'Controlling your gaze'

"A young man came to a shaykh and said, “I am a young man with strong desires. I cannot help looking at people when I am in the market. What do I do?”
 

The shaykh handed him a cup of milk that was full to the brim, and told him to deliver it to an address that would take the young man directly through the market

He then instructed the young man that the milk should not spill, and the man said that it would not.

The shaykh then summoned one of his students and told him to accompany the man through the market to the destination, and to severely beat him if any milk were to spill.

This man successfully took the milk to the destination and returned to give the good news to the shaykh. The shaykh asked, “Tell me, how many sights and faces did you see in the market?”

The man replied incredulously, “Sheik, I didn’t even realize what was going on around me. I was only fearful of the beating and disgrace that I would have to endure in public if a drop of milk were to spill.”

The shaykh smiled and said, “It is the same with a believer. The believer fears that Allah (swt) may disgrace him in front of the entire creation on the Day of Judgment if his faith were to spill over from his heart.”

‘A Clear Record for the Sinner'

In this world if you are wrongly accused and the verdict in the court of law is given in your favor, all charges are dropped against you but the records of the case still remain.  If one submits an application to the government requesting “Please remove my records as I was innocent” they will say “we have acquitted you but we will still keep the records”. With cases where one is acquitted, the world courts will still not abolish the records. I marvel at Allah (swt)’s mercy, a person who was guilty, he had sinned, he had sinned, the case against him was correct, if he appeals to you for mercy, Allah (swt) doesn’t just acquit him from that sin but Allah (swt) eliminates the record of the sin as well.

In a hadith it comes, Allah (swt) makes the piece of earth where he committed the sin forget, so it cannot testify against him. The angels which saw him sin are made to forget. The sinner’s body parts are also made to forget, so on the Day of Judgment no one will be able to testify against this individual.  Allah (swt) is so generous and kind. That’s why it’s stated “Tell my people I am oft-frogiving and merciful”.  So when the Lord of the worlds categorically expresses His mercy in the Qur’an, one should make the most of this. Today we have the means to do Tauba [repentance] yet when death approaches the means of repenting is taken away. Even the Pharaoh tried to seek repentance at the time of death, he was asked “Now? Too late, it won’t happen now”. Allah (swt) has given us health and life so however many sins we have committed we should seek repentance. Allah (swt) will accept [sincere] repentance; Allah (swt) will not turn the person away disappointed/dejected and empty.

SO PONDER OVER THIS: You are alive today to make Tauba to Allah (swt) and make all your sins go away, But tomorrow you won't be and the doors of Mercy will then be closed. So make Tauba right now, don't wait for tomorrow....