There is a tremendous amount of wisdom and lessons that can be taken from this statement. There are things that happen inside of us that lead us to say bad things or useless things. In this statement the Prophet S guided us to have control over the gateway of emitting the tests that we have inside ourselves. That is to say, we may get angry or feel wronged or slighted. We may even be right, but the Prophet S instructed us to guard the tongue that conveys and spreads that negativity all over. This shows us that Allah will test us on the inside. That is inevitable. However, it is what we do with the tests that we have on the inside that we are judged for.

The same goes for our private parts. The Prophet S did not say "do not be attracted to women." He said to guard our genitals. Its not the attraction that is the sin. It is act we do because of our attraction. This puts the owership of salvation into our hands which is very healthy for us as men as we want to possess as much control over our destiny as possible. Sometimes the urge may seem unstoppable and impossible to resist. For some of us, it may approach that status, but most of us know deep down, there is something deeper. The proof is this: after you are done having satisfying sex, then what do you think about? Is your mind revolving around the next time you will have sex or does your mind wander to other matters? For most of us, we mentally move on from that act until the next time we are in a state of sexual arousal.

The control over these two simple pieces of flesh will guarantee us paradise. This is for a reason. It is not easy to contain the urges that flow out of these two parts of our anatomy.

©2012 Halim Naeem.com. All Rights Reserved.

We must be less selfish and more giving. We must be less arrogant and more humble. We bond in harmony with Allah’s creation through developing ourselves towards submitting to Allah. The angels and all the positive unseen forces will support the believers as will the rest of creation when we strive together to hold the rope of Allah. Perhaps we will experience unity in brotherhood and sisterhood that provides a sweetness in our being unlike anything the creation can offer. Perhaps we can experience this before we stand before Allah.

The Prophet (s) gave the clear and profound solution: Anas relates that the Prophet (s) said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [Sahîh al-Bukhari and Sahîh Muslim]. When we follow that in every facet of our life, we will achieve the unity we seek. How does that unity look? The Prophet (s) shows that unity in his a profound portion of his last sermon. “All humankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab. Also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Know that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing should be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves. “ This is the vision for our community from the Prophet (s). When we work on ourselves to be capable of embodying that statement, then we will find our whole community united.

©2012 Halim Naeem.com. All Rights Reserved.

Mu’minoon are those who have attained faith, which is different than a Muslim. Allah says in the 49th chapter (Hujarat) verse 14: The desert Arabs say, "We believe." Say, "Ye have no faith; but ye (only) say, 'We have submitted our wills to Allah.' For not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if ye obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not belittle aught of your deeds: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Mu’minoon is in a much higher league than a Muslim. There are characteristics of spiritual development in a Mu’min that is different from a Muslim’s. One of those characteristics we have already discussed in that a believer never backbites. However, Muslims do backbite. It is a sin and we should ask forgiveness, but we are still Muslim if we do it. A believer stops being a believer if he does such an act. Lying is an act that a believer cannot perform. A Muslim however, can stay Muslim and lie. It is a sin, but again we are still Muslim. The list goes on. What you have are two different types of people.

There are two different levels of submissions to Allah. When we submit to Allah at the level of a Mu’min, then we automatically have the characteristics and requirements fulfilled to enter the house clean and pure. Further, we will speak of the good things in the house and remain silent about the bad since the Iman in our heart is thankful that Allah has put us in such a situation. Thus, the believers are united as Allah has said many times. We should pray that we join the community of the believers.

©2012 Halim Naeem.com. All Rights Reserved.

Men have The Three Hungers of Men: Food, Lust, and Ego. The first one is food. Many of us have a special relationship with food, whether it makes our body feel extra good, it can help us deal with stress; we may associate eating with deep thought, tranquility, or peace. Sometimes this relationship and the desire for food can overtake us and begin to rule us as we evade controlling our appetite at all costs. If we continue down this path as many of us know, then we simply become or appetite and we consume and try to quench a hunger that is really everlasting. We should treat our hunger as something like chronic condition, which is we treat it and put it at bay because if we simply. There is nothing wrong with hunger or food, but becoming hunger and becoming the food we eat (full of fat and sugar) is something not many of us men desire.

The second hunger is lust. Since puberty most men have this hunger that is chronic for the remainder of our lives. The dysfunctional attempts to completely satisfy this urge is the cause for the degradation of many societies including our own as we males are glorified for treating the most beautiful creation in women as sex toys to reach orgasmic pleasure. Orgasms are fine and so is taking a woman and being faithful to her in and out of bed, but men are more than their orgasms, much more. Lust is the desire to reach or get as close to that orgasmic pleasure that is within us all. The first stage in knowing that there is a problem is recognizing that the problem exists. If the bottom line use for women is our lust and we see them as a desirable clump of flesh that gives us the orgasmic pleasure; then there is a problem. If all we want is that pleasure and after that pleasure we leave them and alleviate ourselves of commitment and responsibility; then there is a problem. This is where the principles in the male development model come in as we need our principles in place that we value ourselves. If we do not try to regain control of our desires, then one day we will be too old and decrepit to be desirable to whom we want, and all we will be left with is our desire, and no, pornography does not solve that problem.

The third and most destructive hunger is our ego. Our egos have been the root of nearly every evil done on a massive level in this world. It is about or acquisition of power as we see it, autonomy, praise, and all other people places and things that support the notion that we ourselves are in complete control of the affairs in our world. Again, the Masculine Development Model addresses this in the advanced stage of submission. If a male thinks all things revolve around him and are dependent on him, then one day, that male will be all that he has, quite simply. There will be no money, no loved ones, no palace, no praise, nothing. It will be an everlasting cycle of regret and resentment towards self that the male cannot sustain all that he wants and then tries to abandon the hungers, needs and desires that brought him to that place to show his strength and power, but he will find that he cannot escape the black hole of arrogance. The most basic and potent root of arrogance in that a male needs absolutely nothing and is completely self sufficient. If we persist on this path, we will lose all but ourselves and even then we will not want ourselves. Submission is key. Treating and controlling these hungers of food, lust and ego are key to Strength and our complete and unadulterated happiness as men completing our manhood.

©2012 Halim Naeem.com. All Rights Reserved.