Forbidden Desires

It is said: ‘كل ممنوع مرغوب’ meaning: ‘every forbidden thing is desired.’..

Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani narrates an ancient story:

كان الفرزدق أراد امرأة شريفة على نفسها فامتنعت عليه وتهددها بالهجاء والفضيحة فاستغاثت بالنوار امرأته وقصت عليها القصة فقالت لها واعديه ليلة ثم أعلميني ففعلت وجاءت النوار فدخلت الحجلة مع المراة فلما دخل الفرزدق البيت أمرت الجارية فأطفأت السراج وغادرت المرأة الحجلة واتبعها الفرزدق فصار إلى الحجلة وقد انسلت المرأة خلف الحجلة وبقيت النوار فيها فوقع بالنوار وهو لا يشك أنها صاحبته فلما فرغ قالت له يا عدو الله يا فاسق فعرف نغمتها وأنه خدع فقال لها وأنت هي يا سبحان الله ما أطيبك حراما وأرداك حلالا

Al-Farazdaq was a famous poet during the Ummayid dynasty, about 1300 years ago in Iraq.

He wanted to commit adultery with a chaste woman, but she refused, so he threatened to attack her honour and spread scandals about her in his poetry.

The chaste woman approached the poet’s wife and explained the situation. The poet’s wife told this chaste woman to agree a date and time with him, but on the condition that all lights are turned off.

The poet & the woman agreed, so when the woman arrived, he saw her and blew out the candles. At this moment in time, the chaste woman hid behind the bed and swapped her place with the poet’s actual wife. He started having intercourse with his own wife, while thinking it was the other woman!

It was a pre-planned trap and he fell into it…After he finished, his wife said: ‘O enemy of God, woe to you, O unfaithful!’

As he heard her voice, he knew he was set-up… So he immediately responded to her: ‘And to you too! You are so sweet when haram [forbidden], but taste awful when halal [permitted]!’

[‘Kitab Al-Aghaani’, 21/263].

When men/women usually cheat, it is not because of a flaw with their original partner, but it is because the devil beautifies the forbidden [as per the proverb above].

Most men and women are fundamentally the same… that’s why it was said:

من رأى منكم امرأة فأعجبته فليواطئ أهله ، فإن معهن مثل الذي معهن

‘If one of you sees an attractive woman, let them return to their spouse because she has what she has.’

It is also said: ‘Forbidden fruit is the sweetest’, and Adam & Eve were permitted to eat all the fruits of the garden, except 1 tree … they left everything and went after that one tree.

It is upon wise people to understand that humans are basically the same, and to not fall into the traps of the devil, which tempts us with the forbidden.

Very soon, the sweetness of the sin will also go away, but it’s bitterness and punishment will remain.

May God grant us understanding and protect us , Ameen