulfil all the
other branches. A modest person fears being embarrassed in this
world and the hereafter, therefore he will fulfil his obligations and
abstain from prohibitions.

Mulla Ali Qari  defines Haya (modesty) in the following words:

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 ‫ﺣﻘﯾﻘﺔ اﻟﺣﯾﺎء أﻻ ﯾراك ﻣوﻻك ﺣﯾث ﻧﮭﺎك‬
The reality of Haya (modesty) is that your Master should not see you
where he has prohibited you. (Mirqaat vol. 1 page 70)

Some pious people have stated that Haya (modesty) stems from the
conviction of the heart that Allaah  is watching one, therefore
the person protects his external and internal from going contrary to
His commands.”

Modesty is of primary importance in preserving the moral fibre of

society. Traditional Muslim societies had a strong sense of modesty
because of Islamic teachings and prophetic traditions. Unfortunately,
morals, dignity, respectability, decency, and religion are mocked at,
rather than applauded in today’s world. Non-Muslim controlled
media in the form of magazines, newspapers, radio, television and
now the internet are all powerful and effective mediums of
destroying modesty. They project immorality in an attractive garb by
glorifying vice and sin.

METHODS TO PRESERVE MODESTY AND A PURE SOCIETY

Islam, by virtue of its social system of morality, provides various

solutions in creating a modest society. The Qur’aan instructs men and
women to remain well clear of adultery, hence, all means and
avenues which excite the passions and lead to indecency, lewdness
and shamelessness are forbidden. Some of these are discussed
below. A few are related to both men and women, whilst others are
only related to women, as they are the ones who will lose to a greater
extent if their modesty is affected:
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1.) LOWERING THE GAZE: Men and women should lower their gazes
when they come into contact with strangers of the opposite gender.
Allaah  says, “Tell the believing men that they should lower
their gazes and guard their chastity. This is purer for them. Allaah is
well-informed of what they do. And tell the believing women that
they should lower their gazes and guard their chastity. (Noor verse 30-
31)

Jareer  narrates, “I asked Rasulullaah  about my eyes

falling unwittingly [on a strange woman]. He replied, ‘Turn your eyes
away.’” (Muslim no. 2159, Abu Dawood no. 2148)

If a person’s gaze unwittingly falls on a strange woman or a young

handsome boy, then it is compulsory to immediately turn away one’s
gaze. The first unintentional gaze is forgiven. If a person continues
staring or begins fantasizing, then he will be guilty of committing a
sin. Rasulullaah  said to Ali , “O Ali! Do not let the first
(unintentional) gaze be followed by another, because the first is
forgiven, but not the second.” (Abu Dawood no. 2149, Tirmidhi no. 2777)

The pardoning of the first gaze is only applicable to those

circumstances and occasions where a woman is not expected to
appear. In this instance, the first glance is forgiven. It is thus
compulsory to keep the gazes low in shopping areas, public places,
offices, road, etc.

Ummu Salamah  narrates, “Once Maymoonah and I were

seated with Nabi . Just then Abdullaah Ibn Umm Maktoom
, the blind Sahhabi entered the presence of Nabi .
Nabi  immediately commanded Maymoonah  and I
to observe hijab from him. I said, “O Nabi of Allaah, is he not blind and

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unable to see us?” Nabi  replied, “Are you two also blind?
Can you not see him?” (Tirmidhi no. 2778)

PORNOGRAPHY

Today pornography has become easily available. The following article

explains some of the harms caused by this illness:

“Pornography has become an epidemic. At least 66% of men aged

eighteen to thirty-four indulge in porn; 41% of women have
intentionally watched it online; 90% of teenagers who are regular
internet users have viewed it; and prepubescents are being treated
for pornography addiction. There are now over one-quarter of one
billion pornographic websites in existence. We spend more on porn
than on football, baseball, and basketball combined. $14 billion a year
is spent in California alone. In 2005, $1.5 billion was spent on cell
phone porn in Western Europe. Two-thirds of human resources
professionals have found porn on an employee’s computer.
We are now living in a pornified society, which is
causing pornography addiction. A panel of academic experts
appearing before the United States Senate Hearing on the Science of
Pornography Addiction in 2004 testified that porn addiction uses the
same neurological pathways as drug dependency. In the case of
heroin addiction synthetic opiates are injected into the body; when
viewing porn the body manufactures its own opioids, which are as
addictive as heroin and cocaine.

In order to understand just how porn addiction develops, it is

necessary to know something of the brain. From deep within the
brainstem the mesolimbic reward centre coordinates primal, survival
needs, such as eating, nurturing the young, and sexual contact, by
creating feelings of desire and reward. An addiction develops when
less advantageous desires cause the mesolimbic reward centre to

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malfunction. This is a common feature of all addictions. The porn
addict causes his addiction through repetitive exposure to images
that initially thrill the viewer. This releases dopamine, the brain
produces endorphins, and a natural high ensues. It is a vicious circle:
the porn addict sees an explicit image, this releases dopamine that
causes a natural high, making him desirous of more explicit images,
he then views more images, which in turn releases more dopamine,
and so the cycle continues. Effectively the brain has been rewired.
There is now a generation of young addicts who may never fully
recover from their porn addiction. After a period of abstinence, a
cocaine addict can free his body from the drug and stave off the desire
for a fix. In contrast, the porn addict has images burnt into his brain
that may never be removed, in part due to the association of extreme
pleasure with the image and the resulting release of opioids. It has
not always been this way.

In 1968 the United States President’s National Commission on

Obscenity and Pornography was charged with understanding the
effects of pornography on the public, and found virtually no evidence
of child pornography, no full-frontal nudity in pornographic
magazines, and little hard-core pornography. Then, pornography was
rare, hard to come by, and the preserve of sad, dirty, secretive men,
for it was not mainstream, and it was not socially acceptable. What
has changed is the marrying of technology with pornographic
interests. It was the coming of cheap printing presses in the
eighteenth century that ushered in the first pornographic novel; the
next leap in the pornification of society was not until the beginning of
the twentieth century, when black-and-white photographs could be
printed cheaply, culminating in the early 1970s when full-colour
photographs were used. But it wasn’t until the introduction of the
home video recorder that the consumption of porn exploded. Home
video removed the shame and stigma associated with porn as people
could now watch it anonymously in their own home. By 1986, 20% of
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all videos in circulation were pornographic. However, the greatest
force behind the proliferation of porn is the internet.

If the opioids produced by the body while watching pornography are

as powerful as heroin, then the internet is the greatest drug delivery
system ever devised. Picture a man so addicted to heroin that he
invents a system whereby the drug is always freely available, twenty-
four hours a day, in the comfort of his own home. His addiction is such
that the heroin is pumped into his body directly through an
intravenous drip, to which he connects at every opportunity. Little
else matters to him, save for connecting to the intravenous heroin to
feed his addiction. His life withers away, he loses his family and his
job, and his young children also become addicts through his example,
as they want to be “just like Daddy.” He is dependent, his life and
family are in tatters.

Now picture the internet and the porn addict. At every opportunity,
to the neglect of his spouse and children, he plugs in a cable through
which the drug of the internet and porn is delivered into his home,
and then into his mind, whenever his wishes. Minutes merge into
hours, hours into several hours, sometimes a day or a night might
pass while he is oblivious to time, and all the while his children see
their daddy hooked up to a machine that is dearer to him than food,
work, or spending time with them. This is the lot of the internet and
the porn addict, and it is a very real and increasingly common picture
of destroyed family life.

In a pre-internet society perverted desires, such as seeing children

and animals as sex objects, remained private thoughts, rarely acted
upon. Such a person was aware of the strangeness of the depravity of
their thoughts. The internet normalizes perverted behaviour, as the
pervert can find websites and users that cater for every sexual
possibility in the global marketplace of the internet. This makes the
pervert’s desires and behaviour seem normal, widespread, and
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acceptable. And yet, every single voyeur of internet pornography is
now in danger of developing extreme sexual preferences that would
be thought of as immoral, ungodly, and criminal in a previous age.
Just as the heroin user needs an ever-increasing supply of the drug to
achieve his high, so too the internet porn addict finds himself looking
for more extreme sexual images in order to satisfy his addiction. What
was exciting and titillating one week becomes normal as the addict is
habituated to it, forcing him to look for more explicit and weird
images, in order for natural opioids to be flooded through his brain.
Perhaps this is the reason why the U.S. Government is seriously
considering putting adverts on buses that read, “Sex with kids is not
OK,” as porn addicts in search of evermore extreme images turn
to child pornography for their kicks.

An astonishing 24% of all image searches on the internet are for

children in a state of undress or engaged in sexual acts; 20% of
children aged ten to seventeen have received sexual solicitation over
the internet; and 90% of children aged eight to sixteen with access to
the internet have visited a porn website. International supermarket
chains sell pole-dancing kits for young girls; mainstream shops
sell Playboy stationery aimed at children; pornographers lure
children into their murky world by linking web searches for popular
cartoon characters to pornographic images; porn has insinuated itself
into online gaming, video gaming, the music industry, and
mainstream television programs and films; American girls aged
thirteen to seventeen are spending over $150 million a year on
thongs; while 11,000 American eighteen-year-old girls are having
breast implants every year. With children being fed porn and being
turned into sexual commodities, little wonder American child
pornography rose 750% in the five years to 2003, and by 2002 over
26,000 websites dedicated to child pornography existed.

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And so, it is children, families, and spouses who bear the real cost of
the dirty world of pornography through its corrosive effect upon
relationships. In 2003, two-thirds of American divorce lawyers had
witnessed a sudden rise in divorces that cited porn addiction as a
factor. In 1995, before the widespread use of the internet,
pornography played almost no role in divorce. Driven by a desire for
extreme and unusual sexual behaviour, the porn addict finds real
women boring, unexciting, unwilling to please, and unattractive. He
becomes less interested in real sexual relationships, preferring the
virtual, fake world of porn. The real-world partners of pornography
users seem inadequate when compared to the ever-willing-to-please
porn-star on the screen. These same partners are often deeply
disgusted with the superficial, egotistical, stupid man who is a porn
addict. The spouse of a porn addict is more likely to be depressed,
have an eating disorder, and suffer low self-esteem. Any indulgence
young women might give to partners who are porn users soon fades,
giving way to frustration and hate, as the porn user prefers his
relationship with porn women over his spouse. He is, in effect,
cheating on her, leading to hurt, jealousy, betrayal, and anger.
Perhaps this is the reason why 40% of porn addicts separate from
their spouse.

The price of admission into this world of porn addiction is a deeply

unsatisfying marital life; a poor long-term emotional and sexual
relationship with one’s spouse; divorce; neglected children who are
also likely to become porn addicts; a career in tatters; withdrawal
from family, friends, and community life; a diminished desire to have
children; much lost time; a perverted mind that thinks constantly of
the opposite sex; a desire for ever more perverted extreme sexual
acts; a life that is connected at every opportunity to the solitary
activity of internet use; and a constant, nagging, uncontrollable pull
towards viewing explicit images that has never been seen before in
human history. In the words of one porn addict under treatment at
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the Mayo Clinic: “It was the pit of hell. I got no satisfaction, but I went
there anyway.” (Article of Moulana Khalid Dhorat) 1

A REAL-LIFE CASE IN PORNOGRAPHY

I am a 25-year-old male, a recovering addict to porn and

masturbation.

It all started at about the age of eleven, when I accidentally

discovered masturbation. Back then I did not understand what I was
doing and did not realise that this was Haraam (but I have to say that,

1
SOCIAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PORN
• 40 to 50% of rapists use porn to arouse themselves prior to seeking out a victim.
• Even brief exposure to violent pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and
behaviour, i.e., a more aggressive attitude toward women.
• Exposure to porn can lead to increased desensitisation to sexual violence and rape.
• A strong statistical correlation has been found between circulation rates of porn
magazines and rape rates in that area.
• The average age of first-time contact of pornography among sex addicts is 11.
(American Family Association OutReach, 1997)
• A primary pornography consumer group is boys between ages 12 - 17. (Attorney
General's Final Report on Pornography, 1986, pg. 258)
• Men who had "purchased pornographic materials in the past year" had significantly
lower marital, fathering and family-life satisfaction. (National Centre for Fathering)
• Researches demonstrate that pornography contributes to sexual assault, including
rape and the molestation of children.
• Child molesters often use pornography to seduce their prey, to lower the inhibitions
of the victim, and to serve as an instruction manual.
• Pornography consumption can be as "mood altering" and as addictive as narcotics.
(A study by Richard Drake, assistant professor at Brigham Young University College
of Nursing)
• Studies show pornography is progressive and addictive for many. It often leads to
the user acting out his fantasy - often on children. (Victor Cline, Ph.D., Department
of Psychology, University of Utah 1988, Pornography Effects: Empirical and Clinical
Evidence, pg. 24) (From the Killer Sex)
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even though I was young I had a feeling that this was wrong). Anyway
I continued in this fashion for a year or two, and then I discovered
porn. At first I was too embarrassed to simply walk into a shop and
buy a magazine, so I would literally look in people’s garbage, in the
hope of finding pornographic material. I remember staying awake
late at night and turning on the TV once my parents slept, in order to
watch late night TV which often showed porn. (I remember in shame
the lengths I would go to conceal my secret, e.g. closing the door, but
not completely so that I can hear approaching footsteps and hiding a
pornographic video underneath a loose floorboard that was nearly
discovered by my father).

It got so bad, and I felt so guilty, that one day, I was about 13 years
old then, I took a brave step and confessed to my father, who was
extremely supportive and gave me practical tips to my problem. It
worked for a few months and my father thought he was successful,
but unfortunately I relapsed and went back to my old ways.

I continued like this for a few years until about the age of 15/16
(throughout this time I always felt guilty and ashamed but continued
anyway), that was when the internet became mainstream. To me this
was the start of a new level in watching porn, as it made it so easy,
(no need for embarrassing walks into an adult shop, and off course
the ease of access and variety of porno content on the web). I started
off by simply watching nude pics and downloading free video-clips
(you see the porn barons are very much like drug dealers, you get
your first joint for free, then you’re hooked and forced to go back to
the dealer, but this time you have to pay to get the harder content).
However, after about 2 years the free stuff simply was not enough, I
needed more to quench my ever-increasing lustfulness. This was
when I crossed another fence, using my credit card.

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This continued until about the age of 20. This was when it really got
out of control as I started to contemplate visiting prostitutes; you see
watching porn alone was not enough. Again, it’s like drugs, you start
with basic drugs and end up with the worst. Again the internet made
it very easy to do this, as prostitutes advertise themselves on the web
on certain specialist websites. At first, like the previous post I would
only call these women, it kind of gave me a kick. I would justify it to
myself by saying that ‘it’s not Haraam to talk, as long as I don’t
actually act on my feelings’, but yes… you guessed it, I moved on to
the next level and committed Zina. After the first experience which
left me feeling very guilty, I decided to repent to Allaah  and
stop watching porn, but once you have been addicted to something
for so long it’s very easy to relapse. In fact, I started to visit prostitutes
on a regular basis.

After a year or two, I decided that the only way to solve my problem
was to get married. Unfortunately, marriage only helped for a few
months, and then I relapsed once more. However, things changed
exactly 1 year ago. As I’m sure you have realised, this beast of an
addiction has been the story of my life, it has absolutely consumed
me in every way, I have tried so many times to slay the beast, but
every time I fail. Yet, something happened to me exactly one year ago
that allows me to stand before this forum today and announce that I
have finally slayed this beast. In fact, today is my 1st year of victory.

Like all other addicts whenever I repented I knew at the back of my

mind that this will not last. 1 year ago, when I repented I came to the
realisation that I cannot have this thought at the back of my mind, as
it made my repentance worthless.

I then sat down and brainstormed all the evil consequences of porn;
I came up with the following:

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1. The most important one-off course is going to JAHANNAM.

2. Constantly feeling guilty and worthless.

3. Constantly feeling ashamed of myself, this led to poor self- esteem

and lack of confidence.

4. Wasting my precious time. Time that can be spent learning new

things or simply enjoying the company of my family.

5. Having to constantly lie to cover my tracks, and then to lie again to

cover my previous lies, and so on.

6. Sexual contact with my wife became a chore rather than something

to look forward to, as I simply was no longer excited by my wife.

7. The feeling of utter emptiness after masturbating, compared to the

feeling of joy when hugging my wife.

8. The amount of money wasted: I can honestly say that in the space
of about 10 years, I blew approximately fifteen thousand pounds
(R250 000) on porn and prostitutes. This money could have gone to
the poor, it could have gone towards my house, it would have paid
for about 10 holidays, or at least 4/5 visits to the holy city of Makkah
Mukarramah.

9. The inability to do anything that would please Allaah  (such

as read Qur’aan, or help a Muslim), as I always felt “what’s the point
of doing a good deed, as I have committed so many disgusting sins.”

10. The utter humiliation I would feel had my wife found out, not to
mention the enormous amount of pain I would cause her had she
found out I was watching porn and even cheated on her’.

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So, how did I stop? It’s a combination of everything really.

1. Constantly reminding myself of the 10 disadvantages outlined

above (I have them stored on my organiser and read them every day).

2. Reading Qur’aan, making duaa every day and giving charity.

3. Never staying home alone if possible.

4. Performing my Salaah on time.

5. Going to my wife whenever I felt the desire.

6. Remembering how guilty, depressed, and ashamed you feel after

committing the sin of watching porn or masturbating.

7. A lot of you will probably agree with me that you watch porn when
you are bored and have free time on hand. There is a verse in the
Qur’aan about free time and how it should be used. I also recently
heard a lecture in which the Imaam said that all evil comes from spare
time, as this is when a human is at his most vulnerable, you have
nothing to do, nothing to pre- occupy your mind, so in order to fill this
void, you commit a sin such as watching porn. The message here
is always occupy your mind with something useful (read a book, visit
relatives, play with your children, start a project, or do anything as
long as it is not Haraam). Never remain idle when you have time on
your hands as boredom can be your downfall and lead you to the
wrong path.

Apart from these 7 points, I have a few more tips that have worked
for me.

1. 1 year ago, I took an oath to Allaah  that if I was to relapse I

would fast for 120 days continuously.
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2. Every day, I go in front of the mirror, and I psyche myself up,
screaming ‘NEVER’, ‘NEVER’, ‘NEVER’, over and over again, ( ‘NEVER’,
as in I will ‘never’ go back to my old ways again).

3. I have a secret book that I purchased specifically for this purpose. I

have marked all the dates of the year on it for the next couple of
years. Next to every day I either have a tick which would represent a
successful day, in other words a day I did not watch porn in, or I would
have a cross, which would represent failure. Alhamdulillah I now
have 365 ticks, and not a single cross. I look at all these ticks every
day, and it gives me a sense of achievement. I would not want to see
a cross in this book, as it would symbolise a return to the old ways.
Seeing that cross would seriously depress me, hence I avoid it at all
cost.

I hope these tips will help. Please make duaa for me as I want to
continue on the right track. I know I can. I know I can. I know I can.
Allaah is on my side. Allaah is on my side. Allaah is on my side.

GREAT BENEFITS OF PROTECTING ONE’S GAZE:

1.) The sweetness of Imaan – Rasulullaah  said, “The gaze is

a poisonous arrow from the arrows of Satan. Whoever leaves it out
of fear for Me, I will convert it into Imaan whose sweetness he will
perceive in his heart.” (Mustadrak of Haakim no. 7875)

Mulla Ali Qari  states, “When the sweetness of Imaan enters the
heart, it will never emerge. In this there is glad tidings that one will
leave this world with Imaan.”

There are five benefits one attains when one gains the sweetness of
Imaan:
1.) One attains enjoyment in his worship
2.) One gives preference to obedience over all other desires.
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3.) One bears all difficulties to please Allaah 
4.) One can swallow all bitterness in problems and difficulties
5.) One is pleased with Allaah ’s decision in all conditions (i.e.
one does not complain or object verbally or in the heart).
(Mirqaat vol.1 page 74)

2.) Peace of mind – Imam Ghazaali  writes that by evil glancing,

only sorrow is created. If the woman is ugly looking, a person regrets
why he looked. If she is good looking, he regrets as he cannot have
her.

3.) Enjoyable life with one’s wife – Satan beautifies the features of
other women. The grass is always greener on the other side. When
one looks at other women, he will not find much beauty in his wife,
whereas if he controls his gaze, his wife will be the most beautiful in
his gaze. Rasulullaah  said, “Do not fornicate; otherwise the
enjoyment of your women will be snatched away.” (Kashf ul-Khifaa no.
1738)

4.) Family members will remain chaste – Rasulullaah  said,

“Be chaste, your women will remain chaste, be kind to your parents,
your children will be kind to you.” (Mustadrak of Haakim no. 7259, Al-
Mu’jamul-Awsat no. 1002)

5.) Acceptance of supplications – It is the experience of senior awliya

that when a person is overcome with the desire to sin, but restrains
himself, then whatever supplication is made at that moment is readily
accepted.

6.) Safety from sorrow on the Day of Judgement – Rasulullaah

 said, “Every eye will be crying on the Day of Judgement
except the eye which was lowered from those things which are
prohibited by Allaah, the eye which stayed awake in the path of
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Allaah, and the eye which due to the fear of Allaah teared the size of
the head of a fly.” (Hilyatul-Awliyaa vol. 3 page 163)

7.) Special proximity of Allaah  - The Sufis say that Allaah

 is very close to the broken hearted. Due to lowering the gazes,
the desires of the heart are certainly shattered, and this becomes the
means of attaining the special proximity of Allaah , that would
not ordinarily be achieved by thousands of Nawaafil and Azkaar.

HARMS OF EVIL GLANCING AND VIEWING PORNOGRAPHY:

1.) Sweetness of acts of worship is removed. By evil glancing, the

inclination to worship Allaah  become less, until eventually
these actions are abandoned. Thereafter a dislike it created for them.

2.) Fights and problems at home. Rasulullaah  said, “If two

people love one another, then a split occurs between the two, it is
because of a sin one of them has committed.” (Musnad Ahmad no.
5357)

3.) Person is removed from the mercy of Allaah  and is cursed

by Rasulullaah .

4.) The darkness of evil glancing destroys the heart. This darkness is
removed after a long period. The heart will not become cleansed
except after protecting the gaze many times when there is an
inclination to look. Lustre of the face is also lost.

5.) Lustful gazes lead to inclination, inclination towards affection,

affection to love and love overpowers the thinking power and
intellect of the lover. Once purpose of life now becomes fulfilment of
passions. He forgets the consequences of his actions and at times gets
involved in illicit love affairs. This leads to disgrace, emotional

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upheaval, physical harassment and even loss of life. A person can
destroy his worldly life as well as the hereafter by these actions.

6.) Semen is lost in the form of nocturnal emission, or even worse,

masturbation or fornication. This causes the bladder to weaken,
because of which drops of urine and pre-coital fluid drips
continuously. This causes countless problems, confusion, and anxiety
in the matter of purity.

7.) The brain is weakened. The heart also weakens. Pains are found in
the back and calf. Dizziness and momentary blackouts are
experienced. There is loss of memory, lack of stimulus and initiative.
Depression, frustration, insomnia, loss of temper, bad moods and a
host of other complications erode the physical body.

8.) Blessings in a person’s life and sustenance is removed.

THE CURE FOR EVIL GLANCING IS:

1.) Realize that Allaah  is watching – When the thought or

desire to look arises, then think to yourself, “If at this time, my
teacher, elder or friend has to see me, will I venture to perform this
act? Now Allaah  is looking at me. How disrespectful, mean,
insolent, unappreciative and audacious I am? By pondering over this
many times, in-sha-Allaah, one will be successful in remedying
himself. (Anfaas-Eesa vol. 1 page 138, 139)

2.) Control yourself and seek forgiveness. By controlling oneself from

looking a few times, a light is created in the heart. By means of this
light, the heart becomes cleansed of dirt. One should also seek
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forgiveness; however, this will not clean the heart as fast as when one
controls himself. (Anfaas-Eesa vol. 1 page 138)

3.) Visualize the punishment of Allaah . Punctually read the

life-stories of our elders. Take out some time in solitude to ponder
over the warnings and punishment sounded for sins. When one is
inundated with thoughts of sinning, then too he should once again
visualize these thoughts. In-sha-Allaah, the desires will be subdued. If
a slight inclination remains, then one should confront it with courage.
Without courage, no other strategy is beneficial. The actual cure is
plucking up courage.

Also think to oneself that on the Day of Judgment, I will be questioned

about this evil action. Thereafter, molten lead will be poured into my
eyes, as is mentioned in a narration. At that time, how much of
difficulty and disgrace I will face? (Kamaalaate-Ashrafiyyah page 6,
number 19)

Think of the beautiful women of Jannah. For every gaze a person

protects, he will be wedded to these women. It is the height of
foolishness to deprive oneself of these beautiful women of Jannah,
due to taking haram enjoyment in the artificial ‘beauties’ of this
world. (Study the ahaadeeth mentioned at the end of this book.)

4.) Do not deliberately bring the thought of any beautiful form in your
mind. If the thought comes by itself, there is no harm in the least bit.
However, do not entertain the thought and allow it to remain. To
repel this thought, think of a person who is blind, one-eyed, squint,
lame, flat-nosed, with thick lips, extremely bad-looking, and with
slime emerging from the nostrils and mouth. In-sha-Allaah, with this
meditation, the other thoughts will be repelled. If not completely,

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then definitely, there will be some decrease, since there is a logical
maxim,
‫اﻟﻧﻔس ﻻ ﺗﺗوﺟﮫ اﻟﻰ ﺷﯾﺋﯾن ﻓﻲ آن واﺣد‬
The thoughts cannot be directed to two things at one time.

Removal of the thought completely is not required since a person’s

reward increases when he engages in this struggle this sacrifice. In
short, if a person wants to save himself, and he utilizes his courage
and strength, then Allaah ’s aid and assistance will come to
one. Gradually, these thoughts will leave one. Even if they do not,
then bear this difficulty. If, Allaah forbid, a person is struck by some
lifelong illness, he is forced to bear it. If one is not happy to do so,
then he should seek some other deity. (Kamaalaate-Ashrafiyyah page
65, 66, number 352)

5.) Ponder over the end result of your ‘beloved.’ When she dies, then
all her beauty will evaporate. Her beautiful face will mix with the soil.
At that moment, no one will ever turn to look at all her beauty which
was only temporary and fleeting. A few days after being placed in her
grave, her body will disintegrate. Insects will cover her. Blood and pus
will emerge from her nose and eyes. When this is the condition which
will afflict her one day, then it is necessary to take a lesson now. An
intelligent person intending to commit any crime, knows that if he is
caught, he will be sent to jail. Even though he is not in jail now, he
feels as though he is in jail at the moment, and thus abstains from the
crime. Similarly, one should keep in front of his mind the condition of
that female whose body will disintegrate and rot, with insects
enveloping her body. By pondering over this for a short while, one will
derive benefit. In-sha-Allaah, in a few days, one’s attraction towards
that person will begin to diminish. Note: Directly attempting to
remove the thought of the beloved will actually bring the thoughts of

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the beloved before one. This method is not beneficial. (Anfaas-Eesa
vol. 1 page 136) 2

Besides this, whilst engaging in dhikr, ponder that those besides

Allaah  have emerged from the heart, and the love of Allaah
 has penetrated into the depths of the heart. By means of this,
in-sha-Allaah, one will even be saved from these non-volitional
thoughts. Strengthening one’s relationship with one’s wife will also
aid one. Point to note is that if there is a delay in being saved from

2
A certain disciple (Seeker of Allaah ) went to a Shaikh (Spiritual
Guide) for self-reformation and spiritual upliftment. Perchance his gaze fell
upon a female servant of the Shaikh, and he began to take a fancy to her.
Shaytaan further embellished her charms in his mind and embedded the
poisonous arrow of desire and passion into his heart. The female servant on
the other hand was a pious, upright soul and she immediately sensed the
evil and dark nature of the disciple’s gaze. The maid immediately reported
the disciple’s behaviour to the Shaikh, who devised a scheme whereby he
hoped to cure the disciple and rid him of this malady, once and for all. He
thus fed the maid servant food containing a purgative (laxative) and
commanded her to gather the faeces in a separate bucket. After a few days
of diarrhoea and dehydration, her appearance became pathetic; her
complexion pale and her body was emaciated. The Shaikh then sent her in
the presence of the disciple, who upon seeing her in this abject state, turned
his face away in disgust and disapproval. The Shaikh appeared on the scene
and addressing the disciple said to him: “O person! If you truly love her why
did you turn your face away from her now? She is still the same person with
the same body. The only exception is this bucket of faeces that has left her
body. Your love for her has been extinguished by the defecation of this filth.
It seems that your love was for this bucket of filth and not for her, else you
would not have turned your face away from her now. The disciple was
overcome with remorse and sincerely repented from this evil habit. (Effective
remedies for spiritual maladies)

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these non-volitional thoughts, then one should not become
perturbed, as this is not the aim. I have written it as a bonus. The main
objective is to save oneself from sins which are within one’s control,
as has been mentioned above. If some difficulty is experienced on the
body or soul whilst waiting for the results of the above medication,
then one should bear it.

6.) The different limbs and strengths one possesses is a bounty and
gift from Allaah . One should utilize it in only permissible
avenues. When utilizing them in sinful avenues, there is a fear that
the ability may be snatched away. An incident is mentioned of a
youngster whose gaze fell onto a strange woman during tawaaf. From
the unseen, he was given a slap and he lost his sight. Today too, one
can receive such a punishment.

7.) Abstain from such places where it will be difficult to control one’s
gaze. Only go to such places when there is necessity and leave as soon
as the necessity is fulfilled. Wudhu is the weapon of the believer.
Perform wudhu, and read two rak’ats of Salaah, asking Allaah 
for protection. After returning home, if errors have occurred, then
seek forgiveness from Allaah . Impose a penalty on oneself
which will cause pain to the nafs.

There is no sin for the desire to look since this is not within one’s
control. However, practising on the desire is within one’s choice, and
for this one will be held accountable. Fantasizing and intentionally
looking are all included in acting on one’s desire. The cure is to control
the nafs and to lower the gaze, since this is within one’s control.
Adopt courage, even if one has to experience some difficulty. This
difficulty is undoubtedly less than the difficulty of Jahannum. When
this is done for some time, then one’s inclination will become less.
This is the only cure. There is no other cure, even if one remains
distressed his whole life. (Anfaas-Eesa vol. 1 page 137, 138)
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Evil glancing is such an evil that it blackens, in fact destroys the
radiance of righteous deeds. Therefore, one should with great care,
endeavour to cure oneself. The desire to look is natural, therefore it
is not evil, in fact, there are many benefits in this. However, practising
on the demands of this desire is evil, and this is within one’s control.
Controlling oneself is also within one’s control. Therefore, one cannot
be excused for looking. Utilize your courage. This is the cure. For a
while there will be difficulty, then it will become one’s habit, and
finally one will perceive enjoyment and delight.

A person who lowers his gaze when the desire to look arises, has been
promised the sweetness of Imaan. Together with this, a person enjoys
a natural sweetness as well. This is because when a person lowers his
gaze, his internal speaks out, “Wonderful! Today you have defeated
Shaytaan.” The friends of Allaah  have expressed this type of
happiness on these occasions, not out of pride, but as a means of
expressing Allaah ’s bounty upon themselves. Such a type of
happiness is commendable.

Allaah  states,

َ‫ﷲ َو ِﺑ َرﺣْ َﻣﺗِ ِﮫ َﻓ ِﺑ َذ ِﻟكَ ﻓَ ْﻠﯾَ ْﻔ َرﺣُواْ ھ َُو َﺧ ْﯾ ٌر ِ ّﻣ ﱠﻣﺎ ﯾَﺟْ َﻣﻌُون‬ ْ ‫ﻗُ ْل ِﺑ َﻔ‬
ِ ‫ﺿ ِل‬
Say, with the grace of Allaah and His mercy, then be happy. (Yunus
verse 58)

In lowering one’s gaze, there is the preservation of one’s internal and

external life, since at times, evil glancing leads to loss of one’s life and
Imaan. (Anfaas Eesa vol. 1 page 143)

2.) INTERMINGLING OF THE SEXES: Unrestricted intermingling of

men and women was never regarded as correct. In the history of man,
from the era of Adam  till the era of Nabi , men and
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women intermingling freely was never regarded as correct. This was
not only for those who followed any shariah, but even the ordinary
noble families never regarded this as correct.

Historical examples of no intermingling:

In Tafseer Madaarik, it is narrated that Nooh  built the ark in

three levels. On the uppermost level resided the humans. Adam
’s body was also taken on board. It was used as a separation
between the men and woman. (Hood verse 38)

In the story of Moosa  on his journey to Madyan, we find

mention of the two women who were standing aside, waiting to give
water to their goats. The reason mentioned for this is that those
women did not like to plunge into the crowds of men. They would
rather suffice and be content with the left-over water.

Even before Islam, honourable women of all nations would remain

segregated from men. Even amongst the Arabs, despite their evil
lifestyles and way of life, some women would conceal their faces from
the gaze of strange men.

In a narration of Tirmidhi, the manner of Zaynab ’s sitting is

mentioned, during whose nikaah (marriage) the first verses of hijab
were revealed. However, even before these verses were revealed,
she sat in the following manner, “And she sat facing towards the
wall.” This was so that no man would stare at her, since this is natural
shame found within women even without the laws of hijab. In noble
Arab families, there was no informal intermingling and talking
between men and women

From the above, we see that even before the revelation of the
command of hijaab, there was no custom of honourable and pious
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men and women intermingling and speaking informally and
unrestrictedly. When reference is made to the first era of ignorance
and the emergence of women in the Qur’aan, this does not refer to
noble Arab women, but to slave women and women of low character.
The noble Arab families regarded this as blameworthy. The history of
the Arabs testifies to this.

The Qur’aan and sunnah forbids intermingling of the sexes.

Rasulullaah  enforced separation of men and women in
various ways when women attended the masjid in the initial stages of
Islam. Firstly, the women stood at the rear while the men stood in
front. Secondly, men were requested to remain behind in the masjid
for a short while after completion of the Ṣalaah so that the women
would have sufficient time to reach home and avoid intermingling
with the men. Thirdly, a special door was assigned for the women to
enter and leave. Fourthly, Nabi  apportioned a different day
and a separate gathering to teach the women. In addition, the
Sahaabiyaat would walk on the sides of the roads to such an extent
that their clothing would brush against the houses. This prevented
them from coming into close proximity with men, who would walk in
the middle.

3.) CONVERSING WITH MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX: A person

should not strike up casual conversations with members of the
opposite sex. In fact, it is not even permissible for a young woman to
greet a non-mahram (strange) man. If a person needs to speak to a
member of the opposite sex due to necessity, the speech should be
straight forward and as brief as possible. In such a situation, the
woman should ideally be behind a hijaab or curtain. Any form of eye-
contact should be avoided.

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Allaah  says, “O wives of the Messenger! You are not like other
women because you have piety. Do not be soft in speech, lest he in
whose heart is a disease (of lust) should be moved with desire.”
(Aḥzaab verse 32)

Allaah  says, “When you ask them for anything, then ask them
from behind a curtain. This is purer for your hearts and their hearts.”
(Ahzaab verse 53)

Some women nowadays have the courage to strike up a conversation

with strange men almost as if it is their second nature. Other women
raise their voices and speak vulgar words in the presence of their
husbands, uncles, fathers-in-law, and other adults. Such behaviour
reveals a lack of modesty and shame.

4.) BEING IN SECLUSION WITH A MEMBER OF THE OPPOSITE SEX: A

person is not permitted to be in seclusion with a member of the
opposite sex whom they can marry. Rasulullaah  said,
“Abstain from being in seclusion with women. By the oath of that
being in whose control lies my life, no man secludes himself with a
strange woman except that Shaytaan joins them. And it is better for
a person to touch a swine which is messed in mud than to allow his
shoulder to touch the shoulder of a strange woman. (Al-Muʿjamul-
Kabeer no. 7830)

Rasulullaah  also said, “No man is alone with a woman

except that the third one present is Shaytaan.” (Tirmidhi no. 1171)

In the context of travel, it should also be noted that it is not

permissible for a strange man and woman to travel alone in a vehicle.

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5.) PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX: A
person is not permitted any physical contact with strange members
of the opposite sex in the form of shaking hands, hugging, etc.
Rasulullaah  said, said, “It is better for a person to have a
needle pierced into his head than to touch a woman who is not
permissible for him.” (Al-Mu’jamul-Kabeer vol. 20-page 211 no. 486)

Aaishah  also stated that the hand of Nabi  never

touched another woman besides his wives. He used to take the
pledge of allegiance from strange women verbally when the need
arose.

6.) INTERACTION WITH EXTENDED FAMILY AND IN-LAWS:

Rasulullaah  said, “Guard yourselves from entering upon
women.” A Sahaabi  enquired, “O Nabi ! What about
the brother-in-law?” Rasulullaah  replied, “The brother-in-
law is (like) death.” (Bukhaari no. 5232, Muslim no. 2172)

A person needs to observe segregation and the laws of hijaab from all
strange members of the opposite sex, however more care should be
observed with spouses of uncle/aunts, brothers/sisters-in law,
cousins, spouse’s brothers/ sisters/ nephews/ nieces/ uncles/ aunts,
etc. The reason for this is that there is a greater possibility of evil
between family men and women because they are informal with each
other, nobody suspects anything between them, and they are in
contact more regularly with each other than with strangers. In other
words, the barriers preventing evil between them are relaxed. Many
families have broken up because of laxity in following this injunction.

A woman may ordinarily expose her face, head, neck, forearms, and
feet to maḥram men, however if there is any fear of evil or temptation
arising between them, she is not permitted to do so. In today’s times
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with the increase of incest cases, more precautions has to be
exercised with the type of clothing one wears even at home before
one’s siblings, fathers, uncles, nephews, etc.

7.) PERMISSION TO ENTER PRIVATE QUARTERS: The Qur’aan

prohibits entry into the homes of others without seeking the
necessary permission. Also, entry of immature children into the
private quarters of a married couple is dependent upon the latter’s
permission at times before Fajr, at midday and after Isha. Children
who have reached the age of maturity should seek permission at all
times before entering. One of the reasons for these laws is that the
gaze and presence of the intruder may violate the chastity, honour,
and dignity of the females.

Strange men should not be permitted to barge in upon the privacy of

women. Men who are in the habit of entering the bedrooms, private
quarters, or areas where women are gathered should be barred from
doing so. In fact, in a hadith, Rasulullaah  said, “Allaah
 will not look (with mercy) at three people on the Day of
Judgement: the one who is disobedient to his parents, the woman
who imitates a man, and the cuckold.” (Nasai no. 2562) Another
narration states that these three will not enter Jannah. (Mustadrak of
Haakim no. 244)

A cuckold is a man who does not mind other strange men visiting his
wife.

THE PROTECTIVE JEALOUSY OF MEN OVER THEIR FEMALE MEMBERS

Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah  said, “If I were to see a man with my wife, I
would strike him with a sword, and not with the flat side of it.” When
Rasulullaah  heard this, he said, “Are you surprised at Sa’d’s

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self-honour? By Allaah, I have more self-honour than Sa’d, and Allaah
has more self-honour than I have.” (Bukhaari no. 6846, Muslim no. 1499)

Rasulullaah  said, “I possess self-honour, and Ibrahim

possessed self-honour. Whichever man does not possess self-honour,
his heart is upturned.” (Musannaf ibn Abi Shaibah no. 17713)

It was narrated that when the rebels entered into the presence of
Uthmaan ibn Affaan , his wife Naa’ilah spread her hair out as
she was entreating the chivalry of the rebels. Thereupon Uthmaan
 shouted at her, and said, “Cover yourself! By Allaah, death is
easier for me than the violation of the sanctity of your hair.”

Therefore, the husband's protective jealousy over his wife motivates

him to protect and safeguard her from anything that might harm her
honour or disrespect her dignity.

INCIDENTS THAT WERE MOTIVATED BY MANLY ZEAL

Narrating the events of the 286th Hirji year, Al-Haafith Ibn Katheer
 quoted what was mentioned in Al-Muntathim, “From the
wonders that occurred during that year, a woman sued her husband
before the judge of Ar-Rayy [a city in modern day Iran]. She claimed
that she had 500 Dinars as her deferred portion of her dowry, but her
husband denied this. She managed to get proof to support her plea.
She was then told that she had to uncover her face in order to make
sure that she was the wife. When this was insisted upon, the husband
became jealous and said, “Do not uncover her face. She is truthful in
her claim.” He confessed that her claim was true in order to avoid
other people seeing his wife's face. When the wife realized what had
happened and that he had confessed so that others would not see

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her face, she said, “I absolve him of the deferred portion of my dowry
in this world and in the Hereafter.”

Al-Haafith As-Sam‘aani  added in Al-Ansaab, “Having admired

their jealousy, the judge said, ‘This incident is to be added to the
historical record of noble manners.’”

While Muslims live by and enjoy these feelings of jealousy and manly
zeal in their societies, which elevates their ranks way above the stars
and raises them to the most sublime of ranks in virtue and purity, the
non-Muslim societies in the East and the West experience the life of
cuckolds, filth and impurities, indecency and disgrace, humiliation,
and shame. Indeed, some animals would refuse to experience such a
life: Some male animals get jealous over their females, and in order
to protect her, the male fights others until the strongest one of them
finally wins. How truthful our prominent scholars were when they
said, “Every nation whose men have weak manly zeal, its women do
not properly maintain their chastity.”

8.) SEPARATING BEDS OF CHILDREN: Parents are commanded in the

hadith to separate the beds of children at the age of ten. Amr ibn
Shu’ayb  narrates from his father from his grandfather that Nabi
, “Command your children to perform Salaah when they are
seven years old. Punish them for not doing so when they are ten years
old and separate their beds.” (Abu Dawood no. 495)

The separation of the beds of children as they grow up is in order to

preserve their purity and prevent them from engaging in any indecent
behaviour. In recent times, there have been numerous cases of young
boys saying that they have been attracted to their sisters because of
the latter’s improper dressing and their close physical proximity to
them.
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RULES REGARDING WOMEN ESPECIALLY

1.) REMAINING WITHIN THE HOME: A woman should remain within

her home environment and only emerge due to necessities such as
Ḥajj, Umrah, visiting her parents or the sick, etc. The Qur’aan states,
“Remain in your houses and do not make a display of yourselves as in
the days of Ignorance.” (Aḥzaab verse 33)

Nabi  said, “When a woman emerges from her home,

Shaytaan makes her attractive.” (Tirmidhi no. 1173) Nabi 
also said, “Women have no permission to emerge from the home
except due to necessity.” (Al-Mu’jamul-Kabeer no. 13871)

Rasulullaah  said, “Verily before the final hour people will

only greet those that they know. Business will become so widespread
and extensive that even the wife will [begin to] assist her husband in
it [in the business]. Families will [begin to] cut off ties. People will
[begin to] give false testimony, and those bearing the truth will [begin
to] conceal it. [Finally,] Forgetfulness will also become so rampant
that the people of knowledge will be forced into writing things down
to preserve it.” (Musnad Ahmad vol. 3870)

This means that women will be taken out of their homes and made to
work with their husbands in the business places. Even worse, at times,
they will work with strange men.

Ibn Mas’ood  says, “It was said, ‘Amongst the signs of the Hour
is that a man will only greets the one he knows, the Masjids will be
taken as pathways, women as well as horses will have value and then
become cheap, never again holding significant value till the Day of
Judgement,’ and man and woman will do business together.” (Al-
Mu’jamul-Kabeer no. 9486)

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2.) DRESSING MODESTLY WHEN EMERGING FROM THE HOME: If a
woman emerges from her home due to necessity, she should conceal
her body with a loose-fitting unattractive garment. Allaah 
says, “O Messenger! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the
believing women that they should draw down the jalaabeeb (loose-
fitting outer garments) over themselves. That is the best way to be
recognised (as honourable women) so that they are not harmed. And
Allaah is Most forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Ahzaab verse 59)

3.) PERFUME AND MAKEUP: A woman should not wear perfume and
make-up in public. Rasulullaah  said, “Any woman who puts
on perfume when going out and passes by people so that they can
smell her fragrance is an adulteress. (Abu Dawood no. 4173, Nasai no.
5126)

Perfume and scent is a powerful medium of attraction. It is a subtle

means of exchange and a woman who wears it in a gathering of men
makes a statement of sensual intent. Islam prohibits a woman from
wearing it in public because it is a sure means of emotional
stimulation.

4.) CONTROLLING THE VOICE: The voice of a woman is a powerful

medium of interaction. Countless problems are caused and spread by
the misuse of her voice. Many illicit love relationships are known to
have developed due to the alluring nature of a woman’s voice. A man
and a woman may apparently be absorbed in an innocent discussion,
but the hidden desires of the heart are at work. These desires cause
the voice to become sweeter and the words more appealing.

Many women cover themselves with cloaks, but speak freely to men,
without any necessity. They even joke and laugh with them. In the
Qur’aan, we learn that women are commanded not to place their feet
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on the ground with such force whilst walking by which the tinkling of
their jewellery can be heard and their hidden beauty can be made
apparent to men. Therefore, women should not speak to non-
mahram males even behind a screen, without necessity.

It is a psychological proven fact that two things are instrumental in

arousing the human sexual desire, one being the voice of a female
(for males) and the other music.

Allaah  states,

ْ ‫ﺿ ْﻌنَ ﺑِﺎ ْﻟﻘَ ْو ِل ﻓَﯾَ ْط َﻣ َﻊ اﻟﱠذ‬

‫ِي ﻓِ ْﻲ ﻗَ ْﻠﺑِﮫ‬ َ ‫ﺳﺗ ُنﱠ َﻛﺎ َ َﺣ ٍد ِ ّﻣنَ اﻟﻧِّﺳَﺎءِ ا ِِن اﺗﱠﻘَ ْﯾﺗ ُنﱠ ﻓَﻼ ﺗ َ ْﺧ‬
ْ َ‫ﯾﻧﺳﺎء اﻟﻧﺑﻲ ﻟ‬
ً‫َﻣ َرضٌ وﻗُ ْﻠنَ ﻗَ ْوﻻً ﱠﻣ ْﻌ ُر ْوﻓﺎ‬
O wives of the Nabi, you are not like other women (on condition)
that you choose taqwaa, thus do not be soft in speech (with strange
men, when there is a need to speak), otherwise the one in whose
heart there is corruption (and evil) will (naturally) get (evil) thoughts
and speak in a befitting manner.(Ahzaab verse 32)

Scholars state that the command encompassed in this verse, despite

being addressed to the noble wives of Nabi , applies to all
Muslim women. It addresses the wives of Nabi  in order to
exhort them to apply it more strictly because of their greater status
compared to other women. But it is to be applied universally by all
women.

From this verse, we learn that women should exercise caution when
speaking to strange men. She should not create softness and
sweetness in her tone, and she should not speak to men without
necessity so that any evil-minded person does not even get the
courage to bring any evil thoughts.

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Mufti Muhammad Shafi  has written under this verse َ‫ﺿ ْﻌن‬ َ ‫ﻓَﻼ ﺗ َْﺧ‬
‫ﺑِﺎ ْﻟﻘَ ْو ِل‬, “If any women due to necessity has to speak to any strange man,
then she should purposely abstain from softness and sweetness
which is inherent in the voices of women. The meaning of this
softness and sweetness is that which will create an inclination in the
heart of the addressed one. Thus Allaah  states thereafter ‫ﻓَ َﯾ ْط َﻣ َﻊ‬
ْ ‫ اﻟﱠذ‬i.e. do not speak in such alluring tones by which desire
ٌ‫ِي ﻓِ ْﻲ ﻗَ ْﻠﺑِﮫ َﻣ َرض‬
and inclination is created in the hearts of such men in whose hearts
there is a disease. By disease, hypocrisy, or a branch of it is meant.
From a pure hypocrite, such desire coming forth is apparent. However
the person who despite being a sincere believer becomes inclined
towards Haraam (impermissible actions) has in him a branch of
hypocrisy. When a person has pure Imaan in which there is no trace
of hypocrisy, then he cannot become inclined towards any Haraam.
(Mazhari)

The crux of this guidance is that women should stay away from
strange men, and they should attain that high stage of hijaab by which
the heart of any stranger of weak Imaan will not be inclined towards
her.

After hearing these guidelines given regarding speech, some of the

noble wives of Rasulullaah  would place their hands on their
mouths, if they had to converse with any strange man, so that their
voices would sound different. In a hadith of Amr Ibn Aas  it is
mentioned that definitely Rasulullaah  prohibited women
from speaking (to any strange man) without the permission of their
husbands (i.e. due to necessity). (Kharaaiti in Makaarimul-Akhlaaq vol. 2-
page 230 no. 8)

On the basis of this Qur’aanic verse as well as clear other indications

of the Sunnah, the jurists of Islam have declared that the female voice

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should be concealed. Just as she is obliged to conceal her face and
body from strange men, so similarly she should conceal her voice
from them too. Therefore it is unlawful for a woman to stand as a
presenter on a radio station, to read Qur’aan, Ahaadeeth or Nazms
aloud whereby strange men can hear her voice, take part in radio
competitions, or speak on-line when the voice is broadcast to all and
sundry.

The restrictions placed by the shariah on the female voice is clear

from the following examples:

a.) Women are not permitted to read qiraat audibly in Salaah.

b.) Women are not permitted to rectify the imaam’s error by calling
out ‘subhaanallaah’ as men do.

c.) It is not permissible for women to even make salaam to strange

men, to answer their salaam or to even answer when they sneeze.

d.) Neither adhaan nor iqaamah has been ordained for them.

e.) They are not allowed to recite talbiyah aloud during hajj.

When, during saintly gatherings such as Salaah and Hajj, a woman is

commanded to conceal her voice, what can be said about her
speaking in seductive tones at other times?

Thus, Islam forbids listening to the female voice with lust and desire.
The great Hanafi Jurist, Imam Ibn Aabidin  states, “It is
permissible for women to converse with non-Mahram men at the
time of need (and vice versa). However, what is not permissible is that
they stretch, soften, and raise their voice in a melodious way.” (Radd
al-Muhtaar vol. page 406)

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Similarly, it is also unlawful for women to listen to the voice of strange
men with lust and desire. One of the great western thinkers said, “The
voice is one of the quickest ways that make a woman fall in love with
a man. This is the reason why many women adore singers.”

Rasulullaah  was also wary of this fact when he said to Bara

ibn Malik, “O Bara! Let not the women here your voice.” (Kanz al-
Ummal, 7/322) The same has also been reported from Anjasha (Bukhari
no. 6149)

Since the Qur’aan forbids a woman from stamping her feet to reveal
her hidden beauty in the form of jewellery, etc. scholars state that her
voice should be concealed all the more because it is the most
attractive of her hidden beauties. At times of necessity when she has
to speak to strange men, her voice should be free of beautification,
gentleness, softness, elegance, and flirtatiousness. She should speak
with modesty. Also, if a woman perceives that a man is deriving
pleasure from her voice or conversation, then it is not permissible for
her to continue speaking with him due to the harmful repercussions
it can lead to. For these reasons, the women of the home should not
be responsible for answering the phone while male relatives are
present, unless it is known that a woman is on the other end of the
line.

5.) BEHAVIOUR IN PUBLIC: A woman’s gestures and behaviour in

public should not be provocative and alluring, but modest. Her walk
should not be bold and expansive, and she should not present herself
at places and functions where she becomes the focus of attention.
Rasulullaah  said, “A woman is supposed to be concealed.
When she emerges outside, Shaytaan makes her attractive to men.”
(Tirmidhi no. 1173)

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6.) INTERACTION WITH WOMEN OF DOUBTFUL CHARACTER:
Righteous Muslim women are prohibited from unnecessarily
interacting with other women of doubtful character or who are
known for their evil ways because the former may easily be
influenced by the latter. In addition, Muslim women are only
permitted to expose their face, hands, and feet to non-Muslim
women. The remainder of their bodies should be covered.

7.) GUIDELINES FOR DRESSING: As a general rule, a woman who steps

out of her home should cover her entire body in loose-fitting and
unattractive garments. Nothing on her body should draw the gazes of
onlookers. She should not aim to be in the limelight or stand out in a
crowd. She should also not adorn herself extravagantly to outsmart
other women.

Allaah  says,
“O Messenger! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the believing
women that they should draw down the jalaabeeb (loose-fitting outer
garments) over themselves. That is the best way for them to be
recognised (as honourable women) so that they are not harmed. And
Allaah is Most forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Ahzaab verse 59)

“They must not expose their beauty except what becomes apparent
of it. And they should wear their scarves over their bosoms.” (Noor
verse 31)

“They should also not strike their feet on the ground to reveal the
beauties that they conceal.” (Noor verse 31)

Rasulullaah  said, “There are two types of people of Hell

whom I have not seen: People with whips like the tails of cattle, with
which they beat the people, and women who are clothed yet naked,
inclining towards men and inciting men, and whose heads look like
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the humps of camels. They will not enter Jannah or even smell its
fragrance, even though its fragrance can be detected from such and
such a distance.” (Muslim no. 2128)

“Clothed yet naked,” in this hadith perhaps refers to the light and
tight- fitting clothing, which instead of concealing, outlines the
contours of the female body. This gives added grace and flexibility to
her movements, thus having a far greater alluring effect upon men
than if she wore no clothing at all. Immodest women are well aware
of these charms and utilise them provocatively in their dressing. Islam
strongly discourages this.

Some women feel that hijab means to cover the hair only; hence they
wear a scarf with skinny tights, stiff jeans, short tops, and heavy
make-up. Any sensible Muslim who understands the laws of hijab and
modesty knows that this is incorrect. The purpose of hijab is to
conceal a woman’s body. It needs to be fashion-less and make her
low-key, inconspicuous, and out of the limelight when she is in public.
However, what we see nowadays is that women’s clothing is designed
to draw attention to themselves. Women wear shiny beaded abayas,
richly decorated cloaks, coloured niqabs, elegantly draped scarves,
fancy tying pins, colourful handbags, seductive perfumes, noisy
shoes, etc. causing more men to gaze at them. This defeats the
purpose of hijab.

The following are some specific guidelines regarding women’s

dressing when they emerge from their homes:

The clothing should be loose-fitting, and the fabric should be thick so

that the outline and contours of the body are not visible.

b.) The clothing should not be see-through so that the colour of the
skin is not visible.
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c.) The entire body should be covered. Exposing a portion of the hair,
the neckline, the face, half of the leg, etc. is not acceptable.

d.) Upper garments should not be tight-fitting thereby revealing the

shape of the arms, stomach, and breasts.

e.) V-neck and u-neck garments should be avoided as these expose a

portion of the chest and neck.

f.) Lower garments should not be tight-fitting thereby exposing the

contours of the thighs, buttocks, and legs. When a trouser is worn, an
outer garment, such as a cloak or abaya, should be worn over it. Jeans
should not be worn by women (even under an abaya) as they are
generally tight-fitting and resemble the dress of men.

g.) Scarves should not be draped fashionably and attractively to bring

out the face. They should also not be colourful with fancy and stylish
tying pins.

h.) Abayas should not flap open when a woman walks because this
exposes the body instead of concealing it.

i.) Jingling jewellery should be avoided.

j.) Shoes that produce a sound when walking such as high heels
should be avoided. Similarly, glittering shoes and sandals should be
avoided as these are designed to attract attention.

k.) Perfume, scent or aroma should not be worn as these attract the
attention of men.

l.) The outer burqah, cloak, abaya and niqab should be plain and of a
dark colour. They should not be decorated, embroidered, brightly
coloured, shiny, glittering or dazzling.

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m.) Handbags should be plain and not colourful and stylish.

n.) All forms of swimwear are unacceptable in public because, when

emerging from water, the clothing sticks to the body revealing the
contours.

o.) Eyeliner and eyeshadow are meant to beautify the eyes so these
should be avoided.

p.) The female clothing must not resemble men’s clothing.

q.) The design of the clothing must not resemble the clothing of non-
Muslim women.

r.) Clothing must not be worn for the purpose of gaining reputation
or increasing one’s status in society.

8.) WEARING A NIQAAB (FACE-VEIL): Islamic scholars state that it is

compulsory for a woman to cover her face in the presence of strange
men. They base their view on the following proofs:

a.) The Qur’aan instructs women to wear a jilbaab, which covers the
entire body including the face.

b.) The Qur’aan commands women not to stamp their feet because
this may reveal their hidden beauty in the form of ankle bracelets,
jingling jewellery, etc. such stamping of the feet tempts men and
stimulates sexual desires, even if they do not know the age, identity,
or beauty of a woman. When stamping of the feet tempts men, a
beautiful face will surely do so to a greater extent.

c.) The Sahaabah  stated that women during the era of Nabi
 would cover their faces and leave only one eye open to see.

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d.) When a woman is described as beautiful, it means that her face is
beautiful. If her face is not beautiful, she is not regarded by men as
beautiful. Hence, the verse of the Qur’aan commanding the covering
of her beauty (zeenah) has to necessarily include the face.

e.) The Sahaabiyaat have stated that they would cover their faces
while in ihraam if men happened to pass by them.

f.) The hadith which mentions the incident when Aaishah  was
slandered states that, when she noticed Safwan ibn Muattal, she said,
“I drew my jilbaab over my face.”

g.) The Qur’aanic verse in which old women who have no intention of
marrying are permitted to remove their garments refers to the jilbaab
which covers the face. Hence, only old women may expose their
faces. If we assume that the face of a young woman is to be left open
as default, what will an old woman be permitted to expose, if she
practises on this Qur’aanic verse?

h.) In a hadith of Tirmidhi, Nabi  commanded women to let

their garments hang one hand span lower than that of men. When
Umm Salamah  said that this would expose their feet, Nabi
 commanded that women should let their garments hang
an arms-length lower. This would ensure that their feet would remain
concealed. When such emphasis is placed upon concealing the feet,
it is impossible that Islam would permit the exposing of the face which
is far more attractive.

i.) The face is the most attractive part of the human body. To
determine the beauty of a woman, the first thing a man gazes at is
the face. And when a man intends marrying a woman, he desires to
see her face. Hence, exposing the face to strange men is a source of
temptation.
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According to all the scholars, it is compulsory for women to cover the
face in the presence of strange men if there is the slightest fear of evil
and immorality. The fact that we are presently living in an era of
compounded immorality is indisputable, hence it is necessary for
women to cover their faces in public.

On a point of caution, it should be noted that adorning the hijab and

niqaab does not provide a license to move around freely. Every law of
Islam still applies. Hence, a woman in hijab should also abstain from
sinful actions and environments. Being present at beachfronts where
nudity is prevalent, aimlessly walking through shopping malls where
music is blaring, jumping onto fun rides at entertainment venues in
close proximity with strange men, while in hijab is contrary to the
teachings of Islamic morality.

9.) RELAXING THE LAW OF HIJAB DUE TO NECESSITY: A woman will

require medical treatment at some time in her life. This may be in the
form of consulting a medical doctor, dentist, gynaecologist, hakeem,
optician, mid-wife, etc. In such a situation, she is permitted to expose
particular sections of her body, however she should keep the
following points in mind:

a.) She should try to ensure that a Muslim female medical practitioner
attends to her. If this is not possible, her order of preference should
be a non-Muslim female, then a Muslim male and finally a non-
Muslim male.

b.) Exposure of her body should be to the extent of necessity. Hence,

she should expose only that portion of the body which requires
examination, and she should not leave it exposed for longer than
required. There is no need to expose her hair and upper body during
childbirth even if only women are present. Similarly, she should not
expose her legs if the ailment has to do with her stomach or back.
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c.) She should be accompanied by a mahram or her husband so that
she avoids being in seclusion with a male practitioner during
consultations and medical examinations.

d.) She should choose a trustworthy, honest, and righteous

practitioner, especially in the case where she has no choice but to be
examined by a male practitioner, so that the chances of her honour
being violated in any way are minimised.

MISCELLANEOUS GUIDELINES

Other Islamic laws of modesty which aim to prevent evil, and

temptation include the following:

a.) A woman is not permitted to consume the left-over food or drink

of a non-maḥram man.

b.) If, by viewing the clothing of a non-maḥram man, a woman’s

desires are aroused, then such viewing is impermissible.

c.) Fantasising about non-mahram men or women is adultery of the

heart and hence forbidden.

d.) Those portions of a woman’s body which are not permitted to

view while she is alive are also forbidden to view after her death.

e.) It is not permissible for a non-mahram man to view the cut, shaven
or broken hair of a woman.

f.) A woman should not describe the physical features and beauty of
another woman to her husband, as it is possible that he may develop
feelings of affection for her.

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g.) A woman should not divulge the private details of her conjugal
relationship to other women.

h.) In the interests of safety and honour, a woman should not expose
her name and contact details in public media or internet platforms.

Benefits of hijab – a) A woman who dresses in hijab evokes feelings

of self-respect, virtue, grace, confidence, and dignity. Her dress
proclaims that society should not focus upon her beauty and physical
appeal. She declares that her self-worth is not based on how much
attention she gets from others. Hijab is a manifestation of modesty,
chastity, purity, and obedience to Allaah  and His
Messenger. Those who adorn the hijab humble themselves
before their Creator and He in turn raises them to lofty heights.

b) Hijab strikes at the root of many social problems which are caused
when women expose themselves in an inappropriate manner. It
offers women peace, security and privacy in a manner that is in
harmony with nature. It prevents evil thoughts and ideas from
entering the hearts of men and keeps a woman safe from people who
have evil intentions. It is quite ironical that Western women expose
themselves in scanty clothing which entices men and then blame
society when they are molested and exploited.

c) Hijab gives women a unique identity and space. It relieves them of

the social pressure of being attractively and perfectly dressed at all
times. Because they are not preoccupied with their appearance and
looks, it affords them the opportunity to realise their potential in
more important dimensions of life. It also frees men and women from
being focussed upon each other’s beauty all the time.

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d) Veiled Muslim women make a moral contribution to the society
they live in. They are the most beautiful of women because they are
modest. They do not ascribe to the perverted modern world of design
and entertainment which celebrates exposure of the female body.

e) Hijab is especially relevant nowadays when one considers that

fashion trends and standards never remain constant. The goal posts
of beauty are constantly changing. What is fashionable and beautiful
today is out-dated tomorrow. Trends are set by male capitalists and
materialists who entice women to follow a mirage like sheep. Women
are so influenced by the international fashion houses that some will
not wear an outfit more than once because they are acutely sensitive
to the pressure of society. Because nobody knows what a woman in
hijab is wearing beneath her simple outer clothing, she is freed from
spending large amounts of time and money on perfume, creams,
beauty parlours, diet products, clothing, etc. Essentially, hijab is
liberation from the shackles of Western-imposed beauty standards
which have caused havoc on women’s health, confidence, and
finance.

The West portrays hijab as a relic of the dark ages, a sign of

oppression and an impediment towards progress. Amongst their
various attacks upon Islam, their crusade against the hijab features
prominently. It would interest them to know that hijab has been worn
by noble women in many cultures. For example, according to the
Bible, modesty and the veil was a characteristic of women in the time
of the previous Messengers. It states: Rebekah looked up, and when
she saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel and asked the
servant, “Who is that man coming in the field to meet us?” “That’s my
master,” the servant told her. So she reached for a veil and covered
herself. (Genesis 24:64-65)

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The aim of the West in attacking hijab is twofold. Firstly, they intend
to persuade non-Muslims from being inclined towards Islam by
insinuating that the hijab is symbolic of Islamic oppression. Secondly,
they wish to lure Muslim women away from the hijab because they
know that women are the backbone of Muslim society. They know
fully well that when the hijab is removed, honour, self-respect and
morality also disappears. The foundation of Islamic society will then
be weakened because the strength of Islam lies in its spiritual and
moral values. The reality is that hijab is not a form of oppression nor
is it an unjust form of restriction upon women. It is a dignified means
of protecting a woman and her chastity. Unlike Western clothing, it
projects the idea that a woman’s sexuality is not for public display and
consumption.

Women who do not wear the hijab are the cause of many problems
in society. Firstly, their dressing corrupts the morality of men,
especially the youth. They should know that they will bear the sin of
every neck that turns and every eye that gazes at them when they are
inappropriately dressed because they were the cause and catalyst for
the sin. They dressed in a manner that allowed men to feast their eyes
upon them. For this reason, Nabi  said that Allaah cursed
those who look at the opposite gender, as well as those who present
themselves to be looked at. (Shuʿabul Imaan no. 7399)

Secondly, exposing their beauty leads to unnecessary rivalry and

competition with other women.

Thirdly, they expose themselves to harm and molestation because

they make themselves vulnerable to the advances of wicked,
irreligious, and sinful men. Essentially, women who dress revealingly
facilitate various sins which would otherwise never occur.

WHY ISLAM STRESSES UPON MODESTY?

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Islam recognises that man is composed of body and soul. Man
possesses angelic qualities and animalistic qualities. If his animalistic
qualities are left uncontrolled, he commits such indecencies that
cause him to sink to a level lower than that of animals. On the
contrary, if he cultivates qualities of piety, morality, modesty, purity,
and chastity within himself, he may even surpass the status of the
angels.

Those who become slaves to carnal desires and sensual pleasures are
doomed to a life of restlessness because these qualities are insatiable
when left unharnessed. A mind that is overpowered by sexual
thoughts and desires and bombarded with sexual stimulants from all
sides cannot find peace of mind and tranquillity for constructive and
creative work. For this reason, Islam harnesses man’s sexual energy
by moral discipline and confines it to marriage so that it is conducive
to the development of a clean and righteous culture.

Islam teaches that the purpose of the creation of man is not limited
to a sexual relationship because this reduces him to the level of
animals. He should aspire to higher purposes and goals in order to live
a sublime and refined life on earth. Such goals include the worship of
Allaah , perfection of character and service to humanity.

The Islamic laws of modesty are often incorrectly portrayed as

instruments of oppression and suppression. In reality, these laws aim
to keep the social environment pure from all forms of sexual
stimulation, so that both men and women can develop their mental
and spiritual abilities in a peaceful atmosphere and thereby build a
healthy society.

The rationale behind the subtler commands of Islamic modesty is that

no man or woman is ever free from the clutches of Shaytaan. Being
the devil that he is, he is always plotting to trap them in any way
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possible and lure their hearts towards each other so that they may
commit acts of indecency. This unrelenting effort of Shaytaan on the
human soul has been summarised by Nabi  in the
statement, “Verily, Shaytaan runs through a person like the running
of blood (through his veins).” (Bukhaari no. 2038)

In the backdrop of a shameless Western civilisation, where

immodesty is encouraged rather than condemned, the Islamic laws of
modesty are a breath of fresh air. These laws are divinely prescribed
and are the only basis for a successful social setup because they are
in harmony with nature. This divine code of discipline has been
devised by the Creator with utmost wisdom and with full knowledge
of human psychology. It has produced excellent results whenever it
was adopted over a span of 1400 years. It has not led to even the
slightest of the evils that have been caused by Western culture during
the short span of just a hundred years.

The control of the gaze is paramount in the prevention of evil because

it is the first rung on the ladder of adultery. The eyes are the medium
through which images and signals are relayed to the brain, triggering
a series of emotional reactions. For this reason, Islam commands both
men and women to control their gazes. This command is particularly
important for men because the gait, manner and appearance of a
woman have magnetic power. Many women have been deceived into
believing that their honour and respect lies in them attracting the
lustful gazes of strange men. The truth is that such gazes only bring
them disgrace and humiliation.

Having recognised the powerful force of female beauty, Islam has

restricted her display of adornments to a limited circle of family such
as her husband, father, grandfather, brothers, children,

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grandchildren, and uncles in order to minimise the chances of
emotional excitement or sexual stimulation.

It is a natural tendency in men to be attracted and drawn towards

feminine beauty and Shaytaan exploits this weakness to the
maximum. Even if a pious man of the calibre of Ḥasan al-Basri 
and a pious woman of the calibre of Raabiah al-Basriyah  were
to be together in private, then too would Shaytaan attempt to weave
his ploy. For this reason, both men and women are instructed to abide
by a moral code of law regarding their demeanour, dress, body
language and words.

The importance of modesty in Islam can be best understood by the

noble proclamation of Yusuf  when he was invited to fulfil his
desires with a woman of beauty and power. As the Qur’aan relates,
he said, “Prison is more beloved to me than that (adultery) to which
they call me.” (Yusuf verse 33)

The urge to cover the human body is not a teaching of a primitive and
outdated culture. Rather it is an innate quality in man, hence the
Qur’aan tells us that Adam  and Hawa  rushed to cover
themselves with leaves when their bodies were exposed in Jannah. In
fact, exposing the body is a contributory factor towards obscenity. If
this urge is given free reign, it will find expression in any and every
possible way. For this reason, we nowadays see women flaunting
their beauty through every inch of their bodies, attire, and behaviour.
The fact that the West, thrives on such exposure of the body speaks
volumes of their immoral culture.

The effects of intermingling Islam separates the spheres of activity of

men and women because the natural sexual attraction which exists
between the sexes becomes stronger and transgresses acceptable

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limits due to the stimulation it receives every time the sexes
intermingle. When they intermingle, they are prone to be led by their
sentiments for each other, rather than their intellect because the
sexual urge in each gender for the other is always anxious to find an
outlet. Proof of this is the relationships that develop at universities,
colleges, schools, workplaces, in fact any place where the genders
mix.

The fact that Islam has absolved women of worship in congregation

and performing Salaah in the masjid leads us to the conclusion that
their real sphere of activity should be their homes. Further, it is
reasonable to assume that sexual emotions are absent or greatly
suppressed while performing Salaah in the masjid, but Islam has still
prohibited intermingling in this sacred environment. What can then
be said about intermingling in offices, factories, corporate
environments, educational institutes, shops, malls, parks, and places
of entertainment?

Free intermingling of the sexes is also problematic because it gives

rise to an inclination to appear as attractive as possible to the
opposite gender. In addition, free intermingling robs men and women
of their dignity. A modest and respectable spouse will never be at
ease knowing that his partner is rubbing shoulders, shaking hands, or
speaking freely with members of the opposite gender.

Intermingling often poses unexpected problems for women because

many people have diseased hearts. Even if a woman desires purity of
heart for herself, she can never guarantee that her male associates,
friends, and colleagues desire the same purity. She may therefore be
treated disrespectfully or asked a distasteful question in a gathering,
causing her embarrassment.

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Intermingling is also problematic because Western culture
encourages maintaining eye contact during conversation to enhance
communication. Hence, if a Muslim woman rightfully does not
maintain eye contact with a man, she is perceived as a poor listener
or rude, whereas none of this is true. Similarly, Western culture
teaches that her body language needs to be friendly, while Islamic
laws of modesty teach the opposite.

Even the West has, to a degree, realised that men and women have
certain sensitivities in relation to each other. Hence, they provide
separate bathrooms for males and females. In some countries, there
are separate gender schools because educators feel that this
facilitates the learning process.

An advantage of men and women working in different spheres is that

they can view each other’s circumstances objectively, without
personal involvement and emotion. A case in point is when Ummu
Salamah , the wife of Nabi , gave him sound advice
at the treaty of Hudaibiyah. The Sahaabah  were disappointed
that they were deprived of performing the ʿumrah, hence when Nabi
 issued the command for them to slaughter their animals
and shave their hair, none of them moved. He went to Ummu
Salamah  and explained to her what had transpired. She wisely
advised him, “Go out yourself, and without saying a word to anybody,
slaughter your camel and get your barber to shave your head.” Nabi
 followed her advice and, when the Sahaabah  saw
him slaughtering his camel and shaving his head, they followed suit.
Due to her being separated from the other Sahaabah , she
viewed matters differently and gave him sound advice which he acted
upon.

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In essence, Islam maintains that a woman should not associate with
everyone. Just as precious jewels are concealed, a woman should
conceal her beauty from the gazes of men.

OBJECTIONS TO ISLAMIC MODESTY

a) Some people claim that the laws of hijab do not apply to them
because their hearts and minds are clean.

Firstly, the reality is that no matter how innocent and pure a person
might feel, Shaytaan excites his or her passions, leading to evil
thoughts and sins.

Secondly, the pure wives of Nabi  were ordered to observe

hijab from non-mahrams. These blessed women reached the highest
ranks of piety, and their homes were the noble abodes where
revelation descended. Even the Qur’aan testified to their greatness.
The fact that they were ordered to observe strict hijab, despite their
noble status and purity, emphasises the need for other Muslim
women to do so to a greater extent.

Thirdly, if one’s heart is clean, can one guarantee that other hearts
are also clean? Fourthly, the Messengers of Allaah were the purest of
all people, but even Yusuf  said in the Qur’aan, “I do not claim
innocence for myself. Surely the lower self strongly commands evil.”
(Yusuf verse 53)

Further, any culture which allows freedom between the sexes on the
assumption that people’s hearts are clean is oblivious to reality. The
sexual instinct and the natural attraction between men and women
is arguably the strongest instinct in man. It is like placing butter next
to a fire and hoping that it will not melt; or placing a pot of water on
a burning fire and hoping that it will not boil over; or placing dynamite
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in a fire and hoping that it will not explode. The Islamic view is that
attraction between men and women exists and, if left unharnessed,
it has the potential to break down the moral fabric of society. It is
known that when the desires of man erupt, they are almost
impossible to control.

In support of this idea, Moulana Rumi  in his masterpiece, the

Mathnawi, mentions the story of a snake-catcher who once went into
a snow-laden mountainous area and found a huge snake that had
frozen. Thinking it to be dead, he brought it back to Baghdad in order
to show it to the people and make some money. But when he brought
it into the warm sunlight of the city, it was revived and attacked the
people. The moral of the story is that man should always be careful
of the dangers that lurk within his lower self. Just as the snake came
to life when it got the opportunity, the fire of lust and passion in man
will ignite at the slightest opportunity. Man should never feel
contented that he is in control of his lower self but regard it as his
deadliest enemy.

In another story, Moulana Rumi  mentions the tale of a man who

saved a bear from the fangs of a large serpent. The bear was so
thankful for his kind gesture that he began following the man. The
bear served him like a slave and protected him from harm. One day,
as he lay asleep beneath a tree, the bear was driving away the flies
from his face. But the flies were so persistent that the bear lost his
patience. It seized a huge rock and flung it at the flies in order to kill
them. But the rock struck the man’s face and crushed it completely,
killing him. One of the many morals contained in this story is that a
man should never trust his lower self, thinking that it is in his control.
Just as a man cannot befriend a bear, man should never regard his
carnal desires as his friend.

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b) Then there are those who argue that the laws of Islamic modesty
apply more restrictions upon women than upon men. They assert that
these laws have been coined by chauvinistic men in order to suppress
women. While the assertion of women having more laws upon them
is true, this concept was not coined by men, but is laid down by Allaah
 in the Qur’aan. Verses 30 and 31 of Surah Noor as well as all
the other commands in this surah and Surah Ahzaab dealing with
issues of female modesty provide ample evidence to prove this point.
The objective of these verses is to prevent immorality by encouraging
purity and chastity. It is certainly not to objectify women or reduce
them to the level of sexual beings.

c) Some also object that Islam’s institution of hijab creates undue

emphasis upon a woman’s external appearance. This line of thinking
suggests that a woman needs to be appreciated for her intellect and
personality rather than her external self. This argument holds no real
weight because, in reality, women who expose their beauty in public
seek to draw attention to themselves and thereby emphasise their
external beauty. Further, the carnal desires of a man leads him to
focus primarily on a woman’s external beauty before he can
appreciate her intellect, hence it makes sense to cover up.

The West argues that just as the sweet smell of a rose may be
appreciated by many, it is perfectly acceptable for the beauty and
charms of a woman to be appreciated by many men. This thinking is
defective because it ignores the fact that a rose loses its beauty each
time it is handled. Similarly, a woman loses her beauty and value
when she exposes herself to strange men.

A dialogue between a flower and a pearl touches on this vital aspect.

One day, a brilliantly beautiful and fragrant flower with attractive
colours met a pearl that dwells at the bottom of the ocean. They got
acquainted with each other. The flower said, “Our family is large;
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roses and daisies are members of the family. And there are many
other species that are various and countless, each has a distinctive
scent, appearance...etc.” But then, a tinge of distress appeared on the
flower. “Nothing accounts for sorrow in your talk; so why are you
depressed?” the pearl asked. The flower replied, “Human beings deal
with us carelessly; they humiliate us. They don't grow us for our sake
but to get pleasure from our fragrance and beautiful appearance.
They throw us on the street or in the garbage can after we are
dispossessed of the most valuable properties of brilliance and
fragrance.” The flower sighed. The flower then asked the pearl, “Tell
me about your life. How do you live? How do you feel? You are buried
in the bottom of the sea.” The pearl answered, “Although I have none
of your distinctive colours and sweet scents, humans think I am
precious. They do the impossible to procure me. They go on long
journeys, dive deep in the seas searching for me. You might be
astounded to know that the further I lay, the more beautiful and
brilliant I become. That’s what increases my value in their sight. I live
in a thick shell isolated in the dark seas. However, I am happy and
proud to be in a safe zone far from wanton and mischievous hands
and I am content that humans consider me highly valuable.” The
flower symbolises an unveiled woman who shows her beauty, while
the pearl symbolises a veiled woman who conceals her beauty.

INCIDENTS OF MODEST WOMEN

1.) TWO WOMEN IN THE ERA OF MOOSA

-

In the Qur’aan, Allaah  mentions the incident of Moosa 

when he fled from Firʿawn. When he reached Madyan, he came
across a group of men who were watering their flock. At a distance,
he noticed two women who were sitting apart from the men. Moosa
 asked the women why they were not watering their animals.

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As the Qur’aan states, they briefly replied, “Our father is an old man.”
Their reply meant that their father could not water the animals
himself, hence they were forced to do so, but being the weaker sex
they had to wait for the shepherds to do so first. Moosa 
watered their animals for them and the women then returned home.
Later, one of the women returned and told Moosa  that her
father wanted to see him in order to repay him for his kindness. The
Qur’aan describes that her walk was modest.

This incident teaches a number of lessons.

Firstly, the women did not intermingle with the men.

Secondly, the women explained that they had emerged from their
home due to necessity because their father was an old man and could
not water the flock himself. By this they indicated that the focal point
of activity for a woman should be her home.

Thirdly, their reply to Moosa  was very brief, teaching us that

modest women feel uneasy to talk freely with strange men.

Fourthly, the woman’s modest walk was so beloved to Allaah 

that He highlighted it in the Qur’aan.

Fifthly, as soon as the daughters found a suitable employee, they

suggested to their father to employ him so that they could remain at
home.

2.) AAISHAH 

The incident of Aaishah  who was falsely accused of adultery by

the hypocrites is mentioned in the Qur’aan and various books of
ḥadeeth, including Bukhaari and Muslim. She was travelling with Nabi
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 and had left her palanquin on the camel to answer the call
of nature. When she returned she realised that she had mistakenly
dropped her necklace and went back to find it. The caravan departed
without realising that she was missing. When she realised that she
was stranded, she sat down and fell asleep. Safwaan ibn Muʿattal
 who was deputed to follow behind the army noticed her and
expressed his surprise. When Aaishah  saw him, she
immediately covered her face with her jilbaab. He then allowed her
to sit on his camel and led her until they joined the caravan. She said,
“We never spoke a word and I never heard him saying a word except
inna lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raajiʿoon.”

This incident teaches a number of lessons which are relevant to this

discussion. Firstly, the women were separated from the men by
sitting in palanquins when they travelled.

Secondly, the men who lifted the palanquin and rode away with it
clearly had no conversation with Aaishah, because, if they did, they
would have realised that she was absent.

Thirdly, Aaishah  covered her face as a spontaneous response

to a strange man, pointing to her modesty.

Fourthly, Aaishah  and Ṣafwaan ibn Muʿattal  never said

a word to each other in conformity with the Islamic directive of
prohibiting strange men and women from unnecessary discussions.

Fifthly, Aaishah  herself mentioned that he recognised her

when he saw her as he had seen her prior to the revelation of the
command of hijab. In other words, no strange man had seen her face
after the command of hijab was revealed.

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Sixthly, he recited inna lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raajiʿoon to wake her up
without having to address her directly.

In summary, all these points indicate that there was a great degree of
modesty governed by clear segregation of the genders.

3.) FAATIMAH 

Once Nabi  asked the Sahaabah  what was the best

of things for women. None of the Sahaabah  could provide an
answer to Nabi  in that gathering. When ʿAli  returned
home and informed Faatimah  about the question Nabi
 had posed to the Sahaabah , she spontaneously
answered, “The best thing for women and most beloved in the sight
of Allaah is that women do not see men and that men do not see
women.” When Rasulullaah  was informed of her response
he said, “Faatimah is a part of me.” (Hilyatul-Awliyaa vol. 2 page 40)

Faatimah  was concerned about her modesty throughout her

life and even at the time of her death. During her final illness she said
to Asma bint Umais , “I dislike what happens to women (after
they pass away). They are covered in a cloth which allows their bodies
to be (viewed and) described.” Asma bint Umais  said to her,
“Would you like to know what I saw in the land of Abyssinia?” she
then asked for some fresh branches of a palm-tree, bent them into
shape and threw a piece of cloth over them. Faatimah  said,
“This is excellent!” she also made a bequest that she be buried at
night and her wish was fulfilled. (Usdul-Ghaabah)

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These incidents show how modest Faatimah  was and how
much importance she gave to the fact that her modesty should be
preserved, even after her death.

4.) UMMU KHALLAAD 

The son of a Sahaabiyah by the name of Ummu Khallaad was

martyred. When she heard about it, she came to Nabi  to
enquire about his position and reward. Despite being afflicted by the
great tragedy of losing her son, her face was still covered with a niqab.
A Sahaabi was quite astonished by this and remarked, “You have
come to enquire about your son, yet you have covered your face (at
this tragic moment)?”

She replied, “I may have lost my son, but I have not lost my modesty.”
(Abu Dawood no. 2488)

Note: What great words and what a great lesson! Losing her son was
tolerable but removing her niqaab and exposing her face was
intolerable. This was the modesty of the women of this Ummah! This
incident and the one before, very clearly explains that covering the
face for a woman is also an injunction of deen, and not just an Indian
custom as some ‘bright thinkers’ promote. Another critical issue that
stands out in this hadeeth is that although she came before
Rasulullaah , her face was covered. Unfortunately today a
trend which is becoming common in our communities is that women
are attending Arabic and tafseer classes or other Islamic courses and
there is no screen between them and the speaker/shaikh. Many
marriages have been affected in this way. How can a man allow his
wife to attend such a program even if it is done in the name of deen!
(Adapted mainly from Muslim women and modern challenges by Ml. Afzal
Ismail)

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5.) ASMAA 

Asmaa , the respected sister of Aaishah , entered the

home wearing a thin garment. Rasulullaah  immediately
turned away from her and corrected her, explaining to her that she
should not wear such thin clothing as it was insufficient in concealing
her body. (Abu Dawood no. 4104)

This lesson of shame in clothing, taught by Rasulullaah , was

so deeply entrenched in the heart of Asmaa  that she remained
particular regarding modesty in her dressing until the end of her life.

Hence, when she reached old age, her son, Munzir ibn Zubair ,
after returning from Iraq, sent her a cloth of very fine and superior
quality as a gift. She had lost her sight, and so held the fabric in her
hand, feeling it carefully. Then she said, “Return the cloth to him.”
When the cloth was returned to Munzir , he felt hurt (as his
beloved mother had returned his gift) and said to her, “O my beloved
mother! The cloth is not transparent (so it is fine for you to
wear)!” Asmaa  replied, “It may not be transparent, but it will
still reveal the shape of the body (due to it being tight-
fitting).” Understanding the reason for his mother’s disapproval, he
thereafter bought her common garments. She happily accepted them
saying, “It is these types of garments that you should give me to
wear.” (Tabaqaat Ibn Sa’d vol. 8, page 252)

Asmaa  gives us total insight of what the clothing of a Muslim

should be, and she sets the standard for it. She explains that the
garment being non-transparent is not the only issue about clothing;
rather it is equally essential for it not to be tight fitting and body
hugging. It must not only be a black cloak or a black scarf, but it must

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be an item of clothing that does not describe the figure of the woman
and does not hold an attraction.

A FEW INCIDENTS OF IMMORAL PEOPLE

1.) UNUQ - This woman lived in the era of Adam . She is the
first person to commit adultery and thereby disgrace herself. Allaah
punished her in this world by sending huge snakes as big as elephants,
huge scorpions as big as camels and huge vultures as big as donkeys
from the unseen. They all came and ate her up together.
2.) WIFE OF LOOT - She was also a disbeliever and she used to
help the disbelievers in their evil ways. When the time approached
for Allaah to send His punishment on the disbelievers, He sent angels
to inform Loot . They said to him, “Leave your residence the
following morning because the punishment of Allaah is about to
descend on this village. Take the believers with you and leave this
village on this very night. No one should look back at this village.”
Acting on the orders of Allaah, Loot  left his village. This woman
also joined them in order to save her life. When the time came for the
punishment of this village, Allaah caused stones to rain down on them
and there was a great uproar. All the believers lowered their heads
out of fear and continued on their way. No one looked around.
However, this woman, who had relatives among the disbelievers and
whose way of life was just like theirs, looked around to see what is
happening to those people. The moment she turned around, a stone
pelted her, and she fell down dead.
3.) ISAAF AND NAAILAH - There was a tribe by the name of Jurhum
which had settled down in Makkah when Ismail  was still a
child. A woman by the name of Na'ilah belonged to this tribe. She had
the audacity of committing adultery inside the Ka'bah. Allaah's
punishment descended on her and the man who committed this evil
act and they both turned into stone. The name of this man was Isaaf.
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The people carried them to Safa and Marwah and placed one of them
on Safa and the other on Marwah. They did this so that the people
will look at them and fear the punishment of Allaah. They remained
there for a long time. Eventually, a time came when ignorant persons
began worshipping these two statues out of stupidity. It is for this
reason that when Rasulullaah  came, he had them removed
and destroyed.
4.) KING AND WIFE WHO KILLED A NABI - There was a king who had
a wife that had been married previously. This woman had a daughter
from her previous marriage. When this woman became old, she felt
that her husband (the king) will most probably become attracted to
another woman. She therefore decided to get this daughter of hers
married to her husband. She even got her daughter to agree to this
liaison. This daughter also began making plans to attract the king
towards her with various strategies. He also became attracted
towards her. When Yahya  heard about this, he tried to stop
the king from this. However, all three of them became his enemies
and had him captured, brought before them, and be-headed. After
this, the king decided to commit the prohibited act with this
stepdaughter of his. Yahya's severed head began speaking and said,
“O you fool, she is not Halaal for you!” But this wicked king paid no
heed. Upon this, the blood from the head of Yahya  began to
boil and overflow and did not subside. The ‘Ulama of that time said
that as long as the blood of his killer is not made to flow (i.e., as long
as they are not killed), this blood will not subside. There was a king of
another neighbouring land. When he heard about this, he invaded
this place and killed all the killers of Yahya  and 70 000 other
disbelievers. Only then did the flowing of that blood subside.
5.) A DECEITFUL WOMAN FROM THE BANI ISRAAEEL - Musa 
filled a well with water and made such a du’a that the water had such
an effect that if an immoral woman had to drink that water, her face
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would turn black in colour, and she would die immediately. The effect
of this water remained even after the demise of Musa . Once,
a person suspected his wife of adultery. This suspicion of his was true.
When the husband began talking about this and mentioned it to the
judges of that time, they gave a ruling that she should drink the water
from that well and summoned for her. She had another sister who
looked very much like her. It was extremely difficult to distinguish the
two. This woman deluded her sister into going on her behalf. She
went and drank the water in the presence of everyone. Since she was
pure, nothing happened to her, and all the people were surprised.
When she went home and met her impure sister, the moment her
breath touched her, her entire face turned black. She died there and
then, and everyone came to know of her treachery.

(The above incidents are narrated in Bahishti Zewar)

TWO MAJOR ENEMIES - FOLLOWING OF DESIRES (NAFS) AND

SHAYTAAN

Ibn Abbaas  said, “Allaah  has not mentioned desires

(‘hawaa’) anywhere in the Noble Quraan except that He has
condemned it.” (Ruhul-Ma’aani vol. 25, page 152)

Study the following verses wherein Allaah  speaks of the evil

consequences of following one’s desires:

‫ب‬ِ ‫َواﺗﱠﺑَ َﻊ َھ َواهُ ﻓَ َﻣﺛَﻠُﮫُ َﻛ َﻣﺛ َ ِل ا ْﻟ َﻛ ْﻠ‬

And he followed his desires, so his example is that of a dog.
(A’raaf verse 176)
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 ‫ﷲ‬ َ َ ‫ظﻠَ ُﻣوا أ َ ْھ َواءھُم ﺑِﻐَﯾ ِْر ِﻋ ْﻠ ٍم ﻓَ َﻣن ﯾَ ْﮭدِي َﻣ ْن أ‬
ُ ‫ﺿ ﱠل‬ َ َ‫ﺑَ ِل اﺗﱠﺑَ َﻊ اﻟﱠذِﯾن‬
But in fact, the oppressors follow their desires without any
knowledge. Then who can guide those whom Allaah has misguided.
(Rum verse 29)

َ َ ‫َو َﻣ ْن أ‬
ِ َ‫ﺿ ﱡل ﻣِ ﱠﻣ ِن اﺗﱠﺑَ َﻊ َھ َواهُ ﺑِﻐَﯾ ِْر ھُدًى ِ ّﻣن‬
‫ﷲ‬
Who can be more misguided than the one who follows his desires
without any guidance from Allaah? (Qasas verse 50)

‫ﷲ‬ َ ‫َو َﻻ ﺗَﺗ ﱠ ِﺑ ِﻊ ا ْﻟﮭ ََوى َﻓﯾُ ِﺿ ﱠﻠكَ ﻋَن‬

ِ ‫ﺳ ِﺑﯾ ِل‬
And do not follow your desires, it will turn you away from the path of
Allaah. (Saad verse 26)

‫ﻋﻠَﻰ ِﻋ ْﻠ ٍم‬ َ َ ‫أَﻓَ َرأَﯾْتَ َﻣ ِن اﺗ ﱠ َﺧذَ إِﻟَ َﮭﮫُ َھ َواهُ َوأ‬

َ ُ‫ﺿﻠﱠﮫُ ﷲ‬
Then have you seen the one who takes his desires as a deity, and
Allaah leads him astray despite having knowledge?
(Jaathiyah verse 23)

‫َواﺗﱠﺑَ َﻊ َھ َواهُ ﻓَﺗ َ ْردَى‬

And he followed his desires, then he will be destroyed.
(Tahaa verse 16)

‫ﺎواتُ َو ْاﻷ َ ْرضُ َو َﻣن ﻓِﯾ ِﮭنﱠ‬

َ ‫ﺳ َﻣ‬
‫ت اﻟ ﱠ‬ َ َ‫ﻖ أ َ ْھ َواء ُھ ْم ﻟَﻔ‬
ِ ‫ﺳ َد‬ ‫َوﻟَ ِو اﺗﱠﺑَ َﻊ ا ْﻟ َﺣ ﱡ‬
If the truth had to follow their desires, the heavens, earth and
whatever was therein would have been corrupted.
(Mu’minoon verse 71)

‫ﻋﻠَﻰ ﻗُﻠُو ِﺑ ِﮭ ْم َواﺗﱠﺑَﻌُوا أ َ ْھ َواء ُھ ْم‬

َ ‫ﷲ‬ َ َ‫أ ُ ْو َﻟﺋِكَ ا ﱠﻟذِﯾن‬
ُ ‫طﺑَ َﻊ‬
Allaah placed a seal on their hearts, and they followed their desires.
(Muhammad verse 16)

َ‫ﺿ َﻠ ْﻠتُ ِإ ًذا َو َﻣﺎ أ َ َﻧﺎ ْ ﻣِ نَ ا ْﻟ ُﻣ ْﮭﺗَدِﯾن‬

َ ‫ﻗُل ﻻﱠ أَﺗ ﱠ ِﺑ ُﻊ أ َ ْھ َواء ُﻛ ْم َﻗ ْد‬
Say, ‘I do not follow your desires, else I will be led astray, and I will
not be of the rightly guided. (Anaam verse 56)

Sha’bi  states,
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 ‫اﻧﻣﺎ ﺳﻣﻲ اﻟﮭوى ھوى ﻻﻧﮫ ﯾﮭوى ﺑﺻﺎﺣﺑﮫ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻧﺎر‬
Hawaa (desires) have been called so because they drop the person of
desires into the fire.
(Qurtubi vol. 16 page 167)

In the Ahaadeeth also, one is prohibited from following his desires:

1. Rasulullaah  said, “An intelligent person is he who keeps

an eye on his nafs and does actions for life after death; whereas a
foolish person is he who follows the desires of his nafs and then
places hope on Allaah.” (Tirmidhi no. 2459)

2. Rasulullaah  said, “Three qualities are destructive: greed

which is obeyed, desires which are followed and a person who is self-
conceited.” (Shuabul-Imaan of Bayhaqi no. 731)

3. Rasulullaah  said, “I fear three things for my followers:

the slip of a scholar, desires which are obeyed and the rule of an
oppressor.” (Bazzaar no. 3384)

4. Abu Dardaa  said, “Had it not been for three qualities, the
matters of people would have been correct: greed, which is obeyed,
desires which are followed and a person who is self-conceited.” (Zuhd
war-Riqaaq of Ibnul-Mubaarak vol. 2 page 31, Zuhd of Abu Dawood no. 225)

5. Umar  said, “Restrain these souls from their desires, because

they are constantly in search (for the fulfilment of desires). If you do
not restrain them, they will drag you to a terrible end. The
consequence of truth (Islam) is praiseworthy, while the consequence
of falsehood is disastrous. Abstaining from sin is better than treating
it with repentance. Many a gaze gave rise to passion, and a single

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moment’s passion caused a lengthy grief.” (Al-Bayaanut-Tabyeen vol. 3
page 138)

Some of the pious have mentioned,

‫ﻋﺑِد اﻟﮫ ﻓﻲ اﻻرض اﺑﻐض ﻋﻠﻰ ﷲ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﻣن اﻟﮭوى‬

ُ ‫ﻣﺎ‬
There is no deity worshipped on the surface of earth more disliked by
Allaah than desires. (Ruhul-Ma’aani vol. 23 page 231)

By following one’s desires, one will completely destroy oneself, or it

will cause one to become disgraced, and his name will be blemished.
It is quite possible that both these things will happen to one. History
bears witness to the fact that whoever became a slave to his passions
and desires was completely destroyed. The accursed Iblees, our
enemy from time immemorial, fell into the trap of his nafs and
became distant from the mercy of Allaah . There was no other
Iblees to turn him away from the straight path. It was his nafs which
led him astray. Since Iblees has made a firm pledge to destroy man,
through his experience, he has not found a better friend, spy, and
agent than the nafs.

Bishr Hafi  said, “Sixty sHayaateen cannot cause so much harm

as one evil companion can cause in one moment. Sixty evil
companions cannot cause so much harm as the nafs can do in one
moment.”

The second major enemy trying to destroy man is Shaytaan.

In the Noble Qur’aan, Allaah  has in many places mentioned

the deceptions of Shaytaan. Hereunder are a few places,

‫ِﯾر‬
ِ ‫ﺳﻌ‬‫ب اﻟ ﱠ‬ ْ َ ‫ﻋد �ُوا ِإﻧﱠ َﻣﺎ ﯾَ ْدﻋُو ﺣِ ْزﺑَﮫُ ِﻟﯾَﻛُوﻧُوا ﻣِ ْن أ‬
ِ ‫ﺻﺣَﺎ‬ َ ُ‫ﻋد ﱞُو ﻓَﺎﺗﱠﺧِ ذُوه‬ َ ‫ﺷ ْﯾ‬
َ ‫طﺎنَ ﻟَ ُﻛ ْم‬ ‫ِإنﱠ اﻟ ﱠ‬
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 Verily Shaytaan is your enemy, then regard him as your enemy. He
calls his group so that they can be from the dwellers of the blazing
Fire. (Faatir verse 6)

‫ب‬
‫ﷲ َر ﱠ‬ ُ ‫ﺎن ا ْﻛﻔُ ْر ﻓَﻠَ ﱠﻣﺎ َﻛﻔَ َر ﻗَﺎ َل إِﻧِّﻲ ﺑ َِري ٌء ِ ّﻣﻧكَ إِﻧِّﻲ أ َ َﺧ‬
َ ‫ﺎف‬ ِ ‫ﺳ‬ ِ ْ ‫ﺎن إِ ْذ ﻗَﺎ َل ﻟ‬
َ ‫ِﻺﻧ‬ ِ ‫ط‬ ‫َﻛ َﻣﺛ َ ِل اﻟ ﱠ‬
َ ‫ﺷ ْﯾ‬
َ‫ا ْﻟﻌَﺎﻟَﻣِ ﯾن‬
Like Shaytaan when he says to man, “Become a disbeliever!” When
he disbelieves, he (Shaytaan) says, “Verily I am free from you, verily I
fear Allaah, the Sustainer of the universe.” (Hashr verse 16)

‫ﻲ‬َ ‫ﻖ َو َوﻋَدﺗ ﱡ ُﻛ ْم ﻓَﺄ َ ْﺧﻠَ ْﻔﺗ ُ ُﻛ ْم َو َﻣﺎ ﻛَﺎنَ ِﻟ‬

ِ ّ ‫ﻋ َد ُﻛ ْم َو ْﻋ َد ا ْﻟ َﺣ‬
َ ‫ﷲ َو‬َ ‫ﻲ اﻷ َ ْﻣ ُر إِنﱠ‬ َ ‫طﺎ ُن َﻟ ﱠﻣﺎ ﻗُ ِﺿ‬ ‫َوﻗَﺎ َل اﻟ ﱠ‬
َ ‫ﺷ ْﯾ‬
ْ ‫ﺳﻛُم ﱠﻣﺎ أَﻧَﺎ‬َ ُ‫ﺳﺗ َ َﺟ ْﺑﺗ ُ ْم ﻟِﻲ ﻓَﻼَ ﺗَﻠُو ُﻣوﻧِﻲ َوﻟُو ُﻣواْ أَﻧﻔ‬ ْ ‫ﺎن ِإﻻﱠ أَن َدﻋ َْوﺗ ُ ُﻛ ْم ﻓَﺎ‬ٍ ‫ط‬ َ ‫ﺳ ْﻠ‬ُ ‫ﻋﻠَ ْﯾﻛُم ِ ّﻣن‬َ
ٌ ‫ﻋ َذ‬
‫اب‬ َ ‫ظﺎﻟِﻣِ ﯾنَ َﻟ ُﮭ ْم‬‫ون ﻣِ ن َﻗ ْﺑ ُل ِإنﱠ اﻟ ﱠ‬ ِ ‫ﻲ ِإ ّﻧِﻲ َﻛ َﻔ ْرتُ ِﺑ َﻣﺂ أَﺷ َْر ْﻛﺗ ُ ُﻣ‬ ‫ِﺑ ُﻣﺻ ِْرﺧِ ُﻛ ْم َو َﻣﺎ أَﻧﺗ ُ ْم ِﺑ ُﻣﺻ ِْرﺧِ ﱠ‬
‫أَﻟِﯾ ٌم‬

Shaytaan will say when the matter is decided, “Surely Allaah had
made a true promise to you and I also made a promise to you, but I
deceived you. I had no authority over you except that I called you
and you responded to my call. Hence, do not blame me but blame
yourselves. I cannot respond to your cries, nor can you respond to
mine. I deny your having associated me (with Allaah) before this.”
Surely those who are wrong doers, for them is a painful
punishment.” (Ibrahim verse 22)

ِ ‫ﻖ ﻓَ َﻼ ﺗَﻐُ ﱠرﻧﱠ ُﻛ ُم ا ْﻟ َﺣﯾَﺎةُ اﻟ ﱡد ْﻧﯾَﺎ َو َﻻ ﯾَﻐُ ﱠرﻧﱠﻛُم ِﺑﺎ‬

‫� ا ْﻟﻐَ ُرو ُر‬ ُ ‫ﯾَﺎ أَﯾﱡﮭَﺎ اﻟ ﱠﻧ‬
ِ ‫ﺎس ِإنﱠ َو ْﻋ َد ﱠ‬
‫� َﺣ ﱞ‬
O people, verily the promise of Allaah is true, let not the worldly life
deceive you, and let not the Great Deceiver (Shaytaan) deceive you
regarding Allaah. (Faatir verse 5-6)

Shaytaan took an oath and told Adam ,

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 ِ ‫إِﻧِّﻲ ﻟَ ُﻛ َﻣﺎ ﻟَﻣِ نَ اﻟﻧﱠ‬
َ‫ﺎﺻﺣِ ﯾن‬
Verily I am from those who wish well for you. (A’raaf verse 21)

What will be man’s condition when he has taken an oath to mislead

man?

َ‫َﻗﺎ َل َﻓ ِﺑﻌ ﱠِزﺗِكَ َﻷ ُ ْﻏ ِوﯾَﻧﱠ ُﮭ ْم أَﺟْ َﻣ ِﻌﯾن‬

By Your honour! I will misguide every one of them. (Saad verse 82)

Shaytaan’s object is to mislead mankind. At times, he even utilizes

avenues of good deeds to attack man and destroy him.

Hasan ibn Saalih said,

ْ ِ‫ﺳﻌَ ًﺔ َوﺗ‬
ِ‫ﺳ ِﻌﯾنَ ﺑَﺎﺑًﺎ ﻣِ نَ ا ْﻟ َﺧﯾ ِْر ﯾُ ِرﯾ ُد ِﺑ ِﮫ ﺑَﺎﺑًﺎ ﻣِ نَ اﻟﺳﱡوء‬ َ ‫ﺷ ْﯾ‬
ْ ِ‫طﺎنَ َﻟﯾَ ْﻔﺗ َ ُﺢ ِﻟ ْﻠﻌَ ْﺑ ِد ﺗ‬ ‫ِإنﱠ اﻟ ﱠ‬
Shaytaan opens 99 doors of goodness, intending by it one door of
evil. (Hilyatul-Awliyaa vol. 7 page 331)

SATAN’S CONVERSATION WITH ALLAAH 

Satan, the accursed, requested Allaah  to give him a strong

snare in order to trap people. Allaah  presented several snares
before him. Satan eventually became very pleased at being offered
women as snares. He displayed his pleasure at this snare by jumping,
dancing, and singing.

Maulana Rumi  writes in his Mathnawi that when Satan was

expelled from the court of Allaah , he took an oath and said:

َ‫ﻓَﺑِﻌ ﱠِزﺗِكَ ﻷ ُ ْﻏ ِوﯾَﻧﱠ ُﮭ ْم أَﺟْ َﻣ ِﻌ ْﯾنَ إِﻻﱠ ِﻋﺑَﺎدَكَ ﻣِ ْﻧ ُﮭ ُم ا ْﻟ ُﻣ ْﺧﻠَ ِﺻ ْﯾن‬

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 I take an oath by Your honour that I will lead all of them astray
except Your devoted servants among them.

Satan then requested the just Allaah  to give him such a strong
snare with which he could trap man and from which he cannot
escape. Allaah  presented different snares before him. He first
presented gold, silver, and horses before him and said to him: “You
can trap mankind through these items.” People are naturally inclined
towards these things. It will therefore be easy to hunt man through
these things and trap him. Allaah  says in the Qur’aan:

،‫ﺿ ِﺔ‬ ِ ‫ط َر ِة ﻣِ نَ اﻟذﱠ َھ‬

‫ب َوا ْﻟ ِﻔ ﱠ‬ َ ‫ت ﻣِ نَ اﻟ ّﻧِﺳَﺂءِ َوا ْﻟﺑَﻧِ ْﯾنَ َوا ْﻟﻘَﻧَﺎطِ ﯾ ِْر ا ْﻟ ُﻣﻘَ ْﻧ‬ ِ ‫ﺷﮭ ََوا‬
‫ُب اﻟ ﱠ‬ ِ ‫ُز ِّﯾنَ ﻟِﻠﻧﱠ‬
‫ﺎس ﺣ ﱡ‬
َ
.ِ‫ َوا ْﻟﺣ َْرث‬،‫ َواﻷ ْﻧﻌَ ِﺎم‬،ِ‫ﺳ ﱠو َﻣﺔ‬ َ ‫َوا ْﻟ َﺧ ْﯾ ِل ا ْﻟ ُﻣ‬
The love of desirable things have deluded the people. [Desirable
things] like women, sons, hoarded treasures of gold and silver,
branded horses, cattle, and agriculture. (Aal ‘Imraan, verse 14)

Satan said to Allaah , “These snares of gold and silver are good,
but they have become sour like lemons. The sourness has caused the
lips to become puckered.”

When Satan did not like the snares of gold and silver, Allaah 
presented treasures of jewels before him. Allaah  placed these
jewels before him and said, “O accursed one! Here is My second offer.
Take it and go.” Satan replied, “O the best of helpers! Give me a snare
that is better than this. Like gold and silver, the snare of jewels is not
very strong.” Allaah  then showed him rich and sweet foods,
burning drinks, and expensive silk garments, and said to him, “Here,
take these snares.” Satan replied, “O master! I want snares greater
than these. I must be able to fasten man with such strong ropes that

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he must not be able to cut and loosen them and then come running
to Your door.”

“However, those who are intoxicated with Your love, who are true
servants of Yours, whose hearts are filled with Your love, they will
break these ropes and shackles of mine and throw them aside. They
will not turn towards gold, silver and the beauty and splendour of this
world.” As Allaah  says,

َ‫إِﻻﱠ ِﻋﺑَﺎدَكَ ﻣِ ْﻧ ُﮭ ُم ا ْﻟ ُﻣ ْﺧﻠَ ِﺻ ْﯾن‬

Except those of them who are Your devoted servants.

“As for the people of this world, they will fall into these traps of
desires. In this way, the men will be separated from the boys. I
therefore require a strong snare that will separate the men from the
boys. O Lord of this universe! I require a snare that will render even
the men so incapable, that no plot and strategy of theirs will be of any
avail to them.”

Allaah  then presented another snare before Satan. And that

was intoxicants, the harp, and the violin. On seeing these things
before him, Satan half-laughed, half became happy, and smiled a bit.
He realized that this snare was better than the previous ones. They
could be of some use. However, he was only half happy with these
items and not totally happy. He realized that these traps are not
sufficient for eternal destruction and eternal corruption. He therefore
asked for a stronger snare. He asked Allaah  for something for
eternal deviation. He said, “Remove all the dirt and grime from the
sea of tribulation (fitnah) so that the people of lusts and desires will
assume the sea of tribulation to be dry and place their feet therein.
And like the Copts [Pharaoh and his people], they will drown in it. Just

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as You made the sea a dry path for Moosa , put up walls on
either side of the path, the water collected on either side, and the
sand from the depths of the sea began rising, in like manner, You
should make the sea of tribulation dry for me. Place it under my
command so that I can render whatever corruption I wish and be able
to destroy the progeny of Adam . Moosa  was an
exposition of Your name – al-Haadi (the One who guides). Make my
name the exposition of Your name – al-Mudill (the One who causes
to go astray). Just as you turned the Nile river into a dry bed for the
guidance provided by Moosa  and then drowned the deviated
ones, in like manner, turn the entire sea of tribulation dry for me for
the perfection of misguidance. Just as the task of guidance was
completed through Moosa , complete the task of misguidance
through me.”

Note: This knowledge which Satan had about the story of Moosa
 before it actually took place was probably obtained by him
when he looked at the Preserved Tablet (al-Lauh al-Mahfooz). And
Allaah  knows best.

Satan said, “O Lord! Give me such a strong snare that this entire affair
may come to an end and the task be completed. I must be able to
place this snare like a rein across their mouths. I must entrap them in
such a way that I can then turn them in whichever direction I like,
without their being able to turn around. I must be able to take them
around in the bazaars and marketplaces so that the world may be able
to see their worship of their desires and lusts.”

When Satan was not pleased with any of the previous snares, Allaah
 eventually presented the beauty and attraction of women
before him. Their beauty was capable of snatching away the intellect
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and patience of men. Allaah  said to him, “Okay, take this
snare. You may lead people astray through this snare and turn up the
soil from the depths of the sea of tribulation.”

When this snare of the beauty and attraction of women was shown
to Satan, he began singing, dancing, and snapping his fingers. On
seeing the beauty of women, he understood that this was that sea of
tribulation from which no one can pass through safe and sound. He
said, “O Lord! Give me this snare quickly. I have now achieved my
goal. This is the best snare to trap people.” This snare is explained
further on.

When Satan saw that the eyes of women are extremely intoxicating
to the extent that they can place a veil over a person’s intellect. He
saw that the smoothness and beauty of the cheeks of these beautiful
women can inflame the hearts like wild rue (an herbaceous plant
whose leaves are placed in a fire and the fumes of which have a
narcotic effect). He saw that their faces, skin, eyebrows and carnelian-
like red lips are glittering like the sun through a flimsy veil. He saw
that their height and stature were like flowers swaying to and fro in a
garden, and their cheeks were like roses, jasmines, and dog roses.

When he saw this elegance and grace before him, Satan jumped out
of joy. He gauged that this was the best snare to lead man astray and
to whisper evil thoughts into his mind. He realized that this was a
reflection of the beauty of Allaah  through a flimsy veil. Those
who truly recognized Allaah  and fathomed through the doors
of reality did not pay any attention to this fleeting and transitory
beauty and attraction [of women]. Wherever there is beauty and
splendour in this universe, it is just a minute reflection and
manifestation of Allaah  whose light is the light of the heavens

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and the earth. Every particle in this universe is a mirror of His beauty
and splendour. However, which mirror can we look at and which we
cannot look at – this has been shown to us by the Ambiyaa of Allaah
. The Shari‘ah says that it is permissible to look at the beauty
of one’s wife while it is totally forbidden to look at the beauty of
someone else’s wife. Look at the mirror which Allaah gave you [your
wife] you are not permitted to use other mirrors [other women]. The
mirror which Allaah  gave you can be used by you only and no
one else. Let alone giving your mirror to others, you are not even
permitted to show your mirror to others. The Shari‘ah says that you
can look at your daughter and sister with the eyes of kindness and
sympathy. But you are prohibited to look at them with the eyes of
lust. You can look at the beauty and handsomeness of your son with
the eyes of love, but you cannot look at the beauty and
handsomeness of other boys. The person who considers it lawful to
look at the wife, sister or daughter of others is indirectly allowing and
inviting others to look at his wife, sister, or daughter. No self-
respecting person will ever allow this for a single moment.

On looking at the coquetry, alluring and enticing nature of women, a

person who is engrossed in this world is left stupefied and astonished.
It was for this reason that Satan liked this snare the most – there is no
means better than this to ensnare man and to lead him astray. This
story ends here. (Mathnawi, chapter 5, p. 413, Naul Kishor print, Lucknow.
Chapter 5, p. 84, Kanpur print as quoted in Seerat-Mustapha vol. 3)

BRINGING DESIRES UNDER CONTROL

How will a person bring his desires under control: Moulana Hakeem
Akhtar Saheb  wrote: Make a habit of doing some Zikr daily. If
there is any pious person in your locality, then consult with him.

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Otherwise, recite Salawaat (Durood Shareef) 300 times, la ilaaha
illaah 100 times and Allaah-Allaah 100 times. One should daily recite
a portion of the Quraan and be punctual in offering Ishraaq,
Awwabeen and Tahajjud. If one is unable to awaken in the last portion
of the night, then one should perform two or four rakaats Nafl after
performing the sunnats of Isha Salaat before witr, with the intention
of Tahajjud. By punctuality in Zikr, recitation of the Qur’an and
performance of optional prayers, light will be created in the heart.
The light of Truth (Allaah ) cools the fire of desires. Moulana
Rumi  said, “The fire of the sensual desires of the Nafs can only
be cooled by the Light of Allaah .”

He further writes, “One important point is that some people practice

on the demands of sin, desiring thereby to weaken it. They feel that
by committing the sin, this desire and demand of sin will lessen. This
is a clear deception. With every sin, the desire to commit sin only
increases. There is a decrease for only a short while. Thereafter, the
flame rises even more than before. The thought of lessening sin by
sin is like one who washes stool with urine, thinking that the impurity
of the stool will be lessened. Such people always remain perplexed
and will never become pure from sin. Therefore, muster courage and
do not give in to the demands of sin. If at times, one becomes
overpowered and he misses his eyes, then he should at least perform
four rakaats of Nafl salaat, give some charity and repent remorsefully
and earnestly.” (Islaahul-Akhlaaq)

HARM OF FOLLOWING DESIRES

Here are two incidents to show the harms of following desires:

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1.) Abdullah ibn Abbaas  narrated the following incident:
Barseesah was a very pious monk. He had devoted himself to the
worship of Allaah for seventy years, during which period he had
completely kept himself aloof from sin. Iblees was not pleased with
this and decided to gather his most wretched SHayaateen and
recruited the most deceitful from amongst them to mislead
Barseesah. The wicked Shaytaan dressed up in the garb of a pious
person, shaved his head and appeared before Barseesah, while he
was engaged in worship in his monastery. He first called out to
Barseesah but was ignored. Barseesah used to raise his head from
worship once every ten days and used to fast for many days at a time.
Shaytaan then took a place next to the wall on the outside of the
monastery and engaged himself in prayer with astounding devotion.
Barseesah began noticing his extreme sacrifice in worship and
decided to get some clarification from him. Shaytaan explained that
he wanted to worship in the company of Barseesah and learn from
him.

Barseesah made it clear to him that he was too busy, ignored him
again and continued with his worship, and so did Shaytaan. Barseesah
continued to notice how Shaytaan exerted himself in worship.
Shaytaan again requested that Barseesah allow him inside the
monastery to join him in worship. Barseesah agreed, and they
engaged themselves in prayer and fasting for many days at a time.
Shaytaan worshipped with Barseesah for an entire year, by which
Shaytaan won over the confidence of Barseesah. Before leaving,
Shaytaan taught him a few words which were effective in curing the
sick and insane. This Shaytaan then went back to Iblees and reported
that he had succeeded in overpowering and destroying the pious
monk.

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Shaytaan then went to a man in his original form of a Jinni, and began
strangling him, causing him to have fits. Dressed as a common person,
he approached the man’s family and advised them to go to Barseesah,
who had a “cure” for the man’s “affliction”. When the man was
brought to Barseesah, he recited the words taught to him by Shaytaan
and the man was “cured”.

Shaytaan soon began inflicting other people with the same “illness”
and directed them to Barseesah, who would “cure” them. Then, he
did the same to a young girl from the family of the king of that time.
The girl had three brothers, one of whom was appointed king after
her father had died. Disguised as a physician, Shaytaan informed
them that he was unable to cure her and instructed them to take her
and leave her in the monastery of Barseesah, but they refused, saying
that he, being a pious person, would not allow her to stay with him.
Shaytaan proposed a second plan in case Barseesah refused. He
advised that they build a monastery close to his monastery and leave
her therein, notifying Barseesah that the girl was in his care and that
he should take care of her in case anything goes wrong. They agreed.
Barseesah, as predicted, refused to keep the girl. So, they built
another monastery in close proximity to his and left her there.

One day, as Barseesah completed his prayers, he noticed the young

girl and was taken aback by her beauty. Shaytaan began strangling
her, and Barseesah immediately left his worship and commenced
reciting the words of “cure” for her. She was “cured” and Barseesah
returned to his devotions. But Shaytaan again strangled her and made
her expose her body to Barseesah.

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Then, Shaytaan came to Barseesah and began whispering to him,
“Fulfil your desires with the young girl! You will never find another
like her. You can repent again thereafter.”

He continued persuading Barseesah, to such an extent, that he finally

left his worship and fulfilled his desires with the girl. She fell pregnant
with his child. Shaytaan again came to Barseesah and said, “Your evil
deed will be exposed. The only choice you have is to kill her. When
her brothers return and ask about her, say to them that her Shaytaan
who was causing her to have fits had attacked her so terribly that she
died as a result.” Barseesah accepted the idea, killed the young girl,
and buried her during the darkness of night. Shaytaan then appeared
to the brothers in a dream and revealed to them that Barseesah had
fulfilled his desires with the young girl and killed her. They did not
believe the dream, but asked Barseesah for clarification. Barseesah
insisted that Shaytaan had killed her.

Shaytaan again appeared to the brothers in a dream and directed

them to the spot where their sister had been buried. When they dug
open the grave, they found their sister and realised that Barseesah
had deceived them. In anger, they broke down his monastery, took
him forcefully, tied him by the neck and led him to the king before
whom Barseesah confessed to his evil deed. The command was given
for Barseesah to be killed.

As he was about to be killed, Shaytaan appeared before him and

asked, “Do you know who I am?” “No”, replied Barseesah. “I am the
person who taught you the words of “cure”. Do you not fear Allaah?
Are you not ashamed? You were the most pious of men. You exposed
your evil and have destroyed the reputation of all pious men.”

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”What can I do?” asked Barseesah. Shaytaan replied, “There is one
thing you can do. If you do it now, I will save you by taking you away
from here immediately.” “What?” asked Barseesah. “Prostrate
before me just once,” replied Shaytaan. Barseesah agreed and
prostrated himself before Shaytaan. Shaytaan retorted, “This is what
I desired from you all along. Your end result is that you have denied
Allaah in the last moments of your life. I have nothing to do with you.
Verily I fear Allaah, the Sustainer of all the worlds.” (Tafseer Qurtubi vol.
18 page 37-39 – Translation mostly adapted from ‘Pearls of the Path’ by Ml.
Afzal Ismail)

2.) Abdullah Ibn Abbaas  narrates an exemplary incident of a

great scholar of the Bani Israeel, whose name was Bal’am Ibn Baoora.
He lived in Canaan, in Sham, close to Baitul-Maqdas. One narration
states that he was from the Bani Israeel. He had knowledge of some
scriptures of Allaah .

After the drowning of Firawn and the conquest of Egypt, when Moosa
 and the Bani Israeel received the command of waging war
against the “the oppressive nation”, and these people saw that
Moosa  had already reached with his army of the Bani Israeel
and they had come to know that Firawn’s nation was destroyed
against them, they became concerned. They gathered and came to
Bal’am ibn Baoora saying to him, “Moosa  is a tough person.
With him is a huge army. He has only come to remove us from our
land. Make duaa to Allaah  that He causes them to be
defeated.” The reason for this was that Bal’am knew the great name
of Allaah  - the Ism-A’zam- and whatever duaa was made via it
was accepted.

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Bal’am said, “What are you saying? He is the messenger of Allaah
 and together with him are Allaah’s angels. How can I curse
him, whereas I know his status by Allaah ? If I do so, I will
destroy my worldly life and my life in the hereafter.”

When these people persisted, he said, “I will ask my Sustainer

whether I have permission or not to make this duaa.”

He, according to his habit, made istikharah or performed some other

action to find out. He was shown in a dream that he should never do
so. He informed his people that he had been prohibited from doing
so. Then these people handed a huge gift to Bal’am, which in fact was
a bribe, which he accepted. Thereafter his people fell behind him
telling him that he must perform that curse – their persistence knew
no bounds. According to certain narrations, his wife advised him to
accept the gift and fulfil their wish. Love for wealth and pleasing his
wife blinded him. He thus started cursing Moosa  and the Bani
Israeel.

At this time, a strange phenomenon of Allaah ’s power became

manifest that whatever curses he was trying to utter against the Bani
Israeel and Moosa , he uttered against his own people. They
began shouting “You are cursing us!” Bal’am replied, “This is out of
my control. My tongue cannot go against this.”

The result of this was that this nation was destroyed. Bal’am received
the punishment that his tongue hung out onto his chest. He said to
the people, “My worldly life and life in the hereafter have been
destroyed! Now my curse will not work. However, I will inform you
of a scheme by which you can overcome Moosa  and his
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people. You should beautify your pretty girls and send them into the
army of the Bani Israeel. Emphasize to them that they should allow
the Bani Israeel to do whatever they want with them. They should not
object. These people are travellers. They have been away from their
homes for a long period. By this scheme, it is hoped that these people
will fall into evil and sin. In the sight of Allaah , fornication is
severely abhorred. In whichever nation this is found, punishment will
definitely descend. They can never be conquerors and victorious.”

This devilish scheme of Bal’am was carried out. A senior person of the
Bani Israeel fell into this trap. Moosa  prevented him from this
evil action, but he did not take heed and fell into this satanic snare.
The result of this was that a severe plague broke out in the Bani
Israeel. In one day, 70,000 people passed away. Eventually the Bani
Israeel killed this man who had done evil together with his partner
and hung them in public view so that they could take a lesson.
Thereafter the people repented, upon which the plague was
removed. (Ma’aariful Qur’aan vol. 4 page 119)

Allamah Shabbir Ahmad Uthmaani  writes, “Bal’am ibn Baaoora

was a scholar and saintly person. He then turned away from the
verses and teachings of Allaah , and after being enamoured by
a woman and the desire for wealth, he began plotting and planning
against Moosa . He was unable to harm Moosa  and
eventually earned eternal rejection for himself. Had Allaah 
willed, He could have elevated Bal‘am to great heights by virtue of the
knowledge of the verses which Allaah  had granted him. This
could have only been possible if he was given the good fortune of
acting upon the knowledge which he was bestowed with and
following what the verses of Allaah  contained. However, this
was not to be because he himself shunned the heavenly blessings and
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verses and hankered after worldly desires and pleasures. While he
was hankering after worldly desires, Satan also pursued him until he
was included among those who were truly perverse and deviated. At
such a stage, his condition became similar to that of a dog whose
tongue is lolling, and he is continually panting. If you had to bear upon
him, scold him or do nothing at all to him, he will continue panting
and lolling his tongue.

The reason for this is that due to a dog being naturally weak-hearted,
he is unable to easily exhale the hot air that is within him and inhale
the fresh air that is outside his body. In like manner, the person who
hankers after his base desires becomes like a dog in the sense that
due to his moral depravity, the bestowing and not bestowing of the
verses of Allaah and his being warned and not warned are the same
to him. His tongue is lolling due to his greed for this world. And the
consequence of turning away from the verses is that his stupefaction
and perplexity is portrayed in the example of continual panting.

It is possible that this one example of “if you bear upon him, he pants
with his tongue lolling. If you leave him alone, he [still] pants with his
tongue lolling” is used to expose his internal and mental condition. It
is also possible that this punishment was decided for him in this world
or in the hereafter – that outwardly and physically his tongue is
always lolling, and he is always panting like the person who is always
stupefied, perplexed, and terrified. We seek refuge in Allaah 
from such a punishment.

The above incident clearly demonstrates the destiny of those who

succumb to their lust, those who, after accepting the truth or fully
understanding it, abandon the injunctions of Allaah  and follow

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the dictates of Satan merely out of worldly greed and succumbing to
their base desires, and who pay no heed whatsoever to the pledge
and covenant of Allaah. (Abridged and edited from Tafseer Uthmani)

FORNICATION AND ADULTERY

Rasulullaah  said, “From amongst the signs of Qiyaamah

are; that religious knowledge will be taken away (by the death of the
Ulama), ignorance will prevail, intoxicating drinks will be consumed
freely, and fornication/adultery will become prevalent.” (Bukhaari no.
5231, Muslim no. 2671)

The above ḥadith is one of the miraculous sayings of Rasulullaah

 in which he predicted and foretold some occurrences that
will happen in the future. The occurrence of the incidents he
mentioned confirms and affirms his Messengership. Unarguably,
fornication has emerged as a normal lifestyle in the world of today.
The more it spreads, the more its dangers widen. The Muslim, who
hopes to meet his Lord and attain His forgiveness and mercy and to
be welcomed with open doors to the Jannah, ought to know of its
dangers, seek protection against this evil from Allaah, and abstain
from all avenues leading towards this terrible evil as long as he lives.
May Allaah protect us, our families, friends and the entire Ummah
from this scourge and eradicate immorality from the Muslim society.
Aameen.

ZINA, THE SCOURGE OF MODERN SOCIETY

Zina is of two types: fornication and adultery. Fornication refers to

pre-marital sexual interaction, while adultery refers to sexual

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interaction with someone other than one’s spouse after marriage. All
the revealed religions have prohibited fornication and adultery and
have fought against these crimes against society.

ISLAM DETESTS ALL THESE FORMS OF IMMORALITY

In Islam, only five crimes have been considered so abominable that

fixed punishments have been prescribed for it:

1.) Renegading from Islam

2.) Fornication/adultery
3.) Accusing another of fornication/ adultery
4.) Stealing
5.) Drinking
Qisaas (Retaliation) after intentional killing, by the death penalty can
be regarded as a sixth crime of this nature, although it falls in a slightly
different category).

A married person who commits adultery and is proven guilty in the

court of law will be stoned to death, while an unmarried person who
commits fornication will be lashed one hundred times, which is the
highest amount of lashing prescribed by Shari’ah for any crime.

ADULTERY IS NATURALLY DETESTED BY MAN, AND IS LOGICALLY

ABOMINABLE

A youth (from the outlying regions) came to Rasulullaah 

and said, “Please permit me to commit adultery.” The Companions of
Rasulullaah  were enraged at his words, but Rasulullaah
 said to him, “Come nearer to me. Would you like anyone

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to commit adultery with your mother?” He replied, “Not at all.”
Rasulullaah  said, “Then other people will also never
tolerate such a shameful act with their mothers.” Rasulullaah
 next asked him the same question about his sister, aunt,
etc. And he answered each time in the negative. Then Rasulullaah
 placed his hand on his chest and supplicated, “O Allaah!
Purify his heart, forgive his sins, and guard him against adultery.” The
reporters say that after this, nothing was more hateful to him than
adultery. (Musnad Ahmad no. 22211)

Note: Today, Rasulullaah  is not amongst us to place his

noble hand on our chests and supplicate for us. However, his blessed
supplication still remains with us. Utilize this supplication for
protection from the evil of immorality and say, “O Allaah, forgive my
sins, purify my heart and safeguard my chastity.” You could supplicate
in Arabic with the following words:

‫ﺼ ْﻦ ﻓَـ ْﺮِﺟﻲ‬ ِ
ِّ ‫ َو َﺣ‬،‫ َوﻃ َِّﻬ ْﺮ ﻗَـﻠِْﱯ‬،‫اﻟﻠﱠ ُﻬ ﱠﻢ اﻏْﻔ ْﺮ ذَﻧِْﱯ‬

THE HARMS OF ZINA

Islam, the last of the divinely revealed religions, is very strict in

prohibiting all forms of sexual misconduct, for it leads to the following
harms:

1) IMAAN LEAVES THE BODY

Rasulullaah  said, “A person who commits fornication, while

indulging in fornication, can never be a believer.” (Bukhaari no. 2475,

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Muslim no. 57) According to another narration, “When a man commits
fornication, Imaan leaves him, and hovers above him like a cloud.
When he terminates, Imaan might return to him.” (Abu Dawood no.
4690, Tirmidhi no. 2625)

Abu Hurayrah  reports that Rasulullaah  said, “Allaah

removes the Imaan of that person who drinks wine or engages in
adultery like how one of you removes his shirt from his head.”
(Mustadrak of Haakim no. 57)

A young man travelled to a non-muslim country with evil intentions.

This young man went for this purpose only! He wished to spend his
holiday with women, wine, and intoxicants. One day, he was waiting
in his room for a prostitute to come. However, she was running late
for her appointment. When the prostitute entered into the room, she
heard strange sounds in the room. As she came in, she found the
young man falling down in prostration to her! This sajdah
(prostration) turned out to be his last sajdah in this world. To whom
was this sajdah? What was the reason for this sajdah? What benefits
are there in this sajdah? Indeed, this was an evil end! And we seek
Allaah’s refuge from this.

2) POVERTY

Rasulullaah  warned, “Fornication always brings in its wake

poverty.” (Shuabul-Imaan no. 5043) He also said, “When fornication
and interest becomes common in any society, the people living there
have brought upon themselves the punishment of Allaah.” (Ibn
Hibbaan no. 4393)

Moulana Shah Hakeem Akhtar  has written, “I personally have

met some unfortunate persons who were afflicted by this terrible
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malady. One such person, a shopkeeper, was in great distress. His
business was in shambles; dust covered the shelves that were empty
of stocks. Upon seeing me, he called me in, explaining that his
business was on the brink of insolvency, his children were suffering
due to his poverty, and he personally was emotionally drained. I
enquired the reason for his pitiable condition. He replied that it was
the result of an illicit love-relationship. Allaah  alone knows
what became of him thereafter.

Another case was that of a youngster in shabby clothing who was

busy sweeping the floor of a shop. Nearby, his father was begging for
alms, in great disgrace. Local residents explained that he was once a
wealthy farmer, a millionaire, but his unworthy son (the youngster
sweeping floors) fell prey to this terrible malady (fornication) and was
eventually imprisoned. Thousands were spent on releasing him and
on court cases. The entire empire collapsed, and the father and son
were now leading a life of disgrace and penury.”

3) DISGRACE

Moulana Shah Hakeem Akhtar  has written, “The son of a certain

doctor, who went to London to study for an Engineering Degree,
explained to me that he had become involved in an illicit love affair
there. As a result, he eventually became totally impotent. Despite
experimenting with various medications and treatments, he failed to
regain his manhood. In the meanwhile, he was married to a girl from
a respectable and noteworthy family, but discovering his impotency,
she demanded a divorce within the week. Now he only remains
indoors due to the disgrace that has befallen him, awaiting death to
relieve him of his miseries.

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A Hafiz requested Moulana Yunus Patel  to share his story and
experience with people, so that they take lesson. He had spent a night
with a prostitute. After leaving her, she had a heart attack and died.
The police got involved, considering it a possible murder. In their
investigation, they went through her client listing and her phone, and,
finding that he was her last client, arrested him. After this, there was
just shame and disgrace. He himself admitted and described the
unreal kind of harassment, suffering and pressure he was put under.
Finally, after a long-drawn process, he was cleared and not
considered a suspect in the cause of death. Her death was taken to
be a natural death and not a criminal offence. Allaah  saved
him, but in the sight of Allaah  it was a criminal offence.

This is not all. Whenever we’re engaged in any degrading or sinful act,
five types of people are likely to face disgrace. These five types are
our parents, spouses, children, our teachers, and our other loved
ones, i.e., friends, relatives and acquaintances. In most situations, we
regard some of these or all of them as most important people in our
lives. And this explains why they serve as pillars of strength in our
lives. And their presence influences many decisions we make in life.
Instead of opting for fornication, if the offender was to go for a lawful
marriage, these are the same people who would happily witness and
supplicate for the success of the marriage. These are those who could
protect him or her if his or her marriage was to face any challenges.
These are the people who will have the greatest impact on his or her
children, as they will be surrounded by them. These people whom
most of us consider their pillars of strength, find it as an unacceptable
choice, unless they’re also nurtured in the culture of fornication.
Thus, they bear the shame and face disgrace, when others get to
know that their loved one is engaged in immoral activities.

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4) ABORTION, KILLING OF THE ILLEGITIMATE CHILD OR LIVING IN
MISERY

Abortion: Sexual intercourse is the gateway to human reproduction.

The process of conception and reproduction takes place whether the
intercourse is lawful or unlawful. It is unusual for a couple to engage
in a lawful intercourse and decide to abort the baby that result from
the process. But it is not unusual for couples who engage in unlawful
intercourse to decide to abort the baby.

Allaah  says to Nabi Muhammad , “O Nabi, when the

believing women come to you to pledge allegiance to you that they
will not associate partners to Allaah, they will not steal, they will not
fornicate, they will not kill their children, they will not come forth with
slander which they fabricate between their hands and legs (by
claiming that another man’s child is her husbands) and that they will
not disobey you in any good, then accept their pledge and seek
forgiveness from Allaah on their behalf. Indeed Allaah is Most
Forgiving and Most Merciful.” (Surah Mumtahinah verse 12)

It was part of the Arab men's customs to bury their daughters at the
age of four. As for the women, this was not common for them.
Therefore, the verse above seems to prohibit the clearly and directly
women who embrace Islam from doing abortion (wilfully causing
miscarriage to themselves) as well as all other forms of infanticide.

This perfectly fits Allaah ’s Command, "that they will not kill
their children", since ‘children’ are mentioned and not daughters.
And as will be explained, abortion is absolutely prohibited after the
first 120 days of pregnancy.

Also, notice that this Command comes immediately after the

prohibition of committing adultery and fornication. Allaah  has

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here indicated a warning to women who get pregnant through
fornication/adultery to not commit the sin of abortion.

While abortion clinics did not exist 1500 years ago, but people were
able to cause a woman to miscarry her child by either striking her in
the tummy, causing her to have lots of fear, or interfering with her
vagina until the child is pulled out. Certain medicines were also
available which, if consumed, would cause the abortion of the foetus.

Allaah in the Qur’aan refers to this sin of murdering one’s child as ‘a

grave crime’. (Bani Israaeel verse 31) Allaah  also explains in the
Qur’aan that these children and foetuses will be brought forward on
the day of Qiyaamah, and an answer will be demanded from their
murderers as to why they were killed. (Takweer verse 8-9)

Based on evidence from the Qur’aan and Hadith, Muslim jurists have
deduced that the first four months (120 days) of gestation is the
crucial time period. After this, the foetus is regarded as being ‘alive’
and an abortion is not permissible for any reason whatsoever; and
should an abortion be done then it would constitute murder and is a
crime against the living baby.

ALARMING INCIDENT: Juwayriyah ibn Asmaa narrates from her

uncle, “I performed Hajj with a group of people. We stayed over at a
certain place. A woman with us slept that night. When she awoke,
there was a snake around her. It had gathered its head and tail
between her breasts. This scene frightened us. We continued on our
journey. The snake remained entwined on her but did not cause her
any harm. When we entered the bounds of the Haram, it slid away.
We entered Makkah, completed our acts of worship, and returned.
When we reached the place where the snake have entwined her, we
set up camp. When she awoke from her sleep, the snake had once

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again entwined her. Then the snake made a sound. Suddenly the
valley became filled with snakes. They began biting her until only her
bones remained. We asked a girl who had accompanied her, “Tell us
about her life.” She said, “She committed fornication thrice. Each
time, she gave birth to a child. After breastfeeding the child, she lit
the stove and threw the child therein.” (Al-Uqoobaat of Ibn Abid-Dunyaa
no. 315)

SOME STATISTICS:

54 countries allow abortion, which is about 61 percent of the world

population. 97 countries, about 39 percent of the population, have
abortion laws that make it illegal according to the pro-abortion Centre
for Reproductive Law and Policy in New York. The Alan Guttmacher
Institute reports approximately 22 million legal abortions were
reported in 1987. It is estimated that between four and nine million
were not reported, totalling of 26-31 million legal abortions in 1987
alone. There were a total of 10-22 million "clandestine" abortions,
bringing the total world-wide figure to 36 and 53 million abortions.
There are approximately 126,000 abortions conducted each day

US STATISTICS ON ABORTIONS
• Women who obtained legal abortions in 1995 were predominately
white and unmarried. As in 1994, one fifth of women who obtained
legal abortions in 1995 were adolescents (aged less than or equal to
19 years); 33% were aged 20-24 years. As in previous years,
approximately 88% of abortions were performed during the first 12
weeks of pregnancy. (Reported by: Statistics and Computer Resources Br,
Div of Reproductive Health, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention
and Health Promotion, CDC)
• 1,370,000 abortions occur annually in the U.S. according to the Alan
Guttmacher Institute.
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• 88% of abortions occur during the first 6 to 12 weeks of pregnancy
• 47% of abortions are performed on women who have already had
one or more abortions
• 43% of women will have had at least one abortion by the time they
are 45 years old
• Age - The majority of women getting an abortion are young. 55%
are less than 26 years old and 21% are teenagers. The abortion rate
is highest for those women aged 18 to 19 (56 per 1,000 in 1992)
• Marriage - 51% of women who are unmarried when they become
pregnant will receive an abortion. Unmarried women are 6 times
more likely than married women to have an abortion.
• Race - 63% of abortion patients are white, however, the abortion
rate for non-white women is more than double that of white women.

Reason for abortion:

• 25.5% of women to postpone childbearing.
• 21.3% of women cannot afford a baby.
• 14.1% of women have a relationship issue or their partner does not
want a child.
• 12.2% of women are too young (their parents or others object to
the pregnancy).
• 10.8% of women feel a child will disrupt their education or career.
• 7.9% of women want no (more) children.
• 3.3% of women due to a risk to foetal health.
• 2.8% of women due to a risk to maternal health

And with abortion begins the sad story of children being killed and
abused for none of their faults. An estimated number of about 70
million of children are caused to perish before their birth every year.
(The Killer Sex)

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5) ADULTERY AND FORNICATION KEEPS ONE IN CONSTANT ANXIETY
AND CREATES A PERMANENT CAUSE OF GUILT:

This is one of the great psychological harms of fornication and

adultery. The scene can never be wiped out of one’s memory, and the
impact of the body contact never goes away. It is extremely difficult
for one to ever forget this sin. Why? Because it involves someone’s
dignity, whether it be someone’s mother, daughter, or wife, or
alternatively someone’s father, son or husband. Also, it likely occurs
in a hurried manner. Imagine a thief has to quickly grab whatever
circumstance allows him to steal, so fast that no one will see him… It
also takes place in humiliating settings: in the backseats, backyards,
in elevators, under stairs and under trees. The monkeys do it on the
trees. The dogs do it in the streets. Places and situations like these
never give any ‘fornicating couple’ enough time to create a digestive
intimacy, have a quality time and develop a strong bonding. In fact,
there’s no bonding to be developed in the first place when an
intercourse is done unlawfully.

If a boy or a girl’s first encounter of sexual intercourse was unlawful,

which likely happened similar to the above description, then the
manner in which the action took place will imprint in him or her for
the rest of his or her sex life. And that will affect his or her marriage
life. The more it affects his or her marriage life, the more anxiety he
lives in.

This constant anxiety will subsequently evolve into guiltiness that

hunts the person. Both parties know, deep down their hearts, that
they are committing a sinful act. It’s only a matter of the level of sense
of shame they possess at that point in time. Furthermore, it will also
hunt you if anyone is affected by your action. And certainly, someone
will be affected. How could a thief break into someone’s mansion,
steal his jewels, take his possessions, and expect no one to be
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affected? The same thing applies when fornication takes place. When
you break someone’s chastity, isn’t he or she affected? When you
drag someone son or daughter into fornication, wouldn’t he be
affected, even if he didn’t know about it? When you cause someone
to betray her husband or his wife. Isn’t that usurpation of his or her
right? Doesn’t that cause damage to the dignity and bond of a family?
More important than all the above; it breaks the boundaries of Allaah
Himself. The boundaries of Allaah are only broken by oppressors.

5.) CONFUSION OF LINEAGE

6.) CHILD ABUSE

IMPACT OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

• 67% of victims of sexual assault were juveniles (under age 18); 34%
of sexual assault victims were under age 12 1 of every 7 victims of
sexual assault were under age 6. (Bureau of Social Justice.)
• It is estimated that there are 60 million survivors of childhood sexual
abuse in America today. Source: Forward, 1993
• Approximately 31% of women in prison state that they had been
abused as children. Source: United States. Department of Justice,
1991.
• Approximately 95% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually
abused. Source: CCPCA, 1992.
• Children with disabilities are 4 to 10 times more vulnerable to sexual
abuse than their non- disabled peers. (National Resource Centre on
Child)
• Long term effects of child abuse include fear, anxiety, depression,
anger, hostility, inappropriate sexual behaviour, poor self-esteem,

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tendency toward substance abuse and difficulty with close
relationships.
• Clinical findings of adult victims of sexual abuse include problems in
interpersonal relationships associated with an underlying mistrust.
Generally, adult victims of incest have a severely strained relationship
with their parents marked by feelings of mistrust, fear, ambivalence,
hatred, and betrayal. These feelings may extend to all family
members. Source: Tsai and Wagner, 1978.
• Guilt is universally experienced by almost all victims. Courtois and
Watts described the "sexual guilt" as "guilt derived from sexual
pleasure." (Tsai and Wagner, l978.)
• Sexual victimisation may profoundly interfere with and alter the
development of attitudes toward self, sexuality, and trusting
relationships during the critical early years of development.. Source:
Tsai & Wagner, 1984.
• Adolescents with a history of sexual abuse are significantly more
likely than their counterparts to engage in sexual behaviour that puts
them at risk for HIV infection, according to Dr. Larry K. Brown and
associates, Rhode Island Hospital, in Providence.
• Young girls who are forced to have sex are three times more likely
to develop psychiatric disorders or abuse alcohol and drugs in
adulthood, than girls who are not sexually abused. Sexual abuse was
also more strongly linked with substance abuse than with psychiatric
disorders….sexual abuse may lead some girls to become sexually
active at an earlier age and seek out older boyfriends who might, in
turn, introduce them to drugs. Psychiatric disorders were from 2.6 to
3.3 times more common among women whose CSA included
intercourse, and the risk of substance abuse was increased more than
fourfold. Kenneth S. Kendler, M.D., et al, Medical College of Virginia
Commonwealth University)
• Girls are sexually abused three times more often than boys; (Mental
Health Journal)

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• "1,500 children die from abuse each year. There are 140,000 injuries
to children from abuse each year. There are 1.7 million reports of
child abuse each year." (Mental Health journal)
• "...about 1 in 4 women in North America were molested in
childhood." (Mental Health journal)
• "More than 2 million cases of child abuse and neglect are reported
each year in the United States. An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 new
cases of sexual abuse occur each year." (Mental Health journal)
• "...approximately 1 in 7 males will have been sexually molested
before the age of 18. (Mental Health journal) (The Killer Sex)

7.) BREAK-UP OF FAMILY STRUCTURE AND BITTERNESS IN

RELATIONSHIPS

• In an American Values poll, 46.7% felt that the breakdown of the

family institution was a more pressing issue for the country in the next
few years than the threat of terrorism on U. S. soil, Chinese
aggression, or even the availability of guns. The problem cited next
most frequently was terrorism on U. S. soil (16.2%), followed by the
availability of guns (14.1%), and Chinese aggression (10.9%). An
additional 6.9% identified an issue other than those listed as options,
and 5.2% were not sure.
• Over 55% of Republican respondents said that erosion of the family
structure was the top problem facing the country. More than a third
of Democrats agreed, but a large number also thought that terrorism
or firearm issues should be considered the top concern. (Reuters)
• White babies born to unwed mothers are 70 percent more likely to
die in the first year, and black infants born out of wedlock are 40
percent more likely to die. Even a college degree does not erase the
marital status risk: babies of white, unwed college graduates were
still 50 percent more likely to die than babies born to educated white

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mothers who were also married. (Marriage and Children’s Health and
Longevity by Maggie Gallagher)
• Adults from non-intact families were 70 percent more likely to have
circulatory problems, 56 percent more likely to show signs of mental
illness, 27 percent more likely to have chronic aches and pains, and
26 percent more likely to rate their overall health as poor. (Marriage
and Children’s Health and Longevity By Maggie Gallagher)
• One study found that parental divorce reduced a child’s life
expectancy by four years, even after controlling for childhood health
status and family background, as well as personality characteristics
such as impulsivity and emotional instability. Another analysis of this
same data found that 40-year-old men whose parents had divorced
were three times more likely to die than 40-year-old men whose
parents stayed married. (Marriage and Children’s Health and
Longevity By Maggie Gallagher)
• A large Swedish study found that as adults, children raised in single
parent families were 56 percent more likely to show signs of mental
illness than children from intact married homes. (Marriage and
Children’s Health and Longevity By Maggie Gallagher) (The Killer Sex)

8.) SPREAD OF VENEREAL DISEASES I.E. SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED

DISEASES (STDS), SUCH AS HIV/AIDS AND GONORRHOEA

Rasulullaah  indicated to in the following Hadith “When

shamelessness becomes prevalent and the norm (among people),
they would become entangled in plague and in such diseases that
never existed during the time of their forefathers.” (Ibn Majah no.
4019, Shuabul-Imaan no. 3042)

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GLOBAL SUMMARY OF THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC DECEMBER 2002
Number of people living with HIV/AIDS Total 42 million Adults 38.6
million Women 19.2 million Children under 15 years 3.2 million

People newly infected with HIV in 2002 : Total (million) 5 Adults 4.2
Women 2 Children under 15 years 8,00,000
AIDS deaths in 2002 : Total (million) 3.1 Adults 2.5 Women 1.2
Children under 15 years 6,10,000
….Genital herpes, the lifelong viral infection has grown by 30%..in the
last two decades, to at least 45 million cases. Genital herpes now
affects more than 1 in 5 Americans over the age of12. One million
new cases occur each year.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV): Some 5.5 million new infections occur
each year, with at least 20 million people Cervical HPV infection has
been linked with cervical cancer.
Despite the availability of a vaccine, hepatitis B remains a leading STD,
with 77,000 new cases a year acquired through sexual transmission.
A total of 750,000 people are infected with hepatitis B as a result of
sexual transmission.
The annual number of new HIV cases in the United States has been
stable for several years, with about half-20,000 infections per year -
of new cases acquired through sexual transmission.
About 500,000 Americans are infected with HIV as a result of sexual
transmission.
The panel reviewed published data on the economic costs of
individual STDs and estimated the direct medical costs of STD
treatment for all estimated cases in the United States per year to be
at least $8.4 billion. In addition to the economic impact of STDs, the
panel noted that STDs have a high human cost in terms of pain,
suffering and grief.
Of the top 10 most frequently reported infections, five are STDs.
More than half of teens aged 15-19 have had sex, and these teens are

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at high risk for STDs. About a quarter of all new cases of STDs occur in
teens; two-thirds of cases occur in people aged 15-24.
By age 24, at least one in three sexually active people will have
contracted an STD.
Teenage girls are highly susceptible to contracting chlamydia and
gonorrhoea, because these diseases easily infect the immature
cervix.
Biologically and socially, women are more vulnerable than men to
STDs. Genital infections including HIV are more easily passed from
men to women than from women to men.
They are then more likely to experience long-term consequences such
as infertility, tubal pregnancy, and cervical cancer.
Virtually every STD can be passed from a pregnant woman to her
foetus or infant, often with tragic consequences. Because infants’
immune systems are still developing, infections that are serious for
an adult can be life-threatening for an infant.

Common STD-related problems:

Despite these advances in treatment and prevention, however, the
United States continues to have the highest STD rates of any country
in the industrialised world…”
In the US, about 17, 000 people die every year of AIDS. The prevalence
of AIDS among adults and adolescents was 312, 000 at the end of
1999 (140 per 100, 000), compared with 76, 000 at the end of 1990.
Persons living with AIDS during 1999 were much more likely to be
female, African American, or infected through heterosexual contact
and much less likely to be White than were persons living with AIDS
in 1990. At the end of 1999, the numbers of Whites and African
Americans living with AIDS were similar (approximately 120, 000 and
125, 000, respectively), but the prevalence rate among African
Americans was 6.7 times that among Whites. The number of people
living with diagnosed HIV in these states (including those with AIDS)

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increased from 122, 000 at the end of 1994 to 173,000 at the end of
1999.
The diseases related to sex are not limited to sex transmitted
diseases. The aetiology of scores of psychiatric problems can be
traced to sex. Young boys and girls often develop anxiety neurosis due
to false notions about sex in their minds and their desire to have
perfect sex. This often means to them that they must have large
penises. They tend to think or are made to think that a few inches
shorter organ would spoil their whole sexual life. Girls would simply
not be satisfied; for they love larger penises. In order to enlarge their
organs, they use all kinds of devices and medicines available in the
market. They also tend to develop an exaggerated notion of long sex.
Premature ejaculation is perhaps the most common sex-related
psychiatric problem, men seek medical attention for. Other forms of
anxiety, depression and nervousness too are often related to failure
in love and estrangement with partner. Divorces, domestic violence,
single parenthood and child abuse lead to severe psychiatric
deficiencies and personality disorders.

9.) RAPE
The most contributing factors of rape are the media and
pornography, which encourage men to look at women as second-
class citizens, and as sex objects. It creates an increasingly violent
culture which glorifies male domination over women.
• Somewhere in America, a woman is sexually assaulted every 2
minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
• In 1996, 307,000 women were the victim of rape, attempted rape,
or sexual assault. [National Crime Victimisation Survey. Bureau of
Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997]
• Between 1995 and 1996, more than 670,000 women were the
victim of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. [National Crime

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Victimisation Survey Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of
Justice, 1997]
• One of the most startling aspects of sex crimes is how many go
unreported. The most common reasons given by women for not
reporting these crimes are the belief that it is a private or personal
matter and that they fear reprisal from the assailant.
• In 1996, only 31% of rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law
enforcement officials - less than one in every three. [National Crime
Victimisation Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of
Justice, 1997]
• Approximately 68% of rape victims knew their assailant. [Violence
against Women. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice,
1994)
• Approximately 28% of victims are raped by husbands or boyfriends,
35% by acquaintances, and 5% by other relatives.
• One of every four rapes take place in a public area or in a parking
garage.
• 29% of female victims reported that the offender was a stranger.
• 68% of rapes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
• At least 45% of rapists were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• In 29% of rapes, the offender used a weapon.
• In 47% of rapes, the victim sustained injuries other than rape
injuries. (The Killer Sex)

9.) PUNISHMENT IN THE GRAVE AND HEREAFTER

Nabi  said, while recounting a dream he had seen in which

he was shown some realities of the Hereafter by Jibreel  and
Mikaeel , “We walked until we came to a cave that looked like
an oven. Its top section was narrow, and the bottom was broad. A fire
was burning at the bottom. As the fire would rise, they would be
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carried by it till they reached the top and almost managed to escape.
Suddenly, the fire would be doused, and they would all fall back to
the bottom. It was filled with naked men and women.” According to
one narration, “From it sounds of screaming and noise was heard. We
looked inside and we saw naked men and women. We also saw
flames from beneath them. When these flames scorched them, they
screamed.” I asked Jibreel , “Who are these people?” He
replied, “These are the males and females who committed the grave
act of fornication. This will be their punishment till the day of
Qiyaamah.” (Bukhaari no. 1386)

According to another narration, Rasulullaah  saw people

whose bodies had swelled and from whom a most vile and foul stench
emanated. Each of them smelt like a stinking toilet. When he
enquired about them, Jibreel  informed him that they were the
fornicators. (Ibn Khuzaimah no. 1986, Ibn Hibbaan no. 7491)

In one narration, Rasulullaah  said, “Thereafter I proceeded

for a little while, then suddenly I was by a group of women hung by
their breasts. I heard them screeching out to Allaah . I asked,
“O Jibreel, who are these women?” He replied, “These are the
fornicators amongst your followers.” (Part of a very long narration in
Tafseer Tabari Surah Israa verse 1, Dalaailun-Nubuwwah vol. 2 page 390-
396)

A FRIGHTENING DREAM

A doctor narrated the following: In 1961, I was working as a Registrar

in a ward. One night, I saw an astonishing dream, which made me ill
for six months. In the dream, I was taken inside a grave, where I saw
a dead body rolling about restlessly; it looked as if the dead was in
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severe agony. His mouth was opened, but no voice was coming from
it. His arms and legs were shaking due to severe pain. For quite a
while, this condition remained. He then experienced some ease to
some extent. After a while, I saw a third person inserting in his private
part something like a shining whip, and due to its pain, the dead man
again began rolling about restlessly. Looking at his pain and suffering,
I enquired from that person as to why this dead man was being given
such a punishment. He replied that this man was an adulterer in his
worldly life and, since his death, he was being given this punishment.
For quite a while, I continued watching this scene, overtaken with pity
for this dead person. While I watched this punishment, someone
forced me to lie down on the ground and the same thing which looked
like a shining whip was put in my private parts. I felt such a severe
pain that I also began rolling on the ground like a fish out of water.
Even today, when I remember this dream, my hair stands on end due
to fear. (In my dream) I continued rolling about for a lengthy period
of time. When I awoke, I saw that my bed was wet, and I could still
feel the severity of the pain. I thought that I had urinated due to fear.
But I observed that the bed was wet with water even up to the pillow.
Thereafter, when I urinated, it was red like blood, and this blood-like
urine continued for the next six months. During this time, I became
very weak. Every kind of laboratory tests and x-rays were taken, many
doctors were consulted, and all treatments were tried, but neither
could anyone determine the cause of the disease, nor did I feel any
relief. During this period, I remained on a lengthy leave from service.
At last, when I turned my attention to prayers and istighfaar (seeking
forgiveness from Allaah), Allaah relieved me of this calamity.
(Exemplary stories of people on the verge of death or after death in their
graves – Dr. Noor Ahmad Nur)

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Note: It is possible that this person was involved in this evil action.
Allaah  gave him a warning by means of this dream.

In short, the harms of fornication and adultery are too much to be

mentioned. Some of the harms have been beautifully mentioned by
Ibnul-Qayyim in Rawdhatul-Muhibbeen,

“Despite Allaah ’s perfect mercy, it is sufficient to realize the

evil of adultery that Allaah  has stipulated the most severe,
difficult, and disgraceful form of killing for the one who perpetrates
this action. He has then commanded that His believing servants be
present at the time when the perpetrator is being punished.

Adultery combines all forms of evil within it, including irreligiousness,

destruction of piety, ruin of morals and lack of honour. You will not
find an adulterer who has piety, fulfils promises, is truthful in speech,
protects his friends and possesses true self-honour over his spouse.
Amongst the demands of adultery are deception, lies, lack of shame,
lack of the feeling of being watched by Allaah , deficiency of
hatred for haram and loss of self-honour from the heart.

The result of adultery is:

# The anger of Allaah  since the adulterer has broken His

command and done wrong with His ‘family member’. If any person
had to do such an action with the king’s family, he would be subjected
to the worst of punishments.

# Darkness of the face.

# Darkness of the heart and destruction of its light, which causes the
face to lose its lustre
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# Binding poverty

# Ruin of the status of the adulterer, falling from the eye of Allaah and
His creation

# Removal of the best of titles like chaste, pious, just, and being given
the opposite titles like sinner, adulterer, treacherous

# Snatching away the title of mu’min from the adulterer. (However,

he will still possess Imaan. This is like a person with a small amount of
wealth. He will not be called wealthy.)

# Placing oneself in the oven of Hell in which the adulterers were, as

narrated by Rasulullaah .

# Leaving the pure for impure. Jannah is for the pure, and Jahannum
is for the impure. The pure and impure will be separated on the Day
of Qiyaamah. Then the impure will be dumped together and then
flung into the Fire.

# Fear which is placed in the hearts of adulterers. In a chaste person,

there is peace in his heart.

# Loss of awe from the hearts of people.

# Loss of trust from people – people distrust him near their wives and
children.

# Stench which emerges from his body which can be perceived by

people of pure hearts.

# Tightening of the chest and heart. The adulterers are given the
opposite of their objectives. A person who seeks enjoyments of life
with that which Allaah has forbidden will be punished with the

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opposite of that which he desires. Whatever is by Allaah can only be
attained through His obedience. Allaah  has not made
disobedience to him a cause for any type of goodness. If the
wrongdoer knew of the enjoyment, happiness, expansion of the chest
and enjoyable life experienced by being chaste, he would have
realized that the enjoyment he lost was much, much more than the
enjoyment he gained – let alone the rewards and honour in the
hereafter for the chaste.

# Deprivation of enjoyment with the damsels (houris) in the

everlasting gardens of Jannah. 3 When Allaah  will punish the

3
An inspiring anecdote is recorded regarding Maalik ibn Dinaar  who,
while passing happened to notice a beautiful slave girl dressed in expensive
attire and sparkling ornaments strutting away, followed by her cavalcade of
attendants. He remarked: “I offer four Dirhams (a paltry figure) for the
purchase of this maiden.” (Her master had paid a hundred thousand for her.)
She ordered her attendants to overpower him and carry him along to her
master’s palace that they may jest with him and amuse themselves for a
while. When Maalik ibn Dinaar  repeated his four Dirhams offer to her
master, who roared away with laughter and thought this was some mentally
deranged vagabond, as he appeared in his tattered clothing and ragged
appearance. Little did he realize that this was a saint of high spiritual
standing. He explained, “I have paid a staggering sum for this beautiful
maiden, and you only offer me four dirhams for her?” Maalik ibn Dinaar
 retorted at once, “A defective commodity deserves a defective price.”
The owner, “What defect do you find in her?” Maalik, “Waste matter of a
most repugnant nature is excreted from her body. If she does not brush her
teeth for a month you would never stand near her. If she does not bath for
a few days you will never approach her. When she ages she will lose all her
beauty and charm and when she dies her body will decay and disintegrate
completely.” The master was dumb-struck and after a lengthy silence
enquired, “Do you know of any woman that is pure of these defects?” Maalik
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person who wore silk in this world and the one who drank alcohol by
depriving them of wearing silk and drinking wine in the hereafter, the
person who took full enjoyment in forbidden pleasures will be
deprived of that bounty in the hereafter.

Adultery also leads to breaking of family ties, disobedience of parents,

earning of unlawful wealth, oppressing the creation and destruction
of one’s spouse and children. At times, it leads to murder. To fulfil
one’s desires, assistance is sometimes sought with black magic and
with acts of polytheism, knowingly or unwittingly. Many other sins
have to be committed before, together with and after this sin. It is the
greatest drawer of evil in this world and the hereafter, and greatest

ibn Dinaar  replied, “Most certainly! The Hurs of Jannah are absolutely
pure of these defects and blemishes. Neither do they relieve themselves nor
do they emit any undesirable smell, their perspiration exudes a fragrant
musk, their saliva would turn oceans sweet, their melodious voices would
revive the dead, old age and death never overtakes them, they will always
remain virgins and they are eagerly awaiting our arrival there. They never
cast their glances on any strange man.” The man immediately repented from
his sinful life and giving away all his possessions and freeing his slaves, he set
off in search of some place of solitude where he could devote himself to the
worship of Allah. His slave-girl decided to accompany him and in this way
this repentant couple spent the rest of their earthly days, attaining very high
spiritual ranks.

This anecdote presents much food for thought to those who wish to mend
their lives. A poet says: “Those long, glistening hair which seem so
enchanting today, will appear more revolting than a donkey’s tail when she
becomes old.” (Effective remedies for spiritual maldies)

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preventer of good in this world and the hereafter. When a person falls
into its trap and net, it becomes difficult for well-wishers to save him,
and for doctors to cure him. The prisoner cannot be easily freed.
When a person falls into this sin, he is bidding farewell to the bounties
of Allaah , which is a guest who quickly moves away. Allaah
 states, “Allaah will not change a bounty which He has
bestowed upon a people until they change that which is within
themselves.” (Rawdhatul-Muhibbeen page 362)

THE SAFETY NET

Our beautiful religion and Shariah offers us a safety net with its
various injunctions, teachings, and prohibitions. Unfortunately, we
have breached and disregarded many of those laws, similar to the
person who removes the safety net with which he covers his
swimming pool as a safety measure for his little children and for those
who are in-experienced in swimming. On a larger scale, it is similar to
people who remove the safety nets found near the shoreline of their
beaches as a protection against shark attacks. Having ourselves
removed the teachings of Deen from our lives, we find ourselves in
deep waters, or having to face vicious shark attacks from all quarters
like nafs, shaytaan and various other evil elements prevalent in
society.

The Qur’aan mentions, ‘And approach not adultery, for it is a

shameful deed, opening the road to other evils.’(Bani Israaeel verse 32)

Rasulullaah  said, “…adultery of the eyes is when it looks at

that which is forbidden; adultery of the ears is when it listens to that

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which is forbidden; adultery of the tongue is when it utters forbidden;
adultery of the hands is when it touches forbidden; adultery of the
feet is when it walks towards forbidden; adultery of the heart is when
it desires and hopes for that which is forbidden; adultery of the
private parts is when it succumbs to that which is forbidden." (Muslim
no. 2657)

It has been mentioned that the person who touches a strange woman
with lust, on the day of resurrection his hands will be shackled to his
neck. If he kissed her, his lips will be cut off and thrown in the fire of
Jahannum. If he committed adultery then his thighs will bear witness
to it and testify against him on the Day of Qiyaamah. It will say to him,
“I was mounted for something impermissible.” Allaah  will look
at him with anger. The flesh of his face will fall off and he will
proclaim, “What did I do?” His tongue will testify and say, “I spoke to
whom it was not permissible for you to talk to.” His legs will testify, “I
walked towards something unlawful.” His hands will testify “I held
something which was prohibited for you.” His eyes will testify, “I
gazed at unlawful things.” His private parts will testify, “I committed
the act.” An angel will say, “I heard it” while another will say, “I’ve
written it down.” Allaah will say, “I was aware of it, and I concealed
it.” Then Allaah will say to the angels, “Let him taste of my
punishment. My anger has increased on one who has no shame.”
(Kitaab-ul-Kabaa’ir vol. 1 page 54)

From the above verse and Ahaadith, it is clear and apparent that Islam
forbids not only the act of adultery but all acts that invite and
encourage the act of fornication. Islam shuts the door to the root of
every evil.

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THE PRECAUTION OF RASULULLAH 

Umayma bint Ruqayqa said, "I went to Rasulullaah  with the

women who took an oath of allegiance (took bay’ah) with him in
Islam… They said, 'Allaah and His Messenger are more merciful to us
than ourselves. Come; let us give our hands to you, O Messenger of
Allaah!’ Rasulullaah  said, ‘I do not shake hands with
women. My word to a hundred women is like my word to one
woman.’ (Nasai no. 4181)

COMMON CAUSES OF ZINA

1) SOLITUDE AND INTERMINGLING WITH STRANGE WOMEN

Rasulullaah  said, “No man should be alone with a strange

woman, because Shaytaan is the third among them. (Tirmidhi no.
2165)

Rasulullaah  had instructed, “Do not enter on strange

women (i.e. women not lawful), for verily, Shaytaan moves in any one
of you like the movement of blood (in your veins).” (Tirmidhi no. 1172)

This includes amongst other:

a.) Domestic workers

Shaytaan, himself, tendered the following advice to Nabi Musa

, “Beware of sitting with a woman to whom you are not
related. I am her messenger to you and your messenger to her.”

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It does not matter whether the person is not attractive, or he is a poor
man. Shaytaan will weave his sorcery into the hearts and will not quit
in tempting them towards sin. Even if the man is Junaid Baghdadi and
the woman is Rabia Basri, but they are alone, then most certainly the
third is Shaytaan.

b.) Secretaries and work colleagues

S.N.A. tells of her experience: I never imagined that my work

circumstances would force me to be in contact with the opposite sex
(men), but this in fact is what happened…

In the beginning, I used to cover and screen myself from men by

wearing niqaab (face-veil), but some of the sisters advised me that
this dress was attracting more attention to my presence, and it would
be better for me to take off the niqaab, especially since my eyes were
somewhat attractive. So I removed the cover from my face, thinking
that this was better. But by continuing to mix with my colleagues, I
discovered that I was the odd one out because of my antisocial
attitude and my insistence on not joining in the conversation and
chatting with others. Everyone was wary of this “lone wolf” woman
(as they saw me), and this is what was stated clearly by one person
who affirmed that he would not want to deal with such a snooty and
stand-offish character. But I knew that I was the opposite, in fact, and
I decided that I would not oppress myself and put myself in a difficult
position with my colleagues. So I started to join in their chats and
exchanges of anecdotes, and they all discovered that I could speak
eloquently and persuasively, and that I could influence others. I could
also speak in a manner that was determined yet at the same time was
attractive to some of my colleagues. It was not long before I noticed
some changes in the expression of my direct supervisor; with some
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embarrassment, he was enjoying the way I spoke and moved, and he
would deliberately bring up topics in the conversation where I would
see that hateful look in his eyes. I do not deny the fact that I started
to entertain some thoughts about this man. I found it astonishing that
a man could fall so easily into the trap of a woman who was religiously
committed, so how must it be in the case of women who adorn
themselves and invite men to commit immoral actions? In fact, I did
not think of him in any way which went beyond the bounds of
sharee’ah, but he did occupy a space in my thoughts for quite some
time. But soon my self-respect made me reject the idea of being a
source of enjoyment for this man in any way, shape, or form, even if
it was only psychological in nature, and I stopped getting involved in
any kind of work that would force me to sit alone with him. In the
end, I reached the following conclusions:

1- Attraction between the sexes can occur in any circumstances, no

matter how much men and women may deny that. The attraction
may start within the bounds of sharee’ah and end up going beyond
those bounds.

2 - Even if a person protects himself (by marriage), he is not safe from

the snares of the Shaytaan.

3- Even though a person may be able to guarantee himself and he

works with the opposite sex within reasonable limits, he cannot
guarantee the feelings of the other party.

Finally, there is nothing good in mixing and it does not bear fruit as
they claim. On the contrary, it corrupts sound thinking.

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c.) School and university ‘friends’ of the opposite sex

d.) Family members and friends

One young girl of about 11 years was raped by the father’s best friend,
a Muslim. He too was given free access into the home, and he was
like an uncle to the young girl. Shaytaan comes in different guises. He
raped her. She fell pregnant. Everything came out in the open. The
parents were shocked and devastated. The man was arrested and
imprisoned. People need to understand that trust passed away a long
time ago. …Very, very few can be trusted today.

2.) EVIL FRIENDS

This is an aspect that we generally overlook, whereas companionship

and friendship are such, which benefit or destroy.

How many people befriend atheists and are then left in doubt about
Islamic Beliefs and teachings, to the extent of even inclining towards
rejection in Allaah ? How many have admitted that it was their
friend who introduced them to drugs, fornication, raves,
pornography, and other vices?

It is for these reasons that Rasulullaah  said, “A person is on

the Deen (way of life) of his friend, so everyone of you should look at
who he befriends.” (Tirmidhi no. 2378, Abu Dawood no. 4833)

It is the nature of man to steal from the character of others to the

extent that he would even adopt the same way of life, culture and
would even accept the religion of his friend.
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The likeness of good company and bad company is presented in an
excellent analogy by Nabi , “A good friend and a bad friend
are like a perfume seller and a blacksmith. The perfume-seller might
give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or
at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might
singe your clothes, and at the very least, you will breathe in the fumes
of the furnace.” (Bukhaari no. 5534, Muslim no. 2628)

3.) CELL-PHONES

Everyone is vulnerable to the snares on MXIT, FACEBOOK, BBM and

other social networks. Despite a few positives, everything else
screams danger for a Muslim. It makes the person negligent of Allaah
, it is a means of developing bad character, bad attitude, and a
rebellious temperament… It leads to a lot of undesirable behaviour
and actions. Many adults too, have destroyed their marriages with
their Haraam involvement with women or men through these
mediums. Social networks often open the door to various fitnahs and
Haraam indulgences. When Allaah  is displeased, then
problems arise, the person invites different kinds of punishments into
her (or his) life: restlessness, anxiety, depression, fear, the curse of
Allaah ;. Is this what we wants? What about Aakhirah?
Accountability? What about death visiting at any time? What if death
visits us while whilst communicating with some unlawful male or
female?

4.) DATING - This usually ignites the fire of temptation which in many
cases leads to major sins such as adultery, fornication, indecency,
rape, unwanted pregnancies and eventually ends up in destroying
society. Allaah  has warned in the Glorious Quran by saying,

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“And do not even go close to fornication. It is indeed a shameful act
and an evil way to follow.” (Bani Israaeel verse 32)

In this verse, Allaah  did not just say, “Do not fornicate”, but
He said do not even go close to it, meaning do not do things which
may lead to adultery or fornication as Shaytan is quick to mislead the
believers.

Hereby are some statistics of the detriments of intermingling before

marriage:

1. Those who live together or dated before marriage have higher

separation and divorce rates and even if they stayed together after
marriage they usually end up less happier that traditional couples.
(University of Columbia – Woman’s magazine)

2. The detriments and results of “cohabiting relationships and dating

relationships are similar.” (Ibid)

3. Nearly, 40 % of babies born in the United States in 2007 were

delivered by unwed mothers and sadly the rate of unwanted
pregnancies has increased to 25 % more in the last five years. In 2009
there were 80 million unwanted pregnancies and 42 million induced
abortions. (All about socializing before marriage)

4. A study by the first clinic of internal diseases and acute poisonings

– medical university of Gdansk, Poland- shows that the most often
reason for suicidal attempts was unplanned pregnancies (47.9%).
(Ibid)

5. A study by the Guttmacher institute, a leading reproductive health

research and advocacy group, estimates that unwanted pregnancies

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cost the U.S. government an estimated $11.1 billion dollars on a
yearly basis. (Ibid)

Verily intermingling prior to marriage leads to dating, Haraam

intimate relationships, cohabiting and eventually towards
depression, suicide, and destruction of one’s worldly life and the
Hereafter. The solution to these dilemmas lies in adhering to the
teachings of Rasulullaah  and abiding to the injunctions of
the Glorious Qur’aan.

THE SOLUTIONS TO SAVE OURSELVES FROM FORNICATION

1) To make nikaah. Nikaah in Islam is very simple, easy, and full of

blessings. Rasulullaah  said, “O young men, who amongst
you can afford to get married should marry, for this will be a means
of restraining the eyes from casting evil glances and a means of
keeping oneself pure and chaste.” (Bukhaari no. 5066, Muslim no. 1400)

Rasulullaah  hereby encouraged young men to become

married so that they be saved from sin and the wrath of Allaah
. Remember the following, “When (nikaah) marriage becomes
expensive, adultery becomes cheap.”

2. Protect the eyes from looking at strange men/women. Allaah has

commanded both men and women in two separate verses to ‘lower
their gazes and avoid eye-contact, which will ensure protection from
zina’. This evil is the root of the entire problem. We should remember
that we’re responsible for our own behaviour and attitudes. We are
not responsible for others’ behaviour and attitudes, except that of
our minor children. In other words, just because the opposite gender
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(male or female) has chosen to dress immodestly doesn’t give me the
green light to focus my gaze at him or her. When he or she does, he
or she’s committed a wrongdoing. And I, too, have committed a
wrongdoing when I do. May Allaah forgive our shortcomings!

It’s important for the Muslim to note, that reducing our vision is not
only applicable in the street, at our workplace and schools. As much
as it is applicable offline, it’s applicable online as well. As much as it’s
applicable in the Men’s Health Magazine, it’s applicable in the
Women’s Health Magazine and the Reader’s Digest. It’s also
applicable on Twitter, Facebook and more so on Instagram. Extending
our vision offline could lead to a physical zina. Extending our vision
online leads to pornography and, perhaps masturbation, both of
which could lead to a physical zina. This means, the danger of
extending our vision online is not less dangerous than extending it
offline.

3. To avoid mixed gatherings.

4. To have the thought that Allaah is at all times watching and
aware of your actions.

5. To refrain from sitting or working in privacy with strange men or

women.

Remember that if a person is a manager with his personal office, then

it is forbidden for him to be in seclusion with a strange woman, even
if the woman is his secretary. If, unfortunately, a man does have a
female secretary, he should ensure that the door to his office remains
open when she comes inside. If that is not possible for security

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reasons, then he should leave his office and speak to her outside in
view of others. It is totally forbidden for him to be alone with her,
with nobody else being able to access the office without his
permission. The same applies to a man being alone in his office with
a female client. A man should avoid being alone with a woman in a
lift (elevator) as well. If you are in a lift and a woman comes in, then
you should leave. You should rather delay your work by five or ten
minutes. Don’t ask her to go out, but you should go out. If perchance,
you are co-incidentally caught in such a situation, then exit the lift at
the next floor and take the stairs. Similarly, women should never be
alone with a driver who is not mahram.

6. Males should fulfil the rights of their wives i.e. looking after them.
This will prevent women from treading the wrong path.

7. To be wary of the dictates of the nafs.

8. Women should fulfil their husband’s rights and should not make
excessive demands on them. They should especially make themselves
easily available to fulfil their husband’s sexual wants. Negligence in
this aspect is a major reason for the spread of adultery and has caused
inexplicable harm.

9. Get rid of the television.

10. Ask Allaah  for protection from His disobedience.

Hudhayfah  said, “There shall come a time when none shall

have safety besides the person who makes a du'aa like a drowning
person does.” (Musannaf ibn Abi Shaibah no. 37145, Hilyatul-Awliyaa vol.
1 page 274) If we do not do so, then a time will come when we start

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justifying our evil actions, thereby destroying ourselves and closing
the doors of repentance.

Hudhayfah  is reported to have said, “The trial of temptation

(to do evil) presents itself to the hearts of people. When the heart
accepts it, a black spot appears on the heart and if the heart rejects
it, a white spot appears. Whoever wishes to know whether such
enticement has afflicted him or not, should assess himself. He should
know that it has afflicted him when he starts regarding as Haraam
something that he always regarded as Halaal or when he starts
regarding as Halaal something that he always regarded as Haraam.”
(Hilyatul-Awliyaa vol. 1 page 272)

Remind oneself of the punishment of Allaah  for the one who

indulges in this illicit activity and other forms of disobedience.

If one cannot get married due to some valid reason, he/she should
also resort to the following:

1. Keep abundant fast.

2. Never allow oneself to be idle. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

3. Keep good company and avoid evil friends.

4. Keep a simple cellphone which has no internet, no access to chat-

sites and is not able to hold pornographic material if a cellphone is
needed.

5. Spend one’s free time in Jama’at or in the company of the Ulama

and the pious.

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 MASTURBATION
One effort made today is to destroy the chastity and purity of the
youth through masturbation. Masturbation is beautified by the
enemies of mankind, and due to the abundance of pornography and
intermingling of the sexes, many of the youth are destroying their
lives by engaging in this filthy act.

The Ruling Regarding Masturbation is that it is Haraam (Unlawful).

This is the ruling of the 4 schools of thought viz. the Maalikis,
Shaafi’ees, Hanafis and one narration from Imaam Ahmed. They have
drawn their conclusions from the following proofs:-

PROOFS FROM THE QURAAN

Allaah  says: "And those who guard their private parts save
from their wives and those (slave-girls) which their right-hands own -
so there is no blame upon them. Then whoever seeks beyond that
(which is lawful), they are the transgressors." (Al Mu'minoon verse 5/6)

The intended meaning of these verses are clear. Allaah  has

praised the believers for guarding their private parts from that which
He has made forbidden upon them. Allaah has permitted them to
approach their wives and slave-girls. Thereafter, these Words of
Allaah  follow:- Whoever seeks beyond that which is lawful are
oppressors who overstep from Halaal (permitted) towards Haraam
(prohibited).

Hafiz Ibn Katheer  writes, “Imaam Shaafie  and those who

have agreed with him have concluded that masturbation is Haraam
from this verse.” He says, “Masturbation is excluded from these two
types which Allaah has made Halaal, viz. wives and slave-girls.”

Similarly, these Fuqahaa (Jurists) have drawn their conclusion from

the following verse: “And those who do not find the means to marry
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should remain chaste until Allaah gives them resources by His Grace.”
(An-Noor verse 32)
This verse shows masturbation to be Haraam because of two reasons:
Firstly: In this verse, Allaah  has given the command of chastity
and, according to the principles of fiqh, a command (an imperative)
denotes wujoob (incumbency, obligation). Hence to remain chaste is
waajib (compulsory) and wherever chastity is waajib it becomes
waajib to refrain from that which is contrary to it, for example,
adultery, fornication, and sodomy. This is due to the fact that
obligatory chastity will not materialize except by complete
refrainment from all that which is contrary to chastity.

Secondly, in this verse, Allaah  has made chastity obligatory on

those who are unable to execute the command of marriage. Here
Allaah  has not determined any connection or link between
marriage and chastity. Hence, this demands that masturbation should
be Haraam. And if assuming, it was permissible, then Allaah 
would have mentioned it at this point because this was the place of
its explanation. The silence maintained by Allaah  with regards
to it at a place which requires its explanation, denotes that
masturbation is Haraam.

Imaam Qurtubi  has written in the tafseer of this verse, “And

when Allaah  has not determined any order between nikah and
chastity, then this shows that besides these two, everything else is
Haraam. However, this unlawfulness does not include slave-girls
because another command of the Quraan makes them permissible,
viz. “That which the right-hands earn (i.e. slave girls).” Hence in this
matter, an addition of slave-girl has come. Masturbation, however,
still remains Haraam.”

“Those who seek beyond this (i.e. wives and slave girls] are
transgressors.” (Ma'aarij verse 31)

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Under the tafseer of this verse, Qadhi Thanaullah Paani Patti 
writes, “Imaam Baghawi has deduced from this verse that
masturbation is Haraam.”

PROOFS FROM THE AHAADEETH

1. Similarly, the Fuqahaa have drawn their conclusion from a hadeeth

reported by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud  in Bukhari and Muslim. He
says that Rasulullaah  said, “O group of youth! Whoever from
amongst you can marry should do so because it keeps the gaze low,
and it protects the private parts. And he who cannot marry should
make it compulsory upon himself to fast because it breaks lust.”
(Bukhari no. 5066, Muslim no. 1400)

Nabi  has directed the person who is incapable of bearing

the burden of nikah towards fasting. If assuming, masturbation was
permissible Rasulullaah  would have mentioned it at this point.
Rasulullaah  however, maintained silence. Hence, this
indicates that masturbation is Haraam because the maintaining of
silence at the place of explanation gives the benefit of restriction.

SAYINGS OF OUR PIOUS PREDECESSORS WITH REGARD TO

MASTURBATION

Sa'eed ibn Jubair  says, “Allaah  inflicted a punishment on

a group of people because they played with their private parts.”
(Tafseer Baghawi)

Anas ibn Maalik  Ataa  says, “Those who masturbated will

come on the Day of judgement, in such a condition that their hands
will be pregnant. (Shuabul-Imaan no. 5087)

Masturbation is a means of destroying ones’ life in this world and the

Hereafter.

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a.) It is a major sin and if repentance is not made from a major sin,
then the person will fall under the threat of being thrown into Hell.

b.) This evil habit comes upon a person due to the curse of lustful
glances. Since it is mentioned in the Qur’aan that the person who
guards their gaze will be able to guard their private parts, from this
we can gauge that the person who casts lustful glances will not be
able to guard their private parts. As a result, they lose control of
themselves. Due to this evil habit, eventually the person becomes
involved in fornication or adultery.

c.) It diminishes ones’ health:

This person is potentially not capable of marriage because their
semen will become thin.
A person may develop many diseases, such as gonorrhoea and
chancroid, etc.
The person becomes weak sexually and mentally meaning that they
have memory loss, blood deficiency, their resolutions become weak,
their heart becomes weak to such an extent that if a cat were to jump
from one place to another this person’s heart would skip a beat or
start beating faster as if a lion had just jumped in front of him.
The radiance and splendour from one’s face is depleted, dark circles
start to form around the eyes and a strange curse befalls this person
because this person is involved in a cursed action; they become pale,
their eyes go inward, they start to have mood swings. As a result, their
body, heart, and mind go down a slippery slope towards destruction.
If a person does not quit early, then in their youth they develop
incontinence in the bladder.
Due to undue hard stroking, the nerves, arteries, and veins all tend to
die out and blood doesn’t flow properly to that organ, due to which
it may become limp, and the person no longer has the ability to
perform intercourse. They may develop impotence or erectile

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dysfunction, and thus they will face a great shame in front of their
wife, society and the matter could even reach divorce.
Repeatedly ejaculating causing ones’ semen to become extremely
thin, due to which one loses virility.
Sometimes the mere rubbing against ones’ clothes or the mere
thought of intercourse with ones’ wife may cause ejaculation. One’s
organ may become crooked. It may grow in girth from the front and
then towards the back due to which a person may not be fully capable
of intercourse.
A persons’ memory becomes weak, they often experience headaches,
due to minor strenuous activity; they may experience temporary
blindness, cold sweats, and anxiety.
Sometimes semen becomes uncontrollable causing ones’ mind to
become weak, one to be disinclined and not interested in studying
and whatever one learns, they are not able to retain it.

Those people who feel that, by sinning, they will be able to subdue
their sensual desires, are in great deception. Hedonistic Western
civilization, who are followers of their carnal desires, have adopted
this route, and have thus destroyed the honour of mankind. They
have pushed man beyond animalism and barbarism. The Islamic
teaching is not to light the fire. The Western philosophy is to light the
fire and then try and control it. By fulfilling one’s desires, a person will
never attain satiation, but his desires will only increase, and his
condition will worsen. The similitude is like a person who has a rash
on his body. By scratching, he will only obtain temporary relief after
which, the itch will return with a vengeance, causing one to scratch
even more intensely.

By sinning, one will never be satiated. The reason being:

1. By sinning, the strength of one’s desires increases. The desires of

the nafs become stronger.
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2. One sin leads to another.

The desires of a gluttonous person never come to an end. No matter

how much of food he is given, he desires even more the next time
round. Similarly, the thirst of a person who drinks salty water is not
quenched, but actually increases. This is the condition of a sinner. He
desires to commit more and more sins.

Moulana Thaanwi  said, “A person gains enjoyment at the time

he commits a sin. However, thereafter he faces problems and
difficulties. For example, a beautiful woman walks past him. The
person desires to look, but immediately closes his eyes. At this time,
there is difficulty, but once the woman goes away, then, by Allaah,
see the enjoyment one will experience in his heart. He will pass the
entire day and night in great comfort. If, on the other hand, a person
looked to satiation, and did not get to see the woman again, see what
hell the person goes through in his heart.”

“Some people are in deception with regards to certain sins. They feel
that if a person fulfils the desire of sin to the fullest, the desires will
terminate, whereas this is incorrect. The root of the sin becomes
entrenched in the heart, even though one experiences some relief
after committing the sin. It is like tobacco (cigarettes etc.) The more
you smoke, the more you desire to smoke. If a person controls his
desires each time, then after a few days, it will come under control.
This is what is meant by “killing” the nafs.

To terminate evils, two methods are utilized: 1. natural 2. unnatural

1. The natural method: This is to remove and repel evil by means of

righteous actions. Islam has adopted this natural principle to destroy

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all evil. Establish Salaah so that one’s connection with Allaah 
becomes strong, and one is able to abstain from all sins. Discharge
zakaah so that one is saved from stinginess, greed, and hoarding. Fast,
so that patience, steadfastness and an environment of compassion
and sympathy could be established. Perform Hajj, so one can
establish the quality of effort and sacrifice within oneself, as well as a
universal environment of equality and justice.

Whenever any evil was eliminated in this world, it was due to the
following these fundamental principles. On the other hand, when
unnatural methods are adopted, then instead of evil lessening, it
increases.

2. The unnatural method: The Western world desires to stop evil by

allowing a person to satisfy himself to the maximum. This philosophy
is completely flawed. To stop a fire from spreading, water is utilized.
Adding more fuel and fire, hoping that the fire will cease, is contrary
to logic. If a person places a whole table full of delicious drinks and
foods before a gluttonous person, will this create a decrease or an
increase in his appetite?

The only way to destroy the power of the nafs-e-ammaarah is to shut

the door by which it gains strength. Sins are a tonic for the nafs. Once
it is deprived of this tonic, it becomes subservient and easily
manageable.

A few letters from youngsters involved in this evil action to a hakeem:

1.) I am 21 years old. I've been masturbating since I was 13 years old.
Now I am a living proof of all those adverse effects listed on your site.
I am weak, losing weight, can't think clearly, my vision is dim. My
cheeks have bcome just bone… please Sir help me out. I am 21 years
old, but I look like 35 years old, I am pale and depressed... help me.
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2.) There is only one real thing masturbation does to your life: it
makes it so useless. I have been into it for like 8 years now and the
consequences are so unpalatable: my social life is zero, can’t
concentrate on anything, loss of memory, thoughts of suicide or
running away from home. I am presently in my final year at college
and am finding it just too difficult to cope. I have lost almost all my
friends too. Please, pass this message to whoever cares to hear
masturbation is a KILLER. It has almost killed me!

3.) I am a 24 years old man, unmarried. I used to masturbate regularly

or two times a day from the age of 16 onwards. I almost stopped the
habit recently. Now, I had developed tremor and shaking of my hands
and cannot do any fine activities. Also there is joint pain in hands.
What should I do to cure the tremor of my hands? Is there any
medicine that can cure my problem? I am very tensed due to my
shaking hands and request you to prescribe urgent medicine to cure
this. With regards.

4.) Masturbation is almost ruining my life now. I am 23 but look like

35 years old. All the side effects mentioned on your web page are all
true (i.e. memory loss coming quickly, not socializing, constant
fatigue). It is evil, it is very addictive and very hard to give up because
my body enjoys it so much, my body craves for it like thirst. This habit
takes all relief and happiness away. Sir, I cannot suicide, but I have no
option… Please I need your help to stop this habit on time! It is a slow
killer!

5.) I am 38 years old, and I am a married man. Due to excessive

masturbation before marriage, i.e. before 2001, now I am unable to
satisfy my wife because of weak erection and early ejaculation.

6.) My name is …., I was 11 when I started masturbating and now, I

am 15. I am experiencing severe cases of memory loss, lack of
concentration, confusion. I was so bright and smart when I was
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younger, but now I have no self-esteem, and absolutely no
confidence. I haven't been developing properly due to this, and I am
very short, and have weak vision. My penis cannot stay erect. Please
someone help me. Masturbation has ruined my life, all I want to do is
stop, grow tall and reverse these terrible effects.

7.) I discovered this fantasy at the age of puberty when I was 16 and
I am still doing it at the age of 27. If I had spent my precious time doing
something more important I would have been a great successful
person now. However, now I am a pathetic loser. I don't have a life,
no girlfriend, no friends, no job, no nothing. All I have are the
symptoms of my stupid little habit, which are: memory loss and very
poor concentration, fatigue all the time, muscle cramp in legs and
arms, short body, short and thin penis, lack of sleep, semen leakage,
pain in testicles and abdomen, poor eye sight, fuzzy vision and eye
floaters, back pain, shoulder pain, thin sperm, falling and thinning
hair, weak bones, lack of interest in anything, guilt and shame, regret,
depression, low self-esteem and poor confidence to name but a few,
although the list is too long. The western scientists and doctors speak
utter nonsense that its perfectly fine to do it every now and again and
it helps you keep healthy and learn the pleasure of sex. But trust me,
I am a living experienced addict and I know what it is like to have the
symptoms of over-masturbation and sexual exhaustion. They support
the idea that it is harmless only to promote and encourage the use of
pornography, which is a multibillion business. Everyday hundreds and
millions of videos are produced for fools like me who spend their
money and waste their precious life for a few moments of pleasure.
Trust me all my brothers who are reading this: I am now a living dead.
I only eat, sleep, and walk and that's it. I'm not capable of doing
nothing. But if you want to success, do not masturbate. Good luck to
everybody.

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8.) Hello, I am just married, and I have a big problem: My husband is
obsessed with pornography and masturbation. I have spoken with
him about it, but it is normal for him. I have told him that his
behaviour affects our relation. I always have to start, I always have to
look for him to make love as he is used to pleasing himself. I feel
frustrated as a woman, I feel that my husband doesn't want me. He
has told me that he will never stop masturbating because he has done
it all his life. Concerning pornography, he is obsessed with it, he has
even asked me to have sex with another woman. I am desperate. I
don't want to have to get divorced from him. Please I need advice.

9.) I am 23 years old, and I have been masturbating for around 10

years. I started facing some problems 2 years ago and since then I am
getting worse day by day. I always had problems managing my stress
levels and that is the reason I started masturbating in the first place.
I seriously started trying to quit masturbation 2 months ago. By now
I have succeeded only in reducing its frequency. Now, I usually do it
after 15 or 20 days; but I am trying, and I am sure that I will quit doing
it completely soon. Can you guide me how can I recover completely
from all the ill effects of masturbation? Following are my symptoms:
Weak erections (even if I get one, it doesn’t last long). thin semen,
weak orgasms, weak joints (knees, elbows, jaw - I often hear cracking
sounds in my joints), pain in neck & lower back, pain in my shoulder
bones & ribs when I wake up in the morning, weakness in pelvic
region, insomnia, concentration problems (I feel sleepy all the time
and can’t focus), depression & anxiety.

10.) I have started masturbation when I was 10 years old and

continued till the age of 18. I used to masturbate daily. Now, I am 19
and it has been a year that I have left it and I have a lot of health
problems, like nervous system, psychological problems, weakness,
pain all over the body, weak eyesight and much more. I have done my
high school, but I cannot study further due to the problems that I

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have! My life is destroyed. Now, I cannot do anything, like study,
work, or any other small thing! I am completely different from all the
other human beings around me, my way of living, talking, thinking
and everything is completely different! I am fed up of this life! How
should I recover completely? I hope you answer me soon! Thank you.

11.) I am practicing it since 10 years and now I want to leave it

because I am having many physical unwanted changes. Previously I
was very smart and was among top students in the class and now I
am nothing. I am losing my hair, I am obese, have small breasts, my
face glow has gone, my eye is floating, I am unable to do physical work
and have evil thoughts… I want to leave it Please, help me.

12.) I remember friends telling me that it is scientifically proven to be

safe. I began at around 6 years old. Of course, semen started coming
out at 13. Now I am 20. On an average I did it once a day, occasionally
twice/thrice. In short, I have the following problems because of this
addiction. My private part doesn't stand anymore. If it does, erection
lasts for only fifteen seconds. I sometimes have to jerk off using half
of my palm, as it won't stand even while masturbating. My hands,
legs, cheeks, etc. tremble horribly, especially in a panic situation. I
have panic attacks. It's embarrassing. I cannot study. I cannot
concentrate anymore. I am always tired. I tried stopping it in teen
years, but with no avail.
I have got various mental diseases. Now, I am depressed. That's
because I can't study, approach women, or even talk to them, let
alone be able to have relations with them. Even if I would get some
success stopping it, I'm afraid I could become some rapist/sexual
predator. So I don't even try to stop this self-deteriorating habit. I
have noticed my body showing strange feminine patterns like small
breasts, big ass. That's because of patterns in my brain, which are
affected due to over masturbation. It affects your hormones, for sure.
I have pain in my lower back, knee, arm, joints, etc. I am not as agile
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as I was earlier. I have no confidence in myself, so I keep failing. I feel
helpless and pathetic. Help me, please!

13.) Hello! I am …. (a female), I have a very big problem, and I need

your help, I started performing masturbation when I was 12 years,
and now my age is 18 years, this phenomenon caused a lot of things
to me, it affected the development of my brain, it caused the loss of
my memory, I forget anything and any information, and this
forgetting affects my education. Other harms are the physical
exhaustion, and the loss of vitality. I sleep too much , and I fall
exhausted easily every day, please I want to ask you, if I stopped
performing masturbation, will the memory become normal, or will I
continue forgetting like now? And also about the vitality? Is there are
any prevention to resume my strong memory, and my vitality or not?
I need so much your help, thank you very much and good day.

REMEDY FOR MASTURBATION

(Remedy by Aarif-Billaah Maulana Shah Hakeem Mohammad Akhtar

Saheb )

1. The primary cure for ridding ones’self of any evil is one’s self-
determination. Without one’s firm determination, there is no cure.
Whenever one’s nafs tries to involve a person in this particular sin
then fight it off as if a person were to fight off an enemy that is after
their life. Similarly, one should be as determined to save one’s Imaan
as they would be to save one’s own life. They should be so
determined that they must be willing to give up their life, but not
commit a sin. The day a person has this type of determination then

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this evil habit will leave. Also, one should try as much as possible not
to be in seclusion.

2. One should ponder over this that Rasulullaah  is reported

to have said something to the effect that one who masturbates is
accursed.

3. Ponder over the shame that one would feel on the Day of
Judgment, when this person will be raised, and their hand will be
pregnant in front of Allaah and His Messenger .

4. Ponder over all the harms mentioned in the earlier section.

5. Realize that this debasing act only amounts to a short-lived

pleasure.

6. Allaah is with us all the time. Meditate over the fact that Allaah is
watching us all the time.

7. This evil habit is due to the curse of lustful glances. Therefore, one
should not view any pornographic material and not even go close to
pictures in the newspaper, on the internet, cable, television, VCR;
DVD etc. to such an extent that one should even start avoiding emails,
otherwise random thoughts will come into ones’ mind and will cause
heat to develop in ones’ body leading the person to ultimately
masturbate.
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8. One should not remain alone, rather be amongst pious friends.

9. One should be concerned to stay in the company of the righteous

with the condition that they inform the righteous person of their
condition and implement the instructions of the righteous person.

10. To consult ones’ spiritual guide and stipulate a financial penalty

such that one feels pain in their heart. This penalty should be in the
form of charity. It shows the expertise of the spiritual guide. One
should also feel remorse as to how sad their spiritual guide would be.

11. One should be willing to give up their life, but not commit sin. This
state of being can only be developed by being in the company of
righteous people, therefore adopt the company of the righteous.

12. Guard ones’ gaze and watch over ones’ heart because mere
consultation with ones’ spiritual guide and litanies and the company
of the righteous is not sufficient. Therefore, one should implement all
the advices one receives from their spiritual guide regarding guarding
ones’ gaze and watching over ones’ heart.

13. If perchance a person happens to fall prey to this accursed act

then each time a minimum of twenty nafl prayers should be prayed
or such a large amount of charity should be given such that it becomes
burdensome on one’s nafs.

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 HOMOSEXUALITY AND LESBIANISM

Allaah  has created man as the best of His creation. Shaytaan

is his open enemy. He wants to debase human beings and destroy
their lofty status. He attempts to lead man astray by allowing him to
do such demeaning acts which will actually destroy him physically,
spiritually, and mentally. The desires and urge in men and women
have been regulated so that they can be fulfilled and remain within
bounds.

Today, an effort is made to promote the acceptance of homosexuality

and lesbianism in the media, schools, etc. The way these disgusting
actions are painted are causing many of the youngsters to change
their stance on these issues. Remember why the nation of Loot 
were destroyed. Allaah  mentions their incident in many places
in the Qur’aan. At one place, He says, “And (We also sent) Loot.
‘Behold, he said to his people, do you do what is shameful even
though you see (that it is wrong)? Would you really approach men in
your lusts rather than women? Nay, you are a grossly ignorant
people!’ But his people gave no other answer but this: They said,
‘Drive out the followers of Loot from your city. These are indeed men
who want to be clean and pure!” But We saved him and His family
except his wife: We destined her to be of those who lagged behind.
And We rained down on them a shower (of stones). And evil was the
shower on those who were admonished (but failed to heed).” (Naml
verse 54-58). At yet another place, Allaah  says, “Do you
approach the males of humanity, leaving the women Allaah has
created for you? But you are a people who transgress.” (Shu’araa verse
165-166)

HISTORY OF HOMOSEXUALITY

This action is not only a sexual perversion, but a Satanic evil. The first
people to initiate this evil was the nation of Loot . According to
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Ibn Abbaas , “This evil act commenced when Shaytaan came to
these people in the form of a very handsome lad. He invited them to
cohabit with him. Then they indulged in this evil act with him and then
became bold in perpetrating this action. (Ibn Asaakir vol. 50 page 313)

He explained this point to them,

We sent Loot, when he said to his people, “Do you commit such
immoral acts which no one in the world prior to you committed?”
(He attempted to prohibit them from the vile, abnormal, and
immoral act in which they were involved. Not only were they
involved in such an act, but they were the originators of such an act.
The entire world was not aware of such an act. This accursed act was
first taught to the people of Sodom by Satan and then spread to
other parts of the world. Loot  warned them of the evil
consequences of this accursed and repugnant act and wanted to
wipe it out from the surface of the earth.) “You lustfully approach
men instead of women. No! In fact, you are a transgressing nation.”
(Not only are you committing a sin. Rather, the commitment of such
an abnormal act is a clear indication that you have transgressed the
bounds of human nature as well.) (A’raaf verse 80-81)

These accursed people possessed many evil qualities, but this was the
worst of all. They had abandoned the natural way of fulfilling desires
and took to homosexuality, practicing it openly without any shame.
They eventually taunted their well-wishers. They regarded being pure
and chaste as an evil quality and attempted to expel these ‘pure’
people from their midst.

Loot  too proclaimed his hatred of this accursed action. He

boldly declared,
َ‫إﻧِّﻲ ِﻟﻌَ َﻣ ِﻠﻛُم ِ ّﻣنَ اﻟﻘَﺎ ِﻟﯾن‬
Verily, I have extreme hatred for your actions. (Shu’araa verse 168)

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Allaah  sent angels in the form of handsome youngsters to Loot
. Loot  became worried when he saw them, realizing that
if his people came to know, they would attack these visitors and fulfil
their immoral desires with them forcefully. (Amongst the evils of this
sickness is that one who becomes addicted to it becomes utterly
shameless.)

When the news of the arrival of these young handsome boys was
conveyed by the wife of Loot  to these immoral people, they
rushed to his house. Loot  attempted to explain to them that
they should fulfil their desires in a lawful manner by marrying women.
However, utterly shameless, they remarked, “You definitely know
that we have no need of your daughters (the women of the village).
You know what we want.” (Hood verse 79)

Loot  became perturbed and uttered, “If only I had the power
to suppress you or I could take refuge by a powerful support.” (Hood
verse 80)

When the angels witnessed this, they exposed their true nature, and
reassured him by saying,
O Loot, indeed, we are messengers of your Sustainer; [therefore],
they will never reach you. “O Loot, indeed, we are messengers of
your Lord; [therefore], they will never reach you,” (Hood verse 80)

The last words suggest that the attackers intended to eliminate Loot
 to get at his guests. But as they men approached in the heat
of their unnatural lust, or perhaps tried to force their way in, the
angels took away their sight. (Qamar verse 72)

When these people ran away with fear, the angels said to Loot ,
So set out with your family during a portion of the night and let not
any among you look back – except your wife; indeed, she will be

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struck by that which strikes them. Indeed, their appointment is [for]
the morning. Is not the morning near?” (Hood verse 81)

Loot  immediately left with the believing people. As soon as

dawn arrived, such a punishment engulfed these people which stands
as a warning in history. Jibreel  raised the land on which they
were. They were taken up and then flung down. Stones (with each
person’s name engraved) were rained on them, and the entire
community was destroyed.

As their nature was perverted, so too a similar punishment was meted

out to them. In addition, stones were rained upon them.

Homosexuality has been sternly warned against by Rasulullaah

 in many ahaadith. Rasulullaah  said, “That which I
fear most for my people is the action of the people of Loot  (i.e.
homosexuality).” (Tirmidhi no. 1457, Ibn Majah no. 2563)

Ibn Seereen  said, “There is no animal besides the swine and

donkey which commits the action of the people of Loot  (i.e.
homosexuality.)” (Shuabul-Imaan no. 5018)

1.) THE WRATH OF ALLAAH  ON HOMOSEXUALS

Rasulullaah  said, “Allaah  does not look to a man
who goes to a man or a woman from behind.” (Ibn Hibbaan no. 4418)

2.) THE CURSE OF ALLAAH  ON HOMOSEXUALS

Rasulullaah  said, “Accursed is the one who does the action
of the people of Loot .” (Al-Mu’jamul-Awsat of Tabaraani no. 4417)

Rasulullaah  mentioned seven groups of people who are

cursed by Allaah . They are only cursed once. However when it
came to homosexuals, Rasulullaah  repeated thrice, “Allaah
curses the one who does the action of the people of Loot .” (Ibn
Hibbaan no. 4417, Musnad Abu Ya’laa no. 2539)
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3.) HOMOSEXUALITY THWARTS DIVINE BLESSINGS
Rasulullaah  said, “When the non-Muslim citizens are
oppressed, then the kingdom will become the kingdom of the enemy.
(They will gain victory over the Muslims.) When fornication abounds,
prisoners will increase (Muslims will be taken as prisoners by the
disbelievers). When homosexuality increases, Allaah  will raise
His hand from the creation. He will not care in which valley they are
destroyed.” (Al-Mu’jamul-Kabeer of Tabaraani no. 1752)

4.) HOMOSEXUALITY CAUSES A PERSON TO BE IN THE ANGER OF

ALLAAH 
Rasulullaah  said, “Four groups of people pass the morning
in the anger of Allaah and pass the evening in the wrath of Allaah:
Those men who imitate women, those women who imitate men,
those who fulfil their desires with animals and those men who fulfil
their desires with other men.” (Al-Mu’jamul-Awsat of Tabaraani no.
6858)

5.) SEVERE PUNISHMENTS IN THE WORLD

Rasulullaah  said, “When my ummah start doing five
actions, destruction will fall upon them: when cursing one another
and wearing silken clothing becomes apparent, when they will utilize
musical instruments, when they will drink alcohol, and when men will
suffice with men and women with women.” (Shuabul-Imaan no. 5084)

It is narrated that Isa  on one of his travels passed by a fire

burning a person. Isa  took water to extinguish the fire. The fire
then turned into a boy, and the man turned into fire. Isa  was
surprised by this. He asked Allaah  to return them to their
condition in the world so that he could ask them as to what had
occurred. Allaah  granted them life. There was a man and
youngster. Isa  asked them as to what had occurred. The man
said, “O Ruhullaah, I was in love with this boy in the world. My desires
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compelled me to do the immoral act with this boy. When the boy and
I passed away, he became a fire which burns me at times, and I
become a fire which burns him at times. This will be our punishment
till the Day of Judgement.” (Al-Kabaair of Dhahabi vol. 1 page 60)

6.) REMAINING IMPURE PERPETUALLY

Mujaahid  said, “If the person who commits that action – that is
the action of the people of Loot , has to have a bath with every
drop of water in the heavens and on earth, he would still remain
impure.” (Shuabul-Imaan no. 5020, Dhammul-Malaahee no. 136)

7.) SICKNESSES

Apart from sex workers, homosexuality is another natural habitat for

HIV/AIDS. The United Nations estimates that 2 to 20% of MSM (men
having sex with men) are infected with HIV, depending on the region
they live in. The CDC reports that “in 2009, in United States MSM
accounted for 61% of all new HIV infections and that MSM who had a
history of recreational drug injection accounted for an additional 3%
of new infections. Among the approximately 784,701 people living
with an HIV diagnosis, 396,810 (51%) were MSM. About 48% of MSM
living with an HIV diagnosis were white, 30% were black, and 19%
were Hispanic or Latino. Although the majority of MSM are white,
non-whites accounted for 54% of new infections HIV related MSM
infections in 2008. A recent study estimated that for every 100,000
MSM, 692 will be diagnosed with HIV. This makes MSM 60 times more
likely to contract the virus than other men and 54 times more likely
than women. The obvious reason for this huge difference is the
nature of organs involved in coitus. The HIV virus is more easily
transmitted through unprotected anal intercourse than through
unprotected vaginal intercourse and men who report unprotected
receptive anal intercourses are at increased risk of contracting the
HIV virus. Generally, the receptive partner is at greater risk of
contracting the HIV virus because the lining of the rectum is thin and
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may allow the virus to enter the body through semen exchange. The
insertive partner is also at risk because STIs can enter through the
urethra or through small cuts, abrasions, or open sores on the penis.
Also, condoms are more likely to break during anal sex than during
vaginal sex. Thus, even with a condom, anal sex can be more risky.
The IV drug abuse is also one of the major risk factors and the drug
abuse along with promiscuity and/or homosexuality increases the risk
multi-fold.
LESBIANISM

Rasulullaah  said, “No man should look at the private part

of another man, nor should any woman look at the private part of
another woman. No man should join another man in one garment,
nor should any woman join another in one garment. (Muslim no. 338)

Ubayy ibn Ka’b  said, “Close to Qiyaamah, at the end of the

ummah, there will be certain actions committed. Amongst them are
a man having intercourse with his wife or slave girl in her anus. This is
from the actions which Allaah and His messenger have prohibited,
and Allaah and His messenger hate. Amongst them is a man having
intercourse with another man. This is from the actions which Allaah
and His messenger have prohibited, and Allaah and His messenger
hate. Amongst them is a woman having intercourse with another
woman. This is from the actions which Allaah and His messenger have
prohibited, and Allaah and His messenger hate. As long as they
remain on this, their Salaah is not accepted until they sincerely repent
to Allaah.” The narration says, “I asked Ubayy, “What is sincere
repentance?” He answered, “I asked Rasulullaah  regarding
this, and he said, “Excessive sorrow on the sin, then you seek
forgiveness from Allaah  when you feel the sorrow, then you
do not ever return to it. (Shuabul-Imaan no. 5074)

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Rasulullaah  said, “When a man fulfils his desires with
another man, then both are fornicators. When a woman fulfils her
desires with another woman, then both are fornicators.” (Shuabul-
Imaan no. 5075)

Rasulullaah  has also said, “Lesbianism by women is adultery

between them.” (Musnad Abu Ya’laa no. 7491, Shuabul-Imaan no. 5082)

Allaah  will not accept the testimony of laa ilaaha illallaahu

from three: homosexuals, lesbians, and an oppressive ruler. (Al-
Mu’jamul-Awsat no. 3104)

Two women who had learnt the Qur’aan came to Ja’far ibn
Muhammad ibn Ali  and asked him, “Do you find women loving
other women prohibited in the Qur’aan?” He replied, “Yes. They are
the ones who were found during the time of Tubba’ and they are the
people of the well. (Mention is made in the Qur’aan that they were
destroyed.) Seventy jilbaabs (outer coverings) of fire, a dress of fire, a
girdle of fire, a crown of fire and two socks of fire will be cut for them.
Over this will be a thick, firm, coarse cloth of fire.” Ja’far said, “Teach
this to your women.” (Dhammul-Malaahi of Ibn Abid-Dunya no. 144)

Abu Hamzah asked Muhammad ibn Ali , “Did Allaah 

punish the women of the nation of Loot  due to the actions of
their men?” He replied, “Allaah  is more just than that. Men
fulfilled their desires with men, and women fulfilled their desires with
women.” (Dhammul-Malaahi of Ibn Abid-Dunya no. 145)

PUNISHMENT TO BE METED OUT TO A HOMOSEXUAL/LESBIAN

The unanimous verdict of the ummah is that both participants of the

homosexual act should be severely punished, whether married or
not, because this act surpasses adultery in filth and mischief.
Rasulullaah  said, “Whosoever you find doing the action of

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the people of Loot, then kill the doer and the one on whom the action
is done.” (Abu Dawood no. 4462, Tirmidhi no. 1456)

However the manner of punishing them differs. One group states that
they must be killed. Khalid ibn Waleed  wrote to Abu Bakr
 that he found a man in a certain Arab tribe who was engaged
in intercourse with a man just as intercourse was done with a woman.
Abu Bakr  gathered for this the companions of Rasulullaah
. Amongst them was Ali ibn Taalib . Ali  said,
“This is such a sin which no nation besides one has committed. Allaah
punished them as you know. I feel that you should burn him. All the
companions were unanimous that he be burnt to death. Abu Bakr
then commanded that he be burnt to death. (Dhammul-Malaahi of Ibn
Abid-Dunya no. 140)

Another group are of the opinion that the same punishments given to
adulterers will be given to homosexuals. If they are unmarried, they
will be given one hundred lashes; and if married, they will be stoned
to death.

A third group is of the opinion that the punishment will be meted out
in accordance to the discretion of the imam of the time. He can get
him crushed under the foot of an elephant, burn him, throw him from
the top of a hill or imprison him in a stinking place so that he is killed
by the smell.

There are three reasons why the shameful practice of homosexuality

has spread so rapidly in modern times:

1.) Rasulullaah , some 1400 years ago, advised men not to

look at the privates of men, nor women to look at the privates of
women, and not to sleep under one cover with the same sex without
being fully dressed. Not adhering to this piece of advice is the start of
all homosexual and lesbian behaviour. Let‘s not blame the Almighty if
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we crossed our own wires! Boys and girls, today, think it is cool to
stare at their privates for hours on end in the isolation of their homes.
They secretly compare their privates with those of others in gyms or
in beachfront bathrooms. They also study the anatomy in detail in
magazines and on the internet. Many schools too, expose children to
sex from a very young age. All this leads to unnatural stimulation and
experimentation, which they then regard as normal.

2.) The second reason for the spread of homosexuality is the western
tendency of avoiding the responsibility of raising a family and
undergoing the challenges of domestic life. However, such people
want to also experience the pleasures of intimacy and the joys of
parenthood. Married life has its challenges, but introducing a new
challenge whereby the child doesn’t know who is mum or who is dad
is simply ridiculous. Such people want their bread buttered on both
sides, and even toasted! Their reward to humanity for such behaviour
is that homosexuals are the primary carriers of the deadly AIDS virus,
for which modern medicine has absolutely no cure;

3.) The third reason is to be blamed on fashion and the cosmetic

industry. Clothing is not only unisex – making male and female similar
in their appearance, – but it has gone beyond that. The latest fashions
depict men’s clothing as brighter and louder, whilst that of women to
be even brighter and louder. All this splash of colour has contributed
to the confusion of people’s orientation. Adding to this, we now have
vain men whose palms and chins -where the beard is supposed to
grow,- are smoother than those of women. Their bathrooms cabinets
are overflowing with all types of strange beauty potions, and they
spend more hours in front of the mirror then women. All this
obsession with the flesh has contributed much to the trend of
homosexuality in modern times.

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Rasulullaah  is reported to have likened homosexuality as
worse than adultery. Although there were no incidences of
homosexuality in his time, it is said that in the time of the second
caliph, Umar ibnul-Khattab, a colony of homosexuals were found in
Syria, and he ordered that they all be burnt to death.

The crux of the above is:

1. Our creator, Allaah  has prohibited homosexuality in no
uncertain terms.

2. Accordingly it is not natural. In fact it is something unnatural.

3. It is possible that a person becomes inclined to such activity due to

the company he keeps, the material he reads/views or other external
influences. This does not mean that he has been born such. The
Hadith is very clear in that every person is born upon fitrah or the
natural instinct of what Allaah  wants of us.

4. Islam strongly condemns the act of homosexuality. Those who are

involved in this heinous sin may however turn back by repenting from
this evil and seeking the forgiveness of Allaah who accepts
repentance and would once again bless such people too. As such, it is
not the people who are disdained in themselves. Rather, it is the
heinous sin that they have got themselves involved in that results in
them being cursed. If these very people repent and mend their ways,
Allaah will definitely forgive.

5. Hence if you have sincerely repented for these actions, Allaah will
definitely forgive you. You should now resolve never to displease Him
in any way and get back into this accursed evil practise. Do not engage
in any illicit relationships. Strive to make up for the past sins. Cry
before Allaah and seek his help in granting you a compatible wife.
May Allaah  ease every Muslim’s difficulty and protect all from
sins. May Allaah  keep every Muslim steadfast on taubah and
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may He grant pious compatible spouses who will be of assistance to
one another in both this world and the Hereafter.

BUT WHY IS IT PROHIBITED?

To understand this, one must first acknowledge that Allaah 

has laid down a Deen for us to practice upon. None can question Him
with regards to the ‘why’. It is also imperative to understand that
many laws of the Shari’ah cannot be understood. For example, why
do we have to specifically pray five times a day? Why have men been
prohibited from wearing silk? In the same vein, why is homosexuality
prohibited?

We are first and foremost, the slaves of Allaah . The position

of a slave is to obey without question. This worldly abode is no more
than a test from Allaah . Allaah  has allowed and
permitted many things. However, He has also imposed restrictions.
These restrictions range from what we are permitted to consume all
the way to the extent to which we may derive pleasure from our
spouses. An example of this is the case of anal intercourse with one’s
spouse. This has been prohibited as was understood by the hadith
quoted earlier.

However, jurists of the past have ventured to try and explain some
wisdoms behind certain rulings and laws. Quite a few remain
unexplained even till today. When it comes to homosexuality, most
have stated that it is an unnatural ‘filthy’ act. It goes against the basic
principles of procreation and is considered to be beneath human
dignity.
We shall now list a few arguments made for homosexuality and the
responses.

#1. Is this act actually unnatural?

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Today we find advocates for homosexuality claiming that this act is
not ‘unnatural’, as it has been observed amongst animals as well. If
the criteria for defining the morals and ethics of humanity is based
on conformity with actions of animals, then we truly are a lost cause.
How many strange and odd practices are found in the animal
kingdom? Will we venture and assert that they too are ‘natural’? It
has been observed that a female mantis will bite off the head of its
mate during intercourse. Other unnatural acts range from necrophilia
to Apophallation! Is all this now ‘natural’ simply because animals do
it?
If we do accept homosexuality as a natural inclination, will we also
accept as natural all other bizarre inclinations experienced by people
such as necrophilia, paedophilia, bestiality, and incest? What would
be the main difference between all these acts? In actuality, this is the
direction society is currently headed towards. Some countries have
begun legalising consensual incest between adults! Are these really
morals and ethics we wish to emulate?

#2. Why is it a problem if it doesn’t harm anybody?

An argument often raised is that no one is harmed in homosexuality
as it is a consensual act between two adults. Consider this, if two
siblings consensually agree to sleep with each other and refrain from
creating inbred offspring, will this now be acceptable since there is no
harm? May Allaah protect us! How was a line drawn between an
inclination which is acceptable and an inclination that is not? We must
understand that the morals and ethics set by Allaah are objective,
whereas the morals of secular societies today are subjective. This is
evident if one were to observe societies today. How then can we alter
our values and morals, especially if the alternative is pure self-
indulgence?

#3. Why was I born with these inclinations?

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Another argument often put forward is that these are inclinations one
was born with. This cannot be accepted as Rasulullaah has
clearly stated,
“Each child is born upon a natural disposition.”
In Islam, the discussion of whether these urges are because of
‘Nature’ or ‘nurture’ is really quite irrelevant. By this we do not mean
that we do not have an answer to this question. We believe that the
nature that Allaah created us upon is that, in terms of sexuality at
least, opposites attract. But it is likely that some people have
corrupted this nature themselves, or it has been corrupted by
external methods.

More often than not, these inclinations develop as a result of

environmental influences, similar to what is seen in many other
human traits. It is possible that this rise in unnatural inclinations is
because of the proliferation of hyper-sexuality all around us.
Everywhere one looks, the eye is met by pictures, posters and
advertisements of nearly nude, beautiful men and women. This has
desensitized us to such an extent that we now crave more and there
is no end in sight. Looking at barely covered models hardly arouses us
anymore. Our sexual desires have now become insatiable.

Children do not portray sexual interest in other genders until ages

that are close to puberty. Are we to believe that they remain
unaffected by the sexuality and decadence constantly flaunted in
their faces? All these factors play a much larger role than given credit
in determining sexual preferences.

#4. I do have these inclinations. What now?

Hypothetically speaking, if we were to accept that an individual does
‘naturally’ experience these inclinations, then such feelings still do
not justify acting them out. This will be considered to be a test from
Allaah . Remember, one will not be questioned regarding his
inner thoughts. However, once these thoughts are brought into
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action, one will have disobeyed Allaah . An innate inclination
towards homosexuality does not render it ultimately acceptable. A
person experiencing such thoughts is required to curb his desires, just
as in the case of one who is inclined to a woman who is Haraam for
him. Both are required to control their desires and abstain from
indulgence.

#5. What does the Bible have to say in this regard?

Islam is not the only religion to condemn homosexuality. Consider the
following passages from the Bible,
Corinthians 6:9-10 English Standard Version (ESV)
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor
thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God.”
Leviticus 18:22
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
Leviticus 20:13
“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have
committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their
blood is upon them.”

In conclusion, the religion of Islam is the final religion revealed by

Allaah . The laws laid down are to maintain human dignity and
cover all possible aspects of human life. A Muslim is required to
submit to this and accept the commands of Allaah . The
propaganda of the west is at constant war with the values of our
Deen. These are difficult times we live in. We must stay steadfast
upon the truth no matter how difficult. Bear in mind that this is a
sensitive and delicate matter. We must always conduct ourselves
with dignity and represent our faith with the character of our beloved

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Rasulullaah . This beautiful religion of ours does not
promote hate in any form.

I AM ATTRACTED TO MY OWN GENDER. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Desires with people of the same sex is quite possible. The demand of
Imaan is to control these desires. One should abstain from gazing at
such people if one’s desires are stirred on seeing them. A person
wrote to Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi , “Shaykh, when gazing at
handsome lads, a fire of desire is kindled within my heart. Please help
me!”
His reply was,
Together with turning away the ‘physical’ gaze, the ‘mental’ gaze
should also be turned away.
The simplest way of achieving this is by directing the thoughts in
another direction. It is unanimously accepted principle of psychology
that the mind cannot concentrate on two varying subjects
simultaneously. Thus, no effort should be expended in attempting to
remove these thoughts (as this is extremely difficult), nor should the
causes be pondered as this would only compound the problem.
The best remedy is to redirect the thoughts and the problem will be
automatically solved. This is the only effective solution. At times, such
terrible thoughts afflict the mind that a person begins to doubt the
validity of his Imaan. There is no need for concern so long as these
thoughts ‘appear’ and are not voluntarily ‘introduced’.
It is also recommended that “A’udhu” be recited on such occasions.
In short, dhikr is an invaluable remedy to this problem since, turning
the attention to Allaah means turning the heart away from everything
besides Him. Thus, the whispers will terminate immediately, as the
mind cannot concentrate on two things at the same time.
And Allaah Knows Best

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The following question was posed to a Darul-Ifta. Hereunder is the
question and answer given,

Question and Answer:

Question: I am a student studying medicine, in my faculty I receive
arguments and I see evidence on the Biological accounts with regards
to gay and lesbian people for example I’ve seen children who I
examine with extra amounts of testosterone etc. which causes them
to be attracted to the same sex.
I know that this is completely prohibited in Islam, and I completely
agree but how do I respond to cases as such which produce medical
and psychological explanations? What is the exact ruling as to why
gays and lesbians are prohibited? How can I respond to other Muslims
who argue that some people are born this way (imbalance in their
body) causing this attraction?

Answer: There have always been cases of effeminate men and

masculine women throughout history. Such was prevalent even
during the time of Rasulullaah . These biological variances
do not legalise what Allaah  has prohibited.

There are many people that are naturally aggressive and many that
are naturally passive, many that are prone to violence and many that
are naturally submissive. This does not justify the strong taking
advantage of the weak or of one person abusing another.
Natural tendencies or inclinations do not justify or legalise divine
prohibitions. Man, by nature, is attracted to and lusts over women.
This does not legalise rape, fornication, or adultery. Women, by
nature, are jealous of women who are more attractive or popular
than them. This does not justify cattish and malicious behaviour.
Similarly, being attracted to the same sex does not legalise
homosexual behaviour. Some may say that in the other behaviours
there is harm caused to others, but in homosexual behaviour no one

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is harmed. It is the choice of two consenting persons. This is untrue.
There is much harm in homosexual behaviour and that harm affects
society as a whole. One of its most disastrous harms is that it
effectively disintegrates the natural family system.
We must be conscious of the fact that homosexual and liberal sexual
behaviour is aggressively promoted and celebrated by modern media.
At the same time, chastity, marriage, and family values are
disparaged and ridiculed. This has played a major role in the erosion
of the family unit and the increasingly high rates of divorce that have
currently beset our society. The loss of the values and stability that a
good family home provides, with the discipline of the father and the
compassion of the mother, coupled with the negative impact of the
media has led to such mental issues in society that were previously
unheard. Millions of youth now suffer depression. Thousands, if not
millions, do not know if they are male or female or something else.

I WANT TO BE A DIFFERENT GENDER

Some women on hearing of the great virtues of fighting in the path of

Allaah  desired to be men. (Ibn Katheer). Allaah 
revealed the following verses,

ٌ ‫ﺳﺑُوا َوﻟِﻠﻧِّﺳَﺎءِ ﻧَ ِﺻ‬

‫ﯾب‬ َ َ ‫ﯾب ﻣِ ﱠﻣﺎ ا ْﻛﺗ‬ ٌ ‫ِﻠرﺟَﺎ ِل ﻧَ ِﺻ‬
ّ ِ ‫ْض ﻟ‬ ٍ ‫ﻋﻠَﻰ ﺑَﻌ‬ َ ‫ﷲ ِﺑ ِﮫ ﺑَ ْﻌ‬
َ ‫ﺿ ُﻛ ْم‬ ُ ‫ﺿ َل‬ ‫َو َﻻ ﺗَﺗ َ َﻣﻧﱠ ْوا َﻣﺎ ﻓَ ﱠ‬
‫ﻋﻠِﯾ ًﻣﺎ‬
َ ٍ‫ﺷ ْﻲء‬ َ ‫ﺿ ِﻠ ِﮫ إِنﱠ ﷲَ ﻛَﺎنَ ﺑِ ُﻛ ِ ّل‬ َ ْ َ‫ﺳﺄﻟُوا ﷲ‬
ْ ‫ﻣِن ﻓ‬ َ ْ ‫ﺳ ْﺑنَ َوا‬َ َ ‫ﻣِ ﱠﻣﺎ ا ْﻛﺗ‬
And do not desire that by which Allaah has given virtue to some over
others. For men is that portion which they earn, and for women is
that portion which they earn. Ask Allaah for His favours. Verily
Allaah knows everything. (Nisaa verse 34)

Mufti Shafee Saheb  has written: In this verse, we have been

prevented from desiring non-volitional virtues which others have
been granted. The reason for this is that when a person finds himself
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having less wealth, comfort, beauty, knowledge, virtue etc. than
another person, then generally a bit of jealousy creeps into his heart.
The least demand of this is that he desires to be equal or better than
the other person. Many times, he does not have the ability and power
to do so.

The reason for this is that there are many such perfections found in
people which are not the result of any effort. These are only favours
of Allaah e.g. being a man, being born in the progeny of the Ambiyaa
or in a royal family, being beautiful etc. If people, who have not been
bestowed with these bounties make effort their whole life, they will
never be able to attain it, for example, to become a man, to become
a Sayyid, to be beautiful. This is not within their ability, nor can it be
attained by any medication or scheme. Now when one does not have
the ability to attain that bounty equally as the other, then this desire
grips one that the bounty should be snatched away from the other
person so that both are equal, or the other person becomes lower.
This is called jealousy which is a very shameful and harmful quality of
human character. This is also the cause of many fights, killing, and
destruction in the world. At times, on seeing the outward bounties of
others, a person becomes prey to despair and an inferiority complex.

The Noble Qur’aan has mentioned three cures for all these evils:

FIRST CURE: Do not desire that which Allaah has granted virtue to
some over others.

This verse has clearly outlined a principal that to desire such matters
out of man’s control will lead to nothing save sorrow and depression.
Every person should be pleased with his allotted portion from Allaah
.

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Whoever Allaah  has made a man, should be grateful, whoever
He  has made a woman should be pleased. She should
understand that if she was a man, then perhaps she would not be able
to fulfil the responsibilities of a man and she would be a sinner.
Whomsoever Allaah  has made beautiful should be thankful
for this bounty, and whomsoever He has made ugly should not be
grieved but should understand that some goodness has been
destined for him in this. If he was beautiful, then perhaps he would
have fallen into some trial or problem. That person who is a Sayyid
Hashmi, should be grateful that Allaah  has granted him this
favour of being in this lineage. Whoever is not of this lineage, should
not be concerned or desire it, because this cannot be attained by
one’s efforts. This desire will place one into sin and one will attain
nothing but despair and sorrow. Instead of being sorrowful over one’s
lineage, one should be more concerned over one’s good actions. By
doing so, he will be able exceed those whose lineage is very noble.

SECOND CURE: In the following verse, Allaah  states, ‘For men

is that portion which they have earned. And for women is that portion
which they have earned.’

Success of this world and the hereafter is based on voluntary actions

of a person. In this matter, men and women are equal. Some make
great effort in these voluntary actions, and thereby attain virtue. In
fact, there is a command to progress in this avenue.

Allaah  states, “Compete with one another in righteous

deeds.” (Baqarah verse 148)

From here, we also learn that to look at someone’s perfections with

regards to knowledge, practice, and character, then to desire it and
finally to strive to fulfill this desire is laudable and commendable.
From here, one fallacy of many ignorant people can be removed.
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Some people desire non-volitional virtues. In the process, they
destroy their peace, contentment, and ease in this world. If jealousy
also occurs i.e., the desire for the destruction of the other’s bounty,
then one’s hereafter is also destroyed, due to harbouring a major sin
like jealousy.

Some people are such that they do not attempt to attain volitional
qualities due to their laziness and lack of courage, in fact due to their
lack of shame. If anyone says anything, then to place a veil on their
lack of courage and inaction, they place the blame on taqdeer
(predestination).

In this verse, a just rule has been expounded: Those virtues and
perfection which are not within one’s control and which cannot be
attained by effort e.g., being of a noble lineage, being beautiful etc.,
should be attributed to taqdeer (predestination). One should be
happy and should be grateful to Allaah  for whatever condition
one is in.

Those virtues and perfections which are volitional are attained by

effort and sacrifice. To desire such qualities is beneficial on condition
that an effort is alo exerted. In these verses, there is an indication that
in the attainment of virtue and perfection, one’s effort and sacrifice
is not in vain. Every man and woman will definitely attain a portion in
accordance with their effort.

THIRD CURE: In the following verse, Allaah  states, “Ask Allaah

for His grace.”

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In this verse, guidance is given that when you see any quality found
in someone else to a greater degree than which is within you, then
instead of desiring to be equal to him in this special quality, then you
should ask Allaah  for His grace and mercy because the grace
of Allaah  becomes apparent on every person in different
forms and ways.

For some, wealth is a grace from Allaah  because if he was

poor, then he would have gotten involved in sin and disbelief. For
some, poverty is a bounty. If he becomes wealthy, then he will
become prey to thousands of sin! For some, respect and honour is a
bounty of Allaah . For some, Allaah’s grace falls on them in
seclusion and anonymity. If a person had to see reality, then he would
have come to know that if he had respect and honour, he would have
fallen into many sins.

For this reason, this verse guides us that when we ask Allaah ,
then instead of asking for any specific quality, we should ask for His
(grace), so that He will open the doors of His grace according to His
wisdom. Rasulullaah  said, “Ask Allaah for His grace. Allaah
loves that He should be asked. Waiting for ease is the best act of
worship.” (Tirmidhi no. 3571)

In the last verse, Allaah  states, “Verily Allaah is well aware of

everything.”

Allaah  knows everything. Allaah’s distribution is in

accordance with complete wisdom and justice. In whatever condition
He has created and kept us, is according to wisdom and fairness.
However, since man does not have knowledge over the end result of
his actions, only Allaah  knows well what conviction for which
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person is beneficial. (Thus man should be pleased with the Divine
distribution.) (Summarized from Ma’aariful Qur’aan vol.2-page 392 Nisaa verse
32)

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 VIRTUES OF SEEKING FORGIVENESS

Allaah  loves us and wants us to live a pure life. He wants us to

be successful in this life and the Hereafter. Therefore, he has left the
door of repentance open for us. No matter how sinful we may be, all
we need to do is to turn back to Him. We will find Him waiting to
‘embrace’ us and bestow us with His favours.

Allaah  states,

‫ورا ﱠرﺣِ ﯾ ًﻣﺎ‬ َ ‫ﷲ‬

ً ُ ‫ﻏﻔ‬ َ ‫ﺳﺗ َ ْﻐﻔ ِِر‬
َ ‫ﷲ ﯾ َِﺟ ِد‬ َ ‫ﺳو ًءا أ َ ْو ﯾَ ْظ ِﻠ ْم ﻧَ ْﻔ‬
ْ َ‫ﺳﮫُ ﺛ ُ ﱠم ﯾ‬ ُ ‫َو َﻣن ﯾَ ْﻌ َﻣ ْل‬
Whoever does any evil action or oppresses himself, then he seeks
forgiveness from Allaah, he will find Allaah to be Most Forgiving,
Most Merciful. (Nisaa verse 110)

ٌ‫طﮭ َﱠرة‬َ ‫ج ﱡﻣ‬ ٌ ‫ِﻟﻠﱠذِﯾنَ اﺗﱠﻘَ ْوا ﻋِﻧ َد َرﺑِّ ِﮭ ْم َﺟﻧﱠﺎتٌ ﺗَﺟْ ِري ﻣِ ن ﺗَﺣْ ﺗِﮭَﺎ اﻷ َ ْﻧﮭَﺎ ُر َﺧﺎ ِﻟدِﯾنَ ﻓِﯾﮭَﺎ َوأ َ ْز َوا‬
‫ﷲ َوﷲُ ﺑ َِﺻﯾ ٌر ﺑِﺎ ْﻟ ِﻌﺑَﺎ ِد اﻟﱠذِﯾنَ ﯾَﻘُوﻟُونَ َرﺑﱠﻧَﺎ إِﻧﱠﻧَﺎ آ َﻣﻧﱠﺎ ﻓَﺎ ْﻏﻔ ِْر ﻟَﻧَﺎ ذُﻧُوﺑَﻧَﺎ َوﻗِﻧَﺎ‬ ِ َ‫ﺿ َوا ٌن ِ ّﻣن‬ ْ ‫َو ِر‬
‫َﺎر‬ِ ‫ﺳﺣ‬ ْ َ ‫ﺳﺗ َ ْﻐﻔ ِِرﯾنَ ِﺑﺎﻷ‬ َ َ‫ﻋذ‬
ْ ‫اب اﻟﻧﱠ ِﺎر اﻟﺻﱠﺎ ِﺑ ِرﯾنَ َواﻟﺻﱠﺎ ِدﻗِﯾنَ َوا ْﻟﻘَﺎﻧِﺗِﯾنَ َوا ْﻟ ُﻣﻧ ِﻔ ِﻘﯾنَ َوا ْﻟ ُﻣ‬ َ
For the pious there are, with their Sustainer, gardens beneath which
rivers flow - abiding therein forever, and pure wives and the pleasure
of Allaah. And Allaah watches the servants, those who say, ‘O our
Sustainer! We have believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from
the punishment of the Fire.’ Those who exercise patience, [who are]
truthful, who carry out orders, who spend, and who seek forgiveness
for sins in the latter part of the night. (Aal Imraan verse 15-17)

ْ َ‫ﷲ ُﻣﻌَ ِذّﺑَ ُﮭ ْم َوھُ ْم ﯾ‬

َ‫ﺳﺗ َ ْﻐﻔ ُِرون‬ ِ ‫ﷲ ِﻟﯾُﻌَ ِذّﺑَ ُﮭ ْم َوأَﻧتَ ﻓ‬
ُ َ‫ِﯾﮭ ْم َو َﻣﺎ ﻛَﺎن‬ ُ َ‫َو َﻣﺎ ﻛَﺎن‬
Allaah will never punish them as long as you are among them. And
Allaah will never punish them as long as they continue asking for
forgiveness. (Anfaal verse 33)
‫ﱡ‬
َ ُ‫ﷲ إِنﱠ ﷲَ ﯾَ ْﻐ ِﻔ ُر اﻟذﻧ‬
‫وب‬ ِ ‫طوا ﻣِ ن ﱠرﺣْ َﻣ ِﺔ‬ ِ ُ‫ﻋﻠَﻰ أَﻧﻔ‬
ُ َ‫ﺳ ِﮭ ْم َﻻ ﺗ َ ْﻘﻧ‬ َ ‫ِي اﻟﱠذِﯾنَ أَﺳ َْرﻓُوا‬
َ ‫ﻗُ ْل ﯾَﺎ ِﻋﺑَﺎد‬
‫ﺟَﻣِ ﯾﻌًﺎ إِﻧﱠﮫُ ھ َُو ا ْﻟﻐَﻔُو ُر ﱠ‬
‫اﻟرﺣِ ﯾ ُم‬

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 Say, ‘O My servants who have exceeded the bounds against
themselves, do not lose hope in the mercy of Allaah. Verily Allaah
forgives all sins. Undoubtedly, He is The Most Forgiving, the Most
Merciful. (Zumur verse 53)

Abdullaah ibn Qays  narrates that Rasulullaah  said,

“Allaah  extends His hand at night so that the sinner of the day
may turn to Him in repentance and extends His hand in the day so
that the sinner of the night may turn to Him in repentance. (This
continues daily) till the sun rises from the west (i.e. before the day of
Resurrection).” (Muslim no. 2759)

Ibn Abbaas  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “When a

person seeks forgiveness constantly, Allaah provides him a way out
from every difficulty, relieves him from every anxiety, and provides
sustenance to him from avenues he never expected.” (Abu Dawood
no. 1518)

Anas  narrates that he heard Rasulullaah  saying,

“Allaah  said, ‘O man! As long as you continue supplicating to
Me and having hope in Me, I will forgive you no matter what evils are
in you, and I will not bother (i.e. no matter how big a sinner you are,
it will not be a serious issue for Me to forgive you). O man! Even if
your sins reach the height of the skies and then you seek forgiveness
from Me, I will forgive you. O man! If you come to Me with the earth
filled with sins, and then you meet Me without having ascribed any
partner with Me, I will come to you with the earth filled with
forgiveness.’” (Tirmidhi no. 3540)

A FEW INCIDENTS OF PEOPLE WHO REPENTED TO ALLAAH 

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 1.) Abdullah Ibn Abbaas  narrates that Rasulullaah 
conveyed to Wahshi  (the killer of Hamzaa ) a message to
accept Islaam. He answered, “Nabi  is calling me to his
religion, whereas I have killed, committed adultery and I have made
shirk, and in the Quraan, it is stated (regarding those people)

‫اب ﯾ َْو َم ا ْﻟ ِﻘﯾَﺎ َﻣ ِﺔ َوﯾ َْﺧﻠُ ْد ﻓِﯾ ِﮫ ُﻣﮭَﺎﻧًﺎ‬ ْ ‫ﻖ أَﺛَﺎ ًﻣﺎ ﯾُﺿَﺎﻋ‬
ُ َ‫َف ﻟَﮫُ ا ْﻟ َﻌذ‬ َ ‫َو َﻣن ﯾَ ْﻔ َﻌ ْل َذ ِﻟكَ ﯾَ ْﻠ‬
Whoever has perpetrated (these sins) has done a felony. (On the Day
of Qiyaamah) his punishment will be doubled, and he will live therein
forever, disgraced. (Furqaan verse 68)

I have committed all of those sins.”

Allaah  revealed this verse

‫ورا‬ َ ُ‫ت َوﻛَﺎنَ ﷲ‬

ً ُ ‫ﻏﻔ‬ ٍ ‫ﺳﻧَﺎ‬ َ ُ‫ﻋ َﻣ ًﻼ ﺻَﺎ ِﻟ ًﺣﺎ ﻓَﺄ ُ ْوﻟَﺋِكَ ﯾُﺑَ ِ ّد ُل ﷲ‬
َ ‫ﺳﯾِّﺋ َﺎﺗِ ِﮭ ْم َﺣ‬ َ َ ‫إِ ﱠﻻ َﻣن ﺗ‬
َ ‫ﺎب َوآ َﻣنَ َوﻋَﻣِ َل‬
‫ﱠرﺣِ ﯾ ًﻣﺎ‬
“Except he who repents, believes, and does good actions, then Allaah
will change his evil actions into righteous actions (i.e. he will be
forgiven.) (Furqaan verse 70)

Wahshi said, “These are very tough conditions. It is possible that I do

not fulfil these conditions (i.e. repentance, Imaan, and good actions).”

Thereafter, Allaah  revealed this verse,

‫ﷲ ﻻَ َﯾ ْﻐ ِﻔ ُر أَن ﯾُﺷ َْركَ ِﺑ ِﮫ َو َﯾ ْﻐ ِﻔ ُر َﻣﺎ دُونَ َذ ِﻟكَ ِﻟ َﻣن َﯾﺷَﺎء‬

َ ‫ِإنﱠ‬
Verily Allaah does not forgive shirk (polytheism) and He forgives
whatever is besides that for whomsoever He wishes. (Nisaa verse 48)

Wahshi said, “I still have doubt. I do not know whether my forgiveness

َ َ‫( ﻟِ َﻤﻦ ﻳ‬for
will take place or not, since this is mentioned in the verse ‫ﺸﺎء‬
whomsoever He wishes, He will forgive).”
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Thereafter this verse was revealed,

َ ُ‫ﷲ ﯾَ ْﻐ ِﻔ ُر اﻟذﱡﻧ‬
‫وب‬ َ ‫ﷲ إِنﱠ‬
ِ ‫طوا ﻣِ ن ﱠرﺣْ َﻣ ِﺔ‬ ِ ُ‫ﻋﻠَﻰ أَﻧﻔ‬
ُ َ‫ﺳ ِﮭ ْم َﻻ ﺗ َ ْﻘﻧ‬ َ ‫ِي اﻟﱠذِﯾنَ أَﺳ َْرﻓُوا‬
َ ‫ﻗُ ْل ﯾَﺎ ِﻋﺑَﺎد‬
ُ َ ْ ‫ﱠ‬
‫ﺟَﻣِ ﯾﻌًﺎ إِﻧﮫُ ھ َُو اﻟﻐﻔو ُر ﱠ‬
‫اﻟرﺣِ ﯾ ُم‬
“Say, ‘O My servants who have exceeded the bounds against
themselves, do not lose hope in the mercy of Allaah. Verily Allaah
forgives all sins. Undoubtedly, He is The Most Forgiving, the Most
Merciful.” (Zumar verse 53)

To this Wahshi  replied, “Yes, this is it.” (i.e. now I have hope in
attaining salvation). He then presented himself before Nabi 
and accepted Islam. The Muslims asked, “Is this solely for him or for
all Muslims?”

Rasulullaah  replied, “This is for all Muslims.” (Al-Mu’jamul-

Kabeer vol. 11-page 197 no. 11480)

Note: A Muslim should never ever lose hope in the mercy of Allaah
. No matter how many sins we may have committed, or how
serious our sins may be, the extent of Allaah ’s forgiveness and
mercy definitely exceeds all our sins. Hence, instead of becoming
depressed and despondent, we should feel hopeful and turn to Allaah
 in sincere repentance. After crying over our sins in
repentance, we should try our best to make amends, by fulfilling the
outstanding rights of Allaah  (e.g. qadhaa Salaah, fasts, zakaah,
etc.), as well as the outstanding rights of the creation (e.g. settling
unpaid debts, returning usurped wealth, asking people for
forgiveness, etc.). Thereafter, the effort is to remain firm on the
taubah by not returning to a life of sin. However, if perchance we later
happen to fall back into sin, we should not delay in getting back to our
feet and repenting. In fact, even if we fall a thousand times, we should
sincerely repent a thousand times and not lose hope in the mercy of
Allaah . Furthermore, we should refer to the pious ‘Ulama for
213 | P a g e
guidance so that they may show us how to refrain from sin in the
future.

2.) The Story of Sara, the Australian Model.

This a true story that happened with a caller to Islam from Egypt
called Amr Khalid. He said, “Three days ago I received an e mail from
a young lady from Australia, and the email reads as follows: and I
quote:

I am a young Lebanese lady that has a Muslim father and a Christian

mother, for the first ten years of my life I lived in Lebanon then we
migrated to Australia which brought an end to my relationship to my
connection with the Middle East. I am currently 22 years of age and
after migrating to Australia, my association with my religion also
ended completely. The only thing I know is that I am a muslimah,
that’s it. I don’t know what the Qur’aan looks like, I don’t know how
to pray, and the religion plays no significance in my life. My mother
and father separated each one re-marrying another person. I entered
university, my mother and father left Australia leaving me behind
alone with no family, no brothers, and sisters, I know nothing about
my ancestry in Lebanon, I lived alone, and I had to work to spend on
myself, I attended university in the morning and worked at the bar in
the evening, I have a boyfriend and have not left out any haram
except having done it without any shame. I am fully westernised, I
know a little bit of Arabic and because I am extremely beautiful, I
joined the beauty competition in New Zealand and won in this
competition, I am planning to join a beer competition in New Zealand,
and I am currently modelling for magazines. During this time I used to
visit a Lebanese family residing in Australia and I heard a Ramadan
episode talking about modesty, the web-address was given. I went
through a nervous breakdown; it was as though this episode was

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addressing me directly. I am sending you this e mail to ask, is it
possible for Allaah to accept me, in other words forgive me?

And this is where Sarah’s e-mail ends. Subhaanallah!

No matter how long a person’s Imaan is, the soul of a person longs
for its creator just as the stomach hungers for food so too does the
soul long for Allaah, this caller to Islam wrote back advising her about
the conditions of repentance and that Allaah will of course forgive her
if she repents. Two days later she contacts Amr Khalid, and she says:

I have repented to Allaah, and I have left my boyfriend and promised

never to see him again, after another two days she contacts him and
she says: I want to learn how to pray, then another two days passed
and she says: I would like some Quraanic audio tapes, so he sends her
some tapes via DHL courier.

A week goes by, and he doesn’t hear from her until she contacts him
and informs him that she has retracted her beauty title of that
particular city, then came the surprise, she contacted him saying, I
have put on the hijab.

However, the story doesn’t end here, two days after putting on the
hijab she experiences a sharp pain, so she goes to the doctor who
diagnosis her with brain cancer and that her days are limited, she
enters the hospital to be operated on, the success rate of this
operation as informed by the doctors in Australia is 20 percent, this is
what the doctor said. As for Sarah, listen to what she had to say, she
said: I am pleased to meet Allah, I am happy that I repented prior to
finding out about my illness, I don’t know whether my mother and
father will know about my situation, If I live, I will support your
website, for this website is my window to Islam.

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To Allaah we belong, and to him is our return. May Allaah have mercy
on Sarah who died at the age of 22.

They buried her with the Muslims in New Zealand, prior to her death,
she sent a short letter to Amr Khalid saying: I lived far away from my
lord for 22 years, but I repented and turned back to Allaah 3 weeks
ago, I don’t know many Muslims besides you and this internet forum,
I urge you to make duaa for me that Allaah has mercy on me and to
forgive me, make duaa to Allaah to guide my mother for she does not
know anything about me.- Signed Sara.

3.) Abdullah bin Umar  said that he heard Rasulullaah 

narrate this hadith – and he did not hear him say it once or twice or
even seven times, but he heard it more frequently than that. He
 said, “Kifl was a man of Bani Israaeel. He never shied away
from committing a sin. A woman (once) came to him (on an errand),
and he coaxed her to let him perform the immoral act with her against
sixty dinars which he gave her. Thus, when he sat down with her to
perpetrate the immoral act, she began to tremble and shake violently
in fear. He asked her why she was crying, did he not like her? She said
that it was not (what he thought) but that she had never committed
the sin before, and her destitution had compelled her to do that
(otherwise she would never have agreed).”

“He said that on the one hand she spoke thus and on the other she
had committed herself (having taken the money). He added, ‘Go, go
away from here! That money too belongs to you. No! I swear by
Allaah, after now, I will never disobey Allaah.’”
“That night he died. In the morning there was an inscription at his
door, ‘Surely, Allah has forgiven Kifl.’” (Tirmidhi no. 2946, Musnad
Ahmad no. 4747, Ibn Hibbaan no. 4083)

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Lessons: 1. If Allaah  wants good for His slave, He makes him
repent and return to the truth.

2. It is never too late to repent to Allaah ; no matter how many

sins you have committed.

3. The true and sincere repentance is a means of earning the pleasure

of Allaah .

4.) A righteous man was once asked to tell the story of the pivotal
moment of his life, the moment in which he first began to apply the
teachings of Islam, and the following was his answer,

When I was a young man, I would not hesitate to perpetrate any sin
that was made available to me. Then, one day, I saw a young woman
who was perhaps the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Much
tempted by her, I indicated to her that I wanted her to approach me.
She seemed nervous, but I thought that she would probably agree to
satisfy my sexual desires for money. She approached me with what
seemed to be a great deal of trepidation, and when she actually stood
before me, she looked extremely terrified.

Feeling sorry for her, I said, ‘Do not fear, for I will not harm you.’

But my words did not lessen her terrible fright in the least; in fact, her
situation worsened. She began to tremble like a palm tree leaf
trembles with the wind.

I said, ‘Tell me your story.’

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She said, ‘By Allaah, O my brother, never before this day have I
offered my body in this way. Dire need is what has driven me to this,
for I have three daughters who have not eaten a single morsel of food
for three days now. It was pity for them that brought me to this low
point in my life.’

For the first time in my life, I felt pity; her story moved me, and I no
longer entertained the intention of taking advantage of her. After she
told me where she lived, I took a great deal of money, clothing, and
food to her house. When I returned to my house, I told my mother
what had happened.

My mother knew that I had a book in which I would record all of my

evil deeds, and so she said to me, ‘My son, you are a man who has
never performed a good deed except for the good deed that you
performed today. I know that you have a book in which you record
your evil exploits, go now, and write in it your good deed.’

I stood up, went to my book, opened it, and found that all of its pages
were blank- except for the first page on which was written a single
line.

Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins) (Hood
verse 114)

At that very moment, I raised my hands to the sky and said, ‘By you
Might and Majesty, never again will I disobey You.’ “

5.) It is reported that a man once went to Ibrahim bin Adham and said,
“O Abu Ishaaq, I continually wrong my own self, and I turn away from
everything that invites me to improve my way of life.”

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Ibrahim said, “If you can fulfil five conditions, then sinning will never
harm you, and you can fulfil your desires as much as you want.”

“Tell me those conditions,” exclaimed the man.

“As for the first, if you want to disobey Allah, then do not eat from His
sustenance," said Ibrahim.

“What then will I eat, for everything on the earth is from His
sustenance?” said the man.

“Listen,” said Ibrahim. “Are you being sensible when you eat from His
sustenance while you are disobedient to Him?”

“No,” replied the man. “What is the second condition?”

“If you want to disobey Allaah, then do not live in any of His lands,”
said Ibrahim.

“This is even worse than the first. All that is in the East and West
belong to Him. So where then will I live?”

“Listen,” said Ibrahim. “If you insist on disobeying Him while you eat
from His sustenance and live in His lands, then at least look for some
spot where He cannot see you and disobey Him there.”

“O Ibrahim!” exclaimed the man. “How can I do that, when He even

knows the deepest secrets that are in the breasts of men? What is the
fourth condition?” he asked despondently.

“When the angel of death comes to take your soul, then say to him,
‘Give me some respite, so that I can repent sincerely and perform
good deeds.’”

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“When the time comes, the angel will not accept that plea from me,”
said the man. “Listen,” said Ibrahim. “If you cannot put off death in
order to repent, then how do you expect to be saved?”

“Tell me the fifth condition,” said the man.

“When the guardians of Hellfire come to take you away on the Day of
Resurrection, don't go with them.”

“They won’t let me go!” exclaimed the man.

“Then how do you expect to be saved?” asked Ibrahim.

“Stop, stop! That is enough for me,” said the man. “I ask Allaah to
forgive me and I indeed repent to Him.”

The man then dedicated his life to the worship of Allaah from that
day.

6.) A very rich businessman was once relaxing in his home when he
heard someone knock on his door. When he opened the door, there
standing before him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in
his entire life. He yearned for her and invited her to come inside. But
it was not to fulfil his desires that she came; rather, she came because
she was extremely poor and was forced to go around begging for
money. He ignored her plea for help and instead insisted that she
come inside. She answered him in a clear and dignified tone, “Death
is better than disobeying my Lord.”

She left but then returned after a number of days. Her situation had
become more desperate and again she asked him to help her. The
businessman answered her as he did the first time.

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With tears flowing down her cheeks, the girl entered his house. Again
she pleaded, “Please! Feed me for the Pleasure of Allaah!”

“Not unless you allow me to satisfy my desires with you,” said the
man, both coldly and hungrily.

“Death is better than the punishment of Allaah,” proclaimed the girl.

As she was leaving, her sincere words echoed in the mind of the
businessman, and after a long life of sinning, sincere tears of remorse
flowed from his eyes for the very first time. He repented to Allaah and
then fed the girl. He later married her, and they enjoyed a happy
marriage together.

[So, in the end, he got what he wanted, except that he got it in a lawful
manner. And that is what made all the difference].

7.) Both of them lived in a small town that was populated by only tens
or hundreds of people. He was in love with her, and so when he saw
her walking alone one night, he followed her until he had her
cornered. When he came near to her, he said, “Woman, I crave for
you.”

She said, “First go and see if all the people are asleep.”

Very pleased at her response, he walked around the town and

returned. “Everyone is asleep,” he said.

“What about Allaah ?” she asked. “Is He sleeping at this hour?”

“Woman, what are you saying?” he exclaimed. “Indeed, Allaah does

not sleep neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him.”

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“The One Who hasn't slept and doesn't sleep sees us, even if people
don't see us,” she said. "Do you not fear He Who neither sleeps nor is
heedless of anything that happens?”
The man left her alone with tears flowing from his eyes, having
nothing in mind except the desire to repent to the One Who neither
sleeps nor is heedless of anything that happens.

8.) Bakr ibn Abdullah al-Muzani is the narrator of this story,

There was once a butcher who fell in love with the daughter of his
neighbour. One day, the girl's parents sent her on an errand to the
neighbouring town. Seeing that she was alone, the butcher followed
her until she reached a secluded place, where he made his presence
known to her. When he tried to seduce her, the girl said, “Do not do
so! Indeed, I love you even more than you love me, but I fear Allaah.”
The butcher's jaws dropped, and he said in self-reproach, “You fear
Allaah, and I don't!” He left her alone and repented for his intentions.

On his way back, he became extremely thirsty. He soon came across

a Nabi from the Ambiyaa of the Bani-Israaeel. Noticing the expression
on the butcher's face, the Nabi asked, "What is the matter with you?”

“Extreme thirst,” said the butcher.

“Let us go supplicate to Allaah for rain.”

“I have no good deed that makes my supplication worthy of being

answered,” said the butcher.

“Then let me invoke Allaah while you say 'Ameen' to my duaas,” said
the Nabi.

He then began to supplicate, and the butcher said, 'Ameen,' after

each of the supplications.
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Suddenly, a cloud appeared, rain fell from it into the nearby town,
after which it approached the two men. Wherever the butcher
walked, the cloud followed after him, instead of hovering over the
Nabi.

“You claim that you have no good deeds,” said the Nabi. “Yet despite
the fact that it was I who supplicated while you said 'ameen' the cloud
shaded the city and then it followed you. What is your story?”

The butcher the told him what happened with his neighbour’s
daughter.

“One who repents to Allaah has a ranking that no other person can
achieve,” said the Nabi.

(Most of the above incidents have been extracted from ‘Stories of

Repentance’ by Muhammad Abduh Mughawiri)

9.) There is an interesting story related about Deenaar Al-‘Ayaar.

Deenaar had a righteous mother who would constantly advise him to
repent for his wayward, sinful existence, but as much as she tried, her
words had no positive effect on him whatsoever. Then, one day, as
he was walking by a graveyard, he stopped to pick up a bone. He was
shocked to see how it crumbled and turned to dust in his hand. The
sight of that bone had a profound effect on Deenaar. He began to
think about his life and his past sins, and he then exclaimed, “Woe
unto you, O Deenaar, you are going to end up like this crushed bone,
and your body will turn into dust.”

All of his past sins then flashed before his eyes, and he made a firm
resolve to repent. Turning his gaze towards the sky, he said, “My Lord,
I now turn to you in complete submission, so accept me and have
Mercy on me.”

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With a completely changed heart and state of mind, Deenaar went to
his mother and said, “Mother, what does a master do when he
captures his slave who had run away from him?”
She said, “[To punish him] the master provides him with coarse
clothing and low-quality food; and he ties his hands and feet so that
he does not make another attempt to escape.”

Deenaar said, “Then I want a garment made of coarse wool, low-

quality barley, and two chains. Mother, do with me that which is done
with a runaway slave. Perhaps my Lord will, upon seeing my
humiliation and humility, have mercy on me.” Seeing that her son was
adamant and resolute in his request, she complied.

At the beginning of every ensuing night, Deenaar would begin to cry

and wail uncontrollably. And he would continue to repeat to himself
the words, “Woe unto you, O Deenaar, do you have the power to
withstand the Hell fire? How brazen you have been to have led a life
that has made you deserving of the anger of the All-Mighty!” He
would continue upon that state until the morning.

Turning pale, Deenaar's body slowly wasted away. Not being able to
bear seeing him in that pitiable state, his mother said, “My son, be
easy on yourself.” He answered, "My mother, let me remain tied for
a short while, so that perhaps I can achieve long-term comfort later
on. For tomorrow, I will be waiting a long time before my Majestic
Lord, and I do not know whether He will order me to go to places of
beautiful shade or to places of unspeakable horror.” She said, “My
son, at least rest for a while.” He replied, “It is not present rest or
comfort that I am seeking out. Mother, it is as if I see you and other
people being led tomorrow towards Paradise, while I am being led
towards the Hellfire along with his inhabitants.” She left him then,
and he returned to crying, worshipping, and reciting the Qur'aan. One
night, as he was reciting the Qur'aan, he came across these verses,

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“So, by your Lord, We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all
that they used to do.” (Surah Al-Ḥijr verse 92-93)

As he contemplated the meanings and implications of these verses,

he cried with such intensity that he fainted. His mother rushed to him
and tried very hard to revive him, but he wouldn't respond. She
thought he had died. Looking into the face of her son, she said, “O my
beloved one, O the joy of my heart, where shall we meet again?” In
fact, Deenaar still had some life left in him, and hearing his mother's
words, he answered with a faint voice, “My mother, if you do not find
me on the wide plains of the Day of Resurrection, then ask Maalik,
the Custodian of Hellfire about me.”

He then made a croaking sound and died. After she finished washing
his body, Deenaar's mother prepared him for his funeral. She then
went out and made the announcement, “O people, come to the
funeral prayer of one who has been killed by [fear of] the Hellfire.”
People began to come from all directions. It is said that during that
era, no greater gathering came together, and no amount of tears
were shed as much as on that day.

On the same night that his funeral was held, one of Deenaar's friends
saw him in a dream, attired in a green robe. Deenaar was prancing
around in Paradise, all the while reciting the verse, “So, by your Lord,
We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all that they used to
do.” (Surah Al-Ḥijr verse 92-93)

During the dream, his friend heard him say, “By His Might and
Majesty, He asked me [about my deeds]. Having mercy on me, He
forgave me and pardoned me [my sins.] Lo! Convey news of this to
my mother.”

NEVER LOSE HOPE - A believer must always remain between hope

and fear. One who loses hope in the mercy of Allaah  loses his
Imaan. Allaah states,
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 َ‫ﷲ ِإﻻﱠ ا ْﻟﻘَ ْو ُم ا ْﻟﻛَﺎ ِﻓ ُرون‬
ِ ‫ح‬ ُ َ ‫ﷲ ِإ ﱠﻧﮫُ ﻻَ َﯾ ْﯾﺄ‬
ِ ‫س ﻣِ ن ﱠر ْو‬ ُ َ ‫َوﻻَ ﺗ َ ْﯾﺄ‬
ِ ‫ﺳو ْا ﻣِ ن ﱠر ْو‬
ِ ‫ح‬
Never lose hope in the mercy of Allaah. None but the disbelievers
lose hope in the mercy of Allaah. (Yusuf verse 87)

Some-one saw Abu Nuwaas after his demise and asked him how he
fared. He replied that in his sickness leading to his demise, he recited
the following poems, due to which Allaah  forgave him. He told
them that the poems were under his pillow. The person proceeded
there and found these poems,

‫رب إن ﻋظﻣت ذﻧوﺑﻲ ﻛﺛﯾرة ﻓﻠﻘد ﻋﻠﻣت ﺑﺎن ﻋﻔوك اﻋظم‬

ِ ّ ‫ﯾﺎ‬
‫إن ﻛﺎن ﻻ ﯾرﺟوك اﻻ ﻣﺣﺳن ﻓﺑﻣن ﯾﻠوذ وﯾﺳﺗﺟﯾر اﻟﻣﺟرم‬
O my Sustainer, if my sins are much, then I definitely know that Your
forgiveness is greater
If only the righteous can have hope in you, then to whom will the
sinner seek refuge and protection?

‫ﺗﻌﺎظﻣﻧﻲ ذﻧﺑﻲ ﻓﻠﻣﺎ ﻗرﻧﺗﮫ ﺑﻌﻔوك رﺑﻲ ﻛﺎن ﻋﻔوك اﻋظﻣﺎ‬

‫و ﻣﺎ زﻟت ذا ﻋﻔو ﻋن ذﻧب ﻟم ﺗزل ﺗﺟود وﺗﻌﻔو ﻣﻧﺔ وﺗﻛرﻣﺎ‬
My sins appeared huge in my sight, however when I compared it to
Your forgiveness, I found Your forgiveness to be far greater

As long as I continue seeking forgiveness from sins, You will continue

to be generous and forgive, due to Your favour and kindness.
(Siyar A’laamun Nubalaa vol. 10 page 76, Taarikh Dimishq vol. 51 page 430,
Tabaqaatush Shaafi’yyah of Subki vol. 1 page 296)

A poem similar in meaning is,

‫ ھو ﻏﺎﻓر ھو راﺣم ھو ﻋﺎﻓﻲ‬... ‫أﻧﺎ ﻣذﻧب أﻧﺎ ﻣﺧطﺊ أﻧﺎ ﻋﺎﺻﻲ‬

‫ وﺳﺗﻐﻠﺑن أوﺻﺎﻓﮫ أوﺻﺎﻓﻲ‬... ‫ﻗﺎﺑﻠﺗﮭن ﺛﻼﺛﺔ ﺑﺛﻼﺛﺔ‬

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 I am a criminal, a sinner and disobedient. He is Forgiving,
Merciful and Pardons
My three qualities are drawn against His three. His qualities will
definitely overpower mine. (Ruhul-Ma’aani vol. 5 page 67)

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 CONCLUSION

We have come into this world for a purpose, and that is to prepare
for the life of the Hereafter. No one has guarantee that he will enter
Jannah. Therefore, it is necessary for every believer to constantly
work to please Allaah  in order to die with Imaan. We have to
remain steadfast on our deen despite difficulties coming about in our
lives. Allaah  states, “And hasten towards forgiveness from
Your Lord, and for a Jannah prepared for the pious, as wide as the
heavens and the earth.” (Aal-Imraan verse 133)
“And for this let all those strive who want to strive.” (Was-Saafaat
verse 26)

Ibn Abi Dunya narrates from Sulayman Ad-Darani that there was a
youngster living in Iraq who used to worship Allah in abundance. He
went on a journey with his friend to Makkah, and he would perform
Salah when they would rest. When they would eat, he would fast. His
friend put up with him until the journey ended and they were about
to go their separate ways. Then, he said to him, “O my brother. Please
tell me, why are you doing this?” He answered, “In my dream, I saw a
palace from Jannah. There was a brick of gold and a brick of silver.
Where the building finished, there was a balcony made of ruby and a
balcony made of emerald. Between these two balconies was a hur
standing with her hair loose. She was wearing silver clothes which
moved when she moved. She said, 'Work towards the pleasure of
Allah to reach me.' By Allah, I am working towards the pleasure of
Allaah to reach her and this is why you see me fasting and performing
Salaah.” (Haadiyul-Arwaah page 436)

Anas ibn Maalik  narrates that Rasulullaah  said,

“Hellfire has been covered with desires and Jannah has been covered
with difficulties.” (Bukhaari no. 6487, Muslim no. 2822)

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The road to Jannah is filled with difficulties. A person has to worship
Allaah , perform Salaah, spend from his wealth, eat only that
which Allaah  has allowed, and many other obligations. This
requires him to go against his desires and to strive to please Allaah
. On the other hand, it is very easy to follow one's desires and
reach hellfire. An intelligent person will undergo the temporary
difficulties of this world in order to gain the eternal pleasures of the
hereafter.

Abu Hurayrah  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “He

who fears will travel during the first portion of the night, and he who
travels during the first portion of the night will reach his destination.
Listen, Allaah’s merchandise is expensive. Allaah’s merchandise is
Jannah. (Tirmidhi no. 2450)

The meaning of this hadith is that when a person is afraid over losing
something, he undertakes difficulty and hardship to secure and
protect it. The most valuable object of a person is Jannah and
pleasure of Allaah  in the hereafter. Therefore, the traveler on
the journey of the hereafter should sacrifice his desires and comforts
in fulfilling the commands of Allaah . If people are willing to
sacrifice years of effort, time, and money for a good life in this
temporary world, then how much more sacrifice should be made for
the permanent life of Jannah?

WORLD – PLACE OF EXAMINATION

After understanding the above, we must realize that this world is a

place of examination. Man will definitely be tested. The place of
actual reward is the hereafter, which actually commences when a
person passes away. However, all conditions for a believer are
beneficial. Rasulullaah  said, “How excellent is the situation
of a believer. All his situations are good for him (to his advantage).

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This is enjoyed by none but a believer. When he experiences
occasions of happiness and he is grateful over this, it is good for him
(to his advantage). When he experiences occasions of distress and he
is patient over it, it is good for him (to his advantage).” (Muslim no.
2999)

Even in trying conditions, one must keep before him the commands
of Allaah  and the sunnah of Rasulullaah . He will be
greatly rewarded by Allaah . Together with this, Allaah 
grants a person comfort in the heart despite going through these
ordeals. By keeping in mind the following narrations, one will realize
that there is great wisdom in trials in this world, even if one cannot
understand the wisdom.

DESIRE FOR THE AAKHIRAH

One of the great efforts made by Rasulullaah  on the hearts
of the Sahaabah  was the desire for the Hereafter. The life of
the grave, Jannah and Jahannum was discussed in great detail in the
early period of Islam. This built the Imaan of the believers. They
therefore made the Hereafter the object of their lives. No sacrifice
became difficult for them, and no hardship became unbearable. Since
the world is before a person, he easily falls into its glitter and glamour,
forgetting his actual abode. Some beautiful examples have been given
by our elders to illustrate that this world is not the object, but a means
to the actual object, which is to prepare for the Hereafter:

1.) The world is a provision for the hereafter. The purpose of it is that
the traveler to the hereafter must easily complete his journey.
However, foolish, and idiotic people have made it their actual aim and
objective, and they have fallen into its pre-occupations and its
different attractions in such a manner that they have completely
forgotten the future. The example of such people is like a person who
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sets out for Hajj. When reaching the main road, he becomes pre-
occupied in feeding his horse grains and grass, and in fattening it. He
remains behind his companions. In this condition, he remains alone
in the jungle and the caravan leaves him behind. The object for which
he set out i.e., hajj is not fulfilled. The end result is that the wild
predatory animals of the jungle will tear his fat conveyance to pieces,
and he will become a mere morsel for them.

Remember that this world is a farm for the hereafter and a pathway
towards it. Your conveyance is your body made of sand, with which
you are traversing towards the hereafter. Therefore, use food, drinks,
and other necessities according to need. Whilst engaged in your
necessary goods for the journey, plant those seeds which you will be
able to harvest in the hereafter, where you can thereafter live forever
in comfort. If you are entirely occupied in fattening and overseeing
your conveyance i.e., your body, then your caravan will leave you
behind and you will not reach your destination.

2.) The example of the different groups traversing to the hereafter is

that of people who had boarded a boat. It moved until it came to an
island. The captain allowed the passengers to alight from the ship to
fulfill their needs therein. He however warned them of dangers
lurking there and informed them that the ship would be departing
after a very short time. The people descended and spread out. One
group completed their necessary needs and immediately returned.
They did not feel it appropriate to waste time. On returning they
found the ship to be empty. They thus chose the best place in the
ship, according to their liking and settled there.

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Some stood looking at the flowers, lights, amazing stones, and
beautiful springs. They enjoyed listening to the singing of the birds.
However, they quickly came to their senses and returned to the ship.
They found the place to be straightened. The spacious and beautiful
places were already taken by the first group. Thus, they sat in this
restricted place with a bit of discomfort.

A third group became enamored with the temporary beauty of this

island. Their hearts refused to budge from the beautiful pearls and
wonderful stones. They thus loaded them on their backs and carried
them back to the ship. They found the ship to be filled. There was no
place for them to sit, and no possibility of keeping this unnecessary
weight. They were rendered dumfounded. On the one hand, they
were not prepared to throw away these stones, and on the other
hand there was no seating place. With great difficulty, they managed
to squeeze into a tight place, carrying their heavy weight on their
heads. Think for yourself what will happen? Their backs will ache,
their necks will throb and only their hearts will be able to elucidate
with what difficulty they are passing their time.

The last group became so captivated and mesmerized by the

entrancing splendor of the island that they completely forgot the ship
and their journey. They became pre-occupied with smelling the
flowers and eating the fruits. Their minds did not even go towards
their destination as well as the danger of becoming a morsel of wild
animals. When they eventually returned to the shore, they found that
the ship had departed without them. They stood at the shore looking
at their companions with eyes of great sorrow. The carnivorous
animals of the island attacked them and tore their beautiful bodies to
bits.

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These are the different categories of people with relation to this
world and the hereafter. Ponder and see which category you fall into.

3.) The example of this world in comparison to the hereafter is like

that of a bird and its shadow. The hereafter is the bird, and this world
is its shadow. If you catch the bird, the shadow will automatically
come within your control. If you attempt to catch hold of the shadow,
you will neither catch the shadow nor the bird. (This does not mean
that the seeker of the hereafter will have abundance of wealth. Allaah
 grants His friends such comfort and peace of mind, which even
kings are not blessed with. Even if they do not possess much wealth,
they have the most amount of tranquility and contentment, which is
the actual object of acquiring wealth.)

This concern for the Hereafter will be created by reading, listening,

talking, and pondering over the Hereafter. Since most people
nowadays are going through fear and depression, the following
ahaadith have been gathered to create desire for the Hereafter.
When there is boldness against the commands of Allaah , then
people should read about the Fire of Jahannum and the terrors of the
Day of Judgement.

Remember that desires cannot be fulfilled in this world. The place of

fulfilments of desires is the Hereafter.

Allaah  states,

‫ﲔ َوأَﻧْـﺘُ ْﻢ ﻓِ َﻴﻬﺎ َﺧﺎﻟِ ُﺪو َن‬

ُُ ‫ َوﺗَـﻠَ ﱡﺬ ْاﻷَ ْﻋ‬،‫ﺲ‬
ِِ ِ
ُ ‫َوﻓ َﻴﻬﺎ َﻣﺎ ﺗَ ْﺸﺘَﻬﻴﻪ ْاﻷَﻧْـ ُﻔ‬
And in Jannah will be whatever the inner-soul desires and whatever
the eye finds pleasure in, and you will stay there forever. (Zukhruf
verse 71)

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 ‫ﺴ ُﻜ ْﻢ َوﻟَ ُﻜ ْﻢ ﻓِ َﻴﻬﺎ َﻣﺎ ﺗَﺪﱠﻋُﻮ َن‬ ِ
ُ ‫َوﻟَ ُﻜ ْﻢ ﻓ َﻴﻬﺎ َﻣﺎ ﺗَ ْﺸﺘَ ِﻬﻲ أَﻧ ُﻔ‬
And for you is whatever your heart desires and for you is whatever
you ask. (Fussilat verse 31)

Everything in Jannah will be in accordance with a person's desires and

wishes.

Abu Hurayrah  narrates that Rasulullaah  said,

“Definitely, the lowest position of Jannah which one of you will
receive is that Allaah will say to him, ‘Wish [for whatever you desire].’
Then he will wish [for whatever he desires]. Thereafter, Allaah 
will say to him, ‘Have you wished [for whatever you desire]?’ He will
reply in the affirmative. Then Allaah will say to him, ‘Definitely, you
will receive double that which you had desired.’” Abu Saeed 
said that he heard from Rasulullaah , "You will receive what
you desired and ten times thereof.” (Muslim no. 182, Bukhaari no. 806)

Abu Hurayrah  narrates that Rasulullaah said, “The person in

the lowest level of Jannah will have seven stories and he will be on
the sixth story below the seventh. He will also have 300 servants who
will bring him 300 plates of food in the morning and evening. The
plates will be made of gold and silver, and every plate will have a type
of food different from the other. He will enjoy the taste of the last
plate just as he enjoyed the first. The servants will also bring him 300
glasses and each glass will have a type of drink not found in the other.
He will enjoy the last glass of drink just as he enjoyed the first. He will
ask Allaah, ‘O my Lord, if you permit me to feed and give drink to all
the people of the world, this will not decrease my kingdom in the least
bit.' The person of Jannah will also have 72 wives from the hurs
besides his wives from the world, and one of them will have the width
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of one mile (Bodies will be enlargened to gain maximum pleasure
from the bounties of Jannah).” (Musnad Ahmad no. 10932)

Kathir Ibn Murrah  says, “Amongst the 'extra' bounties of Jannah

(referring to a verse of the Qur’aan which says, ‘And we have extra by
Us [for the people of Jannah]’) is a cloud which will come over the
inhabitants of Jannah. The cloud will say to them, 'What do you wish
that I rain upon you?’ Whatever they wish for will be rained upon
them.” Kathir said, “If Allah gives me the opportunity, I will definitely
ask the cloud to rain for me beautiful women.” (Az-Zuhd War-Riqaaq of
Ibnul Mubaarak vol. 2 page 70)

Those men and women who control their desires in this world will be
allowed to fulfil it to the greatest level in the Hereafter. Just as men’s
desires will be fulfilled, the women’s desires too will be fulfilled. This
is on condition that they passed their examination in this world.

WOMEN OF JANNAH - TWO TYPES OF WOMEN IN JANNAH

A.) Human Women

Ummu Salamah  narrates that she said to Rasulullaah

, “O Rasulullaah, are the women of this world superior or
the hurs?” He  replied, “The women of this world will have
superiority over the hurs just as the outer lining of a garment has
superiority over the inner lining.” Ummu Salamah  then asked,
“O Rasulullaah, what is the reason for this?” He answered, “Because
they performed Salaah, fasted, and worshipped [Allaah]. Allaah will
put light on their faces and silk on their bodies. [The human women]
will be fair in complexion and will wear green clothing and yellow
jewellery. Their incense-burners will be made of pearls and their
combs will be of gold. They will say, ‘We are the women who will stay
forever, and we will never die. We are the women who will always
remain in comfort, and we will never undergo difficulty. We are the
women who will stay, and we will never leave. Listen, we are happy
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 women, and we will never become sad. Glad tidings to those men for
whom we are and who are for us.'” (Al-Mu’jamul-Kabeer vol. 23 no.
869, Al-Mu’jamul-Awsat no. 3165)

Here-under are some qualities of the women of Jannah. These

qualities will be found to a greater extent in the women of this world
who engaged in the worship of Allaah .

B.) Hurs
The second type of women will be those celestial women specially
created for the people of Jannah known as the hur a'yn. A hur is a
young, beautiful, fair-skinned woman with intensely dark eyes.
Another interpretation is that there will be a sharp contrast between
the whiteness and darkness of her eyes which is considered to very
beautiful. Or it could also mean that her beauty will dumbfound and
astonish others. The meaning of a'yn is a woman with big, attractive
eyes, which is also considered a sign of beauty. (Haadiyul-Arwaah
page 259)

1. What will the Hurs be made of?

It is narrated from Ibn Abbaas, Anas, Abu Salamah, and Mujahid
 that the hurs will be created from saffron. Saffron is an
orange-coloured product extracted from a flower and it is used to add
colour and flavour to food. When the present creation of mankind
(which is created from sand) has the best of forms and beauty, then
you can imagine the beauty of women created from saffron!

2. No Jealousy between Co-Wives:

It is normally the case in this world that co-wives have quarrels and
arguments which make the husband's life miserable. However, in
Jannah there will not be any jealousy, malice, or hatred between the

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 people. A hadith in Bukhaari and Muslim mentions that the hearts of
the people of Jannah will be one and there will not be any difference
between them. Allaah  says in this regard, “And we will take
out all [mutual] hatred from their hearts.” (A’raaf verse 43)

This will ensure that all of a person's wives will get along and will
never become jealous of one other.

3. Internal and External Purity of the Maidens of Jannat

Allaah  states, “And they will have pure wives in Jannah, and
they will stay there forever.”

Qataadah  mentions that these women will be pure from all

external impurities such as menstruation, urine, excreta, and saliva.
They will also be free from all evil internal qualities such as malice,
hypocrisy, swearing, evil character, etc. Thus, they will not have
within them the smallest amount of disobedience to their husbands.

1. The Lovely Skin Colour of the Women of Jannat

Allaah  states, “And they will have fair females with big, lovely
eyes who will be like hidden pearls.” (Waaqiah verse 22)

The women of Jannah will be like fresh pearls because of their

cleanliness and fair skin colour. Allaah  states in another verse,
“These women will be delicate and pure as if they were preserved
eggs.” (Saaffaat verse 49)

Allaamah Alusi explains that the verse refers to those eggs which
human hands have not yet touched, so they are clean from any dirt

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 or dust. In the same way, the hurs will be clean and free of all
impurities. The comparison between the hurs and eggs is also made
because of the yellow-whitish colour of both, which is known to be
the most beautiful skin-colour for women. Another explanation for
this comparison is that the parts of an egg are known for being
perfectly proportioned and conforming to one another. In the same
way, all the body parts and features of the hurs will go perfectly
together.

In another verse, Allaah  states, “[In beauty] these women are

like rubies and small pearls.” (Rahmaan verse 58) The comparison
between the hurs and rubies is in transparency. A person can see
through a ruby and know what is on the other side. In the same way,
a person will be able to see through the hurs because of the
cleanliness and delicate nature of their skin and body. Allaah F has
also compared the hurs to small pearls because of their softness,
whiteness, and pleasant sight.

4. The Perfume and Radiance of the Women of Jannat

Anas  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “One morning
or evening in the path of Allaah is better than the world and all it
contains. A hand-span or a whip's length of Jannah is better that the
world and all it contains. If one woman of Jannah were to glance
towards the earth, she would fill the space between the earth and the
sky with light and perfume. The scarf on her head is better than the
world and all it contains.” (Bukhaari no. 2796)

Sa’eed ibn Aamir  says that he heard Rasulullaah 

saying, “If a woman from Jannah were to look towards the world, she
would fill the earth with the smell of musk and [her beauty] would
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 overpower the light of the sun and moon.” (Al-Mu’jamul-Kabeer no.
5512)

Ibn Abbaas  narrates that we were sitting with Ka’b  one

day and he said, “If the hand of one hur were to dangle from the sky,
the whiteness and the rings of the hand would illuminate the earth
just as the sun gives light to the world. What I said was just regarding
her hand, so how beautiful will her white face be when it is adorned
with a crown, ruby, pearl and emerald?” (Sifatul-Jannah of Ibn Abid-
Dunya no. 305)

5. The Beauty of the Crowns

Abu Sa’eed Khudri  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “A
person will recline and relax in Jannah for 70 years, or on 70 cushions
before he moves. Then a woman will come and tap him on the
shoulder. He will see his face in her cheek as clear as a mirror. (This
will be due to the clearness of her face and its brightness). The
smallest pearl that she will be wearing will fill the space between the
east and west with light. She will greet him with Salam, and he will
respond to her greeting. He will ask her, 'Who are you?' She will
answer, 'I am from the extra.' (This is referring to a verse of the Quran
which says, "And we have more by Us [for the people of Jannah]”) She
will be wearing 70 [different types of] garments, and the lowest
garment will be red and made from a tree in Jannah. He will be able
to see the marrow of her leg through the clothes. She will be wearing
crowns and the smallest pearl on these crowns will light up the space
between the east and west.” (Musnad Ahmad no. 11715, Saheeh Ibn
Hibbaan no. 7397)

Anas  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “If one woman

from Jannah were to glance towards the earth, she would fill the

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 entire atmosphere with perfume. The 'crown on her head is better
than the world and all it contains.” (Al-Mu’jamul-Awsat no. 3148)

6. Seeing Through the Clothing of One’s Wife

Abu Hurayrah  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “The
first group to enter Jannah will have the appearance of the full moon
on the fourteenth night of the month. The next group will have the
appearance of the brightest star in the sky. Every person from
amongst them will have two wives and the marrow of their leg can be
seen through their skin [out of beauty]. There will be no unmarried
person in Jannah.” (Bukhaari no. 3254, Muslim no. 7147)

Abdullaah ibn Masud  narrates that Rasulullaah  said,

“Every person of Jannah will have two wives from the hurs. Every wife
will have 70 layers of clothes, and the marrow of her leg can be seen
through these clothes just as a red drink can be seen in a white
glass.” 4 (Al-Mu’jamul-Awsat no. 915, Musnadul-Bazzaar no. 1855)

7. The Large Breasts of the Maidens of Jannat

Allaah  states, “And the people of Jannah will have full-
breasted women who will be equal in age.” (Nabaa verse 33) The

4
Outwardly, a person may consider it repulsive and disgusting to see the
marrow of the leg of the women of Jannah. However, one narration clarifies
this matter and mentions that he will be able to see through her leg because
of her beauty; not because of some defect in her. The purpose of mentioning
this is to emphasize the softness of the skin, clearness, and the delicateness
of the women of Jannah. Another benefit of being able to see through her
clothes is that he will be able to enjoy looking at her beautiful clothes and
what is underneath at the same time.

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 breasts of these women will be round like pomegranates, and they
will never sag down because these women will never become old.
(Haadiyul Arwah page 267)

8. Permanent Youth and Beauty

Both the men and women of Jannah will remain young forever.

Miqdad  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “Every

person who dies as a result of miscarriage or of old age or of middle
age will be resurrected at the age of 33. If he/she is from the people
of Jannah, then he/she will have the form of Adam , the
appearance of Yusuf , and the heart of Ayyub .” (Al-
Mu’jamul-Kabeer vol. 20-page 280 no. 6635)

A'ta Salami  said to Maalik ibn Dinaar , “Definitely, there is

a particular hur in Jannah upon whose beauty the people of Jannah
boast and brag. If Allaah had not allowed death for the people of
Jannah, they would die because of her beauty.” (Haadiyul-Arwaah page
277)

Hakim met another person and asked him, "Do you have any desire
for the hurs?" He said, "No." Hakim then told him, "Desire them,
because the light on their faces is from the light of Allah." The man
fell unconscious and was taken to his home. The narrator of the

5
The people of Jannah will never grow old and will remain permanently at
the age of 33. The wisdom behind this age is that a person is at the height of
his physical strength and his body parts are fully developed. Therefore,
he/she can experience maximum pleasure from the bounties of Jannah.

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 incident adds· that we visited this person for one month after this
incident [to console him during his sickness]. (Ibid)

9. The Beautiful Faces of the Women of Jannah

Allaah  says, “In these gardens there will be women with good
character and beautiful faces. Then which of the bounties of your
Lord will you both [man and Jinn] deny?” (Rahmaan verse 70)

A human being has his own understanding of beauty which is

confined to his limited and deficient knowledge. Allaah  - in His
infinite knowledge and wisdom - has described these women as
beautiful, so we can imagine how beautiful these women must be!

Anas  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, "Definitely, the

inhabitants of Jannah will visit a market every Friday. A northerly wind
will blow, and it will spread [goodness] upon their faces and clothes,
causing them to increase in beauty. They will then return to their
wives after having become more beautiful than they were before.
Their wives will say to them, 'We swear by Allah, you have definitely
increased in beauty.' They will also say to their wives, 'We swear by
Allah, you have also increased in beauty.’ (Muslim no. 7146)

Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood  narrated this hadith to Umar , “A

door of Jannah will be opened for [the last person to enter Jannah),
and he will say, ‘O my Lord, enter me into this door.’ Allaah 
will tell him, 'O My slave, it is possible that if I enter you through this
door, you will ask Me for something else.' He will reply,' I take the
oath of Your majesty and grandeur that I will not ask You for anything
else if You enter me in this door.' He will enter this door and while he
is amazed with what is in this first door, another door will be opened.
The contents of the first door will seem trivial to him and he will ask

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 Allaah again, ‘O my Lord, enter me through this door.' Allaah 
will tell him, 'Did you not say that you will not ask Me for anything
else?' The person will say, 'I take the oath of Your majesty and
grandeur that I will not ask You for anything else.' In this way, he will
enter four more doors; each time asking to be entered into the new
door. Then, he will be greeted by a person who is radiating with light.
Upon seeing him, the dweller of Jannah will fall in prostration before
him. The person with light radiating from him will ask the person,
'What is the matter with you?' He will answer, 'Are you not my Lord?"
The person radiating with light will say, 'I am just one servant out of
your thousand servants who oversee your one thousand palaces.'
Between each palace is the distance of one year and he will be able
to see the farthest palace just as he can see the closest palace. Then,
a door made of green emerald will be opened for him in which there
are 70 doors. In each door there will be wives, cushions, and servants.
He will then sit with his wife, and she will give him a cup [of wine].
She will say to him, ‘You have increased in beauty 70 times from the
time I gave you this cup.' He will say to her, 'You have also increased
in beauty 70 times from the time you gave me this cup.' She will be
wearing 70 different pairs of clothes through which the marrow of her
leg can be seen. (Ishaq ibn Rahwayhi has narrated it with a saheeh sanad
– Al-Mataalibul-Aaliyah no. 4539)

10. Beautiful Voices and Singing of the Women of Jannah

Ibn Umar  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “Definitely,
the wives of the people of Jannah will sing for their husbands with the
most beautiful voices that anybody has ever heard. One of their songs
will be, ‘We are the women with good character and beautiful faces.
We are the wives of noble husbands who look at us with the coolness
of their eyes.’ Another song will be, ‘We are the immortal women; we
will never die. We are the women full of security; we will never get
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 scared. We are the women who will always remain forever, we will
never leave.’ (Al-Mu’jamul-Awsat no. 4907, Al-Mu’jamus-Sagheer no. 734)

Abu Umamah  narrates that Rasulullaah  said, “Every

slave [of Allaah] who enters Jannah will have two hurs sitting by his
feet. They will sing with the most beautiful voices that humans and
jinn have ever heard. Their singing will not include musical
instruments from shaytaan, but it will comprise of hymns of praise
and glory for Allaah.” (Al-Mu’jamul-Kabeer no. 7478)

11. The Hur’s Eagerness and Desire to Meet Their Husbands

Ali  narrates, “The angels will greet the dweller of Jannah at the
door of Jannah and will say, “Peace be upon you. You have done well,
so enter Jannah in which you will reside forever.” Young boys will also
greet them who will be like preserved pearls and scattered pearls.
They will inform the dweller of Jannah of what Allaah has prepared
for him and will go around serving him as friends would tend to each
other in this world. One young boy will say to the dweller of Jannah,
'Be happy, because Allah has prepared for you this-and-this.' Then the
boy will go to one wife from amongst the person's wives and tell her
that your husband so-and-so has arrived (using the same name which
he had in this world). She will be overtaken by joy and will stand on
the doorstep saying, 'Did you really see him?” (Ishaq ibn Rahwayhi - Al-
Mataalibul-Aaliyah no. 4601)

12. Complete Satisfaction of Desires

Muhammed ibn Ka'b Al-Qurazi narrates from a person of the Ansar
(people of Madinah) that Rasulullaah  said, “I take the oath
of that Being who sent me with the truth, you are not more
acquainted with your wives and houses than the people of Jannat. A
person of Jannat will come to 72 wives which Allaah specially created
in Jannat (hurs) and 2 human wives. The human wives will have virtue

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 over the [hurs] because they worshipped Allaah in the world. He will
come to the first of his wives in a room made of rubies. [They will be
on a] bed made of gold which is adorned with pearls. This bed will be
made of 70 different types of silk. He will place his hand between her
two shoulders, and he will see his hand through her clothes, skin, and
flesh. He will see the marrow of her leg just as a person can see the
thread inside a ruby. His inside will be a reflection of her, and her
inside will be a reflection of him. He will be in this condition; he will
not become bored of her, and she will not become bored of him.
Every time he comes to her, he will find her to be a virgin. His sexual
organ will not tire, and her sexual organ will also not experience any
difficulty. [While he is in this condition], someone will announce, 'We
have known that you will not get bored, and you will not make her
bored. Both the man and woman will not experience ejaculation of
sperm. You will have other wives besides her.' He will go to the other
wives one by one. Whenever he will go to a wife, she will say to him,
“I swear by Allaah, there is nothing in Jannat more beloved to me than
you.” (Al-Ba’th Wan-Nushoor of Bayhaqi no. 609)

13. Increased Ability for Fulfilment of Desires

Zayd Ibn Arqam  reports that a Jew came to Rasulullaah
 and said, “O Abul Qaasim, you claim that the people of
Jannah will eat and drink.” Rasulullaah  said, “By the oath
of that Being in whose hands my life is, every person in Jannat will be
given the power of 100 men in eating, drinking, and sexual
intercourse.” (Musnad Ahmad no. 19269, Ibn Hibbaan no. 7424)

Since a person will have many wives in Jannah, Allaah  will

increase the sexual power of the men of Jannah so that they can
completely satisfy their desires.

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‫‪May Allaah  forgive us for this endeavour and make it a means‬‬
‫!‪of our guidance and the whole of mankind till the Day of Judgement‬‬
‫‪A humble request to remember the author, his teachers, spiritual‬‬
‫‪guide, and family members in one’s duaas.‬‬

‫اﻟرﺣِ ﯾ ُم‬
‫اب ﱠ‬‫ﻋﻠَ ْﯾﻧَﺂ إِﻧﱠكَ أَﻧتَ اﻟﺗﱠ ﱠو ُ‬
‫َرﺑﱠﻧَﺎ ﺗَﻘَﺑﱠ ْل ﻣِ ﻧﱠﺎ إِﻧﱠكَ أَﻧتَ اﻟﺳﱠﻣِ ﯾ ُﻊ ا ْﻟﻌَﻠِﯾ ُم َوﺗ ُْب َ‬
‫� ا ﱠﻟذِي ﺑِﻧِ ْﻌ َﻣﺗِ ِﮫ ﺗَﺗِ ﱡم اﻟﺻﱠﺎ ِﻟﺣَﺎتُ‬‫ا ْﻟ َﺣ ْﻣ ُد ِ‬
‫ﷲ َﻻ ﻗُ ﱠوةَ إِ ﱠﻻ ِﺑﺎ ِ‬
‫�‬ ‫َﻣﺎ ﺷَﺎء ُ‬
‫ﻋﻧﱠﺎ ُﻣ َﺣ ﱠﻣدًا ﱠﻣﺎ ھ َُو ا َ ْھﻠُﮫُ‬ ‫ﺟ ََزى ُ‬
‫ﷲ َ‬
‫ﺷ َﮭ ُد أ َ ْن ﻻَ ِإﻟَﮫَ ِإﻻﱠ أَ ْﻧتَ أَ ْ‬
‫ﺳﺗَ ْﻐﻔ ُِركَ‬ ‫ﺳ ْﺑﺣَﺎﻧَكَ اﻟﻠﱠ ُﮭ ﱠم َو ِﺑ َﺣ ْﻣدِكَ ‪ ،‬أ َ ْ‬ ‫ﺳ ْﺑ َﺣﺎنَ ِ‬
‫ﷲ َو ِﺑ َﺣ ْﻣ ِدهِ‪ُ ،‬‬ ‫ُ‬
‫َوأَﺗ ُ‬
‫ُوب إِﻟَ ْﯾكَ‬
‫ب‬ ‫ﺳ ِﻠﯾنَ َوا ْﻟﺣ َْﻣ ُد ِ‬
‫� َر ّ ِ‬ ‫ﻋﻠَﻰ ا ْﻟ ُﻣ ْر َ‬
‫ﺳ َﻼ ٌم َ‬ ‫ب ا ْﻟﻌ ﱠِز ِة َ‬
‫ﻋ ﱠﻣﺎ ﯾ َِﺻﻔُونَ َو َ‬ ‫ﺳ ْﺑ َﺣﺎنَ َرﺑِّكَ َر ّ ِ‬
‫ُ‬
‫ا ْﻟﻌَﺎ َﻟﻣِ ﯾنَ‬

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