23 replies to this topic

[yukapuka]

Bismillah

Selam

I read from many of the brothers in the brothers forum as well as others subdirectories of shiachat.org that a lot of young(and older married)men suffer with the problem of controlling the lust of sexual desires(and others) which tends to lead to masturbation(for the non married) or for adultery haram acts(for the married)

Now i am talking from experience here and i hope you take my advice sincerely as i have sincerely tried to convey to you and show respect towards what i am about to say for i speak with good intention to my brothers sufferings from the the evil of these effects and tests  

Firstly lust is a strong desire in men, and it can feel so overwhelming that it feels like nothing in this world can stop you from falling into sin, no matter how much Quran you read, how much nasheed you listen to, and sometimes how much even you cry and pray to God for help, that no matter what you do the lust returns back to you and makes feel like it completely weighs you down and overwhelms on you as if the world is on your back when you are faced and affected by it

Sometimes the sisters don't understand what it is like to be a man growing up, with all of your healthy natural testosterone juices flowing in order that you may grow into a healthy strong young man to fulfil your service and purpose in reality of dunya, and they cannot empathize with the hardship of the trial of lust that gets imposed upon us  

These feelings(strong feelings) of lust come at you at all angles and at all times that sometimes even when you are not thinking or doing anything particular which might cause and arouse these feelings within you or have any kind of logical revere or inference within your imagination that lead to these ideas coming up and about within yourself.
Do not fear, and do not panic or be afraid or think that God has abandoned you to fail in this life and to fall into sin for there is an answer to this problem we face.

The easiest option and the option recommended highly by the prophet and imams(pbut) is to get married no doubt and to satisfy this requirement of the human body is the most ideal and simplest and best solution to the problem. However unfortunately in this day and age due to social standards and our own prejudice and understanding, and even sometimes arrogance and inclinations we have accumulated , as well as our extremely high standards(due to media and all of its insistent evil they portray)  we make up all kinds of excuses as to why we dont want to get married(or why we dont accept any humble sisters that may come our way by God's will) furthermore society which we are influenced by greatly in addition to our bigotry and indoctrination that the western media plays a major part, leads to our excuses upon excuses not to find ourselves a wife, or a wife to find us. So we are greatly to blame for this mishap we have allowed ourselves to fall into and thus suffer the consequences.

now to the point of my post, fear not, there is a solution to your problem...............

Turns out your problem has come as a blessing in disguise and as a an guidance from God almighty most gracious most merciful calling you to him via the medium of your own self

But you must know and realize very important point before you decide to face it or to attempt to grasp the solution and succeed in it inshallah

with change and with resistance there is always causalities, and the reality is that there is no pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow, nor is the grass greener on the other side, because the reality of life and situation we are in is that we are NOT in heaven yet(inshallah we make it there), and that this life IS meant to be hard, this life IS going to put you through trials, tests, and tribulations to the point that you will be broken and traumatized and scarred and scared all the way unto judgement day where you will finally reach ultimate and permanent relief, for this life is and will and must be hard in order for you to be successful and enter the pure gardens of bliss

i quote this verse of the Quran to warn you before you progress further because for those of us living in the west, we seem to have forgotten the basis of our principals of religion and the purpose of our life here in dunya

2:214  

Yusuf Ali:

Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Apostle and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of God?" Ah! Verily, the help of God is (always) near!

Zohurul Hoque:

Or do you reckon that you will enter the Garden, until there has come to you the like of that upon those who preceded you? Distress and affliction befell them, and they were shaken, ultimately the Rasul and those who have believed with him said: "When the help of Allah?" Is it not that the help of Allah is near?

T. J. Irving:

Or did you reckon you will enter the Garden when the same thing never happened to you such as [happened] to those who have passed away before you? Suffering and hardship assailed them, and they were battered about until the Messenger and those who believed along with him said: "When is God's support [due]? Is not God's support near?"

T.U. Hilali-M. Khan:

Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When (will come) the Help of Allâh?" Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allâh is near!.

M. Pickthall:

Or think ye that ye will enter paradise while yet there hath not come unto you the like of (that which came to) those who passed away before you ? Affliction and adversity befell them, they were shaken as with earthquake, till the messenger (of Allah) and those who believed along with him said: When cometh Allah's help ? Now surely Allah's help is nigh.

M.H. Shakir:

Or do you think that you would enter the garden while yet the state of those who have passed away before you has not come upon you; distress and affliction befell them and they were shaken violently, so that the Apostle and those who believed with him said: When will the help of Allah come? Now surely the help of Allah is nigh!

Now as you can see this test you face you face with reason and with purpose and i hope it clears up the question as to why this is happening to you, for the problem cannot be addressed until the problem is identified and understood, and i hope this verse has identified and manifested to you the reason as to why you face it

it is not there to send you astray, nor is it there to make your life eternally miserable, nor are you punished, nor are you hated by God, or despised and turned away, for the fact that you are facing the difficulty is proof in it self that God is calling you to himself, and God is calling you to be free and successful to receive the ultimate gift which is pure pleasure of heaven

Now as i have stated earlier above that the best way to deal with this problem is marriage, however if you are the rouge sole adventurer full of strength and vigour, and a striving for the best rewards of God then you are going in the right direction, your natural rejection for the lower pleasures of life for something far greater and better and something which is so pleasurable that it is undeniable and inconceivable and irresistible, as well as the complete success in this world and in the next, then you have come to the right place seeking ultimate victory in life of dunya as well as akhira, for the rewards are both earthly as well as heavenly in its success, and the pleasure you will receive can never be matched by anything this short life can offer, no matter how amplified and intense it may come an in what degree of potency

Your first natural and beautiful guidance from God is that natural tendency within you seeking to eliminate and destroy this self inclination to cause you to sin and be inclined towards the short lived and pathetic pleasures of this pathetic life, so you rejected marriage, and you rejected satisfying the low desire within yourself and you wanted to do all in your power to eliminate it and go for something far greater and beautiful that the eye cannot perceive, the heart cannot understand, and the imagination cannot imagine, you want permanent ultimate pleasure which Allah rewards those who attain this self elimination of the nafs, so here it is i give it to you just as it was given to me, and i alas i call you to come to this banquet of ultimate beauty and pleasure which is with God that can be attained here in this  life, and ultimate power bestowed upon its practiser

So eliminate this nafs, and do it for it can be attained, and the doors of the next world will open to you, and true and beautiful guidance will come, and real and ultimate knowledge will burst from your heart, and beautiful and ultimate pleasure will be given as a reward

all you have to do is what the Holy Quran instructed us to do, and it start with one key number 40

40 is the first step in eliminating the habit of the human being, any habit in this life you have developed no matter whether it is religion related or life related can be eliminated by abstaining from this  practise for forty days, in fact even good deeds which are not practised for forty daya get eliminated from you, and you no longer possess their benefits or blessings if you do not practise them, but that is for another discussion

now the aspect of forty is a very important number for the human being, for by practising it, you will have overcome and eliminated anything which might have clinged onto your heart, mind, or body

so with the intention of dealing with the issue originally addressed, i speak on how to deal with the issue which is the first step in a greater call of God to you

so you are faced with the difficult of lust(regardless whether it be man or women) and you want to eliminate this feeling

the simple and easy solution to do so is as simple as this one line i am about to write(and you read in the next sentence)

for 40 days fast, and during this time, do not do any exercise, or eat at night more then a slice of bread, or a spoonful of rice as well as 3 dates and a glass of water(in normal circumstances in circumstances such as you are a labourer contact me for some advice as to how you can aim to fast from food while having to endure a hard job which involves physical work)

so for forty days do as i have instructed above, and you will see how your desires will slowly dissipate to nothing and eventually completely disappear. For some it might take a little longer, but the stages should normally be 3 days, then 7 days, then 14 days and finally 40 days which your desires will slowly slowly weaken and eventually disappear

now the great part to all of this is that as your desires disappear(with others arising and also eventually disappearing for as long as you do not answer them) you will eventually become and open up yourself witnessing yourself to yourself(now i know this sounds strange but once experienced it will be easy to understand) and God will begin to reveal to you who you really are

the eyes and ears of the akhira and barzakh will open inside you and you will begin to witness the stages  which at this point will not need be mentioned but definitely promised to you to be a witness of them

how much is revealed to you depends on your spirituality and also depends on how much of the other shiaria is practised and other sins abstained from

what i much more beautiful is that you mind and body will become to be purified

your sense will become sharpened and your intellect will become vigorous and pertinent as time goes by and you will unlock the genius within you

now to mention the details of all of these after effects has no reason and is not purposeful or helpful at this time

so to reiterate, your intention is to purify yourself from lust, and your goal will be absolutely unimaginable and grand when you reach it, it will unlock all kinds of potentialities and you will reach ultimate perfection and freedom, and will reach the stages off mumineen, muslim, and mujahid, and eventually sehid

but bear in mind you will first have t go through the stages of hypocracy, and polytheism , and even kufr, for until we fully purify ourselves, the reality of us is not that which we think, and there are many veils of disbelief caught up in our hearts that we are completely unaware of, and only until and when we attempt to eliminate them, will we enter perfection and true belief and faith in Allah inshallah

so good and luck and may Allah have mercy on us all and may you be successful inshallah

[diracdeltafunc]

Thank you very much for such an informative topic brother. For those who dont have much time, my summary of the above (plz point out if i have missed something) is :

1)Get married

If not
2) Fast for 40 days continuously
3)Eat very little food
4)Avoid tasty foods and those that fill you up too much


My only question is brother, at the beginning of the post you say that your talking from experience. Have you yourself tried and tested the above? Did you fast for 40 days in a row?

Thanks.

[yukapuka]

yes indeed and thank you for the summary ,  i dont want to boast for Allah gives to his slaves everything and Allah makes easy that which is hard, and Allah gives everything that is good, it is not possible to come from us, anyway that been said God has given me the tawfik to fast for a long period of time but the initial period is that which is most important, that forty day

just for some words of encouragement in the Quran prophets are mentioned on going on this 40 days spiritual trip, i.e Musa(a.s) and Isa(a.s) etc

also to reiterate on the food again

eat almost no food if you can, as i explained a few spoonfulls at most of rice(i.e 2-3 spoonfulls) or one slice of bread so that you are always feeling hunger as well as three dates and one glass off waterr at most when you break your fast and start your fast

the idea is that you must feel hunger, until hunger become enjoyable(after 40 days)

[yukapuka]

also bear in mind that if you achieve this step it is not the end of all evil, you have merely taken one step and the next challenges await you, and the challenges don't get easier as you progress, they become more heavier and burdensome then the previous ones in order that you become more stronger in faith and reach perfection

so again remember that there is no pot at the end of the rainbow, and sanctuary only exists in death(if you are successful) otherwise it continues in death until the day of judgement, and even then there is no assurance that you have succeed until you get the absolute confirmation that you have been successful which could be in this world or in purgatory, or on the day of judgement

inshallah we succeed

[AspiringToBeShia]

This is an interesting discussion. Although I think (at least for myself) the problem is not that guys want to get married. In fact, some of us in the age range of 18-20 WOULD like to get married. The problem often is the parents who insist that we wait until we have finished university of have some great job. What rubbish...

And of course its not like you can tell your parent: "Oh hey mom and dad if I don't get married, I will fall into sin and start finding other ways of satisfying myself"

[FirstofficerSam]

Salams
Brothers trust me , I am in the aviation industry , I work with flight attendants with cale faces and tight clothing BUT i never fall for it , because marrying a woman according to the 4 things the prophet said you should look for in her her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion. But remember brothers make sure shes the most beautiful and you truly love her that way you'll never turn your back on her or get bored.

[Shia_Debater]

FirstofficerSam, on 02 July 2012 - 07:13 PM, said:

Salams
Brothers trust me , I am in the aviation industry , I work with flight attendants with cale faces and tight clothing BUT i never fall for it , because marrying a woman according to the 4 things the prophet said you should look for in her her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion. But remember brothers make sure shes the most beautiful and you truly love her that way you'll never turn your back on her or get bored.

Where did the Prophet say that?

[madzi]

@syedsanna

S/A sister.

I read this thread a while ago and decided not to reply seeing as I found nobody really all that interested. However, I feel a duty to reply now.

Sister, I should bring to your attention that the method mentioned in this thread is extremely spiritually dangerous. The main problem with it is the fact that it neglects one of the most important principles set forth by the Imams (a.s) which is: leading a balanced life, NOT confining oneself to the primordial monasterial "cave", and NOT making what AIIah has made halaal haram on oneself.

You see, it has been proven time and time again throughout history that human beings are very capable creatures and by going through or putting themselves through a difficult experience, they unlock certain capabilities that they were not aware of prior to that. An example is the yogis of India. By putting themselves through suffering (food deprivation, isolation, even pulling out all the hairs of the body etc) they are able to reach certain realizations that also give them some capabilities. However, such states are extremely spiritually dangerous for the reason that one may begin to feel a sense of being connected to the Divine but may be deluded in that belief, tricked by shaitan. The quran states that one of the methods used by shaitan to trick humans is making their ugly actions beautiful to them. One begins to feel like they are enlightened, very holy, but may in fact be an inch from jahannam. There is a story narrated in the book "Elixir of Love" which is the life story of the Shaykh Esfahani - one of the people that succesfully reached true spiritual guidance. The story goes as: one day the shaykh came across a person who had given himself many many years of suffering (an ascetic person). The shaykh looked at him pitifully and asked him what benefit he had seen from all his years of suffering. The man picked up a rock from the ground and when he handed it to the shaykh, the shaykh saw that it had turned into an apple. Then the shaykh asked him "Did you do that for the sake of God or for your own sake?". In other words, in trying to reach enlightenment, the person had pursued a path of suffering. Along the way he had managed to attain some powers one of which was the ability to turn objects into other objects. However, having attained that, the person had become self-pleased and made his own self his god, and in doing so, become a kafir. There are also a few other stories of this same type in that same book and I would definately recommend you read it.

For this reason, there is a famous poem in the Persian language that says "Do not go that path (of reaching enlightenment) except with the guidance of Khizr (a.s)". Without the direct supervision of a guided person who can see the spiritual realm, one must keep away from that path. Its ways are confusing and dark. It is extremely difficult to discern between inspiration and satanic whispers. That world is so sensitive and so complex that the slightest deviation may easily lead one to kufr. Only a truly guided supervisor who can see and hear the spiritual world can see exactly what is going on within the person they are supervising and tell whether they are being led to guidance or tricked into kufr by shaitan.

One does not have to look very far to see how it is possible to get lost. With absolutely all due respect to our kind brother yukapuka, look at the result of his path: he has killed a desire in himself which is not only natural, it is absolutely key to reaching true guidance. Which of the Ma'sumeen (a.s) kept away from lust and sex? Nay, even further, have we not heard the Prophet (saww) having gotten extremely angry at the men who had left their wives and children and refused to eat good food? It goes as follows:

Quote

In another incident, three women came to the Prophet and complained that their husbands were abstaining from meat, perfume and intimate relations with their wives. The Prophet quickly came to the mosque, went on the pulpit and said, "What has happened to some of my companions that they do not eat meat, they do not use perfume and they do not go to their women?! Whereas I eat meat, use perfume and go to my wives. Therefore whosoever dislikes my tradition, then he is not from me. (Wasa'il, Vol. 14, p.4)

Source: http://www.al-islam....orals/chap2.htm

Here is another more eye-opening story involving Amirul Mo'mineen (a.s.):

Quote

In a story which is narrated in Nahj al-Balaghah, Imam ‘Ali had gone to pay a visit to ‘Ala’ Ibn Ziyad. He had a discussion with Asim Ibn Ziyad. In this story monasticism is distinctively rejected. The story goes like this:

When Imam saw the huge mansion of ‘Ala’, he asked him: What is the use of this huge house here when you will need it in the Hereafter? If you want to have a big house like this in the other world, you have got to have guests here, meet your relatives and pay people what you owe them. In this case you will have a big house in the next world. Then ‘Ala’ said: “I would like to complain about my brother Asim”.

Imam asked: What is wrong with him? He answered: He wraps up a gown around himself and has said farewell to the world. The Imam ordered him to be brought to him. Imam ‘Ali told him: “Satan has misled you. Do you not have mercy on your family? Do you think that God would dislike you to use the good things He has made permissible for you? You are too insignificant before God for that!”

Source: Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 209.

Actually, read this whole article: http://www.al-islam.....htm#_ftnref237

Therefore, dear sister and other brothers (included respected brother yukapuka), the method described in the OP cannot possibly lead one to a true place of guidance. If one reaches what they feel is enlightenment but in this process have made haram what AIIah made halaal (and this includes halaal sex and good food (which in those days was meat)), they should be sure that they have been deceived by shaitan.

So, finally, brother yukapuka, I didn't want to reply but now I have. As your brother in faith and religion, as one who has personally spent many years travelling a variety of spiritual ways and paths, I understand fully that you like the feeling of enlightenment that you have really worked very hard for, however I very kindly would like to advise you that the feeling you are feeling is not true enlightenment. It may feel like it, but in our religion we have been oft-advised to stay away from judging with our feelings and rather use our intellect together with quran and hadith to judge. Because using the feelings to judge also has led to many Hindu and Jewish and Christian and Bhudhist ascetics to absolutely feel like they have reached a position of beauty and enlightenment, but we all here know that they are very far astray indeed (although brother I'm not equating you, a distinguished and respectable Shia, with them. You and all Shia are in a distinguished place in the eyes of AIIah by virtue of being Shia). And what does hadith also say:

Quote

Umar bin Zayd quotes Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq that, "I do not think that a person's faith can increase positively unless his love for women has increased." (Wasa'il, Vol. 14, p.9)
The same Imam said, "Whenever a person's love for women increases, his faith increases in quality." (Wasa'il, Vol. 14, p.11)
He also said, "Whosoever's love for us increases, his love for women must also increase." (Wasa'il, Vol. 14, p.11)

Based on this hadith: you feel your faith has increased, but has your love for women increased as well? If not, then Imam Sadiq (a.s) has assured you that that is not true faith. I would advise you as a humble fellow wayfarer who is searching for the truth, to get married, force yourself back to a position of liking halaal women and sex for the sake of AIIah.

Personally, I have abandoned any direct wayfaring or irfan-like tendencies or aspirations. I pursued it and found myself getting lost in a dark ocean. At this point, I have decided that the right thing to do is to pursue a middle balanced path which is to simply stay away from haram as much as I can, and pursue halaal, and strive for a simple purification of my self at the level I am capable. And then, I await the guidance of my Lord inshaIIah.

May AIIah bless you all and keep us all on the right path. If I have offended or upset anyone please forgive me.

Madzi

[syedasanna]

@madzi
Thank you Brother, I decided not to take that route anyhow. I suppose when it comes to increasing Taqwa you have to take small steps along with gaining essential knowledge- and judging based upon intellect and not emotions  as well as acting actually upon it and this takes alot of time -and if you really want to become significantly religious your right it should be done under a spiritual teacher. Also its the little things that can also make a huge difference praying upon time, reading Duas, gaining knowledge of Fiqh, helping others ect I could go on.
Thank you and I wish you all the best. Jazakmulllah
I too apologize if I have offended anyone in anyway it was not my intention to do so.
Kind Regards
FiAmanillah

[Husnain haider abbas]

In shortt,it is haram????????.i would like all of u to plz admire whats the truth is....................Look u people said about fast ok if a man do it for 40 days and does not eat so much tasty food.then why he is born :@surely the man is born to first make Allah happy and then make him self happy.if a man could not eat food because of any reason then why did Allah give it to us?Surely ur solution is not the best.And u said to not to eat the tasty and healthy food to avoid masturbation that if u will not eat much then the sexual feelings coming into ur mind bcz of over power in ur body will not come.then its the same thing :@.u deducted the energy by not eating the halal and tasty food to avoid masturbation. bcz masturbation cause lost of important energy.its like that let me explain
1>If a man masturbates then this will happen=he eats 100 apples after masturbation he lost 80 apples energy.(20 apples energy left)
2>If a man takes a fast to avoid masturbation this will be like=a man eat 20 apples to avoid masturbation.(20 apples energy in body)
1=2 :@?
whats the difference:@?
The truth is that the stupid parents of this society and this world should have to realize that the society in which we r living is so much bold tv,internet,mobile phones slang language these things are making kids mature before age.An 14 year old american girl was found who was mature.Thats the truth.
The only way to avoid masturbation is early marriages . Because sex is not a luxury it is a human need.

[Liggel]

Quote

Which of the Ma'sumeen (a.s) kept away from lust and sex? Nay, even further, have we not heard the Prophet (saww) having gotten extremely angry at the men who had left their wives and children and refused to eat good food?

I believe you have quite misunderstood the OP. His entire article is about people who cannot find means to get married and must control their sexual urges till Allah blesses them with marriage. Whereas you are highlighting incidents about people who were married but then chose to abandon their wives. There is a big difference.

Fasting is something that is advised by the Prophet(s) for those who cannot get married. So why should anyone have an objection to it? There is also nothing wrong in eating less food. Most of our Imams(as) ate very little. In fact, many of our great shia scholars eat the simplest food and consume meat in moderation only. This is a virtue, not an extremist pathway. I believe a saying from Imam Ali(as) perhaps also refers to a link between meat and sexual desire

As for performing actions to reach very high spiritual levels, it is all based on the intention. If the niyyat is to gain Allah's pleasure (and not to gain supernatural abilities), then it is a great act of worship. When a person becomes more and more spiritual, Allah may gift him with extra-ordinary powers. But a truly spiritual person would not derive any personal benefit or himself feel mesmerized by these powers.

In short, I agree with the OP. Just to add...."Killing" sexual desire before marriage through fasting and eating little doesnt mean that the person develops an aversion to sex. It implies that Allah has made it so easy for him that lack of sex does not frustrate him in any way. However, when halal sex will become available, the person will accept it readily and consider it a blessing of Allah. The Quran itself says that Allah does not mean to burden us in any way, rather He wishes to make us pure. So if the desire is killed, then there will neither be any sin nor any mental frustration...until marriage becomes possible.

Quote

The only way to avoid masturbation is early marriages . Because sex is not a luxury it is a human need.

If early marriage is the ONLY way to avoid masturbation, then Allah should not punish anyone for masturbating if that person is unable to get married early. By your logic, masturbation should be halal for any man who could not get married early. But the fact is that early marriage in ONE way and not the ONLY way to avoid masturbation, because Allah has said that...
"And let those who do not find the means to marry keep chaste until Allah makes them free from want out of His grace..."(24:33)

Edited by Liggel, 04 November 2012 - 06:13 AM.

[madzi]

@Liggel
S/A brother

Liggel, on 04 November 2012 - 05:59 AM, said:

I believe you have quite misunderstood the OP.

I am quite sure I have understood his post in a broad sense with extra information and the final outcome of his method taken from his other posts, and having put together all of that information (and not just this post), I said what I said. In addition, I said what I said having some knowledge and experience on the topic of spiritual wayfaring.

Liggel, on 04 November 2012 - 05:59 AM, said:

His entire article is about people who cannot find means to get married and must control their sexual urges till Allah blesses them with marriage. Whereas you are highlighting incidents about people who were married but then chose to abandon their wives. There is a big difference.

No. I was not comparing the two things. Yes, indeed one must control their sexual urges. I too posted on this issue and put forth a method of controlling the sexual urges: http://www.shiachat....t-freed-of-it/. Absolutely, fasting has been prescribed and is doubtlessly a very good solution. My problem with the OP's information is encouraging brothers to go above and beyond fasting to out-right starvation. What I am specifically referring to is the OP's encouragement of brothers to starve themselves to the point of "going blind" and becoming "extremely weak", of cotinuing to starve onself after sunset, something that has been practiced by many ascetics from various religions to reach so-called and self-believed "enlightenment", but actual deviation from anything like truth. This is where the brother encourages this extremely risky behaviour: http://www.shiachat..../#entry2136635. Risky, not only physically, but especially spiritually.

The Prophet (saww) instructed the youth to fast for fasting weakens the desires. The brother has gone seven steps ahead, encouraging brothers to continue to starve themselves well after sunset. I quote the brother "do not... ....eat at night more then a slice of bread, or a spoonful of rice as well as 3 dates and a glass of water". Was this in the hadith from the Prophet? "Fast and do not eat more than a slice of bread or spoonful of rice?" No. This is an addition from the brother's own desires and incomplete knowledge. In another post, which I can't seem to locate, the brother has encouraged staying away from any types of sweet tasting foods and meat. Was this what the Prophet encouraged? Or did the Prophet say "I eat meat, and I go to my women"? Read my post again and read how Imam Ali (a.s) treated those who, without any spiritual guidance or knowledge, tried to imitate his ways. He treated them with extreme anger. Why? Because that path is a very dangerous one. I have detailed why it is dangerous in my post. No need to repeat.

And when I spoke about the treatment of Imam Ali (a.s) and the Prophet (saww) of the married people who abandoned their wives, I was responding to other shocking posts by the same brother that detail the complete deviation from normalcy by taking this so-called "pure path", over here: http://www.shiachat..../#entry2434265. The brother, in trying to take a spiritual path, has ended up in a position that he hates sex in its entirety, halaal and haraam both. He says that there have been attempt(s) at getting him married but he just can't stand it. "I see sex as failure" and "I am disgusted with women". This is complete deviation from lslamic principles towards monasticism and monkery, something which was banned in lslam. I was trying to highight the fact that the outcome of using this method clearly demonstrates that the brother has been misled and that the method is impure.

In light of this, do you still defend the brother's idea when you come to know that his idea has caused him to hate something about which the Prophet (saww) said "so whoever does not like marriage, then he is NOT FROM ME"? The brother says the opposite: "i could live alone till the day that i die". No brother, I have no problem with fasting to weaken desires. I have a problem with all the extra ideas that the brother has added from his own nafs to the principle of fasting over and above what the Prophet said. I have a major problem with not striving towards a balanced path, a path of moderation. I have detailed the importance of seeking a balanced path and a life of moderation according to Shi'i principles in my post. I have a major problem with going away from balance towards self-deprivation of halaal. Towards making what is halaal into haraam and making what is mustahhab into makruh.

Liggel, on 04 November 2012 - 05:59 AM, said:

As for performing actions to reach very high spiritual levels, it is all based on the intention. If the niyyat is to gain Allah's pleasure (and not to gain supernatural abilities), then it is a great act of worship. When a person becomes more and more spiritual, Allah may gift him with extra-ordinary powers. But a truly spiritual person would not derive any personal benefit or himself feel mesmerized by these powers.

My dear brother, I respectfully ask you: did you really even read my post? Did you not read the parts where I talked about the dangers of going that path without a spiritual guide? I also ask you: are you sure of what you are speaking? Do you have knowledge about it? Yes, a pure niyyat is very important. It is the basis of goodness and salvation, but only the basis. The method needs to be pure. And the method needs to be guided, because Shaitan (la) always stands in the path of spiritual wayfarers and deviates the pure path towards a misguided one that appears to be beautiful. I explained all of this in my post. Don't doubt for a second that the niyyat of some Budhist monks and Hindu ascetics is pure. But the method is misguided and evil. And the outcome for them is a life of deprivation and suffering, a feeling of seeming connection to a divine with many "gifts" and "powers" very similar to those that the brother is tempting the people with, but an after-life of fire and hell. A pure niyyat alone is not enough.

Being awarded "gifts" from self-deprivation is a terrible measure of spiritual accomplishment and closeness to Allah. I have explained all of this in my post. Please take some time to read it more carefully.

Liggel, on 04 November 2012 - 05:59 AM, said:

In short, I agree with the OP. Just to add...."Killing" sexual desire before marriage through fasting and eating little doesnt mean that the person develops an aversion to sex. It implies that Allah has made it so easy for him that lack of sex does not frustrate him in any way. However, when halal sex will become available, the person will accept it readily and consider it a blessing of Allah. The Quran itself says that Allah does not mean to burden us in any way, rather He wishes to make us pure. So if the desire is killed, then there will neither be any sin nor any mental frustration...until marriage becomes possible.

Great. You have the right to an opinion and you will be judged upon that opinion in the after-life. We will all be. But be careful my brother. As soon as you voice your opinion and you become the source of fitna (confusion) and/or deviation of other brothers and sisters, which has actually happened here, then you become responsible for that fitna and/or deviation. With absolute respect, and not trying to be offensive, I don't believe you have an iota of knowledge in this regard, neither an iota of experience. You are agreeing with something without having researched it. You are agreeing with something only and strictly based upon opinions and a single verse of the Qur'an, without taking into account many other verses as well as a multitude of Hadiths, books, and teaching of spiritual masters on the issue. You are making something that is as deep as an ocean and as complex as a universe (spiritual wayfaring) appear as simple as simply starving oneself.

My word to everyone who reads these posts: do not be fooled by lures of power and "gifts" and seeming closeness to Allah by taking the path of self-deprivation. Don't rush into anything spiritual without having full knowledge about it. Gain knowledge. That is what I am saying. Gain knowledge. There have been many people of many religions that have taken that path and reached what seems like holiness but is actually jahannam, because their methods were impure, and because they didn't follow true knowledge but followed their own opinions, those of others, and their own desires.  A very good example is Bal'am Ba'ur at the time of Prophet Musa (a.s). He reached the station of knowing the 'ism a'zam of AIIah, but ended up in jahannam because he was deviated from the path.

If only super-natural powers are what is being seeked, then depriving yourself of pleasures will give you those. You will gain powers. You will be able to work wonders. But you will probably not be going towards your Lord. Because it is not the sunna of the Prophet (saww) and the Imams (a.s) to take anything that is not a balanced path. You will be going towards self-worship. That path is a dangerous one, a very dark one, with many pit-falls and the potential to become extremely deviated by Shaitain (la) is great.

If you are truly interested in taking that path and reaching true enlightenment, then find yourself a guided spiritual teacher who has traversed the path (himself under the guidance of a teacher) and reached truth. This, itself, is an extremely hard task. I have spoken about this in my post. Without a teacher and a correct method to go with your pure niyyat, you will end up like brother yukapuka, hating the sunna of the Prophet (saww) -- marriage and meat -- and fooled into thinking you have reached the highest of the highest spiritual stations. You will end up being "disgusted with women" and "disgusted with sex", but know that the people of highest spiritual stations -- the Ahlul Bait -- never hated women and they never stayed away from sex. A truly high spiritual station leads one to the increased love of women.

Do not be fooled like the people of Imam Ali(a.s) were fooled when the Qur'ans were lifted on the spears. I am absolutely not comparing anyone here to the people there. But what can come of this information is similar to what happened there: It appears as if the information is pure and holy and based on the Qur'an, but it is impure and dangerous and unless you have knowledge, you risk being fooled. Don't jump into trying any spiritual methods. Read up. Gain sufficient knowledge and go into something like this with knowledge. Not just upon the experiences and opinions of someone on a forum.

My word to you and brother yukapuka, with the utmost respect, and with the utmost Shia love, is: I humbly advise you to refrain from speaking unless you have true knowledge on this issue. True knowledge, not from your own experiences, opinions and desires, but from connection to the true source of knowledge - the Ahlul Bait - and through those that are connected to them - spiritual teachers. And if I am guilty of doing the same, point it out to me. I don't believe I have voiced a single opinion here without backing from Hadith of the true source of knowledge.

I hope I have not upset you or anyone. My intention is NOT to beat anyone down, it is to invite people to realize the sensitivity of this topic and towards gaining more knowledge about it. That is all. Forgive me if I have upset you. I have love for all Shias. They are the chosen of AIIah. One Shia is better than a horizon full of non-Shia according to the Imams(a.s). If I didn't love my Shia brothers and sisters, be sure that I would have kept silent on this issue.

Summary: Gain knowledge, Gain knowledge, Gain knowledge, Gain knowledge, Gain knowledge, Gain knowledge...

Regards,
Madzi

[MAFHHM]

yukapuka, on 18 June 2012 - 10:07 AM, said:

Bismillah

Selam

now the great part to all of this is that as your desires disappear(with others arising and also eventually disappearing for as long as you do not answer them) you will eventually become and open up yourself witnessing yourself to yourself(now i know this sounds strange but once experienced it will be easy to understand) and God will begin to reveal to you who you really are

the eyes and ears of the akhira and barzakh will open inside you and you will begin to witness the stages  which at this point will not need be mentioned but definitely promised to you to be a witness of them

how much is revealed to you depends on your spirituality and also depends on how much of the other shiaria is practised and other sins abstained from

what i much more beautiful is that you mind and body will become to be purified

your sense will become sharpened and your intellect will become vigorous and pertinent as time goes by and you will unlock the genius within you

now to mention the details of all of these after effects has no reason and is not purposeful or helpful at this time

Have you experienced glimpses of the other world [Barzakh] ? If yes, is it a holographic sort of world, or more realistic than what we, who have not carried the 40 day spiritual exercise, unlike you, witness now. Please elaborate, because people like myself seek for practical results, and if you can give us practical witness, then it would motivate us.

wasalam wr wb

[Logical Islam]

Here are things i'll try :

> Focus on my career, uni, grades
> Focus on improving my body, hair, skin, looks (to help me increase chances with the 'one')
> Get Skyrim
> Keep repeating that women aren't that great. They are over rated as hell.
> Get new hobbies, make targets, and begin to make foundations for my mission.

[yukapuka]

MAFHHM, on 18 November 2012 - 09:56 AM, said:

Have you experienced glimpses of the other world [Barzakh] ? If yes, is it a holographic sort of world, or more realistic than what we, who have not carried the 40 day spiritual exercise, unlike you, witness now. Please elaborate, because people like myself seek for practical results, and if you can give us practical witness, then it would motivate us.

wasalam wr wb

Selam brother

It is very hard to describe these things, barzakh is right here right now, it is constatnly beamed at you like a laser

you dont experience barzakh, you just "notice" it or you see the truth of veils of light and eventually the light, God shows you his mercy, and those things which you once seen, such as a tree or another object, has deeper levels, its as if some eyes of yours opened up, as if something which was always there is suddenly brought to your attention

barzakh and the names of Allah their relfections, etc, the angles, the devils, the Jinn and all of the other multitidue of creation will become visible to you, but this visibility is not material, this visibility is like a dream, where you know something about somethig which looks ordinary to the eys or ears or other perceptions, but to your heart , you see way beyond it, and you see its true meaning or truth, such as the state of a soul of a person, you might not see a human, but an animal, or you might see a person with the inclination towards an animal, but again you dont just see an animal, you first see the meaning of that animal, because everything God created is an ayat, and once you see the ayat, then you can see who has taken on its form

one of the best and most common ayat is a tree, it was the first thing i experienced, and i saw how the tree is a relfection or the recirpircation of the human lung, how the two are one, and yet they same, how one is like a function and the other an inverse function, because God creates everything in pairs, and the pair of the lung(opposite) is the tree, one exerts oxygen the other inhales ohxygen and gives out carbon, etc and so on and so forth

Barzakh to call it that is a large place, its not as linear as this world, while one thing may take on a function form, another may take on a state, and the lists are endless and i cant describe everything to you, you have to witness it

once you see the things and how they function and work, you can take on their "idea" in your heart and something external can take that form, in your mind, so to speak, and then it appears like something else, because all perception is in the mind, and all matter is not actual physical but rather ideal in the mind, all electrical signals which the human mind perceives, externally, there is the unification of God, God is one, and everything exists in God, so everything is witnessed as parts of God, and the person who witnesses the tawheed of God, then everything is one constant beam of God

all of this is very hard to explain, and no matter how much i try i cannot, you have to witness theis because this all is beyoind the mind and only capable to the heart or soul which can witness infinity and God

also my level of this is very low and very shallow, so all that i describe is kind of like a person in a car who drives past some object very quickly, and had a quick glance at that object when he sped past, so therefore if someone asked me how this object looks, i will describe a certain thing, but while another person who for example flew over that object in a low flying plane, will see that object completely differently, yet both of our perceptions are correct, only envisioned from different "angles"

barzakh is actually a witnessing of the self, even to use that word, i only use as an ambigious word, because i use it to merely describe the thought which i have

i cannot explain to you these things, and probably better for me to say "i dont know" then to actually confuse you and daze you with the few glances i wiwtnessed and witness

remember this wolrd is like a drop of water compared to an ocean of the akhira, and now you have only seen this drop of water, and maybe i have seen a drop of water an 1 iota of water atom, so now for me to use the examples of this life to describe something which has nothing like in this life, is bvery very difficult

Edited by yukapuka, 23 November 2012 - 09:06 AM.

[shiaaliibrahim]

Single men should marry and married men should have frequent sex with their wive.  Pick your wife carefully, make sure that you are compatible and A Muslim should not desire attracted to each other and realize that you will have to put a lot of work into making the relationship successful.  A Muslim should not want to eliminate sexual desire, but channel them properly.  Your sexual drive controls your ambition, aggressiveness, competitiveness and other traits that you need to be successful in life.  

Get married and marry the right person that you will have plenty of sexual pleasure with is my recommendation.

[AnaAmmar1]

yukapuka, on 23 November 2012 - 08:42 AM, said:

Selam brother

It is very hard to describe these things, barzakh is right here right now, it is constatnly beamed at you like a laser

you dont experience barzakh, you just "notice" it or you see the truth of veils of light and eventually the light, God shows you his mercy, and those things which you once seen, such as a tree or another object, has deeper levels, its as if some eyes of yours opened up, as if something which was always there is suddenly brought to your attention

barzakh and the names of Allah their relfections, etc, the angles, the devils, the Jinn and all of the other multitidue of creation will become visible to you, but this visibility is not material, this visibility is like a dream, where you know something about somethig which looks ordinary to the eys or ears or other perceptions, but to your heart , you see way beyond it, and you see its true meaning or truth, such as the state of a soul of a person, you might not see a human, but an animal, or you might see a person with the inclination towards an animal, but again you dont just see an animal, you first see the meaning of that animal, because everything God created is an ayat, and once you see the ayat, then you can see who has taken on its form

one of the best and most common ayat is a tree, it was the first thing i experienced, and i saw how the tree is a relfection or the recirpircation of the human lung, how the two are one, and yet they same, how one is like a function and the other an inverse function, because God creates everything in pairs, and the pair of the lung(opposite) is the tree, one exerts oxygen the other inhales ohxygen and gives out carbon, etc and so on and so forth

Barzakh to call it that is a large place, its not as linear as this world, while one thing may take on a function form, another may take on a state, and the lists are endless and i cant describe everything to you, you have to witness it

once you see the things and how they function and work, you can take on their "idea" in your heart and something external can take that form, in your mind, so to speak, and then it appears like something else, because all perception is in the mind, and all matter is not actual physical but rather ideal in the mind, all electrical signals which the human mind perceives, externally, there is the unification of God, God is one, and everything exists in God, so everything is witnessed as parts of God, and the person who witnesses the tawheed of God, then everything is one constant beam of God

all of this is very hard to explain, and no matter how much i try i cannot, you have to witness theis because this all is beyoind the mind and only capable to the heart or soul which can witness infinity and God

also my level of this is very low and very shallow, so all that i describe is kind of like a person in a car who drives past some object very quickly, and had a quick glance at that object when he sped past, so therefore if someone asked me how this object looks, i will describe a certain thing, but while another person who for example flew over that object in a low flying plane, will see that object completely differently, yet both of our perceptions are correct, only envisioned from different "angles"

barzakh is actually a witnessing of the self, even to use that word, i only use as an ambigious word, because i use it to merely describe the thought which i have

i cannot explain to you these things, and probably better for me to say "i dont know" then to actually confuse you and daze you with the few glances i wiwtnessed and witness

remember this wolrd is like a drop of water compared to an ocean of the akhira, and now you have only seen this drop of water, and maybe i have seen a drop of water an 1 iota of water atom, so now for me to use the examples of this life to describe something which has nothing like in this life, is bvery very difficult

how did you start?
what were the difficulties?
who was your teacher?
does watching everyone's internal picture makes you hate them?
does one can become self admiring?
what about the sins and disobeying God?
does our imams recommend this?

[kaan cairn]

mashallah, thank you brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hassan J]

Great thread brother, everyone should read this.

Although, today's youth really needs to take a few seconds and evalute the lustful situations they find themselves in. First of all, whenever you're in a lustful situation, you need to remember that Allah (swt) may be testing you to see how you will react.

Will you decide to please Allah (swt) the everlasting & the one that has the greatest rewards for you?

Or will you decide to please yourself and your desires? which might only last a few minutes?

I think the important part is that every youth needs to keep himself / herself busy with anything to prevent him/herself from indulging in forbidden acts.

In this world, free time is your enemy and free time is wasted time.

[mohammad nadeem]

Masha'allah this type of thread we need in shia chat which really deals with the problem a youth faces in his day to day life. There r other things that can also help us in overcoming lust like reciting Namaz e shab regularly but as u said fasting is best in overcoming lust.

[:wayfarer786]

786

Salaams to all my brothers & sisters,

I with the blessings of Allah ( s.w.t.) have a little bit of experience on the spiritual path as a blessing and a test and I would just like to advise anyone who is considering it to read "The Light Within Me" by Imam Khomeini, Allameh Tabatabai & Shaheed Mohtahari.  You will learn about the path of the Gnostics, Mystics & Wayfaring based upon the teachings of our Holy Prophet (s. w.a.w.) & Ahllul Bayt (a.s.) from some of the most renowned and distinguished scholars, mujahideen, mujtahids, mystics and Gnostics of our times.

What you will learn is that gnosism & mysticism lead you to perfection and allow you to reach the state of "Fana" by drowning in ultimate Tawhid but it is the 2nd major stage of spiritual perfection.  One must personally implement the complete Shariah in his/her life first.  

One can not reach ultimate spiritual enlightenment without complete commitment to and implementation of the Shariah (Fiqh).  You also need a guide but one will not become available to you through Allah ( s. w. t.) until you have completed the 1st stage and Allah (s.w.t.) deems you ready.

The first guides are through the "Rahma" of Allah (s.w.t.) in the form of our Maraje to guide us all to the perfect implementation of Shariah (Fiqh) and once ready then through the manifestation of "Rahimat" a proper guide will be made available to you so that one enters the 2nd stage with a strong foundation and a guide to help one reach perfection.

I pray that those contemplating the path or on it at any stage and/or any station within the stages receive Allah (s.w.t.) blessings to follow it according to the teachings of the Holy Prophet (s,w.a.s.) and Holy Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

"From Allah (s.w.t.) we come and unto him we return" praying that we return "......Well pleased (yourself), and well-pleasing Him!".

Anything that i have said which is correct is from Allah (s.w.t.) and all mistakes are mine - may Allah (s.w.t.) forgive me and if I offended anyone please forgive me and if this helps in anyway then please remember a fellow wayfarer struggling in the path.

[yukapuka]

AnaAmmar1, on 17 December 2012 - 03:09 PM, said:

how did you start?
what were the difficulties?
who was your teacher?
does watching everyone's internal picture makes you hate them?
does one can become self admiring?
what about the sins and disobeying God?
does our imams recommend this?

God guides, i started simply when was faced with the issues of lust and it drove me crazy that i couldn't control it, and i didnt want to get married, i thought thats the easy way out, i thought rather i would learn to control it so i am self sufficient, and then later on when i get married i aint getting married for satisfaction or relief but for pure intentions, so in a nutshell i saw my lust as an opportunity to climb, and as a challenge, i always felt that intercourse is very animalistic and so mammal, and i wanted something higher then that, and to be higher then that , so i let reason and intelligence guide my heart, and slowly picked away at my lust

I didnt have a teacher, my goal was not to reach spirituality my goal was control, but God used this opportunity to guide me to much much more, God gave me the signals and guidance i needed during his endevour

sometimes when you see something in a person which is more then others see, yes it can be really hard to have love for that human being, but this also is a test and something which God requires you to overcome, this internal prejudice and hate and anger which must be eliminated, because we are after all human and all prone to make mistakes, and all vulnerable to go astray at any time, so nobody can judge anybody, no matter how different their station, besides it is easier for God to forgive the ignorant one, then the one who is awoken , and the higher a person reaches, the more devastating his mistakes cost him, for example making a tiny mistake in knowledge and in awareness of God in contrast to making a mistake in ignorance and state of having little faith, is grand, chances are the person who is more spiritual will get much more consequence while the ignorant might not even get punished at all

yes this is also another test, as you begin to strip away the bad habits and vices from the heart, other vices like layers begin to surface, and you must begin to deal with them one by one, and ye of course one of them is definitely pride, and this pride is a very very dangerous thing to bear, it eats good deeds like fire eats dry wood, if a person has pride it can knock him of his position so far that he will land in a state worse then from which he began, and the cost of getting out of it can be so overwhelming that it can feel like you are lost forever, it is not easy to deal if u fail at it, and pride when done consciously as opposed to sub consciously can be just as bad as kufr, but with God's guidance and persistence and patience it can also be overcome, that is why dhikr at this stage is very highly recommended so pondering over God occupies the mind, and fills the heart with encouragement, and makes you forget yourself and embrace god and his manifest glory, and this helps overcome the insignificant self which tries to tower over God's creation with some false vanity of minimum good deeds, and the delusion of overcoming bad habits, it can even try to convince you that you are better then the Imams and Prophets so it is a really dangerous thing to deal with which one slip can cost you much much much

all the sins which were available before are still available, its not like you become blind to sins, it just that now you have steps and walls which prevent you from sin, and God is always there to guide you so that if you forget like we humans do, God steps in and guides you away by directly influencing the world around you before you to remind you of him and to stop you from sinning and losing your status, God becomes your protector because God cherishes you or what you have achieved, you become like a diamond or rare gem which god wants to keep

yes our Imams highly recommend this, if you want to learn the theoretical side of this read such books as mentioned above in the post before mine, and all the verses and hadiths pertaining to it are manifested in those books, and there is many many more of these hadith from the imams just read al kafi and you will find so many relating to this, like for example in the Quran there is many verses talking about purifying the self, here is a few and a good book about it :

And as for him who fears to stand in the presence of his Lordand forbids his own soul from its whims and caprices then surely Paradise is the abode. (79:40 & 41)

O David! …do not follow the whims of your own soul for they will lead you astray from God's path. (38:26)

O you who have faith! Be maintainers of justice and witnesses for the sake of God, even if it should be against yourselves or [your] parents and near relatives, and whether it be [someone] rich or poor, for God has a greater right over them. So do not follow [your] desires, lest you should be unfair, and if you distort [the testimony] or disregard [it], God is indeed well aware of what you do. (4:135)

I swear by the sun and its brilliance and the moon when it follows the sun and the day when it makes manifest the sun (and her beauty) and the night when it covers the sun and the heaven and Him who made it and the earth and Him who extended it and the soul and Him who made it perfect, then He inspired it to understand what is right and wrong for it. He will indeed be successful who purifies it and he will indeed fail whoever pollutes and corrupts it. (91:1-10)

http://www.al-islam....elf-control.htm

Also the famous hadith al qudsi from Miraj of the Prophet, has many many many recommendations from God about this issue, in fact the whole conversation pertains to it, if u have the time read it and ponder

http://www.al-islam....ascension/1.htm

May God guide inshallah

Edited by yukapuka, 14 January 2013 - 03:07 PM.

[AnaAmmar1]

yukapuka, on 14 January 2013 - 03:05 PM, said:

God guides, i started simply when was faced with the issues of lust and it drove me crazy that i couldn't control it, and i didnt want to get married, i thought thats the easy way out, i thought rather i would learn to control it so i am self sufficient, and then later on when i get married i aint getting married for satisfaction or relief but for pure intentions, so in a nutshell i saw my lust as an opportunity to climb, and as a challenge, i always felt that intercourse is very animalistic and so mammal, and i wanted something higher then that, and to be higher then that , so i let reason and intelligence guide my heart, and slowly picked away at my lust

I didnt have a teacher, my goal was not to reach spirituality my goal was control, but God used this opportunity to guide me to much much more, God gave me the signals and guidance i needed during his endevour

sometimes when you see something in a person which is more then others see, yes it can be really hard to have love for that human being, but this also is a test and something which God requires you to overcome, this internal prejudice and hate and anger which must be eliminated, because we are after all human and all prone to make mistakes, and all vulnerable to go astray at any time, so nobody can judge anybody, no matter how different their station, besides it is easier for God to forgive the ignorant one, then the one who is awoken , and the higher a person reaches, the more devastating his mistakes cost him, for example making a tiny mistake in knowledge and in awareness of God in contrast to making a mistake in ignorance and state of having little faith, is grand, chances are the person who is more spiritual will get much more consequence while the ignorant might not even get punished at all

yes this is also another test, as you begin to strip away the bad habits and vices from the heart, other vices like layers begin to surface, and you must begin to deal with them one by one, and ye of course one of them is definitely pride, and this pride is a very very dangerous thing to bear, it eats good deeds like fire eats dry wood, if a person has pride it can knock him of his position so far that he will land in a state worse then from which he began, and the cost of getting out of it can be so overwhelming that it can feel like you are lost forever, it is not easy to deal if u fail at it, and pride when done consciously as opposed to sub consciously can be just as bad as kufr, but with God's guidance and persistence and patience it can also be overcome, that is why dhikr at this stage is very highly recommended so pondering over God occupies the mind, and fills the heart with encouragement, and makes you forget yourself and embrace god and his manifest glory, and this helps overcome the insignificant self which tries to tower over God's creation with some false vanity of minimum good deeds, and the delusion of overcoming bad habits, it can even try to convince you that you are better then the Imams and Prophets so it is a really dangerous thing to deal with which one slip can cost you much much much

all the sins which were available before are still available, its not like you become blind to sins, it just that now you have steps and walls which prevent you from sin, and God is always there to guide you so that if you forget like we humans do, God steps in and guides you away by directly influencing the world around you before you to remind you of him and to stop you from sinning and losing your status, God becomes your protector because God cherishes you or what you have achieved, you become like a diamond or rare gem which god wants to keep

yes our Imams highly recommend this, if you want to learn the theoretical side of this read such books as mentioned above in the post before mine, and all the verses and hadiths pertaining to it are manifested in those books, and there is many many more of these hadith from the imams just read al kafi and you will find so many relating to this, like for example in the Quran there is many verses talking about purifying the self, here is a few and a good book about it :

And as for him who fears to stand in the presence of his Lordand forbids his own soul from its whims and caprices then surely Paradise is the abode. (79:40 & 41)

O David! …do not follow the whims of your own soul for they will lead you astray from God's path. (38:26)

O you who have faith! Be maintainers of justice and witnesses for the sake of God, even if it should be against yourselves or [your] parents and near relatives, and whether it be [someone] rich or poor, for God has a greater right over them. So do not follow [your] desires, lest you should be unfair, and if you distort [the testimony] or disregard [it], God is indeed well aware of what you do. (4:135)

I swear by the sun and its brilliance and the moon when it follows the sun and the day when it makes manifest the sun (and her beauty) and the night when it covers the sun and the heaven and Him who made it and the earth and Him who extended it and the soul and Him who made it perfect, then He inspired it to understand what is right and wrong for it. He will indeed be successful who purifies it and he will indeed fail whoever pollutes and corrupts it. (91:1-10)

http://www.al-islam....elf-control.htm

Also the famous hadith al qudsi from Miraj of the Prophet, has many many many recommendations from God about this issue, in fact the whole conversation pertains to it, if u have the time read it and ponder

http://www.al-islam....ascension/1.htm

May God guide inshallah

it is good you mentioned miraaj.i actually listened to a scholar,where he described the trilogy of time.
he said there are three types of time
zaman-the time which is related to the incidents happening in this world.it is variable
dhehr-it connects the time of this world to the time of other world like its the connection between constant and variable.he explained miraaj as an example for this where Our Prophet(p.b.u.h) who was present in the time of material world met with the prophets who were not in this world but they were in dhehr.

sarmad-it is the part where everything and i mean every single thing is constant.

he also said it is hard for us to understand what is towheed.because when we think about one,a figure comes up in our mind whose double is 2 and half is 1/2.Towheed ilahi is not numerical.
he said wverything is from Allah.

please share your experience about time related to this world and other world.

[Where do i go from here]

yukapuka, on 18 June 2012 - 11:17 AM, said:

yes indeed and thank you for the summary ,  i dont want to boast for Allah gives to his slaves everything and Allah makes easy that which is hard, and Allah gives everything that is good, it is not possible to come from us, anyway that been said God has given me the tawfik to fast for a long period of time but the initial period is that which is most important, that forty day

just for some words of encouragement in the Quran prophets are mentioned on going on this 40 days spiritual trip, i.e Musa(a.s) and Isa(a.s) etc

also to reiterate on the food again

eat almost no food if you can, as i explained a few spoonfulls at most of rice(i.e 2-3 spoonfulls) or one slice of bread so that you are always feeling hunger as well as three dates and one glass off waterr at most when you break your fast and start your fast

the idea is that you must feel hunger, until hunger become enjoyable(after 40 days)

Woah , hunger becomes enjoyable. Thats deep bro but it sounds good and as the days are short i will try my best to do this forty day fast maybe more food though after opening fast .

I like the thread as alot of young and also older people have this problem but i think you could have made it shorter to get across to the young ones and also so they would read it all which i didnt but would have liked to but it looked like a essay . And thanks to the second post for the summary and too the post below .

Will you decide to please Allah (swt) the everlasting & the one that has the greatest rewards for you?

Or will you decide to please yourself and your desires? which might only last a few minutes?