| Answer: Your concerns about your moral being and cleansing
your mind of bad thoughts are commendable. I would suggest a three-fold strategy
for the purpose.
What you want to do depends upon your inner strength. You
need to nourish your will power, which you can employ to achieve whatever noble
task you want to accomplish. Being a Muslim, you should know that the purpose of
your creation is nothing but submission to God. Committing sins amounts to
denying this submission. This is what will deprive a person of the immense
reward which Allah has prepared for the purified souls. Our ultimate destination
and eternal abode is Jannah (Paradise). You should explain to yourself that you
have a great goal before you. And those who strive for nobler ideals overcome
each and every obstacle that comes their way: be great as your goal is great.
You need to convince yourself that you are a strong boy and
not someone who is as fragile as to give in to trying circumstances in no time.
Strong people fight till they achieve what they strive for or they give their
life for their objectives.
You also need to explain to yourself that your Creator
knows what you do; He also knows what notions are whispered into your heart by
Satan. He will obviously not hold you accountable for what you are not
responsible in your capacity as individual. We however must always bear in mind
that we are not allowed to dwell on and entertain these thoughts. We do not
commit sins in public because we know people are watching us and they may thus
rebuke us. We need to remember that the Lord is always with us; we should
therefore refrain from whatever is low; we should be fearful of Him in order to
avoid risking His wrath.
You should introspect and determine the reason why you
resort to sins. For pleasure? Nay! You should tell yourself that worldly
pleasures are transitory in nature as the world itself is. It is only prudent to
renounce what is transitory and illegitimate for that is what is permanent and
sublime. |