Firstly:
Sexual
fantasies are a type of thought that may cross a person’s mind. Whatever a
person thinks of to himself, if he does not allow it to take root or persist in
thinking about it, is forgivable, according to scholarly agreement.
Passing
thoughts are forgivable, but the individual must ward them off and not get
carried away in dwelling on them.
It
is not permissible for the Muslim to consciously bring such thoughts to mind
and become absorbed in dwelling on them, and it is also not permissible for him
to let himself get carried away in thinking about things that cross his mind,
for that will lead him to what is haraam.
Secondly:
Envy
(hasad) is a blameworthy characteristic, and the Muslim should strive to rise
above it. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It was said
that envy means wishing that that with which Allah has blessed someone else
will be taken away from him, and it was said that it means resenting that with
which Allah has blessed someone else. The former definition is the well-known
view among the scholars, and the latter is the view of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him). Simply resenting that with which Allah
has blessed other people is regarded as envy. Envy is haraam, because the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade it. It is one of the
characteristics of the Jews who envy people for what Allah has given them of
His bounty, and the harm it causes is extensive.
End
quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (24/2).
Thirdly:
With
regard to sins that are committed when one is alone, there is a hadith which
was narrated by Ibn Maajah (4245), from Thawbaan (may Allah be pleased with
him), from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), that he
said: “I certainly know people of my ummah who will come on the Day of
Resurrection with good deeds like the mountains of Tihaamah, but Allah will
make them like scattered dust.” Thawbaan said: O Messenger of Allah, describe
them to us and tell us more, so that we will not become of them unknowingly. He
said: “They are your brothers and from your people, worshipping at night as you
do, but they will be people who, when they are alone, transgress the sacred
limits of Allah.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
Al-Haafiz
Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Beware
of sins, especially the sins committed when one is alone, because audaciously
committing sins when you know that Allah is watching will lead to one becoming
insignificant in His sight. Tend to your relationship with Him when you are on
your own, and Allah will grant you well-being before people.
End
quote from Sayd al-Khaatir (p. 207).
What
appears to be the case is that this hadith does not refer to everyone who
commits sin when he is alone, because no one can be free of minor sins. The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam is
prone to sin, and the best of those who are prone to sin are those who repent.”
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2499); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.
What
appears to be the case is that this hadith refers to hypocrites or showoffs,
who make a show before people of righteousness and piety, but when they are far
from people’s gaze, they show their true colours, so they do not respect the
sacred limits of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.
Ibn
Hajar al-Haytami (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The
three hundred and fifty-sixth sin is: behaving outwardly like righteous people
in public, and transgressing the sacred limits, even by committing minor sins,
in private. Ibn Maajah narrated, with an isnaad of which the narrators are
trustworthy, from Thawbaan, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), that he said: “I certainly know people of my ummah who will come on
the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like the mountains of Tihaamah, but
Allah will make them like scattered dust…”
Then
at the end of the discussion he said:
Note:
this explains the apparent meaning of the first hadith, and that is not
far-fetched, even though I have not seen any other scholars quoting it, because
the one whose habit is to present himself in a good light in public and commit
evil in private will be a cause of great harm and will cause Muslims to be
misled, because he has no fear of Allah in his heart.
End
quote from az-Zawaajir ‘an Iqtiraaf al-Kabaa’ir (356).
Based
on that, the one who pretends outwardly to love people, but in reality he
resents and envies them, is regarded as being among those who commit sin when
they are alone.
Similarly,
with regard to the one who makes an outward show of being righteous when he is
not like that, or he pretends to be a man of dignity and chastity, but when he
is alone he brings his corrupt thoughts to mind, there is the fear that the
stern warning mentioned in this hadith will apply to him, which is the loss of
his good deeds.
We
ask Allah to pardon us and to grant us well-being.
And Allah knows best.
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