Blog - Khanqah Imdadia Ashrafia

Protection From Uneasiness

What is the first reward? It is protection from being uneasy. After staring at a female, one’s uneasiness increases. He feels, “I wish I could have got her.” You are therefore saved from uttering the word ‘wish’ and you are saved from expressing regret.

The first reward is thus called ‘protection from regret’. Now a person will not regret because he did not glance. The simple food of the house like chutney and roti will seem like biryani and plaow because it is a bounty granted by Allah. Tell me, if all the women of the world had to send biryani and plow for Majnun while Layla, whom he was madly in love with sent dry bread, whose food would he have eaten? He would have eaten Layla’s food and said, “This dry bread came from Layla’s hand.” Therefore the saints who are the lovers of Allah, regard their wives better than all the Laylas of the world. They know that Allah has granted them their wives.

That is the reason they live in peace. There is complete tranquillity in their homes. While on the contrary, those who gaze around here and there, are always perturbed and their homes have no blessing. Their homes are full of quarrels and fights because the husband has another woman in mind. His wife does not seem attractive anymore. Therefore, what is the first reward for safeguarding the gaze? It is protection from problems, uneasiness and regret.

The Sweetness Of Iman

The second reward is that one experiences the sweetness of Iman. Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has narrated a hadithe qudsi. The muhaditheen have stated that a hadithe qudsi is the statement of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, which he narrates from Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’la by saying, “Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’la says.”

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has narrated in a hadithe qudsi that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’la said,

“The gaze is a poisonous arrow from among the arrows of Iblis (satan). Whoever protected his heart and gaze from this arrow due to My fear, I will grant him the sweetness of Iman that he will perceive in his heart.”

Due to the fact that he sacrificed the sweetness of his sight for Allah’s sake, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’la will grant him the sweetness of the heart. Allamah Ibn Qayyim (Rahimahullah) says that a person gave his basarat [gaze] and obtained basîrat [insight]. Basarat refers to sight. By sacrificing his sight, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’la gave him the reward of the sweetness of Iman in his heart.

A Good Ending

Mulla Ali Qari lived in Hirat and then emigrated to Makkah. His grave is in Jannatul Ma’la. He writes in the explanation of this hadith that whoever is granted the sweetness of Iman will most certainly die with Iman because Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’la will not grant the sweetness of Iman to one and then snatch it away. This is the third reward for protecting the gaze. Therefore, do a transaction of a good ending with Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’la by protecting your gaze wherever there are women eg. on the streets, airports, railway stations, shopping malls, etc. When the sweetness of Iman enters the heart, it never comes out again.

Imaan will not be tested in the Masjid because a Masjid is not a place for the testing of Imaan. It would obviously be very easy to be pious and abstain from sins therein. The testing grounds of Imaan are the streets, universities, bazaars and businesses.

What kind of Imaan do we display, if we indulge in illicit relationships at the high schools, universities, etc., if we cast lustful glances at every woman who passes by us on the streets and if we cheat our customers, commit fraud and employ semi-nude women to work along side us in our businesses, believing that by employing them we will be saving on salary?

Know that at such places our Imaan will definitely be tested. At such times we have to project and assert our Imaan and Islam. If the person passes the tests here, then indeed this person has tasted of the sweetness of Imaan.

Source: Cure for Depression - by Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Sahab (damat barkatuhum)

Mulla Ali Qari lived in Hirat and then emigrated to Makkah. His grave is in Jannatul Ma’la. He writes in the explanation of this hadith that whoever is granted the sweetness of Iman will most certainly die with Iman because Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’la will not grant the sweetness of Iman to one and then snatch it away. This is the third reward for protecting the gaze. Therefore, do a transaction of a good ending with Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’la by protecting your gaze wherever there are women eg. on the streets, airports, railway stations, shopping malls, etc. When the sweetness of Iman enters the heart, it never comes out again.

Mulla Ali Qari (Rahimahullah) states that this hadith contains an indication to a good ending - a life that ends on Iman. Today the sweetness of Iman is being distributed in all places like the streets, airports and shopping malls. The condition is that one must not stare at the shops for these sweets, namely ghair mahram forms. If someones’s sugar is over the limit and he looks at a sweet shop, his sugar will not increase by merely looking but one’s gaze is such a dangerous thing that by merely looking, the poison enters one.

Rasûlullah Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that the one who merely looks at strange women; he does not use her or speak to her has committed adultery of the eyes. This is a hadith of Sahih Bukhari. I request the Ulama to have a look at this hadith in Sahih Bukhari (vol.2 Kitabul Istizan). An evil glance is the adultery of the eyes. This includes staring at beardless youth.

Therefore, those who commit adultery of the eyes and see dreams of becoming a saint should beat their heads. Is this the way to become a saint?

Source: Purpose of Life - by Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Sahab (damat barkatuhum)