Assalamu Alaikum brothers and sisters in Islam
All perfect praise be to Allah,The Lord of the Worlds.
I testify that there is non worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
In Shaa Allah tonight's topic is Temptation (Fitna)
The word Temptation is translated in Arabic as Fitna.
The word fitna comes from an Arabic verb that means to "seduce, tempt or lure." There are many shades of meaning, mostly referring to a feeling of disorder or unrest. It can be used to describe the difficulties faced during personal trials, the oppression of the powerful against the weak, or to individuals or communities giving in to the "whispers" of Satan and falling into sin.
Different ways by which the word "fitna" has been used in the Quran is as follows:
"And know that your worldly goods and your children are but a trial and a temptation (fitna), and that with Allah there is a tremendous reward" (8:28).
"They said: 'In Allah do we put our trust. Our Lord! make us not a trial (fitna) for those who practice oppression'" (10:85).
"Every soul shall have a taste of death. And We test you by evil and by good by way of trial (fitna). And to Us you must return" (21:35).
"Our Lord! Make us not a test and trial (fitna) for the unbelievers, but forgive us, our Lord! for You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise" (60:5).
"Your riches and your children may be but a trial (fitna), but in the presence of Allah, is the highest reward" (64:15).
I would like to limit the discussion on Fitna (Temptation) to only sexuality,because that is what prevalent among the Ummah.
You know Ahmad, right? He’s that bro you always saw running around the masjid , coordinating events, making way for sisters, and cleaning up after everyone left. He was a prominent activist in the community, and was loved by everyone he met. The youth, especially, bonded with him, and they often sought his help with their problems—from parental control to dating or even sex and drug addictions.
At work, people knew Ahmad as the only “practicing” Muslim. He prayed openly and tried not to shake hands with women—most of them knew to keep their distance. He was quite the handsome though; when he’d arrive to work some of the younger ladies would nudge each other and whisper and giggle almost childishly. A few of them even wore revealing clothes and acted flirtatiously with him just to tease him. But his faith kept him resistant; he’d often explain to them the etiquettes of interaction between men and women in Islam, trying all-the-while to lower his gaze and then mind his own business.
That worked for a while, but before he knew it, Satan had gotten the best of him; he slowly began stealing glances at them secretly every now and then. He’d catch himself and remember Allah’s words: “He sees the betrayal of the eyes, and what the hearts conceal.” He’d force himself to focus on his work again. Bit by bit, though, he started convincing himself that it’s only a glance, and at least he’s not actually doing anything wrong with them. He got comfortable with his glances, which became longer stares and full-blown visual examinations after some time.
Soon enough, he looked so frequently that even when he’d leave from work, their contours and gestures would replay in his mind. He started having lustful thoughts many times throughout the day. These feelings became stronger and stronger, until his heart became inflamed with desire, and severe longing to be with one of them. But he had enough faith and taqwa (God-consciousness) left in his heart to know that such an act would be out of the question; he would just feel too ashamed of himself before Allah to fall into such a situation.
To satisfy himself without harming anyone else or his reputation, he began spending his nights looking at porn, which eventually led him to masturbation. He’d feel so utterly disgusted and ashamed of himself afterwards, but his desires had become too intense. Soon he became addicted to the very same things he counseled the youth about! The feeling of hypocrisy ate at his heart, and he decided to isolate himself from the brothers who needed him.
After some time, he decreased much of his activism, which led him to spend more hours at work—until one day, he stayed overtime, found one of his female co-workers lingering and making advances; he froze, temptation ignited, and all hell broke loose…
You might not be “Ahmad”—or maybe you are. It might go down differently with each person, but the reality is that the temptations brothers and sisters are bombarded with at work, in the street, at the gym, on billboards, or on TV can make even the strongest and most Islamically active of them fall. If their work or activism isn’t coupled with intense spiritual fortification, they have trouble taming their desires and end up following the footsteps of Satan—who gladly traverses with them the spectrum of minor sins to the major sin of adultery, once, twice or habitually.
How to Combat Temptation (Fitna)
There are several ways by which we can combat temptation,these are some tips to that effect:
Sexual desire is something that has been created in man and it cannot be got rid of. Getting rid of it is not something that is required of the Muslim; rather what is required of him is to refrain from using it in haraam ways, and to use it in the ways that Allaah has permitted.
The problem of desire in the youth may be solved by taking these steps.
1)Refraining from reading novels and stories that promote sex.
2)Distancing youself from bad company.Also spend time with the righteous servants of Allah.
4)Lowering the gaze as mentioned in Quran 24:31
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)”
[al-Noor 24:31]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not follow one glance with another, for the first is allowed but not the second.”
5) Avoiding thinking about desire as much as possible. Thinking in and of itself is not haraam, but if one thinks about it for too long, that may lead a person to haraam actions.
6) Spending one's time in useful pursuits, because spare time may lead one to fall into haraam things.
7) Avoiding places where free mixing of both sexes occur.
8) If one is tested with studying in a mixed environment, and cannot find any alternative, one has to remain modest, serious and dignified, and should avoid sitting with young men and women speaking to them as much as possible. One should restrict his relationships to friendships with righteous classmates.
9)Fasting, as taught by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he said: “O young men, whoever among you can afford to, let him get married, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and in guarding one’s chastity. Whoever cannot afford it, then let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.”
10) Comparing the effects of immediate fulfillment of desire when one responds to haraam, which is followed by loss of pleasure and all that is left is regret and sorrow, with patience and striving against one’s whims and desires, and realizing that the pleasure of conquering one’s whim and desires is far greater than the pleasures of enjoying haraam things.
11) Seeking help by calling upon Allaah and asking Him for help. The Qur’aan tells us the lesson to be learned from the story of Yoosuf (peace be upon him):
“He said: ‘O my Lord! Prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me. Unless You turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one (of those who commit sin and deserve blame or those who do deeds) of the ignorant’
So his Lord answered his invocation and turned away from him their plot. Verily, He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Knower”
[Yoosuf 12:33 ]
This is where we draw the curtains on this discussion
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