"A'uzhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim"
"Bismillahir rahmanir rahim"

I seek shelter in Allah from the rejected Satan"
In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful.    

What does Islam say about Fitna?

Definition: The word fitna comes from an Arabic verb which means to "seduce, tempt, or lure." There are many shades of meaning, mostly referring to a feeling of disorder or unrest.
Variations of the word fitna are found throughout the Qur'an to describe the trials and temptations that may face the believers. The term has also been used to describe divisions which occurred in the early years of the Muslim community.

I see the word fitnah repeated often in the Qur'an in several surahs and ayahs. Is there a difference in the meanings of this word, and what are its various meanings?

Praise be to Allah. Definition of fitnah:1 – The word fitnah from a linguistic point of view:Al-Azhari said: "The Arabic word fitnah includes meanings of testing and trial. The root is taken from the phrase fatantu al-fiddah wa'l-dhahab (I assayed (tested the quality of) the silver and gold), meaning I melted the metals to separate the bad from the good. Similarly, Allah says in the Qur'an (interpretation of the meaning): '(It will be) a Day when they will be tried [yuftanoona] (punished, i.e. burnt) over the Fire!' [al-Dhaariyaat 51:13], meaning, burning them with fire." (Tahdheeb al-Lughah, 14/196).Ibn Faaris said: "Fa-ta-na is a sound root which indicates testing or trial." (Maqaayees al-Lughah, 4/472). This is the basic meaning of the word fitnah in Arabic. Ibn al-Atheer said: "Fitnah: trial or test... The word is often used to describe tests in which something disliked is eliminated. Later it was also often used in the sense of sin, kufr (disbelief), fighting, burning, removing and diverting." (al-Nihaayah, 3/410. Ibn Hajar said something similar in al-Fath, 13/3). Ibn al-A'raabi summed up the meanings of fitnah when he said: "Fitnah means testing, fitnah means trial, fitnah means wealth, fitnah means children, fitnah means kufr, fitnah means differences of opinion among people, fitnah means burning with fire." (Lisaan al-'Arab by Ibn Manzoor). 2 – Meanings of the word fitnah in the Qur'an and Sunnah: 1- Testing and trial, as in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: 'We believe, and will not be tested [la yuftanoon]" [al-'Ankaboot 29:2] i.e., that they will not be subjected to trial, as Ibn Jareer said. Fitna (also fitnah or fitnat) (Arabic: فتنة) has connotations of secession, upheaval and chaos. It has been used in the Quran in two meanings. It refers, firstly, to persecution, to a situation in which the believers are harassed and intimidated because of their religious convictions. Secondly, it refers to the state of affairs wherein the object of obedience is other than the One True God. Fitna is the spread of Falsehood that cause a rift between Muslims.

And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone [in the whole of the world]. [ Quran 8:39] Tafseer ibn Katheer.

Gender Interactions

Firstly:

Lowering the gaze (ghadd al-basr) means restraining the gaze and not allowing it to wander or dwuponupon anything.

Ibn Faaris said in Mu'jam Maqaayees al-Lughah (4/307):

Ghayn and daad indicate restraining, as in the phrase ghadd al-basr (lowering the gaze).

Ibn al-Manzoor said in Lisaan al-'Arab (7/196):

Lowering the gaze (ghadd al-basr) means restraining it.

Secondly:

In Islamic terminology it refers to a number of things:

1 – Refraining from looking at people's 'awrahs, which includes the beauty of a non-mahram woman.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (15/414):

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has enjoined us in His Book to lower the gaze, which is of two types: refraining from looking at 'awrahs and refraining from looking at the site of desire.

The former refers to a man refraining from looking at the 'awrah of another person.

The second refers to looking at uncovered parts of a non-mahram woman. This is more serious than the former, just as alcohol is more serious than dead meat and blood and pork, and the hard punishment should be carried out on the one who drinks it, because these haraam things are not as desirable as alcohol may be.

2 – Refraining from looking into people's houses and things that are behind closed doors

Ibn Taymiyah says in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (15/379):

Just as lowering the gaze includes not looking at the 'awrahs of other people and other haraam things, it also includes refraining from looking into people's houses. A man's house conceals his body just as his garments conceal him. Allaah has mentioned lowering the gaze and guarding one's private parts after the verse about asking for permission to enter, because the house covers a person just as the clothes on his body do.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Madaarij al-Saalikeen (1/117):

Haraam kinds of looking include looking at 'awrahs, which is of two types: the 'awrah behind a garment and the 'awrah behind doors.

3 – Refraining from looking at what people have of wealth, wives, children, worldly goods and so on.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Look not with your eyes ambitiously at what We have bestowed on certain classes of them (the disbelievers), nor grieve over them. And lower your wings for the believers (be courteous to the fellow‑believers)"

[al-Hijr 15:88]

Ibn Sa'di said in his Tafseer (434):

i.e., do not admire them in such a way that you will distracted with desire for the worldly pleasures enjoyed by those who live in luxury and by which the ignorant are deceived. You should be content with that which Allah has given you of the seven oft-repeated verses and the Holy Qur'aan (cf. al-Hijr 15:87).

He also said (p. 516):

i.e., do not be impressed and do not look repeatedly admiring worldly pleasures and those who are enjoying them, such as delicious food and drink, fine clothing, beautiful houses and adorned women, for all of that is the adornment of this world in which those who are deceived rejoice. And those who do wrong enjoy it by ignoring the Hereafter. But it will all soon end and cease to be, and those who love it will die, then they will regret when regret will be to no avail, and they will realize the state they are in when the Resurrection begins. Allah has made it a test and a trial, so that it may be known who will be deceived by it and who will be better in deeds.

Thirdly:

The scholars have mentioned many benefits of lowering the gaze, including the following:

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Jawaab al-Kaafi (125):

There are a number of benefits in lowering the gaze:

1 – It is obedience to the command of Allah, which brings happiness to man in this world and in the next. There is nothing more beneficial to a person in this world and in the next than obeying the commands of his Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, and those who are happy in this world and the next can only attain that happiness by obeying His commands, and those who are doomed in this world and in the next are only doomed because they ignore His commands.

2 – It prevents the poisoned arrows (of the shaytaan), which may lead to his doom, from reaching his heart.

3 – It creates a heart that is devoted to and focused on Allah. Letting the gaze wander distracts the heart and keeps it far from Allah. There is nothing more harmful to a person than letting his gaze wander, as it creates alienation between a person and his Lord.

4 – It strengthens the heart and brings it peace, just as letting the gaze wander weakens it and makes it sad.

5 – It brings light to the heart, just as letting the gaze wander brings darkness to it. Hence Allah mentioned the verse of light immediately after the command to lower the gaze, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts..."

[al-Noor 24:30]

Then straight after that He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and within it a lamp"

[al-Noor 24:35]

i.e., the likeness of His light in the heart of His believing slave who obeys His commands and heeds His prohibitions. If the heart is enlightened blessings will come to it from all sides, but if it is darkened, calamity and evil will come to it from all places. Whatever exists of innovation, misguidance, following whims and desires, avoiding true guidance and turning away from the means of happiness and focusing on the means that lead to doom, that will be recognizable by means of the light that is in the heart. If that light is lost then one will left like a blind man stumbling in the darkness.

6 – It generates true insight which can distinguish between truth and falsehood, sincerity and lies. Allah rewards His slave for his good deeds with something similar and if he gives up something for the sake of Allah, He will compensate him with something better than it. So if he lowers his gaze and refrains from looking at things that Allaah has forbidden, Allah will compensate him with enlightenment; he will compensate him for restraining his gaze for the sake of Allah, and will open to him the doors of knowledge, faith and true insight which he only attained by means of the light in his heart. The opposite of that is the blindness which Allah attributed to the homosexuals, which is the opposite of insight. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, by your life (O Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), in their wild intoxication, they were wandering blindly"

[al-Hijr 15:72]

7 – It creates a heart that is steadfast, brave and strong. Allah will give him both insight and power and strength, as it says in the report: "The one who goes against his whims and desires, the shaytaan flees from his shadow."

On the other hand, the one who follows his whims and desires will feel a sense of humiliation, indignity, worthlessness and insignificance, which is the punishment which Allah has decreed for those who disobey Him as al-Hasan said: "Even if they ride the finest of mounts, the effect of sin will never depart from them. Allah insists that the one who disobeys Him will be humiliated."

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has connected strength to obedience to Him, and humiliation to disobedience to Him. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"But honour, power and glory belong to Allah, and to His Messenger (Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and to the believers"

[al-Munaafiqoon 63:8]

"So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers"

[Aal 'Imraan 3:139].

Faith is both words and deeds, inward and outward. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allah belong all honour, power and glory [and one can get honour, power and glory only by obeying and worshipping Allah (Alone)]. To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it (i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allah unless and until they are followed by good deeds)"
[Faatir 35:10]

i.e., whoever desires power, let him seek it by means of obedience to Allah and remembrance of Him, by speaking good words and doing good deeds. In Du'aa' al-Qunoot it says: "he is not humiliated whom You have befriended, nor is he honoured who You take as an enemy". Whoever obeys Allah is His friend in as much as he obeys Him, and he will have support and honour from Him commensurate with his obedience towards Him. Whoever disobeys Him is His enemy in as much as he disobeys Him, and he will have humiliation from Him commensurate with his disobedience towards Him.

8 – It blocks the shaytaan from a means of entering his heart, for he may enter with looking, and penetrate the heart faster than the wind blowing through an empty space, and he may present to him the image that he looked at and make it attractive, like an idol to which his heart becomes devoted, then he encourages him and gives him hopes, and fans the flames of desire in his heart, adding the fuel of sin which could not have reached his heart without looking at that image. So his heart becomes inflamed and surrounded with fire on all sides, resulting in infatuation and frustration, and he is in the midst of it like a lamb in the oven. Hence the punishment for those whose desires were fuelled by haraam looking is that in al-Barzakh they are placed in an oven of fire.

9 – It distracts one from thinking of what is in one's best interests, so his affairs become neglected and he follows his whims and desires and neglects to remember his Lord. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair (deeds) has been lost"

[al-Kahf 18:28]

10 – Between the eyes and the heart there is a connection which means that the one is affected by the other, and if one of them becomes good, the other will also become good, and if one becomes corrupt the other will become corrupt. If the heart becomes corrupt the gaze will become corrupt, and if the gaze becomes corrupt the heart will become corrupt, and similarly, if one is sound the other will also be sound.

And Allah knows best.

Connection

Arabic Terms:

· Ikhtilaat - physical presence of men and women at one place.

· Khalwah – a man being alone with a non-mahram woman.

· Mahram – a person, man or woman related to a particular individual by blood, marriage or breastfeeding. One he or she is not permitted to marry, such as the father, nephew, uncle, etc

How do people slip into adultery? Why do office romances take place? How do married men get romantically involved with another woman? The simple answer is that it is a slow process of boundary-less decisions. It is a gradual thing. Imagine a little wall all around you, with a gate. Your heart lives inside the wall and Allah has told you how to control the gate. Bad things happen when you either do not know what Allah has told you or are careless about what goes in and what goes out of that gate.

There are three forms of ikhtilaat or intermixing that are forbidden:

First, the touch is a form of non-verbal communication. Islam frowns upon any form of physical contact or touching between men and non-mahram women. The Prophet, may Allah praise him, said: "I do not shake hands with women." (Muwatta, Sunan Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah)

He also said: "If one of you were to be stabbed in the head with a needle of iron, it would be better for him than touching a woman who is not permissible for him." (at-Tabarani) This would include situations where men and women are close enough to lead to physical contact.

Now, there might be an unavoidable situation or demands of a profession like a nurse touching a male patient or crowding during Hajj. Get clarity on them by referring to a knowledgeable scholar of Islam. The general rule is clear and has been explained.

Second, being alone with a non-mahram woman. It's known as khalwah. The Prophet of Islam said, "Never is a man alone with a woman except that Satan is the third party with them."

Khalwah takes place when one or more men are alone with a single non-mahram woman in a place where no one can see them. If there are two women and a man, this is not khalwah. Whether something untoward happens or not is not the point, it is still a sin. Seclusion of this type is still a sin no matter what happens as a result. It still corrodes and is bad for one's intention.

For example, don't be in the office alone with a man. Either leave or ask another female co-worker to stay.

Third, a man being with a non-mahram woman in one place without khalwah, but social controls and restrictions are relaxed and inhibitions are dampened. The same can be said for any repeated acquaintance between men and women. Repeated meetings break down barriers and allow opportunities for a relationship to develop.

Two points must be understood here:

1. There are situations and places we control and there are some we don't. We might be excused for what lies outside of our control, and we should ask Allah for His forgiveness. At the same time we are responsible for the places we control.

2. How should we act in places we do not control? What are the rules of behavior for a Muslim woman when she meets a man? How should Muslim men and women set boundaries with the opposite gender? Boundaries by virtue of their purpose indicate a clear line of separation. With this in mind, what is the clear line of separation in our behavior with colleagues or fellow students of the opposite gender? There are four guidelines:

1. Eye Contact
Lower the gaze, limit eye contact, and obviously do not exchange admiring glances. Allah tells us in the Quran,

"Tell the believing men that they should lower their gazes and guard their chastity. This is purer for them. Allah is informed of what they do (He knows the inclinations of the heart and the secretive glances that men cast). And tell the believing women that they should lower their gazes and preserve their chastity." (Quran 24:30-31)

2. Dress
Both men and women should maintain the Islamic dress code.[1]

"...they (women) must not expose (anything that reveals) their beauty, except what becomes apparent of it (the outer garment which obviously cannot be concealed when a woman leaves her home). And they should wear their scarves over their bosoms (to cover their heads and breasts)..." (Quran 24:31)

3. Body Language
Be dignified in your body language. Watch your movement, gestures, and postures. Allah says in the Quran,

"...they (women) should not strike their feet on the ground to reveal the beauties (jewellery) that they conceal (they should walk in a manner that does not cause their jewellery to jingle and attract attention)..." (Quran 24:31)

4. Tone of Voice
Use a serious tone of voice and expression. Like a spoon of sugar can encourage a child to take bad tasting medicine, so can sweet words seduce a person from the opposite gender. You do not have to be rude, but speak in a "business like" tone. Your speech should be direct and to the point so that no desire is aroused in the person. Allah says in the Quran,

"...do not speak in lowered tones (with a sweet voice) lest he in whose heart is a disease of lust should be moved with desire. And speak in a befitting manner." (Quran 33:32)

In practical terms: don't flirt, make crude jokes, touch, giggle, use suggestive body-language and avoid having a relaxed, informal, social conversation.

Today in our modern society, fitnah is taking over like a disease. Within a blink of an eye, you can die. So think carefully about your actions and always remember:

"Every soul shall taste death," Qur'an Surah Al Imran 3:185

Remember what you learnt today. Take heed of what you learnt today. And most importantly, apply what you've learnt today in your life. And on your actions. Ameen.