Preface

Romanticism is the relation based on selfishness and shame. A man in so called romantic love rarely cares for anyone. He keeps terminator look in eyes and with an angry young man image he is ready to strike the whole world. He remembers some of the romantic Bollywood dialogues and chants them like a parrot. He doesn't respect anyone especially the parents of the girl to whom he is in love with. In the meantime if some other angry young man with a terminator look in eyes has a so called true love with his sister then the first one is ready for a kill. He is there to save the Lajja of her sister. Now it is the clash of the titans. Two angry young men, in front of one another, one is there to take his love and the other one to prevent him doing so. Now the stage is set. Before anyone would have raised his hand somebody comes and tells the second angry young man that her sister is in love with the third angry young man. He halts and before he could have taken his love he rushes to prevent her sister from falling to third angry young man and hence the show goes on and on and on...
Our sisters are a step ahead of boys as far as romance is concerned. They try everything best to attract the opposite sex. They wear erotic dresses; dazzle their faces with every sort of makeup product. They are so skilful in this art that even Bollywood actresses will come to them for some makeup tips.
The new generation is most vulnerable to the menace of romanticism. They have admired nobody since they gained consciousness accept Bollywood Stars, who sowed the ultimate concept of romanticism in their minds, their parents did nothing accept letting their children getting astray because they themselves had left the principles of Islam somewhere in the past and now they are facing the consequences by producing the new Bollywood breed in their own homes in the form of their own children.
There is no doubt in the fact that Al-Qur'an is the last testament and it leads the path to salvation. Surah An-Nur from Ayah 30 to 31 says:

Enjoin the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that is chaster for them. Surely Allah is well aware of their actions. Likewise enjoin the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty; Not to display their beauty and ornaments except what normally appears thereof; let them draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their charms except to their husbands, their fathers, their fathers-in-law, their own sons, their stepsons, their own brothers, their nephews on either brothers' or sisters' sides, their own womenfolk, their own slaves, male attendants who lack sexual desires or small children who have no carnal knowledge of women. Also enjoin them not to strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden trinkets. And O believers! Turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, about your past mistakes, so that you may attain salvation…

Of course there is no bargain with Al-Qur'an, the people who try to justify that the romanticism is compatible with ISLAM, for them Allah has prepared the blazing hell. Surah Ibrahim Ayah 15 to 16 says:

And they prayed that the truth be made to triumph. And every arrogant enemy of the truth shall be undone. With the Hell awaiting him; and he shall be made to drink of the water of most bitter distress.

Some people may say that their is no colour and joy in life without romanticism, those people actually never think to come out of arrogance as a result they never try something different. The person who ponders on nature and all the beautiful creations of Allah, for him romance and all such stuff is obsolete and colourless. He thanks Allah for creating him, for all the beautiful things he has given him and bows in prostration to the Almighty.
If we still pay arrogance to Al-Qur'an and consistently trespass the boundaries Allah has made for our own benefit then we should be ready for his wrath, He will strike us in the form of famine, Earthquakes, Thunderstorms, Bloodshed and Tyranny. For the men and women who think and ponder, they may know that the wrath has been already initiated.

HARUN YAHYA has produced one more gem titled "Romanticism the Weapon of Satan" in this booklet I have included only one chapter of the book. Like always Harun Yahya has done his best to invoke the "TAQAWA" or the God consciousness among the Ummah especially our young brothers and sisters who are been taken away by the western lusture. May Allah grant Harun Yahya a secure place in "JANNAH" for his service to Islam and bring us back to the straight path of true faith. AMEEN.

The Holy Qur'an advices us in Surah Al-Nur (Ayah 33):

…And let those who do not find means to marry keep themselves chaste until Allah enriches them out of His bounty.


T. M. Sheikh
shiekhtm@yahoo.com

14-02-2003

THE IDEA OF ROMANTIC LOVE

Some people set up equals to God, loving them as they should love God. But those who believe have greater love for God. If only you could see those who do wrong at the time when they see the punishment, and that truly all strength belongs to God, and that God is severe in punishment. (Qur'an, 2:165)

Before we talk about the romantic idea of love, it will be useful to remind ourselves of the believer's true understanding of love. A person of conscience and faith knows that God is the being to whom his faith is bound, and whom he must approach with his heart full of love. After all, God created him out of nothing and gave him his body, his mind, his conscience, his faith and everything that he possesses. God has met his every need and continues to do so. He has created all the blessings of this world for him. What is more, when the believer submits in obedience, God makes him happy with the promise of His abiding pleasure, and the endless blessing of His love. All these things are given freely from His grace and compassion. Therefore, in the true sense, it is God who is worthy above all others to be loved. God warns His believers of this in the Qur'an, saying "make your Lord your goal!" (Qur'an, 94:8)
The love that people feel for one another should have its source in God. The person who loves God feels compassion toward those who obey Him. This is real love, felt for the qualities of God manifested in these people.
Another justification for the feeling of love is the interest and attraction we feel for the noble qualities in the beloved. When this interest and attraction are countered with a similar response from the other person, the relationship turns into a strong bond of love. However, what is important here is to find the original source of these superior qualities, and to focus one's interest, attraction and love toward that being. And that being is God who is the source of all beauty and every excellent quality, and the superior qualities ascribed to His creatures are only a very dim reflection of the eternal qualities that belong to Him. God's servants may temporarily manifest or reflect these qualities.
Therefore, it can be said that love is felt only for God. The love felt for the objects in which His attributes are reflected must be nurtured only in His name and with Him in one's heart and mind. It is one of the surest signs that a person is idolising God's creatures, when he regards a person or a thing as having an existence or potency apart from God, and loves that person or thing as he should love God.
There are many kinds of idolatry perpetrated in society that arise from the nurturing of a false and illegitimate love. Idolising one's father, son, wife, family or ancestors aside from God are all examples of errant and illegitimate forms of love.
In the following verse, Abraham explains how pagans, out of mutual love and regard between each other, abandoned God and adopted idols for worship:

He said, "You have adopted idols apart from God as tokens of mutual affection in this world. But then on the Day of Rising you will reject one another and curse one another. The Fire will be your shelter. You will have no helpers." (Qur'an, 29:25)

The Qur'an is thus telling us how these bonds of love ultimately turn to hate and betrayal on the Day of Judgement. The reason being, that when people establish a bond of inordinate love or adoration between themselves they make idols of each other, which leads only to torment. For those who acknowledge God as the only god, there is no possibility of putting another person or another thing on the same level as God, or of loving that thing or person more than Him. Idolators do the opposite, as discussed in the following verse:

Some people set up equals to God, loving them as they should love God. But those who believe have greater love for God. If only you could see those who do wrong at the time when they see the punishment, and that truly all strength belongs to God, and that God is severe in punishment. (Qur'an, 2:165)

In the above quoted verse, how much people with faith are to love God is explained to us. So much so, that it is impossible to say that someone has faith if he adores someone or something else more strongly than he loves God. If someone claims the opposite, it is clear either that he is not being sincere, or that he does not understand God and His religion as well as he should. Indeed, the end part of this verse makes it clear that those who worship others aside from God have a wrong and incomplete perception of Him.
Because such people cannot value God the way He should be valued (Qur'an, 39:64-65), they direct their feelings of love, either to themselves, or to other people: to their fathers, sons, brothers and sisters, wives, husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends, people they look up to as examples or people they are attracted to. The list can be very long. Some people may even direct their feelings of love toward inanimate objects, or even toward abstract concepts. Things such as money, property, a house, a car or false ideals such as position, rank and power, may be idolised. In short, adoration which is not guided by faith, is part of the sin of idolatry or ascribing divinity to other than God. Because this love is not wisely directed toward God, it is a romantic love. In the Qur'an, God says that this kind of love will bring no advantage, and that real benefit is to be found in His sight:

To mankind the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colours: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of the world. The best homecoming is in the presence of God. (Qur'an, 3:14)

We must love all these things as creatures of God, and realise that He has merely bestowed each of them to us as a blessing. Human love is a particularly wonderful feeling that God has created. In the Qur'an, it says that God created human beings in "the best of forms." Therefore, it is necessary for a believer to nurture an inner love for those who are worthy of it; those who are obedient to God and who have a good character. The true love that a believer feels cannot be compared with the kind of love common in societies that are without religion; it is a sublime, deep inner feeling.
In the following pages, we will look at those people who cannot experience this sublime feeling, which is a blessing given by God, and focus our attention on the relationships between men and women, where love has tended to give rise to the most frequently encountered kind of "idolatry."

Idolatrous Love between Men and Women

In the relationship between a man and a woman, the establishment of a mutual bond, outside of that approved by God, is one of the most critical factors leading to "idolatry." It may take the form of marriage, or "living together," which has gained an increasingly widespread acceptance.
In this romantic understanding of love, the "lovers" show to each other all the duties that should be directed toward God, and they show to each other those feelings that should be reserved for God, as if they had an existence apart from Him. These individuals, instead of keeping God in mind, think only of each other. When they first open their eyes in the morning, instead of thanking their Creator for the new day, they think of each other, seeking to please only each other, not to please God. They are willing to sacrifice themselves for each other, but not for God.
In short, each turns the other into god. Likewise, when we consider various examples of this warped understanding of love, as has become so widespread in the world, we will find that romantic men and women will openly declare to each other, "I worship you," "Wherever I go, I think about you," and other such expressions. However, wherever one looks, and wherever one goes, the only Being who deserves to be adored is God, the Lord of the Universe.
As we have been examining, romantic love appears to be an innocent kind of love, though it is a type of "idolatry," reprehensible in the sight of God. However, Satan blinds people to the truth, and so, in this case, he has again warped the truth to make it seem pleasant, and to make people follow the way he shows them:

By God, We sent Messengers to communities before your time, but Satan made their actions seem good to them. Therefore today he is their protector. They will have a painful punishment. (Qur'an, 16:63)

… Satan made their actions seem good to them and so debarred them from the Way, even though they had been granted insight. (Qur'an, 29:38)
The Qur'an calls special attention to the errant passion felt for a woman in this kind of romantic love. The recipient of this love can be any woman: a wife, girlfriend, even a distant "platonic" love. If this kind of love prevents a person from remembering God as he ought, or makes him prefer his beloved in his heart rather than God, it leads that person into idolatry. Of course, this is a threat posed not only for men, but also for women.
People, who live absorbed in this romantic man-woman relationship, are often unaware of the dangers into which they have put themselves. Because of the fact that they have followed their cues since childhood from a misguided society, without knowing that the Qur'an is their only guide to the right path, they are completely unaware that the way they have been living is a wrong in the sight of God. Because they live their lives without cognisance of God, they become trapped in a mire of ignorance, though, as we said before, they believe they are on the right way. However, because they have no faith in God, their wisdom and understanding have become blind.
Being caught in this mindless love, men and women, who have made idols of each other, are sometimes led into acts of self-destruction. For example, two young people in love with each other may be deluded to the point of taking pleasure in the idea of committing suicide. When the circumstances do not permit two young people to be together, they may jump off a bridge, hand in hand, in order to "immortalise" their love, or so that "their souls may be together for eternity," or for some such other irrational motive. However, in committing such an act, they are not aware that they are actually throwing themselves directly into the jaws of hell. In committing such a forbidden act, without seeing the error in it, they believe that they will be reunited not with God but with each other after their death. This they will realise when they see the Angel of Death, at their final moment, but it will be too late. We can read in the newspapers of the deeply-saddened letters left behind by people who have committed suicide because of unrequited love. These are clear examples of how romanticism can completely shut up a person's mind and conscience.
However, when the blindfold is removed, and a person sees that the promise of eternal torment is real, he will finally try to save himself by offering as ransom that partner to whom he had blindly devoted himself, and turned into a god under the influence of romanticism. What these people will ultimately do is described in a verse of the Qur'an as follows:

Even though they can see each other, an evildoer will wish he could ransom himself from the punishment of that Day, by means of his sons, or his wife or his brother or his family who sheltered him or everyone else on earth, if that only meant that he could save himself. (Qur'an, 70:11-14)

The same situation is described in another verse:
The Day a man will flee from his brother and his mother and his father, and his wife and his children: on that Day every man among them will have concerns enough of his own. (Qur'an, 80:34-37)

The kind of romantic love that leads to idolatry has become acceptable in society as completely "innocent," as "mere romance" and as "true feelings;" it is even praised and encouraged. Usually, it is at a young age that people fall under the influence of romanticism, which prevents the development of their minds and conscience, keeping them ignorant of religion, faith and the purpose of creation. They have forgotten God, and know nothing about loving or fearing Him. Idolatry then becomes the common practise of this misguided generation.
Television and films often impose romantic and emotional subjects on viewers. They contend that sentimentality is merely a natural tendency in human beings. Romance is one of the most consistent and marketable themes in music, poetry and literature. Satan knows very well that sentimentality is a sickness that prevents people from thinking properly, of recognising reality, of being mindful of God, and of contemplating the purpose of creation and the afterlife, and that it lures people away from practising their religion, and leads them ultimately into idolatry. Therefore, he seeks to mislead society at every turn by means of an intense and constant bombardment of sentimental themes.
Consequently, those who think that idolatry simply refers to the worship of false-gods, or statues made of stone or wood, should be careful not to regard themselves as immune from this matter, or to be among those who will say on the last day, "By God, our Lord, We were not idolators." (Qur'an, 6:23)

The Love of a Believer

In short, directing one's feelings of adoration to anyone other than God, or to any one of His creatures, is a critical cause leading to "idolatry." As for believers, as we said earlier, they adore only God, though they recognise in their fellow-believers, and in creation, the manifestation of His qualities. They love only for the sake of God. They do not love something independently of Him. The Prophet Mohammed also drew attention to this point and said, "Whoever amongst your followers die without having worshipped others besides Allah, will enter Paradise."15 This is both the proof as well as the necessary condition of faith.
A believer's love is pure and clear as light, and creates a lightness in the heart, because the true object of love is God. For this reason, a believer does not grieve over the death of someone he loves, for his qualities were a reflection of God's, or feel disappointed when he has lost one of his favourite possessions. He knows that the owner of all the material and spiritual good in the object of love, as well as that beauty found in it, was a reflection of God. God is immortal, indestructible, timeless and eternal, and, most importantly, He is closer to a believer than his jugular vein. Therefore, there is no need for concern, because God, in order to test him, has merely temporarily removed that in which He was reflected. If he persists in his faith and right understanding, whatever he wishes for in this world or the next will be given to him in abundance as the beautiful manifestations of God.

Therefore, there is no situation that would cause grief to a believer, or cause his distress, because he has grasped this secret and attained pure faith. God explains the spiritual state of the believer in these words:

Those who say, "Our Lord is God," and then go straight will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Qur'an, 46:13)


THE PHYSICAL ILL CAUSED BY ROMANTICISM

God does not wrong people in any way; rather it is people who wrong themselves. (Qur'an, 10:44)

As romanticism causes mental and spiritual damage, so too does it cause physical deterioration. Most important are those apparent physical changes that a person is unable to hide. It is natural that if one experiences mental distress, tension and worry, these are bound to be reflected in his outward appearance. An emotional person's facial expressions, hand movements and tone of voice, all reveal the fact that his or her personality is governed by sentimentality.
In emotional people, we may recognise the physical traits that a "psychosomatic," or mental illness, can give rise to. When their bodies lose their physical resilience, they become weak, their immune system collapses and they either fall into one illness after another or an existing illness lingers without getting better.
Along with this sickness come many other changes: a person may lose his hair, or it may become prematurely grey and appear lifeless; the skin loses its moisture and elasticity and becomes dry, thickened, wrinkled and cracked, with the result that it becomes prone to infections. Moreover, because the cells are slow to regenerate, the person appears to have a permanent skin condition; his complexion is sallow and his eyes are dull. Therefore, it is evident that people with a tendency towards romantic melancholy, who continually create problems for themselves, become old early. Their bodies cannot stand the years of unrelenting tension, emotional flare-ups and mental unrest. As a consequence, they display signs of early ageing and other forms of serious physical deterioration.
This is not the last of the physical damage that sentimentality can inflict on a person. His inner soberness and melancholy are reflected on his face and in his behaviour; all his dynamism, spirit, zest for life and love are seriously diminished and, consequently, so is his physical health. Because of the dullness of his eyes, the thinning and lifelessness of his hair, and the tension in his facial muscles, his expression is tense, gloomy and unpleasant. These are just a few of the physical changes that might take place. By the same token, people who are joyous, calm and composed live much longer lives compared to those who are tense, stressed and prone to tears, and it is a scientifically proven fact that they are healthier.
Moreover, confronted with these physical changes, they make the nightmare they are living worse, instead of thinking about the transience of the world, their own helplessness within it, and submitting in faith to God. Because they do not consider the good that may come to them from growing old and its effects, they are despairing and beset by continual anxiety. Caught in this vicious circle, they are fixed in a burden that they are physically unable to eradicate. In fact, doctors have indicated that a number of illnesses are caused by sadness, worry and stress, and that the only cure is in finding joy and becoming more optimistic.
It has been determined that a number of conditions-sleep and eating disorders, high or low blood-pressure, stomach, kidney and heart problems, asthma, allergies, eczema, psoriasis, migraines, cancer and many illnesses-have psychological origins connected to stress and depression. When the body is faced with stress, there is a biochemical reaction in which the consumption of energy is raised to the maximum level, and if this level of stress continues, an imbalance in body functions results.

Experts have written about the connection between stress and pain:
There is a significant correlation between stress and the tenseness and pain it causes. Stress-born tenseness causes the veins to be contracted, therefore preventing blood flow to certain regions in the brain. On the other hand, leaving a tissue bloodless for a while is direct cause for pain, because, possibly, the extra need for oxygen in the tense tissue as well as the lack of blood in the tissue stimulates special pain receptors. Meanwhile, adrenaline and noradrenalin-substances that affect the nervous system during stress-are released. These either directly or indirectly increase the tenseness of the muscles. Thus, pain causes tenseness, which in turn causes anxiety, which then leads to an increase in pain. 16

Stress and depression-related conditions, such as memory loss, attention deficit, lack of clear judgement and thinking, nervous twitches and uncontrollable behaviour, are recognisable in those people who have no faith, whereas believers are spiritually and mentally sound and well-balanced. This is because, true peace of mind and lasting joy come only from submitting to God and putting one's self in His hands. The believer's joy and peace of mind never abandon him, because he has submitted himself to God, and to the fate that God has created, and lives his life trusting in Him. By God's grace, he is spared this kind of physical deterioration.
The feeling of melancholy that romanticism instils in people is a terrible ailment which can only be removed by the submission and joy that faith brings. Believers, on their way to Paradise, will offer praise to God in these words:

They will say, "Praise be to God who has removed all sadness from us. Truly our Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful." (Qur'an, 35:34)

Sentimentality is one of the most common character flaws of those who have adopted a way of life and morality contrary to religion. It is not, however, as has typically been thought, a trait of character that one is born with and cannot change.
This spiritual condition is one that a person has either adopted consciously or unconsciously. Those who claim that introversion, weepiness, melancholy and irascibility, cannot be controlled by the will, will find, upon sincere reflection, that their contention is untenable. For example, if a melancholy person is offered a large sum of money, or something else of considerable value, he might immediately become overjoyed, this being clear evidence to the fact that if someone wishes, he can very easily abandon his despairing attitude. So, it is clear that sentimental attitude adopted by a person merely represents a lack of consideration for those around him, and is a typical example to a person's wronging himself, as the Qur'an says:
God does not wrong people in any way; rather it is people who wrong themselves. (Qur'an, 10:44)

However, sentimental people cannot grasp this reality, because they are continually in a melancholic and despairing state of mind. No matter what happens, they will always find a reason to feel sad and anxious. Actually, these people wrong themselves. This fact is revealed in the Qur'an as follows:

When We give people a taste of mercy, they rejoice in it, but when something bad happens to them because of what they themselves have done, they immediately lose all hope. (Quran, 30:36)

For this kind of person to escape the romantic state of mind, and to be cured of this disease, he must be on his guard, with full state of awareness, of the false promises of Satan and of his deceptions. And only a person's faith can make this possible.
A true believer will find the weakness of romanticism unbecoming for himself. He will behave rationally, bring solutions to problems, and make himself an example to those around him. Moreover, because of his superior moral manner and conversation, he is naturally content. The brightness and light shining forth from his righteous behaviour will make people joyful and happy, even in the most difficult circumstances. Such behaviour will pave the way to a beautiful, peaceful and honourable life in this world and to a life of joy and bliss in the world to come. Therefore, for the believer, whose behaviour and state of mind are pleasing to God, there can be no cause for sadness or anxiety; there can be nothing to draw him into pessimism. God reveals it in this way:

God will give security those who have done their duty in their victorious Safe Haven. No evil will touch them and they will know no sorrow. (Qur'an, 39:61)
Moreover, for the believer, joy, happiness, peace and security are merely earthly reflections of the conditions of life in Paradise. These pleasures begin in this world; and when those who have hoped in God finally attain Paradise, they will find that those pleasures will persist into eternity. The Qur'an describes the bliss enjoyed by the believers in the life hereafter:

So God has safeguarded them from the evil of that Day and has made them meet with radiance and pure joy. (Qur'an, 76:11)

In another verse, God reveals the difference between believers and unbelievers on the Last Day:

That Day some faces will be radiant, laughing, rejoicing. That Day some faces will be dust-covered, overcast with gloom. Those are the dissolute disbelievers. (Qur'an, 80:38-42)

Unbelievers, in the hereafter, will come to know with the reality of the life of Hell, earned in this world by succumbing to the temptations of Satan-a life that will continue eternally, but with much greater intensity. On the other hand, the believer's happiness enjoyed in Paradise will go on uninterrupted into eternity.

On the Day it comes, no self will speak except by His permission. Some of them will be wretched and others glad. As for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire, where they will sigh and gasp, remaining in it timelessly, for ever, as long as the heavens and earth endure, except as your Lord wills. Your Lord is the Doer of what He wills. As for those who are glad, they will be in the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, for ever, as long as the heavens and earth endure, except as your Lord wills: an uninterrupted gift. (Qur'an, 11:105-108)



Grasp the Opportunity!

GET HOLY QUR'AN (COMPUTER CD) & MIRACLES OF QUR'AN (VCD)*
Absolutely Free of Cost
Contact:
OUR REVOLUTION IS THE EXPLOSION OF LIGHT
School of Orthoepy Qur'an & Theology Education
Office: Chammer Dori, Zaina Kadal, Sgr -2 Branch: BigLeap Academy, Ali Jan Plaza, M. A. Road, Sgr-1
Email: info@soqte.org
For monetarily help: J&K Bank, Branch: Zaina Kadal, A/C No. 11705/111

" Condition applies for Miracles of Qur'an VCD ( you will be asked a question about Islamic General Knowledge)