24. AVOID THE DOUBTFUL
I do not see anything more dangerous than taking the risk of walking towards the pit hole of the forbidden, for it is often that people fall in it should they dare try to walk around it. Indeed, “he who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein.”
One of the respected people known for contemplation once said, “There was a day I was able to enjoy a pleasure that appeared to be forbidden, but also considered permissible since its ruling could be either. I however, overcame my desirous self and refrained from it. Myself {nafs) said to me, ‘The reason you are not agreeable to enjoying this pleasure is because you are unable to get your hands on it. If however, you can take what you can get your hands on and then thereafter leave it; this would mean you really left it for the sake of Allah.’
After I agreed to what it suggested my desire self-began to give me a different interpretation to show me how it is permissible to enjoy that doubtful pleasure. I agreed with the possibility it suggested to me, but that made me feel darkness in my heart as I feared it could be forbidden. Because of that I came to realise that my desirous self sometimes manages to overpower me with its interpretation and leniency but at other times, I manage to overpower it with my resistance and striving. I know if I agree to be lenient and accept its questionable ruling, then I will always fear it is possible to be forbidden, not to mention the instant impact this would have on my heart. For this reason, I could not trust or accept the interpretation and justifications of mv desirous self.
To this effect, I decided to end its hope in having any influence over me, and the only way to do so was by saying to it, ‘I will play along with you and assume it is permissible, but nevertheless, I swear by Allah, the One and only deity worthy of worship, I will never accept to do it again. This oath made it give up on convincing me indulge in such questionable matters again. I find this to be the best cure to end its influence because the best it can do after this is to tell me to break mv oath.
Indeed, the best thing to do is to put an end to all the causes leading to doubtful matters and avoid being lenient as so not to accept the permissible if it will lead to the impermissible.
And Allah is the One who gives success.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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