03/10/2025
This week I want to highlight Islam’s call to decency, modesty, and pure living. Drawing on Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions, I warn against not only adultery but also the pathways leading to it, lustful glances, shameless dress, and immoral entertainment. This is a timely reflection. Yesterday, a gang of seven men were sentenced for the crimes of grooming and ra**ng teenage girls. Appalling and disgraceful behaviour. A crime in the sight of the Lord. I urge our brothers to adopt personal discipline, family safeguards, and a sense of societal responsibility.
Wherever we look today, we see lustful scenes and are tempted. Whether you are young or a retired old man like me, we are bombarded with seductive images and videos. This erodes standards of decency and self-control. A senior Imam in his late sixties was once asked at what age s*xual seduction ends. He unhesitatingly quipped, “It must be sometime after seventy!” The reality is, we are always vulnerable.
Let’s Understand the Root of the Problem
Allah says: “Say, My Lord has forbidden acts of indecency, openly and in secret…” (7:33). This implies, don’t even look lustfully at the opposite s*x, and never be alone with the opposite s*x. Surah Al-Nur warns: “Those who want to spread obscenity among the believers will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter” (24:19). Publicising immorality is itself sinful. The Prophet ﷺ said: “All my followers will be forgiven except those who sin openly. A person sins at night, but Allah conceals it, then he exposes it in the morning” (Bukhari). Habitual sin breeds shamelessness, until the sinner no longer cares.
Quranic Warnings Against Indecency
The Majestic Quran warns clearly: “Do not go near adultery, it is indecency and an evil way of life” (17:32). Notice the command is not only to avoid adultery itself, but to stay away from everything that even leads towards it, like lustful glances, provocative dress, casual seclusion with the opposite s*x. These are the ‘slippery slopes’ that end in disaster. The Arabic terms ‘Fuhsh’ and ‘Fahisha’ cover all forms of indecency: vulgar speech, shameless exposure of the body, obscene entertainment and unrestrained mixing of men and women. Islam closes the doors that open the path to sin.
The Value of Modesty (Haya)
Against this, Islam promotes haya, modesty, chastity, and purity of heart and action. The Prophet ﷺ asked his companions: “Be modest with Allah as He deserves.” When they replied that they already were, he explained: “True modesty is to guard your thoughts, control what you eat, remember death, and abandon the luxuries of this world” (Tirmidhi). Modesty is not a cultural formality but a deep moral value, rooted in faith. The Prophet ﷺ declared: “When modesty is lacking, you are likely to fall into sin” (Bukhari) and “Modesty is part of faith; indecency is injustice” (Tirmidhi).
Social Consequences of Indecency
Indecency is not just a private matter; it corrodes entire societies. The Prophet ﷺ warned: “When a community commits indecency openly, they will suffer diseases never known before” (Ibn Majah). He ﷺ also said: “This nation will not be destroyed until indecency becomes widespread, so much so that a woman will be r***d openly, and people will say, ‘If only this had been done in private’” (Abu Ya’la). We see echoes of this today. As obscenity spreads through entertainment, media, and fashion, public morality collapses. Families weaken, respect between generations erodes, and society becomes desensitised to corruption.
Solutions and Preventive Measures
Islam’s wisdom lies not only in forbidding sin but in preventing its causes. The Shari’ah applies the principle of Sadd al-Dhara’i, blocking the means: if something leads to evil, it too is restricted. This is why the Prophet ﷺ advised: “Teach your children to pray at seven and separate their beds at ten” (Abu Dawood). Early discipline fosters lifelong purity. Similarly, lowering the gaze, choosing decent clothing, and avoiding inappropriate company are shields against temptation. At the societal level, we must urge policymakers, media outlets, and film producers to curb the relentless promotion of indecency. Public entertainment should uplift, not degrade, the human spirit. Protecting society from shamelessness is as urgent as protecting it from crime or disease.
Conclusion: A Call to Purity
Islam is a religion of dignity. It calls to modesty, decency, and pure living because these values safeguard individuals and societies alike. To remain pure, we have to be on guard! Modesty is not repression; it is liberation from the chains of lust, indecency, and social decay. The future of humanity depends on restoring this virtue. Let us embrace decency, protect our eyes, our hearts, and our families, and build a society worthy of Allah’s pleasure.
Wherever we look today, we see lustful scenes and are tempted. Whether you are young or a retired old man like me
