Guarding our chastity

If we look at various Islamic teachings through this prism of lifelong physical, moral and spiritual progress, all Islamic teachings and expectations become significant and relevant. Let us study the fundamental Islamic expectation of chastity through this prism.

A person would be deemed chaste who has clean mind and body, high integrity and self respect, modest appearance and composure, unquestionable behaviour, legitimate sexual relationships, and nothing to hide.
Chastity as a moral virtue holds a very high place in the code of Islamic laws that govern relation between sexes.
In the 24th chapter of the Quran, Allah(God) has laid down comprehensive commandments to safeguard and protect it(chastity).

Islam views even the slightest breach of these laws with extreme disapprobation.
Given the lure of unchaste behaviour and the propensity to fall for it, Allah has repeatedly admonished both men and women to guard their chastity. For example, Allah says in the Holy Quran: “Surely, men who submit themselves to God and women who submit themselves to Him, and believing men and believing women, and truthful men and truthful women, and steadfast men and steadfast women, and humble men and humble women, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their chastity and women who guard their chastity, and men who remember Allah much and women who remember Him - Allah has prepared for all of them forgiveness and a great reward.’’  (Quran 33: 36)

In this verse, Allah has grouped the distinctive features of those men and women whom He is prepared to forgive and reward. They are submissive, truthful, steadfast, humble, sacrificing and fasting believers who actively guard their chastity and continuously remember Allah. Here actively guarding chastity would imply being proactive and diligent in following Islamic teaches about chastity and modesty like separation of genders, men restraining their eyes and women covering their physical attractiveness, etc.

If chastity is a healthy virtue, then unchaste behaviour is a cancerous vice. And, this disease is better prevented than cured. The Islamic principle of preventing unchaste behaviour is to avoid the activities and company that may lead to unchaste tendencies. Admonishing us to avoid any path that may lead us astray, Allah says:
La tattabeóo khutuwaatish-shataan’, ‘that is, follow not the footsteps of satan.

Here, the footsteps of satan are all those activities and temptations that may take us away from Allah. As satan calls us to follow him, he does not expose the ultimate destruction he is leading to; rather he entices us to only take one baby step at a time. These baby steps seem so benign and inconsequential that we take them mindlessly without much concern.

Once we take a few steps on that slippery slope, satan’s job is done and we keep sliding down on our own. So, we have to be watchful to not even take the first step. Thus, it is necessary to be deliberate in our lifestyle and keep a keen eye on the long term consequences of our choices rather than be dazzled by their instant pleasure or be swayed by the vain trends around us.

Modern society and technology offer many conveniences but they also entice the weak and the vulnerable to easily fall for bad company and risky temptations. They can pull the careless to uncharted waters. Therefore, to guard our chastity, we need to evaluate these conveniences carefully, avail them responsibly, and protect our youth from their risks.
Chastity also comprehends a semblance of truthfulness and trustworthiness. Reflect upon your obligations to fellow human beings. The first and foremost in this category is your spouse, present spouse if you are married or future spouse if you are single. How can you be truthful and trustworthy to your spouse if you are not chaste? Your chastity is the best gift you can give to your spouse. 

Now take this mindset further and apply it to your obligations to Allah. How can you be truthful and trustworthy to Allah if you are not truthful and trustworthy to your spouse? How can you be pure and sincere in your worship and remembrance of God if you are not chaste?
To be successful in achieving an objective we not only need to take the necessary steps, we must also take sufficient steps. So, while avoiding the satanic footsteps is necessary to be chaste, we need to explore the path that leads to self-purification.
 Healthier
So, we need to replace our mundane and superficial pass-time activities with something more sublime and substantive. If no such alternatives are readily available then we need to be creative and lead others in developing healthier activities.
In short, any healthy and constructive effort that can replace some risky and wasteful activity will go a long way to guard our chastity. Sure it will not be easy and it will not happen overnight. It will be like trying a new food and then developing a taste for it.

So, we all must strive hard and trust that God will show us the way. While believing men and believing women are equally responsible for guarding their chastity, according to the Quran, men are guardians over women (Quran 4:35) men have the added responsibility to be guardians over their family’s chastity. They need to lead by example and set the tone for chaste and virtuous behaviour in their families.

In summary, we must understand the importance of chastity in light of the overall objective and philosophy of Islamic teachings and be proactive in guarding our chastity by avoiding those satanic footsteps and adopting the ways of the righteous.

Remember, that person would be deemed chaste who has clean mind and body, high integrity and self respect, modest appearance and composure, unquestionable behaviour, legitimate sexual relationship and nothing to hide. Knowing the grave consequences of unchaste behaviour, let us shun all risky temptations like poison and win the pleasure of God by purifying ourselves. May God enable us to recognise and fulfil our roles as fathers, mothers, husbands ,wives, children and as sincere righteous citizens of a nation. Amen.  

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