Some people regard the urge to sin to be contrary to piety. They remain in complete anxiety due to these urges. Shaytan misleads led them by saying that a person can never become a saint if he has these urges. How many ignorant ones have not been able to differentiate between the urge to sin and sin itself. Due to this, they lose all hope, fulfill their urges and become deprived of the proximity of the Creator.

May Allah grant Hadhrat tremendous reward for proving from the Qur’an that the urge to sin does not contradict the path of tasawwuf. It is harmful to practice on these urges. Had there not been any urge to sin, no one would have been pious because the meaning of taqwa is to curb and control the carnal self from fulfilling an illegal urge. Therefore, taqwa is dependent on the substance of sin, namely the urge to commit wrong. The existence of these urges is essential for taqwa. One should not be perturbed by these urges at all. One should not fulfill these urges. The substance of sin is of two types: status and sexual sins. If we do not practice on these urges, we will obtain the proximity of Allah. The method of obtaining this proximity is to live with the pious. This discourse is a bright sun of hope for those who have become hopeless. Hadhrat has explained the topic with proof from the Qur’an and hadith and he has also used numerous examples from the Mathnawi of Moulana Rumi (Rahimahullah). Hadhrat delivered this discourse with complete emotion and love which is his distinguishing characteristic. May Allah grant us the ability to appreciate him and may He grant him a long life.

He delivered this discourse in Masjid-e-Ashraf on Friday 5 Shawwal 1414 A.H. (18 March 1994). Brother Suhail Ahmad transcribed it from cassette while I compiled it. It has been called Hayat-e-Taqwa.