Part 40

When a man accidently looks at a woman (and likes her), he should go straight to his wife and satisfy his desire with her. The Prophet #% saw a woman who charmed him, so he went to Sawdah who was making perfume in the company of some women. They left him, and after he had satisfied his desire, he said: “If any man sees a womati who charms him, he should go to his. wife, for she has the same kind of thing as the other woman”. And. if one is not married, then one is advised to fast, as fasting will diminish one’s sexual power. One should have strong will-power and faith to confront one’s desires; because once one becomes weak before them, one would become a slave to them; Allah 3& said: (Have you seen him who takes his whims and desires to be his god?)’.

The Prophet 4% said: “Seven people will be shaded by Allah’s Shade on the Day of Resurrection, when there will be no shade except His Shade (and he 4 mentioned among them): a man who is called by a charming lady of noble birth to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her, and who says: ‘I am afraid of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds’.

' Recorded by Muslim.

? Recorded by al-Tirmidhi.

3 Recorded by al-Tirmidhi.

* Surat al-Jathiyah, verse 23.

Sayyid Qutb said: “Islam aims at establishing a pure society, where desires do not erupt at any moment, and bodily impulses are not regularly stirred or excited. These regular stimulations may develop into a voracity of desires, which are hard to satisfy; this leads to unlawful gazing, stimulative and provocative actions, women displaying their charm and naked bodies. They create nothing but a more intensified and voracious animalistic impulses on the one hand, and on the other, they simply destroy the will-power within a person. In fact, the situation would develop into a chaotic and uncontrolled social break down (with vice and immorality), or as in other cases, lead to mental illness and complexies, resulting from restraint and repression, after the excitement, which could turn into self-torture.

One of the means by which Islam creates a clean society is to prevent this type of excitement, keeping the deep-rooted instinctive urge between the two sexes as sound as possible, by only having its natural strength, without any artificial stimulation, and dispose in its clean and safe place.

Instinctive tendency between a man and a woman is deep-rooted in (biological) development, because Allah 8% has linked it to the continuity of life on. earth, and to the establishment of the continuation of the human race. It is a constant tendency which calms down for a while, but then returns again; its stimulation will increase its tenacity, causing it to crave for satisfaction, but if it does not find fulfilment, all the stimulated nerves would have to feel the stress and strain.

Many acts or movements may excite or stir up one’s feelings: Someone’s apearance, a particular movement, such as walking, laughing, flirting with a tone which expresses this excited tendency. Yet, the only safe way out is to reduce these stimulations so that this tendency is kept within its natural limits, whereby it can express itself naturally when its time comes. This is the course taken by Islam; by education in one’s manners, and devoting one’s human energy to other issues of life, not just responding to this bodily urge.”'

Al-Qurtubi said: “One’s vision is the great gate to the heart, and some of the strongest. feelings are related to it. So accordingly, many

' In the Shades of the Qur’an (4/2512).

downfalls have come from it, therefore, it is necessary to warn against it, and look away from all that is unlawful.”!

I (the author) do not just mean casting one’s vision away from unlawful images, but also from looking at a Muslim with a look of hatred, anger, envy or contempt...

The seventeeth shield: Safeguarding one’s tongue

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Futile talk opens many gates of evil for man, by the influence of Satan; therefore, by avoiding idle words one blocks these gates, and thwarts any chance of Satan to plant his evil seeds. Many wars were initiated because of a few stray words; the Prophet 4 said to Mu‘adh ibn Jabal 4s: “Exercise restraint on your tongue.” Mu‘adh replied: “O Messenger of Allah, would we be responsible for what we say with it?” Thereupon he 4 said: “Mu‘adh, may my mother be bereaved. Will anything else besides irresponsible talk cause the people to be thrown into the Hell-Fire upon their nostrils?”? The majority of sins are generated by irresponsible talk and unlawful looking. They are the greatest means for Satan to influence man, because there is no limit to their desire, they could never be fully satisfied; contrary to the appetite, for example; as whenever the stomach is full, it would no longer have any desire for food. As for the eyes and the tongue, if they are left uncontrolled, they would simply roam dangerously in every direction.”?

You should know, O brothers and sisters in Islam, that (the abuse of) words can be the way that Satan uses to tempt, control and dominate man; therefore, safeguarding one’s tongue (from irresponsible talk) is one of the most important shields of man against Satan. This shield refers to many issues:

1. Avoiding idle talk

Idle talk is wasting time, which is so precious to a Muslim. Indeed, a Muslim should exploit his time in remembering Allah $, and thus

! Tafsir al-Qurtubi (12/223). ? Recorded by al-Tirmidhi. 3 Tafsir al-Qayyim (627).

would then be greatly rewarded for it. If idle talk consists of harming others, then it would only bring misfortune to the speaker, allowing one to miss plenty of rewards. The Prophet # said: “It is part of the excellence of a person’s Islam that he should discard that which is of no benefit to him.”!

‘Umar ibn al-Khattab 2 said: “Do not talk about whatever is of no benefit to you, avoid your enemy, and beware of your friends among people except the trustworthy, for only a trustworthy person is the one who fears Allah 3. Do not be in the company of a person of vice, lest you might learn from his viciousness; do not reveal your secrets to him, but you may do so with people who fear Allah 3¢.”

Al-Ghazali said: “Do not ask others about something which is of no benefit to you, because you would just waste your time, and that of others if they reply, yet this only applies to something wherein answering does not involve a sin, but for most unnecessary questions lead to misfortune. You ask someone about his state of worship, for example, saying: ‘Are you fasting?’ If he should reply: ‘Yes’, he would disclose his worship, and he might fall victim of riya’ (feel conceited about his state of worshipping Allah by fasting), yet even if he does not feel riya’, his worship would be exposed from its state of secrecy; while it is known that those who keep some acts of worship secret aré more preferred to Allah than those display them openly. If he should reply: ‘No’ he would be lying, but should he remain silent, it would seem as though he were despising you. Therefore, in many ways, your question could lead to riya’, lying or contempt.”

The cure for people who cannot avoid talking about these things is:

To think carefully and reflect on each word before uttering it; if it is beneficial, one may say it, otherwise, one should withhold it. It might seem difficult at the beginning, but then it will be easy with the Help and Success of Allah 3%. People should also seek help by invoking Allah: “O Allah, provide me with a tongue that is constantly remembering You, and a heart that is only sublissive to You.”

’ Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, and was authenticated by al-Nawawi.

2. Safeguarding one’s tongue from superfluous (idle) talk

This refers to the superfluous talk in which there is no benefit. If the meaning is conveyed using one word, then the use of another word would be excessive; Allah 3% said: (There is no good in much of their secret talk, except in the case of those who enjoin Sadaqa, or what is right, or put things right between people)'.

Rakb al-Masri narrated that the Prophet # said: “Blessed are those who withhold the excessive talk, yet spend from their excess wealth.”

Mujahid said: “Words are written in the account of every individual; so if a man should silence his son by promising to buy him such and such, and he would be written as a liar (if he did not fulfil his promise)”.

3. Preserving one’s tongue from talking about falsehood and worthless subjects

This refers to talk about sinful deeds, for example, discussing women issues, drinking parties, sinful gatherings, the pleasures enjoyed by the wealthy and the tyranny of kings, etc.

Abu Hurayrah 2 reported that the Prophet 3 said: “A Servant of Allah may utter a word carelessly which displeases Allah without thinking of its gravity, and because of that he will be thrown into the Hell-Fire, to a distance longer that the distance between east and west.’*

' Surat al-Nisa’, verse 114.

2 Transmitted by Al-Baihagi, and considered as sound by Ibn Abd al-Barr. But there is controversy regarding Rakb (the narrator of this Hadith); al-Baghawi said: ‘J am not sure whether he heard this from the Prophet # or not.’

3 Recordeéd by al-Tirmidhi and Malik.

* Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

4. Preserving one’s tongue from hypocritical talk and quarelling

Abu Umamah 4 reported that the Prophet 2 said: “I guarantee a House in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling, even if he were in the right, a House in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying, even if he were joking, and a House in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his (own) character good.”!