العفة خلق الأبرار (خطبة)

Chastity is the Character of the Righteous Praise be to Allah, Who made in the lawful sufficiency and contentment, and made in chastity purity and guidance. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner; to Him belongs the beginning and to Him belongs the end. And I bear witness that our master Muhammad is His servant and His messenger, the most chaste of people, the purest of them in conduct, and the most virtuous of them in their inner selves. May Allah send prayers and peace and blessings upon him, upon his family and his companions, who made chastity their banner and purity their goal, and who were an example for the nation, and upon those who followed them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment. The Importance of Speaking About Chastity: O Muslims, among the greatest objectives for which Islam came is the purification of souls, the refinement of morals, the building of the human being upon purity and chastity, and the establishment of a society in which virtue prevails, in which honor is protected, and in which sanctities are preserved. And among the noblest of morals that Islam cared for and elevated in rank is the character of chastity; for it is not merely a character by which one adorns oneself, but rather it is an act of worship by which the Face of Allah is sought, a fortress that preserves faith, a fence that protects honor, and a foundation for the uprightness of individuals, the rectitude of families, and the security of societies. And chastity is restraining the self from what Allah has forbidden, holding it to what Allah has made lawful, lowering the gaze, guarding the private parts, protecting the tongue, and magnifying the limits of the Most Merciful; for it is the title of purity, the proof of nobility, the banner of the believers, and the adornment of the righteous. And if chastity is lost, values are lost with it, families fall apart, vice spreads, and tribulations become widespread; and therefore Islam legislated everything that establishes chastity and blocked every path that leads to vice; in protection of honor and preservation of societies. The Speech of the Quran and the Sunnah About Chastity: O Muslims, the Noble Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah have cared for chastity with great care, encouraged it, and made it among the characteristics of the sincere believers who are chaste in not asking people and not looking at what is in their hands. Allah, the Most High, said: "They are for the poor who are restricted in the cause of Allah, unable to move about the land. The ignorant man would take them for being rich because of their chastity. You know them by their mark. They do not ask people insistently. And whatever you spend in good - then indeed Allah is Knowing of it" [Al-Baqarah: 273]. And the Quran spoke about the chastity of the tongue; so it does not utter a lie, nor falsehood, nor backbiting, nor tale-bearing, nor obscenity. Allah, the Most High, said: "And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and when they pass by some irrelevant talk, they pass by with dignity" [Al-Furqan: 72]. And among the greatest forms of chastity is the chastity of the private parts, and Allah has made it among the characteristics of the people of success. So Allah, the Exalted, said: "Successful indeed are the believers, who are humbling themselves in their prayers, and who turn away from irrelevant talk, and who establish the regular charity, and who guard their private parts, except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for then, they are not to be blamed. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors" [Al-Mu'minun: 1-7]. Then the Prophetic Sunnah came to confirm this great approach. It was narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever is chaste, Allah will make him chaste. Whoever is content, Allah will make him content. And whoever is patient, Allah will make him patient. And no one has been given a gift better and more comprehensive than patience." Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Chastity is Honor and Elevation: O Muslims, among the greatest things by which a person honors himself and brings him closer to the stations of the righteous is that he purifies his soul through obedience, protects it from the forbidden, and beautifies it with the character of chastity; for chastity is not deprivation, nor restriction, but rather it is honor for the soul, elevation for its possessor, and the title of his dignity and nobility. Chastity is a way of life and a comprehensive character trait that permeates the entire life of the Muslim. When chastity is established in the heart, the first place where its effect appears is in the servant's food and drink; for he is not satisfied with anything but what is lawful and pure, because the pure morsel brings blessing in one's lifespan and deeds, rectifies the heart, and aids in obedience. This is the first rank of the nobility of chastity. Allah, the Most High, said: "O you who have believed, eat from the good things We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him you worship" [Al-Baqarah: 172]. When his morsel becomes pure, his tongue becomes pure, so nothing comes out of him except good speech, and he does not utter except what pleases Allah, the Most High; he spreads love, unites hearts, and becomes a key to good and a lock against evil. How noble is the believer when his words are charity and his tongue is the interpreter of his faith! He, the Exalted, said: "And say to My servants that they say that which is best" [Al-Isra: 53]. And from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent..." [Agreed upon]. And it is not only this, but chastity extends to the hearing, so the believer elevates himself above idle talk and falsehood, and turns to what purifies his heart from the remembrance of Allah, the recitation of His Book, and the hearing of the truth; for the pure ear is a path to the pure heart, and among the nobility of the believer is that the tongue of falsehood finds no way to his hearing. Allah, the Most High, said: "And when they hear idle talk, they turn away from it" [Al-Qasas: 55]. When the hearing is elevated, the sight is elevated, so the believer lowers his gaze from what Allah has forbidden, not out of fear of people, but out of modesty before Allah, chastity from what Allah has forbidden, exaltation of Him, and desire for what is with Him; so Allah bequeaths to him purity in his heart and light in his insight, and thereby the soul ascends and its station is raised with Allah and with people. He, the Exalted, said: "Say to the believing men that they lower their gazes and guard their private parts. That is purer for them" [An-Nur: 30]. And chastity is not complete until it appears in a person's actions and conduct, so his hand becomes a trustworthy hand, extending with good and benevolence, and restraining from injustice and aggression, and being chaste from consuming the wealth of people wrongfully; for the chaste one is trustworthy in his hand as he is trustworthy in his heart and tongue. Allah, the Most High, said: "And do not consume your wealth among yourselves through falsehood" [Al-Baqarah: 188]. When all these limbs are upright, they are crowned with the greatest form of chastity, which is the chastity of the private parts; for it is the crown of purity, the adornment of the believing man and woman, and the title of the perfection of their faith. Allah, the Most High, said: "And let those who find not [the means for] marriage remain chaste until Allah enriches them from His bounty" [An-Nur: 33]. And Allah, the Exalted, said: "And those who guard their private parts, except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they will not be blamed. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors. And those who guard their private parts, and those who guard their private parts, and those who remember Allah often and those who remember Allah often—Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward" [Al-Ahzab: 35]. And whoever strives against his soul and is chaste from what is forbidden, Allah helps him, establishes him, and honors him with His help and guidance. So from Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, may Allah be pleased with them both, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Four things, if they are in you, then do not worry about what you miss from this world: keeping a trust, truthfulness in speech, good character, and chastity in food" [Hasan in Ar-Raghba wal Wara]. And among the perfection of chastity is that the believer is chaste from asking people, and that he makes his hope in Allah alone, so he strives to seek lawful sustenance and is content with what Allah has apportioned for him; he lives with a noble soul, a dignified face, and a tranquil heart, not enslaved by greed, nor humiliated by need; for his nobility is with Allah alone. Allah, the Most High, said: "And do not extend your eyes toward that with which We have provided some categories of them as [but] adornment of the life of this world, that We may test them therein. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring" [Ta-Ha: 131]. That is the chastity upon which Islam raised its children; for it is not a character trait for one group over another, nor for the young over the old, nor for men over women, but it is the crown of the believer, the adornment of the believing woman, the fence of the family, and the security of society. By it, souls become pure, morals ascend, dignities are preserved, and a person lives noble in himself, honorable among people, hoping for what is with Allah. The Loss of Chastity and Its Danger: O Muslims, no honor has been violated, no trust has been lost, no tongue has lied, no eye has betrayed, and no unlawful wealth has been consumed, except on the day that chastity was lost from the hearts. Indeed, the loss of chastity does not begin with the major sin, but rather begins with negligence in the minor sins, and then Satan continues to drag his companion from sin to sin until he falls into what he used to seek refuge with Allah from yesterday. And the first thing whose chastity is lost is the chastity of food and earnings; so the servant does not care whether he eats from what is lawful or from what is unlawful, nor from where he gathered his wealth. He considers usury, bribery, deception, and consuming the wealth of people through falsehood to be permissible. When food becomes corrupt, the heart becomes hard, the blessing of sustenance is lost, and the deprivation of the answering of supplication occurs. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "O people, indeed Allah is Pure and does not accept except that which is pure, and indeed Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded the messengers. He said: 'O messengers, eat from the good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed I am, of what you do, Knowing' [Al-Mu'minun: 51], and He said: 'O you who believe, eat from the good things with which We have provided you' [Al-Baqarah: 172]. Then He mentioned a man who lengthens his journey, disheveled and covered in dust, stretching his hands toward the sky, saying: O Lord, O Lord, while his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he has been nourished with that which is unlawful. So how will his supplication be answered?" [Muslim]. So what heart will become humble when it has grown from that which is unlawful? And what supplication will ascend when its owner does not guard himself against ill-gotten gain? And what blessing can be hoped for in a home whose people are fed from wealth that Allah does not approve of? And when the unlawfulness in a morsel becomes trivial, the chastity of the tongue becomes trivial, so it proceeds with lying, backbiting, tale-bearing, obscenity, slander, accusing the innocent, and spreading rumors. How much we are in need today of the chastity of what we write and publish on our pages; especially in this time when the word is no longer confined to a gathering, but has become something that crosses horizons through social media. How many a word has violated a reputation, how many a post has torn apart a family, how many a rumor has ignited a fitnah, stirred up discord among the Muslims, called for the shedding of blood, and spread hatred and enmity, while its owner considers it trivial, and it is with Allah great. Allah the Exalted said: "When you received it (the rumor) with your tongues and said with your mouths that which you had no knowledge of, and you considered it trivial, while it is with Allah great" [An-Nur: 15]. And it was narrated from Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "May your mother mourn you, O Mu'adh! What causes people to fall headlong into Hellfire except the harvests of their tongues?" [Sahih through its various chains and supporting evidence, Takhrij al-Musnad by Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut]. And when the ear becomes accustomed to falsehood, the eye becomes bold in committing what is unlawful, and the glance is the first path to fitnah. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Every son of Adam is bound to commit some form of zina. The zina of the eye is the glance, the zina of the hand is the touch, and the soul desires and imagines, and the private part either confirms or denies that." [As-Silsilah as-Sahihah]. And the greatest catastrophe occurs when the chastity of the private parts is lost; for there reputations are violated, sanctities are defiled, lineages are lost, families are torn apart, security is lost, and mercy is removed from hearts. So no father feels safe for his daughter, no mother feels safe for her child, and no husband feels safe for his family. And this moral collapse that we see and hear about—of violations of reputations, rape of women, violations against children, and exploitation of the weak—has reached the point where people fear for their reputations and worry about their sons and daughters. These are nothing but the bitter fruits of the loss of chastity. For this reason, Islam has warned with the strongest warning against the appearance of immorality, and that it is among the greatest causes that destroy societies with deadly diseases. It was narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Immorality has never appeared in a people until they openly commit it, except that the plague and diseases that had not passed through their forefathers who had gone before them would spread among them." [Sahih al-Jami']. O beloved ones, guard your chastity, protect your hearts, and raise your children upon chastity, modesty, purity, and the exaltation of the sanctities of Allah; for chastity is the fence of faith, the fortress of the family, the security of society, and through it reputations are protected, wealth is preserved, and life is set right. Allah the Exalted said: "And those who guard their private parts, except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed they are not to be blamed. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors" [Al-Mu'minun: 5-7]. How do we adorn ourselves with chastity in our lives? O Muslims, indeed chastity is not attained through wishes, nor is it preserved through slogans, but it is built in the heart, planted in the soul, watered with faith, guarded through self-struggle, and established through the awareness of Allah the Exalted. And the first path to chastity is that Allah be magnified in the heart of the servant; so that he keeps in mind the gaze of Allah upon him, feels bashful before his Lord, remembers his standing between His hands, and is certain that a fleeting pleasure is not worth losing for it the pleasure of Allah and His honor. And thus was Yusuf, peace be upon him, when the doors were closed, the temptation intensified, and the means of disobedience were all present; so he did not say: "No one sees me," but rather he said with the heart of the chaste believer: "Far be it! Indeed, my Lord has provided for me an excellent dwelling" [Yusuf: 23]. And that the Muslim trains his soul on patience, and does not respond to every desire, nor submit to every passion; for if the soul is not restrained, it will lead its owner, and if it is struggled against, it will submit to him. And chastity is not preserved with the neglect of the obligatory duties; so whoever wants the light of chastity, let him first fulfill the right of Allah, let him maintain the prayer, let him stand at the boundaries of the lawful and the unlawful, then let him increase in closeness to his Lord through the voluntary acts; for the abundance of closeness to Allah weakens the dominion of passion and fills the heart with His love. And in the Holy Hadith, Allah, the Most High, said: "My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the performance of what I have made obligatory upon him, and my servant continues to draw near to Me with the voluntary acts until I love him"; narrated by al-Bukhari, from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah. And chastity is acquired by the servant's feeling of his poverty and weakness, so that he does not be deluded by himself, nor feel secure in himself, but rather he asks Allah to avert from him evil and indecency. And how many a person was strong in appearance, so when he relied upon himself, he fell; and how many a weak one sought refuge in Allah, so He made him firm and saved him. And among the seven whom Allah will shade in His shade is: "And a man to whom a woman of high status and beauty proposed herself, so he said: 'Indeed, I fear Allah'"; agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim, from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah. And among what aids in chastity is that the Muslim satisfies his needs from the lawful, and does not restrict upon himself what Allah has made spacious for him; for Allah has permitted the good things, legislated marriage, and opened the doors of lawful provision, so that souls do not become attached to the unlawful. For the lawful is a door of purity and safety, and its facilitation closes many doors of temptation and deviation. And just as chastity is built through obedience, it is protected by staying away from the causes of temptation; so the Muslim lowers his gaze, guards his hearing, chooses his companionship, stays away from the places that weaken his heart, and is cautious of the images, clips, and websites that arouse passion and adorn disobedience. So it is not wisdom for a person to seek the safety of his heart, then open upon him all the doors of temptation. And it is not sufficient that we preserve ourselves, but it is necessary that we raise our sons and daughters upon chastity; so that we instill in them the awareness of Allah, teach them the lawful and the unlawful, make clear to them the honor of purity and the danger of deviation, and fortify their minds with the correct Shariah scales, so that the shining slogans do not deceive them, nor the calls to corruption lure them, nor they think that freedom lies in disobeying the command of Allah. O beloved ones, chastity is a building that begins with faith, is strengthened by worship, is established through struggle, is protected by staying away from temptations, and bears fruit through righteous upbringing. And whoever is sincere with Allah, Allah will help him; and whoever struggles against his

العفة خلق الأبرار الحمدُ للهِ الذي جعلَ في الحلالِ غِنًى وكفايةً، وجعلَ في العفافِ طُهرًا وهدايةً، وأشهدُ أنْ لا إلهَ إلا اللهُ وحدَهُ لا شريكَ لهُ، لهُ البدايةُ وإليهِ النهايةُ، وأشهدُ أنَّ سيدَنا محمدًا عبدُهُ ورسولُهُ، أكملُ الناسِ عِفَّةً، وأزكاهم سيرةً، وأطيبُهم سريرةً، صلَّى اللهُ وسلَّمَ وباركَ عليهِ، وعلى آلِهِ وصحبِهِ الذينَ جعلوا العفافَ رايةً، والطهارةَ غايةً، وكانوا للأمةِ قدوةً، وعلى مَنْ تبعَهم بإحسانٍ إلى يومِ الدِّينِ. أهمية الحديث عن العفة: أيُّها المسلمون، إنَّ من أعظمِ المقاصدِ التي جاءَ بها الإسلامُ تزكيةَ النفوسِ، وتهذيبَ الأخلاقِ، وبناءَ الإنسانِ على الطُّهرِ والعفافِ، وإقامةَ مجتمعٍ تسودُه الفضيلةُ، وتُصانُ فيه الأعراضُ، وتُحفَظُ فيه الحرماتُ. ومن أجلِّ الأخلاقِ التي اعتنى بها الإسلامُ، وأعلى منزلتَها، خُلُق العِفَّةِ؛ فهي ليستْ خُلُقًا يُتزيَّنُ به فحسبُ، بل هي عبادةٌ يُبتغى بها وجهُ اللهِ، وحصنٌ يحفظُ الإيمانَ، وسياجٌ يصونُ الأعراضَ، وأساسٌ لاستقامةِ الأفرادِ، وصلاحِ الأُسَرِ، وأمنِ المجتمعاتِ. والعِفَّةُ هي كفُّ النفسِ عمَّا حرَّمَ اللهُ، وحبسُها على ما أحلَّ اللهُ، وغضُّ البصرِ، وحفظُ الفرجِ، وصيانةُ اللسانِ، وتعظيمُ حدودِ الرحمنِ؛ فهي عنوانُ الطهارةِ، ودليلُ المروءةِ، وشعارُ المؤمنينَ، وزينةُ الصالحينَ. وإذا ضاعتِ العِفَّةُ ضاعتْ معها القِيَمُ، وتفكَّكَتِ الأُسَرُ، وانتشرتِ الرذيلةُ، وعمَّتِ الفِتَنُ؛ ولذلك شرعَ الإسلامُ كلَّ ما يُرسِّخُ العِفَّةَ، وسدَّ كلَّ طريقٍ يُفضي إلى الرذيلةِ؛ حمايةً للأعراضِ، وصيانةً للمجتمعات. حديثُ القرآنِ والسُّنَّةِ عنِ العِفَّةِ: أيُّها المسلمون، لقد اعتنى القرآنُ الكريمُ والسُّنَّةُ النبويةُ بالعِفَّةِ عنايةً عظيمةً، ورغَّبا فيها، وجعلاها من صفاتِ المؤمنينَ الصادقينَ الذين يتعفَّفون عن سؤالِ الناسِ والنظر إلى ما في أيديهم، قال الله تعالى: ﴿ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الَّذِينَ أُحْصِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ضَرْبًا فِي الْأَرْضِ يَحْسَبُهُمُ الْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَاءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ تَعْرِفُهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ لَا يَسْأَلُونَ النَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ ﴾ [البقرة: 273]، وتحدَّث القرآنُ عن عِفَّةِ اللسانِ؛ فلا ينطق بكذبٍ، ولا زورٍ، ولا غيبةٍ، ولا نميمةٍ، ولا فُحشٍ، قال الله تعالى: ﴿ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا ﴾ [الفرقان: 72]، ومن أعظمِ صورِ العِفَّة عِفَّةُ الفروجِ، وقد جعلَها اللهُ من صفاتِ أهلِ الفلاحِ، فقال الله سبحانه: ﴿ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ * وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ * وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ * وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ * إِلَّا عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ * فَمَنِ ابْتَغَى وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ ﴾ [المؤمنون: 1 - 7]. ثم جاءتِ السُّنَّةُ النبويَّةُ تؤكِّدُ هذا المنهجَ العظيمَ، فعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: ((مَن يَستَعْفِفْ يُعِفَّه اللهُ، ومَن يَستَغنِ يُغنِه اللهُ، ومَن يَتَصَبَّرْ يُصَبِّرْه اللهُ، وما أُعطيَ أحَدٌ عَطاءً خَيرًا وأوسَعَ مِنَ الصَّبرِ))؛ رواه البخاري ومسلم. العِفَّةُ شرفٌ ورِفعةٌ: أيُّها المسلمون، إنَّ من أعظمِ ما يُكرِمُ به الإنسانُ نفسَه، ويُقرِّبُه من منازلِ الأبرارِ، أنْ يُزكِّيَها بالطاعةِ، ويصونَها عن المحرَّماتِ، ويُجمِّلَها بخُلُقِ العِفَّةِ؛ فإنَّ العِفَّةَ ليستْ حرمانًا، ولا تضييقًا، وإنَّما هي شرفٌ للنفسِ، ورِفعةٌ لصاحبِها، وعنوانُ عزَّتِه وكرامتِه. أن العِفَّةُ منهجُ حياةٍ، وخُلُقٌ شاملٌ يسري في حياةِ المسلمِ كلِّها؛ إذا استقرَّتِ العِفَّةُ في القلبِ، كان أوَّلُ ما يظهرُ أثرَها في لقمةِ العبدِ وشرابِه؛ فلا يرضى إلا بالحلالِ الطيِّبِ؛ لأنَّ اللقمةَ الطيِّبةَ تُباركُ في العمرِ والعملِ، وتُصلحُ القلبَ، وتُعينُ على الطاعةِ، وهذه أوَّلُ مراتبِ شرفِ العِفَّةِ، قال اللهُ تعالى: ﴿ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ ﴾ [البقرة: 172]، فإذا طابتْ لقمتُه، طاب لسانُه، فلا يخرجُ منه إلا الكلامُ الطيبُ، ولا ينطقُ إلا بما يُرضي اللهَ تعالى؛ فينشر المحبةَ، ويجمع القلوبَ، ويكون مِفتاحًا للخيرِ، مِغلاقًا للشرِّ، وما أكرمَ المؤمنَ حين تكونُ كلماتُه صدقةً، ولسانُه ترجمانًا لإيمانِه! قال سبحانه: ﴿ وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ﴾ [الإسراء: 53]، وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((مَن كانَ يُؤمِنُ باللهِ واليَومِ الآخِرِ فليَقُلْ خَيرًا أو ليصمُتْ...))؛ متفق عليه. وليس هذا فحسبُ، بل تمتدُّ العِفَّةُ إلى السمعِ، فيترفَّعُ المؤمنُ عن اللغوِ والباطلِ، ويُقبِلُ على ما يزكِّي قلبَه من ذكرِ اللهِ، وتلاوةِ كتابِه، وسماعِ الحقِّ؛ فإنَّ الأُذُنَ الطاهرةَ طريقٌ إلى القلبِ الطاهرِ، ومن شرفِ المؤمنِ ألَّا يجدَ لسانُ الباطلِ إلى سمعِه سبيلًا، قال الله تعالى: ﴿ وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْهُ ﴾ [القصص: 55]، وإذا سَمَا السمعُ، سَمَا البصرُ، فيغضُّ المؤمنُ بصرَه عمَّا حرَّمَ اللهُ، لا خوفًا من الناسِ، ولكن حياءً من اللهِ وعِفَّةً عمَّا حرم الله، وتعظيمًا له، ورغبةً فيما عندَه؛ فيورثُه اللهُ صفاءً في قلبِه، ونورًا في بصيرتِه، وبذلك تسمو النفسُ، وترتفعُ منزلتُها عند اللهِ وعند الناس، قال سبحانه: ﴿ قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ ﴾ [النور: 30]. ولا تكتملُ العِفَّةُ حتى تظهرَ في عملِ الإنسانِ وسلوكِه، فتكون يدُه يدًا أمينةً، تمتدُّ بالخيرِ والإحسانِ، وتكفُّ عن الظلمِ والعدوانِ، وتتعفَّف عن أكلِ أموالِ الناسِ بالباطلِ؛ فالعفيفُ أمينٌ في يدِه كما هو أمينٌ في قلبِه ولسانِه، قال الله تعالى: ﴿ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ ﴾ [البقرة: 188]، فإذا استقامتْ هذه الجوارحُ كلُّها، تُوِّجتْ بأعظمِ صورِ العِفَّةِ، وهي عِفَّةُ الفروجِ، فهي تاجُ الطهرِ، وزينةُ المؤمنِ والمؤمنة، وعنوانُ كمالِ إيمانِهم؛ قال اللهُ تعالى: ﴿ وَلْيَسْتَعْفِفِ الَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ نِكَاحًا حَتَّى يُغْنِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ﴾ [النور: 33]، وقال الله سبحانه: ﴿ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا ﴾ [الأحزاب: 35]، ومن جاهدَ نفسَه، واستعفَّ عن الحرامِ، أعانَه اللهُ، وثبَّتَه، وأكرمَه بعونِه وتوفيقِه، فعن عبدالله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما قال رسولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((أربعٌ إذا كُنَّ فيك فلا عليك ما فاتك من الدُّنيا: حفظُ أمانةٍ، وصدقُ حديثٍ، وحُسْنُ خُلقٍ، وعِفَّةٌ في طُعْمةٍ))؛ حسن الترغيب والترهيب. ومن كمالِ العِفَّةِ أنْ يتعفَّفَ المؤمنُ عن سؤالِ الناسِ، وأنْ يجعلَ رجاءَه باللهِ وحدَه، فيسعى في طلبِ الرزقِ الحلالِ، ويرضى بما قسمَ اللهُ له؛ فيعيش عزيزَ النفسِ، كريمَ الوجهِ، مطمئنَّ القلبِ، لا يستعبدُه طمعٌ، ولا تُذِلُّه حاجةٌ؛ لأنَّ عِزَّتَه باللهِ وحدَه؛ قال الله تعالى: ﴿ وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى ﴾ [طه: 131]، تلك هي العِفَّةُ التي ربَّى الإسلامُ عليها أبناءَه؛ فهي ليستْ خُلُقًا لفئةٍ دون فئةٍ، ولا للشبابِ دون الشيوخِ، ولا للرجالِ دون النساءِ، بل هي تاجُ المؤمنِ، وزينةُ المؤمنةِ، وسياجُ الأسرةِ، وأمانُ المجتمعِ، بها تزكو النفوسُ، وتسمو الأخلاقُ، وتُصانُ الكراماتُ، ويعيشُ الإنسانُ عزيزًا في نفسِه، كريمًا بين الناسِ، راجيًا ما عند اللهِ. ضياعُ العِفَّةِ وخطرُها: أيها المسلمون، ما هُتِكَ عِرضٌ، ولا ضاعتْ أمانةٌ، ولا كذبَ لسانٌ، ولا خانتْ عينٌ، ولا أُكِلَ مالٌ حرامٌ، إلا يومَ ضاعتِ العِفَّةُ من القلوبِ. إنَّ ضياعَ العِفَّةِ لا يبدأُ بالفاحشةِ، وإنما يبدأُ بالتهاونِ في الصغائرِ، ثم لا يزالُ الشيطانُ يجرُّ صاحبَه من ذنبٍ إلى ذنبٍ، حتى يقعَ فيما كان بالأمسِ يتعوَّذُ باللهِ منه. وأوَّلُ ما تضيعُ عِفَّتُه عِفَّةُ المطعمِ والمكسبِ؛ فلا يُبالي العبدُ أمن حلالٍ يأكلُ أم من حرامٍ، ولا من أين جمعَ مالَه، فيستحلُّ الربا، والرشوةَ، والغشَّ، وأكلَ أموالِ الناسِ بالباطلِ، فإذا فسدَ المطعمُ قسا القلبُ، وذهبتْ بركةُ الرزقِ، وحِرمانِ إجابةِ الدعاءِ، فعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((أيُّها النَّاسُ، إنَّ اللهَ طَيِّبٌ لا يَقبَلُ إلَّا طَيِّبًا، وإنَّ اللهَ أمَرَ المُؤمِنينَ بما أمَرَ به المُرسَلينَ، فقال: ﴿ يا أيُّها الرُّسُلُ كُلوا مِنَ الطَّيِّباتِ واعمَلوا صالِحًا إنِّي بما تَعمَلونَ عَليمٌ ﴾ [المؤمنون: 51]، وقال: ﴿ يا أيُّها الذينَ آمَنوا كُلوا مِن طَيِّباتِ ما رَزَقناكُم ﴾ [البقرة: 172]، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الرَّجُلَ يُطيلُ السَّفَرَ أشعَثَ أغبَرَ، يَمُدُّ يَدَيه إلى السَّماءِ، يا رَبِّ، يا رَبِّ، ومَطعَمُه حَرامٌ، ومَشرَبُه حَرامٌ، ومَلبَسُه حَرامٌ، وغُذيَ بالحَرامِ، فأنَّى يُستَجابُ لذلك؟!))؛ مسلم. فأيُّ قلبٍ يخشعُ وقد نبتَ من الحرامِ؟ وأيُّ دعاءٍ يرتفعُ وصاحبُه لا يتعفَّفُ عن السُّحْتِ؟ وأيُّ بركةٍ تُرجى في بيتٍ يُطعَمُ أهلُه من مالٍ لا يرضاهُ اللهُ؟ وإذا هانَ الحرامُ في اللقمةِ، هانت عِفَّةُ اللسانِ، فانطلقَ بالكذبِ، والغيبةِ، والنميمةِ، والفحشِ، والبهتانِ، وقذفِ الأبرياءِ، وإشاعةِ الشائعاتِ. وكم نحن اليومَ بحاجةٍ إلى عِفَّةِ ما نكتبُه وننشرُه في صفحاتِنا؛ خصوصًا في هذا الزمان لم تعد الكلمةُ حبيسةَ مجلسٍ، بل أصبحتْ تعبرُ الآفاقَ عبرَ وسائلِ التواصلِ الاجتماعيِّ، فكم من كلمةٍ هتكتْ عِرضًا، وكم من منشورٍ فرَّقَ أسرةً، وكم من إشاعةٍ أشعلتْ فتنةً، وحرَّشتْ بين المسلمين، ودعتْ إلى سفكِ الدماءِ، ونشرتِ الكراهيةَ والبغضاءَ، وصاحبُها يحسبُها هيِّنةً، وهي عند اللهِ عظيمةٌ، قال الله تعالى: ﴿ إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُمْ مَا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ ﴾ [النور: 15]، وعَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ- رضي الله عنه- قَالَ: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((ثَكِلَتكَ أُمُّكَ يا معاذ، وهل يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ على مَناخرِهم في جَهنَّمَ إلَّا حَصائدُ ألسِنتِهم؟))؛ صحيح بطرقه وشواهده، تخريج المسند لشعيب الأرناؤوط. وإذا أَلِفَ السمعُ الباطلَ، تجرَّأ البصرُ على الحرامِ، وكانتِ النَّظرةُ أولَ طريقِ الفتنةِ، فعن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رضِيَ اللهُ عنه، أنَّ النَّبيَّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم قال: ((كلُّ ابنِ آدمَ أَصابَ مِنَ الزِّنا لا مَحالَةَ، فَالعَيْنُ زِناها النَّظَرُ، واليَدُ زِناها اللَّمْسُ، والنَّفْسُ تَهْوَى وتُحَدِّثُ، ويُصَدِّقُ ذَلِك أوْ يُكَذِّبُهُ الفَرْجُ))؛ السلسلة الصحيحة. وتكونُ الكارثةُ الكبرى حين تضيعُ عِفَّةُ الفروجِ؛ فهناك تُهتكُ الأعراضُ، وتُدنَّسُ الحرماتُ، وتضيعُ الأنسابُ، وتتفكَّكُ الأسرُ، ويضيعُ الأمنُ، وتُنزعُ الرحمةُ من القلوبِ، فلا يأمنُ أبٌ على ابنتِه، ولا أمٌّ على طفلِها، ولا زوجٌ على أهلِه. وهذا الانهيارُ الأخلاقيُّ الذي نراه ونسمعُ عنه من الاعتداءِ على الأعراضِ، واغتصابِ النساءِ، والاعتداءِ على الأطفالِ، واستغلالِ الضعفاءِ، حتى أصبحَ الناسُ يخافونَ على أعراضِهم، ويقلقونَ على أبنائِهم وبناتِهم، إلا من الثمار الخبيثة لضياع العِفَّة؛ ولهذا حذر الإسلامُ أشدَّ التحذير من ظهور الفاحشة، وأنها من أعظم الأسباب التي تُهلِك المجتمعات بالأمراض الفتَّاكة؛ فعن عبدالله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال النَّبيُّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم: ((لم تَظْهَرِ الفاحشةُ في قومٍ قَطُّ حتى يُعْلِنُوا بها؛ إلا فَشَا فيهِمُ الطاعونُ والأوجاعُ التي لم تَكُنْ مَضَتْ في أسلافِهِم الذين مَضَوْا))؛ صحيح الجامع. أيُّها الأحبة، احفظوا عِفَّتَكم، واحرسوا قلوبَكم، وربُّوا أبناءَكم على العِفَّة والحياءِ والطهارةِ وتعظيمِ حرماتِ اللهِ؛ فإنَّ العِفَّةَ سياجُ الإيمانِ، وحصنُ الأسرةِ، وأمانُ المجتمعِ، وبها تُصانُ الأعراضُ، وتُحفَظُ الأموالُ، وتستقيمُ الحياةُ، قال الله تعالى: ﴿ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ * إِلَّا عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ * فَمَنِ ابْتَغَى وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ ﴾ [المعارج: 29 - 31]. كيف نتخلق بالعِفَّةَ في حياتِنا؟ أيها المسلمون، إنَّ العِفَّةَ لا تُنالُ بالأماني، ولا تُحفَظُ بالشعاراتِ، ولكنَّها تُبنى في القلبِ، وتُغرسُ في النفسِ، وتُروى بالإيمانِ، وتُصانُ بالمجاهدةِ، وتثبتُ بمراقبةِ اللهِ تعالى. وأوَّلُ طريقِ العِفَّةِ أنْ يعظُمَ اللهُ في قلبِ العبدِ؛ فيستحضرَ نظرَ اللهِ إليه، ويستحييَ من ربِّه، ويذكرَ وقوفَه بين يدَيْه، ويوقنَ أنَّ لذَّةً عابرةً لا تستحقُّ أنْ يخسرَ من أجلِها رضا اللهِ وكرامتَه. وهكذا كان يوسفُ عليه السلامُ حين أُغلقتِ الأبوابُ، واشتدَّتِ الفتنةُ، وتوافرتْ أسبابُ المعصيةِ، فلم يقلْ: لا يراني أحدٌ، بل قال بقلبِ المؤمنِ العفيفِ: ﴿ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ رَبِّي أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَايَ ﴾ [يوسف: 23]. وأنْ يدرِّبَ المسلمُ نفسَه على الصبرِ، وألَّا يستجيبَ لكلِّ رغبةٍ، ولا ينقادَ لكلِّ شهوةٍ؛ فإنَّ النفسَ إنْ لم تُضبطْ قادتْ صاحبَها، وإنْ جُوهِدَتْ انقادتْ له. ولا تُحفَظُ العِفَّةُ مع تضييعِ الفرائضِ؛ فمن أرادَ نورَ العِفَّةِ، فليقمْ بحقِّ اللهِ أولًا، وليحافظْ على الصلاةِ، وليقفْ عند حدودِ الحلالِ والحرامِ، ثم ليزدَدْ قُرْبًا من ربِّه بالنوافلِ؛ فإنَّ كثرةَ القربِ من اللهِ تضعفُ سلطانَ الشهوةِ، وتملأُ القلبَ بمحبتِه، وفي الحديثِ القدسيِّ قال اللهُ تعالى: ((ما تقرَّبَ إليَّ عبدي بشيءٍ أفضل من أداء ما افترضتُ عليْهِ، وما يزالُ يتقرَّبُ عبدي إليَّ بالنَّوافلِ حتَّى أحبَّهُ))؛ رواه البخاري. من حديث أبي هريرة. وتكتسب العفة بشعور العبد بفقرِه وضعفِه، فلا يغترُّ بنفسِه، ولا يأمنُ عليها، بل يسألُ اللهَ أنْ يصرفَ عنه السوء والفحشاءَ. وكم من إنسانٍ كان قويًّا في ظاهرِه، فلما اعتمدَ على نفسِه سقطَ، وكم من ضعيفٍ التجأ إلى اللهِ فثبَّتَه ونجَّاه، ومن السبعةِ الذين يُظلُّهم اللهُ في ظلِّه (( ورجلٌ دعتْه امرأةٌ ذاتُ منصبٍ وجمالٍ إلى نفسِها فقال: إنِّي أخافُ اللهَ ))؛ متفقٌ عليه. من حديث أبي هريرة. ومما يعينُ على العِفَّةِ أنْ يُشبِعَ المسلمُ حاجاتِه من الحلالِ، وألَّا يضيِّقَ على نفسِه ما وسَّعَه اللهُ عليه؛ فقد أباحَ اللهُ الطيباتِ، وشرعَ الزواجَ، وفتحَ أبوابَ الرزقِ الحلالِ، حتى لا تتعلَّقَ النفوسُ بالحرامِ، فالحلالُ بابُ طهارةٍ وأمانٍ، وتيسيرُه يغلقُ أبوابًا كثيرةً من الفتنةِ والانحرافِ. وكما أنَّ العِفَّةَ تُبنى بالطاعةِ، فإنَّها تُحمى بالابتعادِ عن أسبابِ الفتنةِ؛ فيغضُّ المسلمُ بصرَه، ويحفظُ سمعَه، ويختارُ صحبتَه، ويبتعدُ عن المواطنِ التي تُضعِفُ قلبَه، ويحذرُ من الصورِ والمقاطعِ والمواقعِ التي تثيرُ الشهوةَ وتُزيِّنُ المعصيةَ. فليس من الحكمةِ أنْ يطلبَ الإنسانُ سلامةَ قلبِه، ثم يفتح عليه كلَّ أبوابِ الفتنةِ. ولا يكفي أنْ نحفظَ أنفسَنا، بل لا بدَّ أنْ نربِّيَ أبناءَنا وبناتِنا على العِفَّةِ؛ فنغرسَ فيهم مراقبةَ اللهِ، ونعلِّمَهم الحلالَ والحرامَ، ونبيِّنَ لهم شرفَ الطهارةِ، وخطرَ الانحرافِ، ونحصِّنَ عقولَهم بالموازينِ الشرعيةِ الصحيحةِ، حتى لا تخدعَهم الشعاراتُ البرَّاقةُ، ولا تستدرجَهم دعواتُ الفسادِ، ولا يظنُّوا أنَّ الحريةَ في مخالفةِ أمرِ اللهِ. أيها الأحبَّة، إنَّ العِفَّةَ بناءٌ يبدأُ بالإيمانِ، ويقوى بالعبادةِ، ويثبتُ بالمجاهدةِ، ويُحمى بالبُعْدِ عن الفتنِ، ويثمرُ بالتربيةِ الصالحةِ. ومن صدقَ مع اللهِ أعانَه اللهُ، ومن جاهدَ نفسَه هداهُ اللهُ، ومن استعفَّ أعفَّه اللهُ، ومن حفظَ حدودَ اللهِ حفظَه اللهُ في نفسِه وأهلِه ودينِه.