In the Name of Allāh.

It’s essential to reflect on the profound truth that every individual is either a slave of their desires or a slave of Allāh. You have the choice to live according to your desires or to adhere to the Divine Rules set by Allāh. To genuinely live in submission to Allāh, one must set aside one’s lusts and embrace His Guidance. Allāh states: “Have you seen him who takes his lust (vain desires) as his ilāh (god), and Allāh knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allāh? Will you not then remember?” [Sūrah Al-Jāthiyah (45): 23]

Sadly, many Muslims today have closed their hearts to the truth and have been misled by their desires. Their hearts are shackled by these urges, causing them to drift further away from guidance. How can a heart submit to Allāh when it’s bound by its lusts? As Shaykh Ibn Taymiyah (Raḥimahullah) is reported to have said: “The one who is (truly) imprisoned, is the one whose heart is imprisoned from Allāh, and the captive is the one whose desires have enslaved him.” [From the Book: ‘The Relief From Distress’]

For such individuals, following the Rules of Allāh becomes a burden to bear. In an attempt to alleviate their guilt, they often label those striving to adhere to Allāh’s Rules as “extremists.” However, for those with understanding, it is evident that Islām isn’t a buffet to pick and choose from, but a comprehensive way of living.

Dear brethren, let’s not trade our Hereafter for this fleeting worldly existence, for it ultimately leads to loss. Do not surrender to your desires; instead, obey Allāh.

I beseech Allāh to shield us from such a fate, safeguard us from life’s temptations, and grant us the resilience to remain steadfast in our faith, regardless of the challenges we may face. Aameen.

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