A non-Muslim is objecting to a Muslim student who does not enjoy himself with them in night clubs!

Question

Praise be to Allah.

The idea of your writing to an Islamic website is a good idea
in and of itself, which shows that you are on the right path of asking about
what you want to know. You have done well by doing so, and we are enjoined
to commend the one who does well, and to praise his actions if they are
good.

For our part, we are happy to answer your questions and
queries, not only about this matter, but about everything that you want to
know about this religion, or everything that you think you should know.

We would like you to pay attention to what we are going to
tell you, and we are sure that you are not just asking for fun, or to impugn
the rulings of the Islamic faith. We think that you are only asking because
you want to know more.

We would like to answer your question by making a few points,
and we think that you are able to understand what we are saying.

1.

What would you think if a woman came to offer you condolences
for the death of a relative of yours, wearing a swimsuit? Would you accept
that? We think that the answer would be no, it is not acceptable, because
the occasion requires the one who comes offering condolences to wear clothes
that suit the occasion, doesn’t it? The question is: what is it that has
restricted this person’s freedom of dress and requires him to wear one type
of clothing and not another? It is customs and traditions, is it not? So one
is not free to do whatever one wants in all circumstances, rather custom
sometimes prevents a person from doing something and puts some limits on his
freedom.

What would you think if a person was eating with you at the
same table, and during the meal he burped? Would you accept that from him?
We think that the answer will be no, this behaviour is not acceptable,
because this action is contrary to good table manners, is it not?

Question: What is it that limits the freedom of this person
and prevents him from doing this action whilst eating? It is good taste and
manners, is it not? So a person is not free to do whatever he wants whilst
eating food with others, such as burping, sticking his fingers up his nose
and so on, because good taste requires certain things from him, and prevents
him from doing others.

What do you think if a driver drives his car opposite to the
flow of traffic, or parks in a place where parking is not allowed? Would you
accept that from him? We think that the answer will be no, those actions are
not acceptable, because doing that is objectionable and unacceptable; the
right to drive is not based on his whims, and not all places are good to
park in, is that not so? Question: What is it that limited this driver’s
freedom and prevents him from driving opposite to the flow of traffic and
prevents him from parking in that spot? It is the law, is it not? So a
person is not free even to drive his car however he wants or to park
wherever he wants, because the law dictates that the traffic should go a
certain way, and prevents parking in certain places.

So you can see that customs and traditions, good taste and
the law all have some authority over people, by preventing them from doing
certain things and obliging them to do others. So it is nothing strange that
God or religion should have some authority over people. We see what our Lord
or our religion forbid to us, and we refrain from it and regard it as
prohibited. This is the issue in a nutshell. We think that you will
understand that the prohibition of the Lord and of religion is more
important than all the things we have mentioned, and it is more important to
pay heed and refrain from those things, because He is the Creator Who has
decreed that we should be His servants and we have accepted Him as our Lord,
legislator and ruler.

What the Muslim student is ding by not going to the nightclub
and not drinking alcohol – he is only doing that for the sake of Allaah Who
has forbidden that to him.

2.

Moreover, you are objecting to that Muslim student not going
to the nightclub and not enjoying himself with you. We ask you: Are there
any limits to this enjoyment or is it without limits? We will be more frank
with you: Would you accept for your girlfriend among the female students to
be the girlfriend of another student or a teacher? Would you accept for
someone else to be intimate with her as you are? We know about a lot of the
cases of murder that happen in secondary schools and colleges because of
such actions. There is no need to answer us, because we have seen and heard
and read about fights that often end in killing, and all of that is because
of competing to win the heart of a female student. Is that not so? So what
is the enjoyment that you are calling for? Why do you prohibit this kind of
enjoyment to students or teachers who want be intimate with the same female
student, and she may also want that?

If you go against sound human nature and the reality in which
you live, and accept for other students to be intimate with the female
student who you are in love with, would you agree for the same thing to
happen with your wife? We hope that you will not be angered by this
question, all we want to do is explain to you that there are contradictions
in your society, whereby you call for fun and enjoyment, but you limit it to
things that have to do with yourselves and your whims and desires, and if a
Muslim refuses to do that because of his religion, he is made a laughing
stock and criticized. Moreover, there is a reference to a similar question
in our religion. Do you know what that is? A young man came to our Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and asked him for
permission to commit fornication. Yes, he asked for permission to commit
fornication with the daughters and womenfolk of other people. Do you know
what our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to
him? He said to him: “Would you accept it for your mother? Would you accept
it for your sister? Would you accept it for your daughter?” and each time
the young man said no, that he would not accept for anyone to commit
fornication with his mother, sister or daughter, and each time the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him: “And by the
same token, people do not accept it for their mothers, sisters or
daughters.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
prayed for him, and when he left him, fornication was the most hateful of
deeds in his mind.

You are calling this Muslim to have fun, and we have asked a
logical question: Would you accept for him to be intimate with your
girlfriend whom you love? Would you accept for him to be intimate with your
wife? Would you accept for him to be intimate with your daughter? We are
quite certain that the incidents where unfaithful wives are killed happen
because of the sound human nature that God has created in all people,
whereby people refuse that and denounce it strongly, even if that leads to
killing her or killing her and her lover, even if the end result is life
imprisonment or execution. An unfaithful girlfriend is definitely not like
an unfaithful wife, but even boyfriends do not accept for their girlfriends
to be available to all people.

3.

Islam brought rulings that are well-founded and most wise;
they are in the best interests of individuals, societies and states. When
Islam forbade sexual relations outside the framework of marriage, the aim
was so that societies would be pure in heart and body. It is sufficient for
you to know the huge numbers of those who are affected by sexually
transmitted diseases which are caused by sinful and perverse relationships,
concerning the prohibition of which there should be no difference among
various religions. How many victims of AIDS are there? How many have been
infected? How do those of them who have not died live? It is a wretched life
and a terrible death that a person leads himself to when he pays with his
life for a few moments of pleasure. Islam brought that which protects the
Muslim’s religious commitment, heart and body, so the Muslim refuses to do
haraam (forbidden) things and is content with that which Allaah has decreed
for him, for He knows best what is in the best interests of people.

4.

You should note that there is nothing in this world to feel
regret for missing out on. For the Muslim, this world is a prison, and his
Paradise and true enjoyment are in the Hereafter. As for the disbeliever,
his paradise is in this world only, where he enjoys its delights, then his
ultimate fate will be humiliation and loss.

Our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) told us that when he said: “This world is a prison for the
believer and a paradise for the kaafir.” Narrated by Muslim (2956).

Our scholars explained it to us as follows:

Every believer who is imprisoned in this world and deprived
of forbidden and abhorrent whims and desires is obliged to do difficult acts
of obedience, but when he dies he will be relieved of that, and he will
attain what Allaah has prepared for him of eternal delights and complete
serenity that is not disturbed by anything.

As for the kaafir (disbeliever), he has whatever he gets of
that in this world, although it is very little and it is disturbed by many
problems and distresses, but when he dies, he will end up in eternal torment
and misery.

Sharh al-Nawawi (18/93).

We hope that you will think about this matter and we hope
that it will be the key that opens your heart to the truth.

5.

Who told you that there is no enjoyment in Islam? We do enjoy
ourselves, but it is with what Allaah has permitted to us. We enjoy much
more than you enjoy – and think it is enjoyment – because there is no
enjoyment in a haraam thing, rather true enjoyment is in permissible things.
Sin is followed by a sense of regret, and the one who does it can never be
happy. Look at your own situation to see the truth of this.

If you enjoy intimacy with one wife, we can enjoy intimacy
with four wives. What is the matter with your people who denounce us night
and day and insult our religion for allowing us this pleasure?

We enjoy life with our sons and daughters, hence you will see
that Muslim families are large and have many children. What kind of
enjoyment do you have in this respect?

We enjoy the love of our mothers and fathers. Do you know the
reality of the relationship of one of you with his mother and father?

We enjoy delicious, permissible food, and we enjoy delicious
permissible drinks, and the same may be said about many other aspects of
life. What matters is that Allaah has permitted it to us and allowed us to
enjoy it.

It is sufficient for us that we are happy and enjoy that to
which Allaah has guided us, which is that we should follow the right path
with which Allaah is pleased, and which was followed by the noble Prophets
before us. This is the happiness of which millions of people are deprived,
who accept for themselves to worship rocks or idols, or humans like them.
Allaah has told us that the lives of these people will never be pleasant,
and their hearts will never be at rest, because they have forsaken belief in
the Oneness (Tawheed) of their Lord Who created them, and they have
associated other gods with Him, so Allaah punishes them in this world with
anxiety and He will punish them with constriction of their graves, then with
the harshness of the gathering (on the Day of Judgement) and their ultimate
fate will be Hell in which they will abide forever.

If you want to understand the truth of these words, then read
the stories of those among your own people, or others, who entered Islam.
Look at the great changes that occurred in their lives, and look at the
great happiness that they enjoy now. This is the enjoyment that you should
seek. Just as you call on us to have fun and enjoyment, we call you
sincerely to come and find enjoyment with us, and follow the path of
happiness, and taste true happiness that will be with you as you go to sleep
and as you wake up, and will never leave you, until you enter your grave,
until your Lord admits you to the abode of happiness, which is Paradise as
vast as the heavens and the earth.

We ask Allaah our Lord to guide you to knowledge of the
truth, and not to cause you to die except in the religion with which He
ended the divine messages.

And Allaah is the source of strength.