The impact of mixture in corrupting religion

Mixture without necessity is a sin and deviation from the Straight Path. Um Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: I was with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while Maymunah was with him. Then Ibn Um Maktum came. This happened when we were ordered to observe veil. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Observe veil from him. We said: O Messenger of Allah, Is not he blind? He can neither see us nor recognize us. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Are both of you blind? Do you not see him?"[1]

It should be noted how did the Prophet (peace be upon him) rebuked Um Salamah and Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with them) by his saying: Are both of you blind?

There is no doubt that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not fear that they would be tempted by a blind man, but he wanted to explain to them and to the entire nation not to neglect the Prescribed Punishments of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted).

In this regard, Islam warned against the entry of a husband's relatives to his wife to protect the family from the atmosphere of mixture which demolishes manners and cuts bonds. `Uqbah ibn `Amir narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Beware of entering upon the ladies. Thereupon, a man said: O Messenger of Allah, What about Al Hamu - the in-laws of the wife - (the brothers of her husband or his nephews etc.)? He said: The in-laws of the wife are death itself."[2]

Az-Zamakhshary said: Husband's relatives[3] are the utmost in evil and corruption, therefore the Prophet (peace be upon him) likened him with death because it is more evil than a stranger as they are trusted, whereas a stranger is suspicious. It is probably an invocation against a wife if she satisfies that, she will be granted death.[4]

Islam refuses mixture even if there is a necessity because of the harms resulted therefrom, of which are:

1- Mixture is a cause for the weakness of religious vigor within souls where a man might look at other women and admire them, and the same goes for women. If religious spirit is low, looking at women may lead to shaking hands and staying alone with women then something dangerous can take place. If both parties just look at one another, it can lead to weak faith. Things that some people believe tiny may lead to something bigger such as removing harms from roads causes increase of faith.

2- Mixture could be a means and introduction to fornication, but if a woman is totally covered, a person of weak heart cannot reach her, but mixture opens a room for conversation and that will lead to things that do not please Allah (Glory be to Him).

3- Mixture may be the way to Hell because talking with marriageable women without reason and permanent looking at them are sins, and sins are the way to Hell. No doubt that keeping aloof from Hell is the ultimate goal of reasonable people, so there will be no benefit of mixture if it will lead to Hell-Fire. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allâh, but do that which they are commanded." [Surat At-Tahrim: 6].

4- Mixture leads to the wrath of Allah, and when Allah abhors a nation or a group of people, He shall punish them in this world before the Hereafter through incurable diseases as in the case of fornication. Ibn `Abbas said: Extremism[5] never prevailed in a people but Allah casts horror into their hearts, nor fornication spreads in a people, but death spreads among them.[6] The appearance of fornication may lead to drought as was reported in the Hadith: "Immorality never appears among a people to such an extent except they are inflicted by drought. There is no people in which bribes[7] spread except they are taken by horror].[8]

Allah may punish the transgressors of His Limits by the spread of social grievances, so people would taste the harm of one another or may be punished by cosmic penalties such as earthquakes and volcanoes, or may be punished by the loss of blessings in money and children or something else which could cause loss in both the religion and the world and lead to the destruction of countries and people.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Say: He has power to send torment on you from above or from under your feet, or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another. See how variously We explain the Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), so that they may understand." [Surat Al An`am: 65].

Allah also explained the reason for punishing the people of Noah saying: "Because of their sins they were drowned, then were made to enter the Fire, and they found none to help them instead of Allah." [Surat Nuh: 25].

Whoever looks at people's conditions today shall find the truthfulness of this speech. In the near past, communism was ruling half of the world and people tasted scourges and harm therefrom. In Romania, for example, which denied the existence of AIDS disease on its land soon declared after the departure of communists that thousands of children in governmental asylums suffer AIDS.

What is the guilt of these children who were born sick? Indeed, the West sank in countless disasters and catastrophes because of sexual diseases, moral crimes, and family disunion because of keeping away from the methodology of Allah (Glory be to Him).

As for Islamic countries, we notice that when the people of a Muslim country turn away from Allah's Shari`ah, punishment becomes intensified and vice versa because our Lord does not favor any of His Creatures. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allâh." [Surat An-Nisa': 123].

He (Glory be to Him) does not show hostility to anyone without reason, and the standard for love and enmity, withholding and giving is fearing Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allâh), I will give you more (of My Blessings); but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily My Punishment is indeed severe." [Surat Ibrahim: 7].

A doubt and its refutation:

It may be said: Why did the West turn away from the methodology of Allah while they are at the top of luxury and advancement, whereas Muslims are inflicted by trials one after another despite their belief in Allah?

This could be answered as follows: The origin of faith is that it is the companion of goodness in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwâ (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they denied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and crimes)." [Surat Al A`raf: 96].

Disbelief is the companion of destruction in this world as well as in the Hereafter. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Because of their sins they were drowned, then were made to enter the Fire, and they found none to help them instead of Allah." [Surat Nuh: 25].

However, there are exceptional cases where Allah may test a believer. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sâbirûn (the patient)." [Surat Al Baqarah: 155].

Allah may regale a disbeliever, Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And were it not that all mankind would have become of one community (all disbelievers, desiring worldly life only), We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Beneficent (Allah), silver roofs for their houses, and elevators (and stair-ways, etc. of silver) whereby they ascend." [Surat Az-Zukhruf: 33].

However, the ultimate end is for piety, Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Allâh has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islâm). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this, they are the Fâsiqûn (rebellious, disobedient to Allâh)." [Surat An-Nur: 55].

Consequently, disbelievers should not be tempted by the favors they have, for their final destination shall be torment; on the other hand, believers should not show impatience on what inflicted them for it will be followed by joy and near relief.

The removal of blessings may not be part of torment sending inflictions is, and abundant luxury may be a wrath as long as it is not controlled by the fear of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted). Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite order (to obey Allâh and be righteous) to those among them [or We (first) increase in number those of its population] who lead a life of luxury. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with complete destruction." [Surat Al Isra': 16].

He said about the denizens of Hell-Fire: "Verily, before that, they indulged in luxury." [Surat Al Waqi`ah: 45].

So, what is the value of luxury which leads to Hell-Fire?

How does man relish by accumulating money or spending it in whims while many hungry and sick people cannot earn their pennies or find a pill of medicine?!

It is the selfishness of man which adorns for him the love of lusts even at the expense of others!

So, those who promote mixture, pornography, and dependency to the West have to stop that and should call to imitate the West in science, technology, and its social justice, not in bad manners and lewdness it has.

The summary of this subject is that mixture is a corruption to religion and destruction for the society, so we should not drift behind those who promote mixture and imitating the West for we are a nation that have the holiest religion and keeping to it is one of most important necessities.[9]

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[1] Reported by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhy, and said: It is a good and authentic Hadith. See: Riyad As-Salihin p. 595.

[2] Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim. See: Mishkatul-Masabih of At-Tibrizy, verified by Al Albany, [2/ 932].

[3] Riyad As-Salihin, p. 596:

[4] Al Fa'iq Fi Gharib Al Hadith Wal Athr [1/ 318].

[5] Stealing from the booty.

[6] Reported by Imam Malik, See: Mishkatul-Masabih [3/ 1475].

[7] The plural of bribe.

[8] Reported by Imam Ahmad on the authority of `Amr ibn Al `As, See: Mishkatul-Masabih [2/ 1065].

[9] An article published in Al Madinah Newspaper on Friday 31 July, 2009.