Part 8
By Basham Shaheed
7. Following Lusts and Desires
One of the major reasons behind the decline and humiliation of the Muslims is the pursuit of worldly desires and lusts. Since the means and avenues for sin and going astray have multiplied in today’s world far more than in the past, Muslims, and young people in particular, have turned toward sin, and committing sin has become much easier and more accessible for them.
Because of this, their religious commitment has weakened. Many people are now chasing after the fulfillment of their own desires and the committing of forbidden acts and sins, to the point that they call others toward these very sins too, pulling them away from obedience and worship and toward lust and unlawful acts, things like adultery, drinking alcohol, listening to music, the unlawful mixing of men and women, and other similar wrongs.
As a result, their love, desire, and enthusiasm for worship and for Islam have diminished, and this is exactly what has caused them to step back from jihad, from defending Islam, and from the hardships and sacrifices that come with walking the path of faith, leaving them weak and defeated in front of the disbelievers and the enemies of Islam.
Because Muslims who are busy chasing their lustful and carnal desires drift away from Allah Almighty and turn away from Him. After that, they forget the commands and decrees of Allah Almighty, and stop giving them any importance. In the end, little by little, they become prisoners of their own self, their whims and desires, and of human and jinn devils. At that point, they no longer defend Islam, they even consider themselves neutral.
In the present age, the Muslim Ummah, and the Muslims of Gaza in particular, are under the oppression and aggression of tyrants and bloodsuckers, and every single day we are witnesses to merciless bombings and thousands of other forms of cruelty against them. Yet the Muslims who once held the reins of power and authority over the world, today not even their voices are heard in support of these oppressed people. What’s the reason for that? The reason is that today’s Muslims are caught in the trap of their own carnal and lustful desires and have lost the capacity to defend and support Muslims and Islam.
Even today, in Muslim societies, you can find Muslims who dislike the Islamic system and Islamic governance. The reason is that the Islamic system holds them back from their carnal, lustful, and animalistic desires, and does not let them do whatever clashes with human and Islamic nature.
When an Islamic government stops them from their debauchery and lawlessness, a kind of resentment grows inside them, and this very resentment pushes them to spread slander and false accusations against the Islamic system wherever they can, and to work toward tearing down the very system that wants good for them in this world and the next. In short, if Muslims keep themselves away from sins and worldly desires, they will always be people of honor and strength, and they will never become humiliated and weak.