nothing but harm in chasing fleeting desires. The bad outcomes associated with this can be learnt through this hadith.

Three things that lead to ruin

The final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Three things will lead you to ruin: remaining lost in greed, fulfilling desires of the nafs and a person being prideful over himself.” ^[1]

Dear Islamic brothers! ان شآء اللہ If we are successful in overcoming our nafs­-related desires, we will find ourselves cleansed from greed and able to abstain from many forms of sin. Our inward state will become pure. Ultimately, we will then be granted the huge bounty of having our acts of worship impact our hearts positively - ان شآء اللہ.

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                 صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! A person’s desires never come to an end. Day by day, they increase in number. Nowadays people go to extreme lengths to fulfil them. Whether they must put themselves in debt or do something haram, they do not care for this at all. They just single-mindedly seek to fulfil desire after desire.

Let us now discuss select verses of the Quran, which condemn following one’s desires. Let’s also learn of the harms brought about by obeying the nafs. In Sūrah Maryam, Allah declares:

فَخَلَفَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ خَلۡفٌ اَضَاعُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ اتَّبَعُوا الشَّہَوٰتِ فَسَوۡفَ یَلۡقَوۡنَ  غَیًّا (ۙ۵۹)

Translation from Kanz al-Īmān: “So, after them in their place came those unworthy successors who missed salah and pursued their lusts;