Answer
Wa`alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- Islam is a practical religion that considers people’s nature and need. So, Islam encourages people to enjoy the blessings of Allah and, at the same time, not to violate the dictates of Shariah.
2- Summer offers opportunity for Muslims to enjoy the blessings of Allah and to bring themselves closer to Him.
3- This is done by means of avoiding the prohibitions, reflecting on Allah’s creation, participating in social activities that serve the community, etc.
In responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
May Allah bless you to come nearer to Him always. Your question shows your zeal to keep your faith intact.
Having said this, I must point out that the first step towards maintaining our faith in summer is to formulate our intentions and ask Allah to open our mind and heart to ways of truth and righteousness.
1. Pray to Allah always to keep your heart firmly entrenched in truth.
2. Find some good companions who are pious and God-fearing, who will exert good influences on you and organize activities together to avoid such places [as beaches] or associations.
3. Avoid such places and find other places such as nature trails or parks or parts of the country where such influences are minimal.
4. While going out, arm yourself with duaa and dhikr. Don’t forget the specific duaa that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has instructed us to say while stepping out:
Bismi Allahi, tawakkaltu `ala Allah. La hawla wa la quwwata illa billaah. (In the name of Allah, I place all my trust in Him. There is no power to avoid sins or strength to gain virtue except by His will and support.)
5. Also keep the thought of Allah always in your mind and make dhikr (remembrance of Allah) your second nature by repeating words such as “subhanAllah; al-hamdu lillah; la ilaha illa Allah; wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah” (glory to Allah; praise be to Allah; there is no god but Allah; there is no power or strength except by the will of Allah).
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6. Finally, ask Allah to keep your heart and mind steadfast on faith by reading the following:
Allahumma ya muqalliba al-qulub thabbit qalbi `ala deenika (O Allah, You are the twister and turner of the hearts. So, make my heart firm on Your religion).
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.