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Guarding Ones Private Parts
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi
Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) said, “The best worship of Allah is to protect ones private parts from haram (illegitimate) acts.” One person asked, “O Imam (as)! My actions are not commendable nor do I fast regularly. But I strive hard to have a halal (legitimate) livelihood.” The Imam (as) said, “There is no prayer greater than the chastity of the stomach and the private parts.”
The Prophet of Islam (S) has said, “The biggest causes of my followers going to the Hell are two empty things, the empty stomach and their private parts.”
The Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) is reported to have said to Najm, “O Najm! All Shi’as will be with us in the Heaven but imagine the predicament of those whose failings would be exposed there.” Najm asked the Imam (as), “O Imam! Will this be the condition of your Shi’as?” He said, “Yes! If he has not guarded his belly and the private parts.”
The Prophet of Islam (S) has said, “I am much worried about the following things in my followers: illegitimate earning, desire to fulfill secret carnal desires, cheating, usury and taking loans unnecessarily.”
Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) has said: If a person makes dishonest earnings and goes to perform Hajj with savings from such amount, in response to his call of Labbaik (the beck and call) the reply will be la labbaik (not at beck and call) and when he says sadaika the reply will be la sadaik, which means that none of his efforts are acceptable to Allah.
The Imam (as) said: One group received the world in a legitimate manner but they didn’t accept it and departed from the world in that state. Then another group was offered the legitimate mixed with the doubtful. They refused to accept the doubtful and contented themselves only with the legitimate. Then a third group was presented only with the illegitimate wealth that they refused to accept and went away. Mu’min draws only the bare necessities from the world. It is like a starving person consuming the meat of a dead animal to save his life.
Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) said: The illegitimate wealth grows, even then it will not bring baraka (good fortune). If this money is spent on charity, it will not bring any rewards. When one leaves behind such ill-gotten wealth, it will be the harbinger of Hell for him.
It is authoritatively narrated from Sama that he told to Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as), “O Imam! One of the retainers of Bani Omayyad has amassed huge wealth and gives large amounts in charity. He treats his kith and kin generously, goes for Hajj pilgrimage and says that he would definitely get reward for these good deeds. This, he says, because Allah has said, “no doubt good deeds obliterate evil deeds” (11:114)
The Imam (as) replied, “The man is spending other people’s wealth which is a Sinful act. How can one sin obliterate another sin? Allah says in this regard: And We shall give attention to their good deeds that they have performed in the world, and We shall scatter these good deeds into particles.” (2:23)
Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) said, “By Allah! Their deeds will be very radiant and shining, but since they didn’t abstain from ill-gotten wealth, Allah will say that their deeds would be scattered away as particles.
Abstaining from ill-gotten sustenance
It is obligatory to abstain from taboo (haram) food. Halal and pure food is the victual of the good, truthful and pious persons. Amir’ul-Mu’mineen (as) was exercising special care about his food only on account of this. The food one takes has a strong bearing on the actions and the nearness the person has with Allah. The strength of the human body is related to the animal instinct and the animal instinct is related to the blood that is a product of the food ingested. Therefore, if the food is pure and legitimate, the blood produced will result in good deeds that will be deemed as invocation to the Creator. To the contrary, if the food taken by a person is derived from ill-gotten earnings, his prayers will not be accepted by Allah.
The Prophet of Allah (S) said that any person from amongst my followers who abstained from four things will earn a place in the Heaven: 1. Avarice for the world. 2. Carnal desires. 3. Filling one’s belly with illegitimate food. 4. Lasciviousness of the private parts.
Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) has said that a person who wishes that his prayers get answered, he should strive to earn legitimately and buy his food from such earning.”
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