Controlling the urges: Muslims who find they are afflicted wit | Ask A Muslim

Controlling the urges:
Muslims who find they are afflicted with temptations or unnatural desires must learn to resist, turn to Allah, supplicate to Him for strength and guidance (and get married). They must pray their five daily prayers, pay the Zakah and fast the month of Ramadan, etc. They should keep company with righteous people and keep their desires under control and eventually dominate over them.

Not every desire needs to be satisfied! A believer is commanded to keep his soul in check and his passions within the limits of Allah’s commands. We are living in difficult times where religiosity, morality, chastity and good conduct are actively discouraged, and immorality, foul behaviour, irreligious conduct, ill-manners, sexual depravity and lewdness are championed.

Nevertheless, a Muslim must remain pious, and remember that holding steadfastly to Islam, the Sunnah and Islamic morals and ethics in these times brings along with it a greater reward from Allah for the patient. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Know that which has passed you by was never going to befall you, and whatever has befallen you was never going to miss you. And know that victory comes with patience, relief comes after affliction and ease comes after hardship.” (Tirmidhī)

In reference to the times of hardship that were to come the Prophet (ﷺ) stated, “Ahead of you are days of patience, when holding onto the religion will be like holding onto hot coals, and whomsoever holds onto his religion in that time, then his reward will be the reward of fifty men.” The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allaah, fifty times the worth of their reward?” He said, “Rather fifty from you.”

(Collected by Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Mājah, Al-Hākim who declared it authentic, Adh-Dhahabi agreed and Al-Albāni declared it saheeh in As-Saheehah no. 494)

Examples of commands: Worship Allah alone, pray, fast, give zakah (obligatory charity), perform Hajj, be dutiful and kind to parents, give in charity, wear hijab, etc.

Examples of prohibitions: Idolatry, interest, adultery, drinking alcohol, murder, stealing, sex before marriage, homosexuality, etc.

A Muslim is commanded to encourage people with doing good actions and to advise them against doing things that Allah has forbidden. In this way, he follows the way of the Prophets.