Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

 All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

We are not allowed to harbor sexual fantasies.

 

Although we are not accountable for mental chatter on which we have no control, we are still responsible for the thoughts we deliberately cherish or dwell on.

 

Our thoughts affect our actions and words. Islam teaches us to keep our minds, tongues, and faculties pure and chaste.

 

Sinful thoughts, words, and actions end up corrupting our souls.

 

Having said this, let me also state there is nothing wrong if you imagine and pray to Allah to have a marriage partner while refraining from sexual fantasies.

 

As for the second question, the fault of the owner of the garden — as narrated in the story of Surah Kahf –  was that he deemed himself self-sufficient and failed to attribute His blessings to the Source, which is Allah.

 

Optimism that Islam teaches us is to think good of Allah and pray and wish for His continued mercy and grace while accepting what He sends our way. Our perfect exemplar in this is the Messenger of Allah. When the Quraish and the allies laid siege to Madinah ready to attack and destroy the small community of believers, even the mere thought of it caused the hearts of the hypocrites to tremble, but the Messenger of Allah and the believers were unwavering in their faith and trust in Allah:  They said, “Allah is Sufficient for us.” Moreover, they were ready to accept the decree of Allah for they knew that His decree is always good.  That is what the Prophet said when he said, “A believer is always wonderful in all of his states: when faced with a joyous condition, he thanks Allah for it which is good for him; if however, a misfortune befalls him he preserves patience which also turns out good for him.” So, it works out always good for the believer.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.