All praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Prophet and Mustafa (chosen one), Muhammad ibn `Abdullah, his family, Companions, and those who adopt his Sunnah and follow his example and guidance.
Allah, the Almighty, clarified to His servants that the way to salvation from Hell and admittance into Paradise is to struggle against the soul, go against its unlawful inclinations, and abstain from vain desires and lusts. Allah, the Almighty, says: “But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.” (Quran 79: 40-41) Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This refers to the one who fears standing before Allah, so he prevents his soul from its unlawful inclinations (sins which the soul likes) and if done, he will be admitted into Paradise and gain honor. The soul is inclined towards adultery, wine, usury, and other things which Allah prohibits, and it loves them for some reasons. If Allah grants a believer success in fighting, opposing, and resisting this inclination, this will be one of the reasons for his admittance into Paradise.”
The wise and intelligent person should control his inclinations, resort to mind, and consider matters that will lead to bad consequences, so he should struggle with himself to avoid them. Leaving the soul to its unlawful inclinations acts as its ailment and abstaining from the things the soul is inclined to acts as its cure. Therefore, one should be patient with the cure insomuch as he fears the ailment.
Fearing Allah, the Almighty, is the solid barrier that resists strong unlawful inclinations and restrains the soul’s desire to commit a sin, as unlawful inclinations are the strong motive for all forms of tyranny and misdeeds, the basis of calamities, and the source of evil. It is rare that a person is harmed by anything other than unlawful inclinations.
In fact, there are only two paths: the path of righteousness and obedience to Allah and His Messenger () and the path to unlawful inclinations and heedlessness. Allah, the Almighty, says: “Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know.” (Quran 45: 18)
Allah, the Almighty, says: “And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His face [i.e., acceptance]. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.” (Quran 18: 28)
Allah, the Almighty, says: “[We said], ‘O David, indeed We have made you a successor upon the earth, so judge between the people in truth and do not follow [your own] desire, as it will lead you astray from the way of Allah.’ Indeed, those who go astray from the way of Allah will have a severe punishment for having forgotten the Day of Account.” (Quran 38: 26)
Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Going against one’s unlawful inclinations gives Allah’s servant the standing of the person whose oaths (for something) are fulfilled by Allah when he takes them. Allah will also fulfill his needs as many times the unlawful inclinations from which he abstained. It is as if one abstained from dung and Allah gave him a pearl in return. The one who follows his unlawful inclinations misses his immediate and future interests and comfortable life which cannot be compared to what he has gained by following his unlawful inclinations.”
If Allah’s servant does not struggle against his soul, does not go against his prejudices, and responds to his desires whenever they appeal to him, then he has taken his own desire as his god. Allah says: “Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him?” (Quran 25: 43)
Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The person who follows whatever he is inclined to without being restrained by piety or self-restraint has taken his own desire as his god.”
Al-Hasan Al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Prejudices are the most evil ailment that affects one’s heart.”
If you see a person led by his desire,
He will be considered lost or dead,
His enemies have gloated over him out of his ignorance,
His blamers have found something to criticize him,
The one who controls his insistent self from desire,
Is considered to be a decisive person with sound opinion.
Allah likened the one who is in this state to a dog. He, the Almighty, says: “And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the news of him to whom We gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators. And if We had willed, We could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought.” (Quran 7: 175-176)
Allah, the Almighty, also likened them to donkeys in His saying: “Then what is [the matter] with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away. As if they were alarmed donkeys. Fleeing from a lion?” (Quran 74: 49-51)
The Messenger of Allah considered following unlawful inclinations one of the destructive characteristics, as he said: “The destructive characteristics are: miserliness which controls a person, unlawful inclinations which a person follows, and a person’s admiration for himself.”
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Barzah Al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet () said: “I only fear for you the desires of your bellies and private parts and the misleading unlawful inclination.”
Unlawful inclinations are not mentioned in the Book of Allah without being dispraised, as Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Allah, the Almighty, did not mention unlawful inclinations in His Book without dispraising them.”
Unlawful inclinations are represented in five matters which are mentioned together in Allah’s saying: “Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.” (Quran 57: 20)
Allah will not guide the one who follows his inclinations, blocks the way to guidance, and takes the path to temptation. In this case, Allah has not wronged him, but he has wronged himself by following his prejudices, so who will guide him other than Allah?
“Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded?” (Quran 45: 23)
Disobey your prejudices:
Ibn Al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “You should know that unlawful inclinations, in general, call for present pleasure without thinking about the consequences, urge for fulfilling desires immediately although they will lead to pain and harm in the future and prevent attaining pleasures in the future. The reasonable person should prevent himself from following the pleasures that lead to pain and a desire that leads to regret and should train himself to repel inclinations that have safe consequences so that he can continue to abstain from things with harmful consequences. If someone says: ‘How can a person get rid of the sin he fell into?’ He may be answered: ‘By strong determination to abstain from harmful things and gradually abandon things whose consequences are not safe. This requires patience and struggle that can be facilitated by seven things:
First: Reflecting on the fact that the human being was not created to indulge in unlawful inclinations, but he was created to consider the consequences of his deeds and to work for the Hereafter.
Second: Thinking about the consequences of unlawful inclinations.
Third: The wise person should think about what will happen after he fulfills his desires and the harm he will receive after the end of the pleasure resulting from his unlawful inclinations.
Fourth: The wise person should think about another person who has followed his inclinations and reflect on the consequences of his deed. He will perceive the harm he would receive if he were in the other person’s place.
Fifth: The wise person should think about his purpose behind these pleasures, and his mind will tell that there is nothing, as prejudices make man blind.
Sixth: The wise person should ponder on the honor of being victorious (if one overcomes his desires) and the humiliation of being defeated (if his desires overcome him), as whoever overcomes his desires will have a strong feeling of honor.
Seventh: The wise person should think about the benefits of going against unlawful inclinations, such as gaining good mention in this life, safety of the soul and honor, and rewards in the Hereafter.
It is appropriate for Allah’s servant to ask Allah persistently to guide him and beware of his personal inclinations and desires. Allah, the Almighty, says: “And never will the Jews and the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, ‘Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance.’ If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper.” (Quran 2: 120)
The Prophet () used to supplicate to His Lord, the Almighty, saying: “O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and self-sufficiency.”
O Allah, guide us, make us steadfast, and protect us from the misleading unlawful inclinations and temptations, both apparent and hidden. Our last supplication is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.