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All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. To Him is all praise, all good, and all praise is due to Him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that there is none worthy of worship except Him. He speaks the truth, and He guides to the right path. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Peace be upon him and his family and his companions. Follow them in good faith until the Day of Judgment.
My beloved brothers and sisters, I don't think it's a matter which is concealed and hidden from any one of you, the importance of lowering one's gaze. Especially this time that we're living in, this time where people have gone extreme in showing their aura, and what is presented on social media. We're in the year 2022.
If you reverse back and you look at maybe 100 years ago, 50 years ago, even 20 years ago, what you see today and what you saw then, so different. The people shifted, the Muslims and the non-Muslims alike. They all shifted from, and what was seen at one point something evil or bad is now seen very fine, normal.
The girl can be as young as, what, 12, 11, 12, 13, and they dress her up in a certain way. They put makeup on her. 50 years ago, 20 years ago, 10, 15, 20 years ago, you would not see a non-Muslim allow their daughter to wear makeup at a certain age.
And now the Muslims and the non-Muslims alike have fallen short in many things. We're in summer, and a lot of you who are watching are in non-Muslim countries. So the advice that I want to give you, inshallah ta'ala, is lowering your gaze.
And I ask Allah ta'ala to make this a source of benefit for myself and for each and every one of you, inshallah ta'ala. If you look at the Quran and you look at the Sunnah, you see how it talks about the concept of lowering one's gaze. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in Surah Al-Nur,
قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبَصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ
Allah says, قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ say to the believing men, يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبَصَارِهِمْ to lower their gaze, وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ and to protect their private parts.
The first benefit that we take from this is, Allah first spoke to the men. The verse after that Allah spoke to the women, but the first group of people Allah spoke to here is the men. Allah says, قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ say to the believing men, which shows you this issue of lowering the gaze is less in the men.
Okay, number one. Number two, Allah says, يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبَصَارِهِمْ to lower their gaze, وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ and to protect their private parts. This is what the scholars refer to as الوسيلة, the means and the goal.
Lowering your gaze protects you from falling into what? Zina. وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ And if the person lowers their gaze, they are not going to fall into Zina. That's another benefit we take from the ayah.
Also Allah says, ذَلِكَ أَذْكَى لَهُمْ That is purifying. That is what will purify them. Lowering your gaze will protect you from committing Zina, and it will purify you.
تَزْكِيَة If you are looking at تَزْكِيَة النفس, lower your gaze. Then Allah says, إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ Allah says, I am Khabir, I have detailed knowledge of what you do. So if you look at someone and then no one saw you, إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ If you are by yourself in a dark room and you are watching indecent things, إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ Allah knows.
So this ayah is very powerful. One of the benefits that this ayah has, and inshallah I am going to touch on it later, this ayah came down after the verse of Allah, اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاتِ فِيهَا مِصْبَحٍ which is what we are going to talk about later inshallah, that the person who lowers their gaze, the benefits that he receives, Allah gives them light. Inshallah we are going to talk about that when we bring the kalam of Ibn Al-Qayyim from the kitab of his, رَوْضَةُ الْمُحِبِّينَ وَنُسْهَةُ الْمُشْتَاقِينَ
Also the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said to Ali ibn Abi Talib, يَا عَلِيُّ لَا تُتْبِعِ النَّظْرَةَ النَّظْرَةَ The Prophet said to Ali ibn Abi Talib, don't follow one look with the another, فَإِنَّ لَكَ الْأُولَى وَلَيْسَ لَكَ الْآخِرَةَ The first one you will be exempt, you will be pardoned, but the second time you look you will not be forgiven.
So if you saw a woman, your eye hit her, turn away straight away. Don't keep looking and follow one look with the other. It happened once, turn away straight away.
Inshallah Allah will not hold your account for the first. But if you carry on looking, or you turned away and you look back again, you are going to be sinning. Also the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he taught his companions the manners.
By the way the hadith of Ali ibn Abi Talib, Al-Imam Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi and others narrated it. Shaykh Al-Bani graded it to be what? He graded it to be hasad. Also the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he taught us the manners when we are on the streets.
In Islam there is akhlaq when you are at home, there is manners and etiquettes that you have to uphold. And there are etiquettes when you are outside on the streets. From the etiquettes the Prophet told the companions, hadith of Abu Sa'id Al-Qudri, radiyallahu ta'ala anhu, and the hadith you can find it in the Kitab Sahih al-Bukhari, that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said, Stay away from sitting on the road.
Don't sit on the road. Take a chair and sit on the road. Don't do that.
And the Sahabas they said, We need to sometimes. These are our gatherings. This is where we have our circles.
This is where we converse and talk to one another. Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said, If you refuse, if you persist, and want to still sit on the road, then the Prophet said, فَإِنْ أَبَيْتُمْ إِلَّا الْمَجَالِسُ فَأَعْطُوا الطَّرِيقَ حَقَّهَا Give the road its rights. If you guys persist, and you insist, and you want to, then okay, give the road its rights.
Then they said, O Messenger of Allah, what is the rights that the road has? The Prophet then said, The first rights it has. Lower your gaze. If you're sitting on the road, and you're in a restaurant, the first thing you need to do is غَضُّ الْبَصَرِي Lower your gaze.
Stop looking around and looking at every and anything. وَكَفُّ الْأَدَىٰ Withhold harming anybody. Don't say foul language.
Don't do things. وَرَدُّ السَّلَامِ And also respond to the greetings that's given to you. وَأَمْرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهْيُوا لَعَلِي الْمُنْكَرِ And if you see good, if you see an opportunity to call to the good, call to it.
Okay? And prohibit the evil. العَلَّامَة الحافظ ابن حجر He brought all of the manners of the person when it comes to the road that they have to come with. He mentions it in his كتاب فتح الباري He said, جَبَعْتُ آدَابَ بَرَّابَ الْجُلُوسَ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ مِنْ قَوْلِ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ إِنسَانًا أَفْشِ السَّلَامَ وَأَحْسِنْ فِي الْكَلَامِ وَشَمِّتْ عَعْطِسًا وَسَلَامًا رُدَّ إِحْسَانًا فِي الْحَمْلِ عَاوٍ وَمَظْلُومًا أَعِنْ وَأَغِثْ لَهْفَانَ أَهْدِي سَبِيلًا وَأَهْدِي حَيْرَانًا بِالْعُرْفِ مُرُّ وَنْهَى عَنْ نُكْرٍ وَنْهَى عَنْ نُكْرٍ وَكُفَّ أَدَى وَغُضَّ طَرْفًا وَأَكْنِذْ ذِكْرَ مَوْلَانًا from the rights of the path he said Ibn Hafidh Ibn Hajar he says جَمَعْتُ I have combined here for you أَدَابَ مَنْ رَامَ الطَّرِيقَ مَنْ رَامَ الْجُلُوسَ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ the one who wants to sit on the path Hafidh Ibn Hajar said I have gathered here for you the manners that you need to observe and I have gathered it from what he says من قَوْلِ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ إِنسَانًا the speech of the Prophet what is it أَفْشِ السَّلَامَ spread the greetings وَأَحْسِنْ فِي الْكَلَامِ and also be good to people in your speech وَشَمِّتْ أَعْطِسًا and if you see a person who sneezes he says الحمد لله وَسَلَامًا رُدَّ إِحْسَانًا and if somebody greets you respond to their سلام فِي الْحَمْلِ عَاوِنْ you saw a person who is carrying something, help them وَعَوِنْ وَمَظْلُومًا يعني if you see a person who is carrying something, help them وَمُظْلُومًا أَعِنْ and if you see someone who has been oppressed help them as well وَأَغِثْ لَهْفَانًا and if someone who is lost then aid them and support them show them the path that they need to go to فَحْ also call to the good he says بِالْعُرْفِ مُرْحُ call to good وَنْهَى عَنْ نُكْرِنْ and if you see evil, stop it while you are there وَكُفَّ أَذَنْ hold from harming the people وَوُطَّ طَرْفًا وَأَكْدِرِ ذِكْرَ مَوْلَالَىٰ and also lower your gaze and وَأَكْدِرِ ذِكْرَ مَوْلَالَىٰ and increase in the mentioning of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ
So brothers and sisters the first manners that the Prophet told us to observe when we are on the road is what حديثة بسعيد الخدري is to lower your gaze غَضُّ الطَّرْفِ أَمَا غَضُّ الْبَصَرِ to lower your what? to lower your gaze now inshallah I want to mention the 10 benefits Ibn Al-Qayyim mentions for the person who lowers their gaze inshallah and at the end I'm going to mention things that you can do to help you to lower your gaze inshallah.
The first inshallah is the first benefit is Ibn Al-Qayyim mentions and this is his kalam in his kitab روضة المحبين ونزهة المشتاقين he says the first one is تَلْخِيصُ الْقَلْبِ مِنْ أَلَمِ الْحَسْرَةِ by lowering your gaze it cleanses from your heart it cleans from your heart the feeling of sadness أَلَمُ الْحَسْرَةِ regret the person Ibn Al-Qayyim says فَإِنَّ مَنْ أَطْلَقَ نَظَرَهُ the person who looks at everything they see دَامَتْ حَسْرَتَهُ أَحْسَرَتُهُ you see that person a lot of the times they regret what they do they're in a state of always regret فَأَضْرُ شَيْءٍ عَلَى الْقَلْبِ one of the greatest things that's harmful to the heart he says is إِرْسَالُ الْبَصَرُ looking at everything فَإِنَّهُ يُرِيهِ مَا يَشْتَدُّ طَلَبُهُ وَلَا صَبْرَ لَهُ because why you show the heart what it wants and it cannot hold itself from it that's why it regrets it when you show it and you don't do anything with it صح؟ وَلَا وَصُولَ إِلَيْهِ and that's why a lot of the people who look, look, look they then become يَعْنِي رَيْبِسْت and things like that they fall into these problems وَرَضَاتْ what they don't they believe because they've been seeing it and it's displayed for them they have the rights to go to it إِسْتَيَز عَرَفْ this is of course it's not what happens straight away but it builds towards that because the heart wants this زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهُوَاتِ مِنَ النِّثَائِ this is what it wants and you're looking at it فَقَطْ it's like food that's placed in front of you and you're hungry صح؟
وَهَكَدَى the second benefit he says Ibn Al-Qayyim says أَنَّهُ يُرِثُ الْقَلْبَ نُورًا it gives light, illuminates your chest وَإِشْرَاقًا يَظْهَرُ فِي الْعَيْنِ وَفِي الْوَجْهِ وَفِي الْوَجْهِ your eyes and your face, Allah illuminates it وَفِي الْجَوَارِحِ even in your limbs the opposite is true unrestrictedly looking at everything كَمَا أَنَّ إِطْلَاقَ الْبَسَرِ يُرِثُهُ ظُلْمَةً just looking at any and everything it brings darkness to your eyes it brings darkness to your face it also even brings darkness to your limbs and Ibn Al-Qayyim says if you ponder on Surah An-Nur Allah says what نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ that's the 35th verse in Surah An-Nur right? and then 5 verses later which is the 30th verse in Surah An-Nur yeah? yeah? no, I said Allah says sorry, the verse after it sorry, I apologize it's the verse after it but once the lowering the gaze is mentioned, Allah mentions subhanahu wa ta'ala the what? the ayah of lowering your gaze, sorry this is where نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ is the 35th verse and ayah وَكُلِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُوا مِنْ أَبَصَالِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذَلِكَ أَزْكَالَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ is ayah 30 إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَصْنَعُونَ is ayah 30 so 35 and 30 this shows what? the connection Ibn Al-Qayyim says that if you lower your gaze Allah Ta'ala what does He do? Allah Ta'ala gives you light subhanahu wa ta'ala
Another benefit Ibn Al-Qayyim mentions الفائدة الثالثة is أنه يورث صحة الفراثة فَإِنَّهَا مِنَ النُّورِ وَثَمَرَاتِهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنَ النُّورِ وَثَمَرَاتِهِ the third benefit that it has is that it inherits inherits the person الفراثة الفراثة is to have insight يعني your gut feeling works strong you haven't damaged your your mind and the way you feel if you look a lot what becomes more stronger is not your intelligence and your فراثة that goes what you tend to fall into is what? desires and it blinds you this is so true subhanallah if you look at many youngsters I've spoken to when I was in Canada, when I was in the UK is that when drug dealers police officers or even the other drug dealers they want to catch this guy how do they do it? they entice him with a woman they've tried every means to get him they won't be able to the only person who succeeds to carry him down, destroy him is a woman they bring the woman into his life he loses his he puts his guard down he loses what? الفراثة, he goes does that make sense? and she will tell the other guys where he is he'll be caught and he'll be in trouble does that make sense? they will tell her to bring him somewhere and then they do what they want to him so this is the issue وهذا حق lowering your gaze and staying away from all of this, what does it give you? صحة الفراثة you can see things as it is it's the benefit and if the person his heart illuminates صح, your ability to see things, your judgements and the way you talk makes sense we're all together brothers
The fourth benefit is it brings is أنه يفتح له طرق العلم it opens a path of knowledge for you وأبوابه, gaining knowledge and studying and everything becomes easy for you ويسهل عليه أسبابه and the means to knowledge also becomes easy for you we all know the famous story of Al-Imam Al-Shafi'i right? when he came to his teacher وَكِعِ بِنُ جَرَّاحَ الرُّؤَاسِ وَكِعِ بِسُوءِ حِفْظِ فَرْشَدَ لِي إِلَى تَرْكِي الْمَعَاصِ وَقَالَ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ نُورٌ وَنُورُ اللَّهِ لَا يُدَى لِعَصِ
Al-Imam Al-Shafi'i had just seen a woman once it wasn't that he looked for it too long but what happened to him is that his memory went he wasn't able to memorize as he used to so he complained to his teacher وَكِعِ بِنُ جَرَّاحَ he said look, what's happening to me and his teacher وَكِعِ بِنُ جَرَّاحَ الرُّؤَاسِ said to him, this is Noor and looking at a woman extinguishes that light when you look مسائل and knowledge goes back you forget what you memorized it's like pouring water into the sand into the middle of the desert what's going to happen, are you going to get a nice apple juice from there, are you going to get a palm tree, no no nothing, so all the knowledge you're learning it's literally going nowhere when you learn it, it goes down you lose it straight away because what you're doing is right after that you're looking at things which are haram so to recall information and to remember things it all goes
الفَائِدَةُ الْخَامِسَةُ the fifth benefit is أنَّهُ يُورِثُ قُوَّةَ القَلْبِ وَثَبَاتَهُ people who are solid what I mean by solid is very strong minded people steadfast upon their religion and brave and courageous are people who lower their gaze Ibn Al-Qayyim saying that lowering your gaze what it benefits you is it makes you solid on what you believe you're not a person who's shaky you're brave and you're courageous and Allah Ta'ala He says فَيَجْعَلُنَهُ لِسَانَ الْبَصِيرَةِ مَعَ السُّلْطَانِ الْحُجَّةِ you will receive insight and the ability to articulate the point that you don't care لَا يَخَافُ فِي اللَّهِ لَوْمَ تَلَائِمُ He is not scared of anybody, the blame of the blamers, that's the benefit of lowering your gaze
الفائدة السادسة sixth benefit Ibn Al-Qayyim mentions is أَنَّهُ يُورِثُ الْقَلْبَ سُرُورًا it brings to the heart happiness وَفَرْحَةً وَإِنشِرَاحًا it enhances it expands your chest it brings about happiness, joy excitement does that make sense وَذَلِكَ لِقَهْرِ عَدُوِّهِ why because you have now overcome your enemy you're in a state of happiness and joy and you're in a good place وَذِلَكَ mentioning it in this point is very important, a lot of people who don't lower their gaze they even lose the happiness with their spouses they no longer enjoy their spouse there's nothing wrong with their spouse it's because they're looking at other places and they say why not this why this, why that so the happiness not only does it leave you it also leaves your marriage you're no longer happy with this person, only why because you're looking at the wrong place and you're looking at wrong things and by the way you're looking at a lot of times people who are what, who are not real people who are not they're not real, if this person was to take off their makeup you'll see a totally different person and so what you're doing is you're comparing, this person's not wearing the real hair they've got something else on, their face is some, they've painted their face to be honest, it's not makeup makeup's long time finished this is face painting they paint themselves whichever colour they like does that make sense you're looking at this, and you're looking at your wife, and you're comparing and you don't see the natural beauty Allah has given your wife and the way Allah is pure, she's yours, she's everything you don't see all of that you see people who are not real and so this is a problem of what? not lowering your gaze this all affects your happiness and your joy
The seventh benefit that it has is it saves the heart from being a captive for your desires we all hate to be imprisoned right imprisonment is not something we like so by lowering your gaze your heart will not be a captive for nothing or for no one right but the other people are what? they are captive they are that's why Ibn Al-Qayyim he said he said they ran away from being slaves to Allah so they became slaves for their own whims and desires and shaytan you have to always remember that you're either a slave for Allah or you're a slave for your desires and that's why one day the Kalam of Ibn Al-Qayyim here one day I will remember this is what hit me hard his Kalam his Kalam of Ibn Al-Qayyim I read it many years back he says it it was one day I remember when I saw a person who was addicted to drugs and he was crying and he was saying I want to stop this crying I really want to stop this I can't, I've tried who's controlling who? who's the captive here? he's a captive for his desires but he said I can't stop it who's controlling him? no one's forcing him no one's taking the drugs and putting it inside him it's that the nafs has taken control over the body and he's crying because he's in a state of this is what happens to people who are addicted watching these wrong things they are captives now they can't get out they're struggling all because the nafs has control over you and you don't have control over your nafs you know you say I'm free I am nowadays you're hearing a lot of people talking about freedom you're not free your nafs tells you where to go and you go the biggest freedom is to get control over your everything and you tell your nafs we're going to do this, ok? with whose commandments? Allah that is a free individual I call that person a free thinker that's a free thinker but the person whose nafs goes right, he goes right with the nafs he goes left, he goes left with the nafs he showers once, he pounds on it he's a captive whatever he may call it right? he said when you look at him you see as a free person, like really he's a captive with the eyes of the people he looks like a free person but there's hidden shackles on him he's being controlled his nafs is telling him it's controlling him and that's why he doesn't find happiness because the nafs is what? the nafs is very destructive where it takes you to that's why the scholars they used to say ... ... ... the nafs is like a baby the baby, if you breast the mother breastfeeds the baby for 5 years, 10 years, the child will be taking a breath don't say still stop it is upon the mother to say hey listen your 2 years is finished ... ... ... she has to stop it, that's what the nafs is if the person lets the nafs do whatever it wants the nafs will not stop it will take you to ... ... ... ... ... whoever takes whoever takes a crow as their guide what will the crow do? it will take you to corpse that's where it's heading so nafs is like that, it will lead you to ... the eye is the same when you're looking at everything you're giving the nafs what it wants ... and it's not going to stop there, Wallahi, I remember one time I was watching a documentary where it wasn't even a long documentary, it was a snippet I saw, a man who was a serial killer, rapist, raped and killed women, and they asked him what was the cause of this, why did you do it, and he said pornography, I don't know why I watched it, I did everything I saw, so the issue is what, looking, the issue is what, looking, very bad, and other great scholars they mention that it's an arrow that when the eye looks, it's an arrow to your heart, that's it, you throw an arrow at your heart, you're affecting it, you place in your life, you can't recognize the truth, and you can't see evil for what it is, you're finished now, you've passed a level where anyone can even reason with you, because the munkarat and the evil has just become layers over layers over layers, and Wallahi brothers I have to be honest, this is sad, but I get so much questions, so much questions, from this issue of indecent things that people watch, a lot of the times it's women who are complaining about their partners, saying that my man I'm married to is watching this stuff, sheikh what do I do, look, the man is married, he's got a wife, got children, look at the how evil it is, you would think to yourself that he's maybe a single man, but he's married, he's got a family, he's got kids, and he's still watching this stuff, so if you start from something, it's always going to carry on, don't you ever think to yourself you're going to start now, it's very hard, brothers and sisters lower your gaze, it's khatir jindan, and the opposite is true, cases have been brought to me where it's not just the brothers it's also the sisters, so the lowering of the gaze, brothers and sisters, the sixth benefit that the sheikh is saying is that it frees you from the shackles of shaitan, you're not a captive anymore, listen to this point, your eyes, your ears, and your mouth, those three, your eyes, and your ears, and your mouth, protect them, your heart is going to stay clean, they are the three roads to your heart, we all know the famous hadith, ala wa inna fil jasadi, mudgha, idha salahat, salahal jasadu, kullu, wa idha fasadat, fasadal jasadu, kullu, ala, wa hiya alqalb, protect those three, wallahi don't look at what you shouldn't be looking at, the second one is don't listen to what you shouldn't be listening to, a lot of the people, the music they're listening to is pornography, the lyrics and the things that they're listening to, that is fahsha and muqt, you have to understand when the scholars talked about music being haram, it's totally different from this, this is not just music anymore, this is not just music, this is a man talking about what he does with a woman, and what my heart doesn't, wallahi I don't understand, I'm yet to understand, how is it then possible a sister and a brother listening to those lyrics and nodding to it, it makes no sense to me, a woman is listening to a man say I do this to a woman, and they're memorising it and they're nodding their heads and they're Muslims, or a Muslim brother who's listening to this and the words that he's using is what, vulgar, talking about sleeping with a woman, doing this with a woman, saying this and that, it makes sense, wallahi as a person I think to myself, where is the gheera, where is the feeling of wow, this is nasty, I can't listen to this anymore, that's gone, they're listening to it, that's where you realise they are captives, you see right, so now it's not just music anymore, it's not just the noise and the bass and the song, but it's the vulgar, the lyrics that are being used is vulgar, so the person who's listening to music now, is like the person who's watching pornography, the thoughts, because remember when you watch something, it gives you thoughts, you listen to something now, it gives you the thoughts, and guess what is happening, then the person is what, saying those things, which is the third thing you need to protect, your tongue, all three of those are affecting our ummah wallah, and if the Prophet saw the state that we all are in, may Allah protect us all, he'll be very upset with us, where we're at, and the sacrifice he did to his companions, he'll be appalled with each and every one of us, including myself, we'll be appalled with what he sees, we've left his guidance, we've taken our desires as our Lord, our desire tells us to stand up, we stand up, it tells us to sit down, we sit down, it tells us to go left, we go left, it tells us to go right, we go right, we've taken our desires as our Lord, the seventh right, now we're going to go to the eighth one, which is lowering your gaze, it blocks from you, the doors from the doors of Jahannam will be blocked from you, by lowering your gaze, you'll be far from Jahannam, we're all together, and that's why we say the doors from the doors of Jahannam, because Zina enters you into Jahannam, if you stop yourself from looking, and no one just goes and does Zina, you have to talk to the person you're doing Zina with, you have to see the person you're going to do Zina with, there are a lot of things that have to happen, if those things don't happen, Zina doesn't happen, and so you're protected inshallah, the ninth benefit is, anahu yuqawwi aqlahu wa yazeeduhu wa yuthabbituhu, you become very smart, a human being is what? a human being is two things right, he's aqlun, intellect and emotions, if you keep looking at things, it increases your emotions, which is your desires, and it reduces your aql, does that make sense? and the more you suppress that, that desires, the more it sharpens your aql, the more you become a person who uses their aql more than their desires, does that make sense? that's why some people, when you're conversing and you're talking with them, they just don't seem like they're making any logical sense, why? Allah said about the munafiqeen, wa idha ra'itum ta'jibuka ajisamuhum, wa yiqulu tasba'a liqawlihim ka'anhum khushubum musanada, yahsabuna kulla sayihatin alihim, humul adoo, fahadhalhum qatalahumullahu an la yufakoon, and when you see them, wa idha ra'itum ta'jibuka ajisamuhum, Allah says when you see them, the way they look, built, he goes to the gym, he takes care of his physique and the way he looks, ta'jibuka ajisamuhum, wa yiqulu tasba'a liqawlihim ka'anhum khushubum musanada, when you hear him talk, a 5 year old child makes more sense than him, Allah then says, yahsabuna kulla sayihatin alihim, every noise that's made he thinks is against him, he's like why are you talking about me, everybody's making, why is everybody attacking me, oh nobody's attacking you, yahsabuna eh, kulla sayihatin alihim, a lot of the people today were saying negativity is being brought my way, yahsabuna kulla sayihatin alihim, and there's nobody saying anything about you, it's just that you know deep down that you're in this problem, so you believe everybody when they say something is about you, make sense, so your aqal, Allah takes it away subhanahu wa ta'ala, the person doesn't make any logical sense, when you lower your gaze, you sharpen that side, you become a very intellectual, smart, thinking individual, Allah make us from them subhanahu wa ta'ala, but like us, follow our desires, everything just doesn't make sense what we're saying, it makes no sense, because what we made our reference point, is it our logic or our, no no our emotions, tah, that's the case, and that's why a lot of people have khifat al-aqal, khifat al-aqal means very light in their aqal, shallow minded, ok, the tenth benefit inshallah wa ta'ala is annahu yukhallisu alqalba min sakrati al-shahwati, it gets rid of the agony of desire, wah, waraqdati al-ghafla, heedlessness, the person is very heedless about Allah and the day of judgement, because why, it's a mirage, he's driving and he thinks he can see something, he's one woman, it doesn't work out, he goes ok, there's another one, ok, there's another one, wahakada, and so he is in ghafla, and he's also what, he is placed in sakrati al-shahwati, sakrati al-shahwati means the agony of desire, a lot of people are in that situation, right, and one of the biggest illness to suffer from is sakrati al-shahwati, that's what Ibn al-Qayyim, the whole reason why he wrote his kitab, rawdat al-muhibbin wa nushat al-mushtaqin, one of the things he talked about is al-ishqa, lust, where the person just becomes absurd and psychopathic, so the point is, these are the ten benefits of lowering one's gaze, now inshallah ta'ala I want to conclude this series with steps that you can take inshallah ta'ala, that will help you, a lot of people they say, Akhil Kareem, my brother, Abdul Rahman, I do this, you know what, wallahi, the ten things that you mentioned, that Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned, I can put my hand up and say, wallahi it's true that lowering the gaze, these are the ten, lakin ala tubtu ilallah, I repent it, but I keep falling back into it again, and I'm still falling into it again, what do I do here, I'm not going to deny all the points you mentioned, I know I need to change, my life is a mess, my marriage is a mess, everything is a mess for me, I want to get out of this, I repent, I fall back into it again, I repent, I fall back into it, what do I do? The advice that I want to give you inshall ah ta'ala is the following, Ibn al-Qayyim, first of all I start by saying, As'al Allah, Rabb al-Arsh al-Azeem, I ask the lord of the throne, to this individual who is asking this question, every Muslim and myself, that Allah expands our chest, to always ask for forgiveness, and I also ask him subhanahu wa ta'ala, that Allah makes us firm upon the truth, and I ask him subhanahu wa ta'ala that he gives us the ability and the strength to say that which is right, and to act in accordance to that.
The following advice is what I give, number one is, an ta'lam anna Allah ya raak, number one is that you know Allah can see you subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah knows everything, subhanahu wa ta'ala, an ta tadakkara da'iban, every moment you get, you know Allah can see you, did Allah not say in the Quran, alam ya'lam bi anna Allah ya raak, do you not know that Allah can see you, Allah knows what's not only done outwardly, but he knows what's inside you, ya'lamu kha'inat al-a'yun wa maa tukhfi al-sudur, you know what it means, ya'lamu kha'inat al-a'yun, it means the eye that's looking at women, he knows, wa maa tukhfi al-sudur, and he knows what you're keeping in your chest, he knows it subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah is al-baseer, subhanahu wa ta'ala, so the first thing you have to always remind yourself is, Allah is the one who can see you subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah is the one, he can see you subhanahu wa ta'ala, this is what the scholars refer to as akbaru radi' should be the greatest thing that pushes you back, alam ya'lam bi anna Allah ya raak, do you not know that Allah can see you subhanahu wa ta'ala, look at the Quran, Allah says wallahu khabeerun bima ta'baloon, Allah says inna Allah khabeerun bima ta'baloon, bima ta'baloona khabeer, Allah says early in the Quran, wallahu baseerun bima ta'baloon, inna Allaha baseerun bil'ibad, that's filled with the Quran right, Allah can see you, Allah knows, is aware of it subhanahu wa ta'ala, walithalika the scholars they used to say, this statement actually is taken from Abi Abdullahi Al-Antaqi as Al-Qushayri brings it in his Risalah, page 141, and he said man kana bil'lahi a'raf, the one who knows Allah more, kana lahu akhwaf, he is the most scared of things, so you just need to know that he can see you subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and then I say to you now, if you know Allah can see you, my question to you my brother and my sister is, are you going to make Allah ahwanun nazireena ilayh, the lowest of those who look at you, because if the most respected person in your eyes was here right now, would you do this in front of them, you would say no, I wouldn't, but why would you do it in front of Allah then, if you already said I know Allah is looking at me.
Number two, the second advice I want to give you is ad-du'a, ad-du'a, to make ad-du'a, to increase and tukhtara min ad-du'a wala thiyama, especially at ta'awudu billahi min ash-shuroor, seek refuge in Allah from the evil, especially the du'as that have come from the Prophet alayhi as-salatu was-salam that you say them, the du'as that have come from the Prophet, the Prophet he used to say a lot, Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min sharri sam'i, seek refuge in Allah from what, the evil of my hearing, wa min sharri basari, wa min sharri lisani, the eyes, and the tongue, wa min sharri qalbi, wa min sharri manihi, seek refuge in Allah from all of that, subhanahu wa ta'ala, so to make a lot of du'as, supplicate to him subhanahu wa ta'ala, also to increase by saying Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min munkarati al-akhlaqi wal-ahmali wal-ahwa, oh Allah I seek refuge in you, min munkarati al-akhlaqi, the bad evil manners, I mean looking at women is not good manners, women looking at men is not, and lusting over them, not a good thing, so Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min munkarati al-akhlaqi wal-ahmali wal-ahwa, seeking refuge in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and begging him, it helps, also what helps is al-ihtibam bil-ibadah, giving importance to acts of worship, to increase in that, for example give importance to doing acts of worship, bakkir lil-masjid, go early to the masjid, and don't leave to the masjid late where you start running and everything, go early.
One of the beautiful things, I want to bring to your attention inshallah, min lata'if al-jameela, okay, that Mu'awiyah he wrote to al-Mughirah min al-shu'bah, kataba Mu'awiyah ila al-Mughirah, he said to him, uktub ilayya ma thami'ata min rasool Allah, Mu'awiyah wrote to al-Mughirah min al-shu'bah and he said to him, uktub ilayya write to me ma thami'ata min rasool Allah, that which you heard from the prophet alayhi salatu wa salam, fakataba ilayhi, this is what he wrote to him, he said inna Allah azza wa jalla, inna nabiya Allah azza wa jalla, the prophet of Allah, inna nabiya Allah, Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa sallam, kala yaqulu fee duburi kulli salati, the prophet used to say after every prayer, la ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku walahu alhabdu wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadeer, Allahuma la mani'a lima a'tayt, wala mu'ti lima manat, wala yanfa'u dhaljad, minka aljad, wa kataba ilayhi, annahu sallallahu alayhi wa sallam kana yanha'an qeela wa qala, he mentioned inna, also the prophet prohibited from what, qeela wa qala, fulan and fulan said, wa kathrata al suali, and what, asking too much, wa idha'ata al mali, and forsaking wealth, the scholars when it came to kathrata al suali, they categorized it into two, some scholars they said what it means is asking too much questions, and some scholars they said no, it means begging too much, wa kathrata al suali, wa idha'ata al mali, and destroying your wealth, using it inna which is not permissible or overly using it, wa kana yanha'an aqooqil ummahat, and he used to prohibit it, prohibit from what, disobedience to one's mother, wa wa'di al banati, wa man'i wahat, and for bearing your daughter's alive, wa man'i wahat, that means, ya'ani an yamna'a al rajlu ma tawajuhu alayhi minal huqooq, that the man, he refuses the responsibilities that was placed on him, so righteous deeds, acts of worship helps you, praying your salah, and doing it, Allah Ta'ala said in the Quran, wa ista'idhu bi sabri wa salah, so try to find help from patience, ibadat you see, and salah, all of these acts will help you.
The fifth one is al rufqat al saliha, having good friends, having good friends, remember the person you are with is who you are, al mar'u ala deeni khalilihi fal yanzur ahadukum man yukhaliluhu, the person is of the religion of their friend, look at who you take as a friend, we all know the hadith, falsahihaini min al hadith Abu Mushta al ash'ari, where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he said, batalul jalees al salihi wal jalees al su'i, tahabi al miski wa daa fi khilkiri, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he said, the good friend and the bad friend are like what, a blacksmith and a perfume shop owner, tahabi al miski imma an yuhdiyaka wa imma an tabta'a minhun, the perfume owner, he might allow you to use his perfume, to try it and test it on yourself, or he might give it to you for free, you benefit from the person who is a perfume owner, even if he doesn't put it on you or anything, just by being in that environment for that time, it's just a pleasant place to be right, what about the blacksmith, as for the blacksmith, it's wa daa fi khilkiri, the blacksmith, imma an yuhriqa thiyabak, he's going to burn your clothes, while you're there, oh you have to protect your clothes, wa imma an tajida reehan khameethatan, you might even smell that which is bad for your lungs right, that's the bad friend, the bad friend while you're with him, he's going to harm you, he's going to destroy you, and a lot of people, if you look at how they are, who affected them, they're friends, and they're going to regret it the day of judgment, wa yawma ya'adhu al-dhalimu ala yadai, yaqulu ya laytani itakhattu ba'al rasuli sabeela, ya waylata laytani lam atakhid falana khaleela, faqad adallani aani dhikri ba'da idh ja'ani, wa kana shaytanu lil-lisani khadoona, so you're going to regret it the day of judgment, by being friends with these people, and staying around them, and if you look at the dog, Allah mentioned subhanahu wa ta'ala, Abdullah al-Qurtubi pointed this out in his tafsir, ashabu al-kahfi Allah mentioned their dog, why? Allah says, wa tahsabu a'iqadu wa hum ruqood, wa nuqallimuhum dhati al-yameeni wa dhati al-shibali, wa kalbuhum basitun dhira'ihi bilwasit, lawittala'at a'alihim lawallayta minhum firaran, walamullayta minhum ru'ba, so Allah mentioned, wa kalbuhum basitun dhira'ihi bilwasit, he's with good people, he's with ashabu al-kahfi, that dog is worthy of mentioning him, Allah didn't only just mention him, but even mentioned how the dog was positioned, if you are with good people, you're worthy of, mashallah khair, you never lose out by being with good people, you don't lose out.
Another inshallah wa ta'ala, advice I can give you inshallah wa ta'ala, is to, hilaqu dhikr, coming to circles of knowledge, by coming to the circles of knowledge, you're seeking knowledge, number one, you're going to get the right friends, inshallah wa ta'ala, you're also in the masjid and praying, it combines just about everything we mentioned before, circles of knowledge, it's not just going and learning, you actually get the friends, you're also coming to the masjid early, because when you're in a class, after they pray the salah right in the masjid, not only just that, you're in a gathering of the good people, the ages will come down on you, yah, and then they would what? al-sakinah wal-waqar, all of these things that are coming, yah, it's all of benefit for you, مَجْتَبَعَ قَوْمٌ بِبَيْتٍ مِّن بُيُوتِ اللَّهِ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَيَتَدَارَسُونَ فِي مَا بَيْنَهُ إِلَّا نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّكِينَةِ وَغَشِيَتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَةِ وَذَكَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي مَنْ عِنْدَهِ وَمَنْ بَطَابِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْلِعْ بِهِ نَسَبَهُ Allah is going to mention you, look at my slave Adam over there, he's in that circle, he's learning, he's attaining knowledge, why does he do that? Because he wants to get closer to me, he wants me to protect him from the Hellfire.
I ask Allah Ta'ala to forgive us for any mistakes or shortcomings we might have said whilst we were speaking. Anything I did say that was wrong or incorrect, it's from me and Shaytan and Allah and His Messenger are both free from it. سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ بِالْحَمْدِ أَشْهَدُ أَن لَا إِلَهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ
