'Pathways to ZINA'

Oh my Allah you think….you and the brother have been ‘talking’ now for six months! Wow! That seems like forever. But now, it’s not like before. You don’t feel the burning guilt each time you think about him or IM him or call him.. Or even when you send your pictures to him (still Hijabed of course!). It’s almost…normal. Sometimes you worry because you think maybe you lost your fear of Allah? Or maybe even your imaan? Because before while talking to him you felt ashamed, and tried anyway to turn away from Allah seeing you, even though you knew that was impossible. As Allah is the All-Seer and All-Knower. Now, it’s like you feel nothing, you feel 1000% comfortable talking with the brother. Your little voice warning you of this and that is becoming very silent lately. What happened? Isn’t that a bad thing? You think wait....isn't it like my internal compass, now is it broken??!

Before you can continue with your thoughts, you hear the very familiar ring tone; it’s him calling again!!! That makes it a shocking three times, in only one day! You forget everything you were just telling yourself…You didn’t loose your imaan, you didn’t loose your fear of Allah, hmm maybe you are just not feeling well. You rush to pick up the phone and start conversing with the brother. You are so happy when you are talking to him, he makes everything fine again. It’s like you forget all of your worrying and bad thoughts, these doubts that come to you whenever you are alone. That’s why you like talking to him as much as possible. He’s almost become like a shield from any reminder. Any painful reminder that is!

Weeks go by and things continue as they are. No change. No action. Not even an intention to change. As far as you are concerned you are not mixing into falsehood. Your goal justifies the means you are using at the moment.

One day your friend asks you to come to a lecture with her. You say sure, you would love to tag along. While in the car you ask the sister what the topic is. She replies: The Pathways to Zina. Oh, wow! What a topic…Oh my God did your heart just stop beating?! Wait, no you are fine. Phew. Ok, relax. Why the sudden panic? Have you committed Zina? Have you even come close to it? No…

Ok then, relax yourself! *Relaxed*. Ok, just attend the lecture and try not to draw attention to yourself ok? Ok!

The sister and you finally make it to the Masjid. Someone is reciting some verses, maybe one of the brothers from MSA. Masha’Allah, it’s so beautiful you think, you wonder what the verses mean.

The Sheikh starts the lecture.. First he goes through the definition of Zina. We all know what it means you think. But why are you so nervous? Why do you feel like the sheikh is talking directly to YOU. You are just being paranoid! Just focus on the lecture.

The sheikh continues and mentioned a verse, one that the brother recited at the beginning. The sheikh also recited it and translated for everyone:

"And come NOT NEAR to unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a faahishah (a great sin) and an evil way".(Sura Al-Israa 17:32)

The sheikh makes a dramatic pause. He continues: “Brothers and sisters, why do you think Allah does not say “Do not commit Zina”. Why does Allah Azza wa Jal say do not come NEAR to Zina?

The sheikh explains by saying Allah Azza wa Jal in His Wisdom did not only prohibit the munkarat (evil, abominable deeds) but also made the pathways to them prohibited as well. The sheikh pauses again.

You feel sweat coming down your forehead. Is it really that hot in here? Why are you burning up?

The sheikh continues as you listen attentively.

“So brothers and sisters. Let us ask ourselves. What are the pathways to Zina? To this Most DISGUSTING SIN?

The audience is silent.

The sheikh answers his own question. “Brothers and Sisters, wallahi there are many pathways to this sin. Among them is our NEGLECTING ALLAH’S COMMAND TO LOWER OUR GAZE. Among them is this extreme FREEMIXING WE SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY….”

Again, the sheikh pauses. Why does he keep pausing?? You just might get a heart attack!

“And not to forget our online community as well because Allah Azza wa Jal is not watching us just when we are in the Masjid or at the Islamic Events. But Allah SWT is watching us wherever we are. Whether that is the Universities, whether that is the MSA or whether that is at home, while we browse our computers”.

OMG. No he didn’t just say that…. You heart stops.

“Brothers and sisters, we mistakenly trivliaze these sins, that are nothing but stepping stones to the greater sin of Zina. The uncontrollable gazing, the constant freemixing online and off. SubhanAllah, you hear brothers and sisters say it isn’t that big of a deal sheikh. That it’s all innocent and fun. What fun? Disobeying our Rabb is fun? Disobeying our Rabb is innocence? Since when ya Shabab?

You see amongst these same youth how ‘normal’ freemixing has become. SubhanAllah, you wouldn’t be surprised to see a brother or sister who regularly attends the Masjid and Islamic Events at home freemixing for hours each day.

SubhanAlllah, is our piety just outside, where people can see? Do we not fear Allah who sees us as we spend these hours mingling with the other gender? Do we not know the shaytan is just laying a trap for us, to ultimately commit shameful actions like the bigger Zina….

while we commit the 'smaller zina with our eyes that are seeing haraam, our feet which are walking to haraam. Even our hands which we use to mingle and chat with the opposite sex?

Do you not realize the shaytan's even bigger trap, to make us his companion in Jahanam?

Brothers and Sisters! Let’s wake up from our desires.

These countless hours we spend freemixing online and off only bringing us one step closer to the hellfire. When will we wake up? When death comes, and it is too late to repent or come back to the straight path?

SubhanAllah how many countless people were deceived before us, who thought their sins were trivial; that they were not ‘a big deal’? And how many of them now lay in their graves in regret? Do we want to end up with the same fate? No! So then we must leave these sins brothers and sisters, before our time is up. And who is to say when that will be? Today, tomorrow?...