Answer
Salam (Peace) Dear Brother,
Thank you for your question and I hope my answer pleases Allah and is of benefit to you and any who read it.
Please find the second and final part of the answer to your question below. Find the first part at the link here.
Since we are bound to fall into error, it is important to remember that our Creator is an understanding and loving Lord. This mercy and understanding are exhibited by the following:
Allah is ready to forgive. One of the great bounties that Allah has bestowed upon His servants is forgiveness for evil thoughts and actions that are not acted upon. When the following verse of Qur’an was sent, the Companions of the Prophet were greatly disturbed.
{If you reveal what’s in your hearts, or hide it, Allah will call you to account.} (Quran 2:284)
Upon hearing this, the companions of the Prophet when to him complaining:
If we are called to account for the whispers of our souls, then we will surely perish! (Ibn Kathir)
Suddenly, Allah revealed:
{Allah does not burden a soul more than it can bear.} (Quran 2:286)
It is one of the great mercies of Allah that we are not called to account for the evil inclinations that appear in our hearts. And, in fact, such evil inclinations if ignored and not acted upon can bear sweet fruit!
Fighting against evil inclinations brings one closer to Allah. Many times we find evil thoughts and ideas coming to our minds. However, if not acted upon, such thoughts can actually be a means of drawing closer to our Lord. The Prophet said:
Whosoever intends to do a good deed but does not do it, Allah records it with Himself as a complete good deed; but if he intends it and does it, Allah records it with Himself as ten good deeds, up to seven hundred times, or more than that. But if he intends to do an evil deed and does not do it, Allah records it with Himself as a complete good deed; but if he intends it and does it, Allah records it as one single evil deed. (Muslim)
Thus, by fighting one’s base desires and struggling to obey the Creator, one draws nearer to Him. Although this might seem monumental, struggling and striving towards the Divine requires only a sincere heart and obedience to His commands.
In a sound hadith, we read that the Prophet said the following:
Allah the Almighty says: “I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself. And if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me a hand’s span, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed. (Al-Bukhari)
Points to Remember
Thus, drawing near to Allah by doing good actions and struggling with oneself brings great spiritual and physical blessings. However, there are a few important points to remember:
Personal responsibility: keep in mind that all of the above requires work and determination on your part. You are responsible for yourself and must struggle against evil thoughts and desires.
I would encourage you strongly to think about surrendering to your Creator and learning the correct practices associated with the Islamic faith.
The great Muslim scholar and Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said:
Unlawful desires are usually associated with ugliness. They leave behind a lingering sensation of pain and guilt. Hence, whenever you are tempted, think about liberating yourself. Think about all the remorse that would accompany the realization of those desires, and then make up your mind. Struggling your way through obedience is not an easy task. It is, however, associated with goodness and soothing pleasures. Whenever you overburden yourself (with unlawful desires) think about how nice it would be to repent and set yourself free. Think about the pleasures that lawful desires will provide and try to make the correct choice. The dilemma you will experience should be reduced by remembering the sweet pleasure and the ultimate happiness that your obedience (to Allah) will provide. Logically, your mind should opt for the more rewarding option and help you to endure the pain of denying yourself the realization of such desires. (Al-Fawa’id)
Communal Responsibility: it is never enough to struggle alone. The whole community must begin to answer the call of those who are struggling with different issues. Our community is not free of drugs, abuse, and other different types of negative behavior.
However, we have not admitted that these problems exist. Thus, we are impotent when it comes to handling such issues.
We must reflect on the statements of the Prophet:
Give glad tidings and don’t cause others to flee. (Muslim)
And
Whoever removes a difficulty for a person, Allah will remove a difficulty for that person on the Day of Reckoning. (Al-Bukhari)
Muslim imams should be trained in counseling and, better yet, each community should have its own group of professional counselors. We can no longer turn away from the struggling sinner, as we are all sinners, but must reach out with a sincere hand and walk with our brothers and sisters through the difficulties that they face.
Finally, I pray that you can find a community leader who will be willing to sit with you and assist you through these difficulties. You are not alone and only need a mature community leader who will be willing to accept you and help you overcome your problems.
I pray for you and hope to hear from you again. I will be very happy to be of any assistance to you in the future.
Please keep in touch.
Salam.
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