Friday Nasiha

"Whoever can Guarentee two things..."

"Whoever can guarentee (the protection of) what is between a person's jaw-bones (i.e. mouth and tongue) and what is between his two legs (i.e. private parts), I guarentee him Paradise." - Prophet (peace be upon him)

[Narrated by Sahl Ibn Sad (May Allah be pleased with him) and collected by Al-Bukhari, vol. 8, #481]
 
[Explanation: In this thought-provoking Hadith the Prophet (peace be upon him) is encouraging us to control our tongue and our sexual desires. Being youth, it is even more difficult to protect our tongue against backbiting, lies, eating or drinking forbidden things, and swearing. And it is even harder to control our lower desires, especially in a society like ours that survives on the exploitation of such desires. In such times, we should all remember the promise of the Prophet: The more we work with patience on controlling our words and lower desires, the closer we get to Paradise, which should be our ultimate goal.]

*Purpose of Modesty and 'Restrictions' in Islam*

The Marital system of Islam is the only choice that is open to a rational society. It is only natural for such a society to protect marriage and family relationships from harmful influences. It is an insane society which insists on the strength of the marital bond, but goes on to encourage factors which endanger this powerful bond. You cannot be consistent if you say that it is better for people to confine their sexual relations to marriage, but at the same time advocate or tolerate such things as the publication of obscene literature and the exhibition of pictures of naked bodies, the wearing of immodest clothes, the production of films which make public what should be private, the indiscriminate mingling of men and women, beauty contests,, and other aspects of the sex industry, now one of the biggest in the world. If it becomes normal for people to tolerate or indulge in such activities, it would be difficult to safeguard the love, warmth and trust on which happy marriage relationships and the entire communities are based. Your attitude to such activities should be shaped by the Islamic principles governing what is Haram (forbidden in Islam)- that is, whatever leads to the forbidden, is also forbidden.

If you always keep in mind the great value that Islam puts on married life, you will appreciate the wisdom of restrictions on the free association of men and women, the type of clothes they wear and on certain forms of their artistic expressions. You will also appreciate particular rules such as that which requires a man not to enjoy the sight of a woman, who is not his wife, but to cast down his eyes if he happens to glance at her by chance. A woman is asked to behave in the same way towards a man who is not her husband. This is not because there is something dirty or ugly in people but because the look is often the first step to grosser offenses. The Quran asks the Prophet (peace be upon him) to, "Say to the Believers, that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts. That is purer for them."

In all such matters, you need to preserve and develop the essential natural quality of Haya, which implies modesty and chastity, and a sense of shyness, shame and propriety. Haya is a characteristic of both men and women.

Next issue will cover: DRESS: SYMBOL OF THE CIVILIZING POWER OF ISLAM

[Taken from "ISLAM: The Natural Way", by Abdul Wahid Hamid, p. 87]

[Note: This new, and a much needed, series is being featured in response to a request made by a YMFN Subscriber, Sr. Uzma Shaheen. Jazakallahu Khayran for this beneficial suggestion]