Episode 4

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah. Brothers and sisters, today we are meeting with the fourth commandment of our Lord, glorified and exalted be He, in Surah Al-An'am. What is this commandment? He said: ((And do not approach immorality - what is apparent of it and what is concealed)). Immorality refers to sins, especially major ones. Here we have two stops. The first is that Allah, glorified and exalted be He, did not say, 'Do not commit immorality.' Rather, He said: ((And do not approach immorality)). In this, there is a prohibition of everything that brings one close to committing major sins or removes the barriers between you and them. The forbidden glance is an approach to immorality. Seclusion of a man with a woman is an approach to immorality, and following songs that stir desires is an approach to immorality. Whoever does any of these has disobeyed Allah's commandment and fallen into sin. The second stop is with the meaning of the concealed immorality in His saying, glorified and exalted be He: ((And do not approach immorality - what is apparent of it and what is concealed)). Many interpreters have explained it as the major sins that are committed in secret. This is a correct meaning. However, there is a subtle and important meaning mentioned by some. It is that the concealed immorality includes the deeds of the heart. Hypocrisy is a concealed immorality. If you give charity with the intention that people will praise you, if you participate in a da'wah material on the internet, for example, not for the sake of Allah, glorified and exalted be He, but for the praise of people, then you have fallen into a concealed immorality. Among the concealed immoralities is hatred of what Allah has revealed, hatred of something from the rulings of Allah or a ritual of Islam. Among the concealed immoralities is displeasure with the decrees of Allah, glorified and exalted be He, and dissatisfaction with them. Among the concealed immoralities is arrogance. And notice, brothers, that the concealed immoralities are sometimes more sinful than the apparent ones. Have you not seen the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: ((No one will enter Paradise who has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart))?

If we know the meaning of ((And do not approach immorality - what is apparent of it and what is concealed)), we understand what the scholars meant by guarding the inner self. Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his explanation of the name of Allah Al-Raqiib: (When the servant knows that his apparent and concealed movements are encompassed by Allah's knowledge, and he keeps this knowledge in all his conditions, it is obligatory upon him to guard his inner self from every thought and whim that Allah hates). Therefore, when you are afflicted with something, for example, and feel displeasure with the decree, you must monitor these thoughts, track them, resist them, and seek forgiveness from Allah for them because they are a forbidden concealed immorality. Repent from them as you repent from apparent immorality, equally. And if your intention is sincere, Allah will help you with that and accept your repentance. This topic, brothers, guarding the inner self from concealed immoralities, is of the utmost importance because its possessor may appear pious and be pointed out for righteousness and asceticism, and people may praise him. Indeed, he may be considered pious in his own eyes because he has avoided what many fall into of apparent immoralities, while he falls into concealed immoralities such as the love of appearing or dissatisfaction with the decree or hatred of something from the rulings of Allah, glorified and exalted be He. We ask Allah to help us guard our inner selves and purify us from apparent and concealed sin. And let us remember the commandment of our Lord to us: ((And do not approach immorality - what is apparent of it and what is concealed)) Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.