A Hadith

"I guarantee Paradise for a person who gives me guarantee concerning the organ which is between his two jaws and the organ which is between his two legs." (Sahîh Bukhari)

Explanation:

The organ which is between the two jaws that the Hadith is mentioning is the tongue and the organ which is between his two legs is the sexual organ. These are the two parts of the body that people use wrongly in general because they are difficult to control. Everything that is difficult to fight, represents a Jihaad. And the reward of Jihaad is enormous and priceless. This reward cannot be other than Jannah. It is in this way that the one who fights these two desires, deserves Jannah as reward, as informed by Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) in this Hadith. 

Sexual desire is above all as it devastates a person who succumbs to it. It is the misuse of this desire itself that is called Zina. And committing Zina is "Fana" (destruction). Due to its gravity, it is not only prohibited to commit Zina, it is also prohibited to approach Zina. Approaching Zina means to approach the things and the elements that lead to Zina. It is in this sense that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) described as Zina, the actions such as seeing, touching, speaking erotically and indecently to a stranger. Intentionally smelling the perfume that a stranger has applied or going to places where one can commit these actions, are also qualified as Zina.

A person may fall in such lowliness, either because he has an excess of desire or because he has a vice and a bad character in him or because he is too exposed to the elements that provoke these desires in him. That is why the Shari’ah advocates Nikah and above that, the Shari’ah lays a particular emphasis not to look at people of the opposite sex and to always remain far from the means or the places that can increase sexual desire or render it uncontrollable. 

Besides these three, there is a fourth reason that is harder to resist. It is when the proposal comes from a person of the opposite sex and that also, not from just anyone. It is from someone who has beauty and status. This is so difficult to resist that despite the fact that Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salam) was a Nabi, he had to declare before Allah Ta’ala:

"... والا تصرف عنى كيدهن أصب أليهن ..."

"...if You do not turn their plot away from me, I may incline towards them..." (S 12: V 33) 

In this statement, just like we get the opportunity to take note of the humility of Nabi Hazrat Yusuf (Alaihis Salam) and his connection with Allah Ta’ala, in the same way, we get the opportunity to understand a bit of the difficult moment that a person undergoes in such a situation. And this leads us to understand that no one is safe from sins, especially Zina in such situations if Allah Ta’ala does not envelop him with His special Rahmat (blessing). But the one who is always abiding to the commandments of Allah Ta’ala and seeks the help of Allah Ta’ala to keep him far from sins by strictly refraining from the means that can lead to this lowliness, Allah Ta’ala will preserve his honour by protecting him from this sin. That is why we must not only abstain from Zina but we must also refrain from approaching the means that lead to Zina. But if despite having taken all the precautions, he unexpectedly fall in such a trap and he resisted this temptation - which often drives people crazy - merely out of fear of Allah Ta’ala, then he is the greatest Mujahid. That is why, according to a Hadith of Saheeh Bukhari, Allah Ta’ala will give such a person a very privileged and special treatment by granting him a place under the shade of His throne on the day of Qiyamah.

Good news for those who lower the gaze

Lowering the gaze represents a visa for Jannah because according to a Hadith of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam), the fire of hell will not touch those eyes that have been protected from things that are prohibited to look at. Similarly, according to a Hadith Qudsi, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that Allah Ta’ala said:

"النظرة سهم مسموم من سهام ابليس من تركها من مخافتى ابدلته ايمانا يجد حلاوته فى قلبه"

"Evil gaze (towards the opposite sex) is an arrow among the arrows of Iblees. The one who abstains from it due to My fear, in return, I will give him such an Imaan that he will feel its sweetness in his heart." (At-Tabrani/ Al-Mustadrak) 

According to this Hadith, a person benefits from a type of Imaan and conviction that he can feel in the depth of himself by lowering his gaze and by resisting against temptation. In the light of this Hadith, the Ulama considered the lowering of the gaze as a guarantee and an assurance to enter Jannah because generally according to the Hadith, when Allah Ta’ala grants someone the sweetness of Imaan in his heart, He does not take it back. This means that when a person gets the sweetness of Imaan due to lowering his gaze and resisting against his desire, this Imaan continues to remain with him till his death. An Imaan that remains with a person till his last moment, is a guarantee that the person concerned will go to Jannah. Thus, based on this, the Ulama have concluded that lowering the gaze and resisting against the carnal desire is a means for a person to die with Imaan. And to die with Imaan is a condition to enter Jannah. Thus, lowering the gaze guarantees a person Jannah.

[English version of "L'assurance de Jannat" – Al Jamiat – Vol.4 No.13]