Mandatory Characteristics

Differentiating Between Dreams from Allah سبحانه و تعالى, Shaitan and Nafs

Posted by Mohammad Awais Tahir

Set of References For Learning How to Differentiate between types of dreams

Mandatory Characteristics

Characteristic # 1

From Allah THAT GIVES YOU A GLAD TIDING

Dreams that give a glad tiding are from Allah.So, if we see a dream that makes us happy in any way then probably it is a dream from Allah. Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri: The Prophet said, 
"If anyone of you sees a dream that he likes, then it is from Allah, and he should thank Allah for it and narrate it to others; but if he sees something else, i.e., a dream that he dislikes, then it is from Satan, and he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and he should not mention it to anybody, for it will not harm him." (Sahih Al Bukhari)



From Shaitan TRIES TO MAKE YOU WORRIED

If you have a dream that makes you worried, or that tries to inculcate some vain fear in your main then that dream is from shaitan. Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There came to him (the Holy Prophet) a desert Arab and said: I saw in a dream that I had been beheaded and I had been following it (the severed head). Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) reprimanded him saying: Do not inform about the vain sporting of devil with you during the night. (Sahih Al Muslim)



From Nafs MIXED

Dreams that are a result of our thoughts might make us worried or might make us happy. It depends on the content that we embed in our mind that takes some haphazard shape in the dream. All sorts of emotions might come out as a result of a mixed dream.

Filter # 1 : Hence, it is easy to filter out false dreams. Any dream which is displeasing to you on the face of it, is either from shaitan or because of some fear that you have in the back of your mind (type 3). But, any displeasing dream will not be from Allah. Now, if one has a pleasing dream can one be sure that this is from Allah, it could also be some intense unaccomplished wish. To confirm whether it is a type 1 dream or not we should look at the other characteristics. And Allah Knows Best.



Characteristic # 2

From Allah HAVE MEANING AND INTERPRETATION

Allah gives us some glad tiding, or shows us some path, or gives us some future information. Also, the dream can be an encouragement etc. In short, the dream has some meaning, and if it is a 'coded' dream then it needs an interpretation.

From Shaitan MEANINGLESS

Dreams from Shaitan are meaningless and is a try of Shaitan to make us worried.

From Nafs MEANINGLESS

Dreams from Nafs do tell us about the nature and thoughts of the dreamer but they have no real information for the dreamer himself, and he ought not disclose such dreams to others. Hence, for the dreamer these dreams are meaningless.

Filter # 2 : Hence, one can make out from the content and guess whether it is a type 1 dream or not. It is not that difficult to guess which content is meaningful and which one is meaningless. And Allah Knows Best.




Characteristic # 3

From Allah RECURRING

It is the sunnah of Allah to repeat the important message, as we see in the Holy Qur'an the Ayaat of great value are repeated again and again. Similarly, important dreams from Allah are repeated again and again.

From Shaitan and Nafs SINGLE TIME

It rarely happens that a dream from Shaitan or Nafs is repeated as it is.

Filter # 3 : Filtering out satanic dreams, which either have an immodest content or try to make us worried, is easy. A dream from Nafs repeating itself as it is, is something whose probability is near to impossibility, considering the randomness of dreams of Nafs. Hence, a dream which is recurring is of some value and is a dream of type 1. And Allah Knows Best.




Characteristic # 4

From Allah LOOKS AS IF EVENTS ARE REALITY IN THEIR PORTRAYAL

Dreams from Allah are a 'reality' of some higher order, hence one feels them a reality during the dream. This leaves a long-lasting effect on one's mind he remembers the dream in a better with the minute details. He remains fully immersed in the dream and it seems like a reality to him.

From Shaitan LOOKS LIKES THOUGHTS, NOT CONSISTENT WITH FACTS

Dreams from Shaitan, look like a movie-scene more than a reality. They have so many loop-holes, so many happenings that are not consistent with the facts. Many a times, one makes it out during the dream that this is not a reality, I must be dreaming and at the very same instant the dream ends.

From Nafs COMBINE REALITY AND FANTASY TOGETHER

Dreams from Nafs are a combination of reality and fantasy. It depends on the intensity of the dreams from 'Nafs' because sometimes the dream is very clear, and sometimes it is vague. Nevertheless, a careful insight into the dreams shows that the events don't seem like a reality in portrayal like the dreams from Allah are.

Filter # 4: Once again, one can easily ignore the dreams from shaitan. It's not difficult to make out a movie-scene from a reality. It can become difficult some times to differentiate between dreams from Nafs and dreams from Allah, on based of this characteristic alone. But if one combines other characteristics with it then it becomes easy. Filter # 4 and Filter # 5 should always be used together for a better analysis.




Characteristic # 5

From Allah REMEMBERS DETAILS OF DREAM

Dreams from Allah seem just like a reality. As compared to other types of dreams, in the computational language, dreams from Allah have a very high 'quality'. One can remember the minutest details of the dreams from Allah.

Ibn e Khuldun writes in his Muqadma : "Another sign is that the dream vision stays and remains impressed with all its details in the memory of (the person who perceived it). Neither neglect nor forgetfulness affects it. No thinking or remembering is required, in order to have it present (to one's mind). The (dream vision) remains pictured in the mind of (the dreamer) when he awakes. Nothing of it is lost to him. This is because perception by the soul does not take place in time and requires no consecutive order, but takes place all at once and within a single time element."(Muqamda ibn e Khuldun , Chapter: The Science of Dream Interpretation)

When Allah sends us a message directly, then it is not on us to remind ourselves of it continually so that we remember it, instead Allah's message has the in-built capacity that one remembers its minute details, until Allah wishes to wipe it off from one's mind for one reason or the other. As Allah said to Prophet Muhammad in Surah Al Qiyamah : " Do not set your tongue in motion to make haste with (the revelation of the Qur'an). It is up to us to put it together and to recite it. And when we recite it, follow its recitation. Then, it is up to us to explain it."

From Shaitan FORGET DETAILS AND MIXES IT

One tends to forget dreams from Shaitan as soon as he wakes, not if he 'forcefully' reminds himself of it.

From Nafs MAY FORGET DETAILS AND MIXES DETAILS

Dreams of type 3 have a better retention than type 2, but one cannot remember the minute details of the dream."Confused dreams, on the other hand, take place in time, because they rest in the powers of the brain and are brought from the power of memory to the common sense by the imagination, as we have stated. (The process is an action of the body,) and all actions of the body take place in time. Thus, they (require) a consecutive order, in order to perceive anything, with something coming first and something else coming later.Forgetfulness, which always affects the powers of the brain, affects (them). That is not the case with the perceptions of the rational soul. They do not take place in time and have no consecutive order. Perceptions that are impressed in (the rational soul) are impressed all at once in the briefest moment. Thus, after (the sleeper) is awake, (his) dream vision remains present in his memory for quite some time. In no way does it slip his mind as the result of neglect, if it originally made a strong impression. However, if it requires thinking and application to remember a dream vision after a sleeper is awake, and if he has forgotten many of its details before he can remember them again, the dream vision is not a true one but a confused dream." (Muqamda ibn e Khuldun ,Chapter: The Science of Dream Interpretation)

Filter # 5 : Dreams that are useless do not have good retention, they do not have a good 'quality'. One tends to forget the details of such dreams as soon as he wakes up. Dreams from Allah on the other hand are those which are just like reality. So, if you have to 'struggle' to remember the details of the dreams, or you 'fill-up' the missing-links of a dream by yourself then it is surely not a dream from Allah.




Characteristic # 6

From Allah CHASTE NOT INDECENT

Allah never commands what is shameful. (Surah Al A'araf 7:28)

From Shaitan INDECENT

For he (Shaitan) commands you what is evil and shameful, and that ye should say of Allah that of which ye have no knowledge. (Surah Al Baqarah 2:169)

From Nafs BY NATURE OF DREAMER AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION

"Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful."(Surah Yusuf 12:53)

Those who desire indecent acts and involve themselves in them during are expected to see the same in dreams.

Filter # 6 : Any indecent dream can easily be disregarded as a false dream (type 2 and type 3). Of course decency in dreams is not exactly what decency means in this world. For example : if someone dreams of the end times, and everyone is running naked, that might not be counted as a indecent dream. Also, those who involve themselves in indecency throughout the day, might find modesty in the most impure of dreams. He who abides by the Islamic ruling of modesty, will not see an immodest dream, and if he does so will immediately realize it to be a game of shaitan or the nafs.




Characteristic # 7

From Allah DOES NOT OCCUR BECAUSE OF WET DREAMS See characteristic # 6

From Shaitan MAY OCCUR BECAUSE OF WET DREAMS See characteristic # 6

From Nafs MAY OCCUR BECAUSE OF WET DREAMS

Wet dreams after a certain time period. At that time, shaitan or the nafs takes up the opportunity to show indecent images to a person in dream. Of course, that does not hold true for everyone. There are those who have wet dreams without even the slightest of indecency. Hence, it depends on the piety of the person, his age, his marital status as to what sort of wet dream he normally experiences.

Filter # 7 : Any wet dream is to be disregarded as a meaningless dream.




Characteristic # 8

From Allah DEAL WITH PRESENT OR NEAR OR DISTANT FUTURE

Dreams from Allah are either a live experience or they give some direct or indirect message or glad tiding for near and distant future. Example of live experience, can be meeting with dead. For examples of dreams that deal with future see Reference # 2, 3 and 4.

From Shaitan NO RELATION WITH PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE

Dreams from Shaitan are meaningless and have no relation whatsoever with past, present or future.

From Nafs AS A RESULT OF SOME HAPPENING IN NEAR OR DISTANT PAST

Dreams from Nafs are a result of some feeling deposited in the brain as a result of some happening in near or distant past. For example : A child wishes to eat an ice-cream, but his parents don't fulfill his wish during the day, then the child's wish might be fulfilled in the dream. Also, dreams from Nafs might express the general behavior, mentality or actions of the dreamer. Hence, one is advised to tell dreams only to the one who loves, because telling a dream of Nafs by mistake to someone not appropriate, might reveal some of your secret to him.

Filter # 8 : It is pretty tough to differentiate between dreams on this characteristic, as this is a hidden characteristic not evident to the dreamer. Any extreme pending wish taking some shape in the dream can be mistakenly take as a glad tiding for future. Dreams that come from Allah are of vital importance, hence, fulfillment of an ice cream wish can easily be identified as type 3 dream, and fulfillment of one's wish for umrah can be taken as a glad tiding from Allah (See Reference # 9).

Copyright © 2011 Islam and Psychology. Feel free to spread.

Source

The Strategic Role of Dreams and Visions In Islam 

By Sheikh Imran Hosein

Porn Addiction Relapse & Recognizing Triggers

Top 5 Causes of Addiction Relapse

There are a million reasons why someone relapses, but addiction specialists agree that avoiding triggers-the situations and emotions that make drugs attractive-is half the battle. According to Elizabeth Hartney, a leading addiction specialist, the top 5 reasons that those struggling with addiction relapse are:

1. Stress: Stress is one of the top causes of relapse. While one can’t avoid all forms of stress, making lifestyle, relationship, and priority changes can help the recovering addict to avoid situations that spark tension and other negative emotions associated with relapse.
2. People or Places Connected to the Addictive Behavior: Being around people and places associated with one’s addiction can often push a person to relapse. For example, going back to a favorite bar may tempt an individual to pick up the bottle again. It’s better to avoid these temptations, especially in the early phases of recovery.
3. Negative or Challenging Emotions: While negative emotions are a normal part of life, those struggling with addiction often cite frustration, anger, anxiety, and loneliness, as triggers for relapse. Therefore, usually as a part of therapy, it’s essential to develop effective ways of managing, these feelings.
4. Seeing or Sensing the Object of Your Addiction: In recovery, even a slight reminder of the object of the addiction, such as seeing a portrayal of addictive behavior on television, can lead to relapse. While it is impossible to avoid such reminders forever, developing skills for managing any urges or cravings can aid in preventing relapse.
5. Times of Celebration: Most situations that can trigger relapse are perceived as negative. However, sometimes positive situations such as times of celebration, where alcohol or drugs are present, are just as risky. Avoiding such events or bringing along a trusted friend can assist in preventing relapse.

While relapse may happen for some and not others, it’s important to remember that relapse does not mean failure. Recovering from addiction is a life-long process of hard work and dedication to one’s program and recovery path.

Recognizing Triggers

An easy way to look at triggers is to think of them as synonymous with temptation. While you may not always be able to control whether you experience a trigger or a tempting thought, you do have power over whether you succumb to them. In other words, just because you’re tempted to do something you know is bad for your sobriety doesn’t mean you’ll blindly follow through on the urge. Learning to trust your ability to say no and surrounding yourself with people and situations that support you help to build the “muscle” of sobriety.

Triggers can include people, places and things; in general, anything that you associate with substance abuse and/or the compulsive behavior can be a trigger. This can include seeing or hearing something on TV about drinking or gambling; the sound of ice cubes hitting a glass as a family member gets ready to pour a refreshing soda; the smell of pot at a public venue; being around too many people, or being alone; not taking your medication and many, many more sights, smells, sounds, tastes, words, music — the list of possible triggers can seem endless sometimes.

Many self-help support groups use the acronym “H.A.L.T.” to describe certain triggers. The letters stand for Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired; for many, these are common situations that make it more likely you’ll use or drink.

What serves as a trigger for you may be completely different for someone else. However, these are some common triggers, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

• The anniversary dates of losses or trauma
• Frightening news events
• Too much to do; feeling overwhelmed
• Family friction
• The end of a relationship
• Spending too much time alone
• Being judged, criticized, teased or put down
• Financial problems; getting a big bill
• Physical illness
• Sexual harassment
• Being yelled at
• Aggressive-sounding noises or exposure to anything that makes you feel uncomfortable
• Being around someone who has treated you badly
• Certain smells, tastes or noises that remind you of your drug of choice

Once you’ve learned to identify your triggers, you can take the proper steps to deal with them effectively. For some, it helps to keep a list of coping techniques that have worked in the past — such as going for a run, calling a close friend or your sponsor, or “urge surfing”(imagine yourself as a surfer who will ride the urge, staying on top of it until it crests, breaks and turns into less powerful, foamy surf) — along with how you felt after afterward. For example, remembering the good feeling of exhaustion and inner quiet after a long run, or the sense of pride and power you felt after riding out the urge. It’s also important to keep a list of people you can call if triggers become overwhelming. That human connection in the moment may be enough to give you the support and encouragement you need to get through without giving in to the trigger.

And remember to share what you’ve learned with others in self-help support groups or group therapy. There’s great collective wisdom in the rooms of recovery and many opportunities to provide and receive suggestions for excellent coping techniques for triggers.

Signs You’re About to Relapse

 

How do I know if I’m slipping? If you’re asking yourself this question, it could be that you already suspect your recovery might be in jeopardy. Or you might just be a bit cautious. Either way, knowing the signs of relapse can give you the time to take proactive steps to avoid slipping back into using.
Here are 10 common signs of an impending relapse; you don’t need to experience all of them to be at risk. For some, a single trigger can signal relapse is on the way. The key is learning how to recognize the warnings and reaching out for support at the first sign of trouble.

10 Warning Signs of Relapse

1. Negative thinking. You find yourself regarding daily life as bleak and the tasks you need to do as burdensome. You feel like you have a great weight on your shoulders. Increasing feelings of hopelessness or negativity should alert you that you could be in danger of relapsing.
2. Easily angered or annoyed. It’s as if your nerves are on hair-trigger sensitive. You become mad, even furious, often without warning and increasingly over small things. This isn’t like you, but you can’t seem to pull out of it. Getting into arguments with loved ones and family members more frequently is another clear sign that you could be on the verge of relapse.
3. Complacency or overconfidence. After being in recovery for a while, it starts to seem like you’ve got it all down. You know what to do and begin to feel like you can handle any situation. As a result, you may let some of your regular recovery to-do items slide, for example, attending 12-step meetings or practicing self-care habits like healthy eating or exercising. If you find yourself becoming complacent or overly confident about your sobriety, you may need to reassess and reinvest in your recovery program.
4. Increased stress. Without the comfortable crutch of alcohol, drugs or a problematic behavior to smooth over daily aggravations or unexpected situations, you may find your stress level is at the breaking point. Worries about finances, performance at work and how your recovery may be affecting your loved ones can all take a dramatic toll, wearing you down and increasing the likelihood of relapse.
5. Skipping meetings. Not everyone needs to attend self-help support group meetings as part of their recovery. But if you’ve been in recovery for a period of time and you have found meetings helpful, after a while it may begin to seem tedious and unnecessary to keep going. Maybe you feel that you don’t need the regularity of meetings to keep you on course and that you’re perfectly fine on your own. That may in fact be true, but it’s worth paying attention to this tendency, as some may find it’s a short distance from cutting back or skipping recovery meetings to sliding into relapse.
6. Putting yourself in risky situations. If you find that you’re going back to your old haunts and hanging out with friends you used to use with, that’s a precarious situation — and one likely full of old triggers. So guard against thoughts of revisiting the people, places and things you associate with using.
7. Denial. Questioning whether you ever really had a problem or denying to others that you have a problem are both signs that you could be in danger of relapse. If others notice and comment on a difference in you, yet you continue to insist that you’re on top of your recovery, it may be time to slow down and reflect before you slip back into addictive patterns.
8. Isolation. Holing up in the house, refusing to see friends and keeping your distance from family members are troublesome signs of relapse. When you’re in recovery, you need sober, supportive people in your life who reinforce this positive path you’re taking. If you feel depressed, disheartened or angry or alone, instead of sitting home and feeling miserable, get out and surround yourself with people (or at least one person) you trust and with whom you can share some time, even if you’re not ready to open up about how you’re feeling.
9. Loss of interest in family, friends and activities. When problems start to mount and you feel like everything’s about to come crashing down on you, you may notice in yourself a tendency to withdraw from people and activities you once enjoyed. To safeguard your hard-won recovery, it’s important to talk about what’s bothering you, either with a trusted loved one, your sponsor, your therapist or counselor or a member of the clergy.
10. Losing hope. When life looks completely black and you feel a sense of hopelessness and despair, this is a critical warning sign of impending relapse. Take such feelings seriously and get help right away.

 Source: Internet

 

12-Week Porn Addiction Withdrawal Walkthrough

 Source

 Do you feel worse now that you’ve stopped looking at porn?

Knowing what to expect when you’re going through porn addiction withdrawal is crucial to fighting temptation. When you understand what your body is going to throw at you, it’s a lot easier to say, “This is normal and I just have to get through it.”

If you know anyone who’s ever tried to quit smoking, these withdrawal symptoms will look pretty familiar. Studies have shown that withdrawal from porn and masturbation is just as severe as withdrawal from heroin or cocaine.

As you continue reading, you’ll get a day-by-day walk-through of the most common stages of porn addiction withdrawal.

1 to 7 Days Without Porn

The first thing that happens when you quit is that your Dopamine levels take a nose-dive. As you learned about in the Porn Addiction Symptoms article, Dopamine is the chemical your brain surges into your system every time you look at porn.

In these first few days, your brain is literally in shock.

Many men start experiencing these withdrawal symptoms within 48 hours of quitting:

• Grumpiness – Every little thing will irritate you. For me, I became extremely cynical about everything around me.
• Mood swings – As your brain tries to rebalance itself, you’ll feel like a teenage girl having her first period… Happy one minute and on the verge of tears the next. Seriously.
• Headaches – I didn’t ever experience intense migraines like some men report, but I did get subtle pressure headaches that lasted for hours at a time.
• Anxiety – Some men have legitimate panic attacks, but I experienced this more as a general feeling of stress. From the first three days for the next three months, I always felt like I had way too much to do.
• Pornographic Thoughts – Temptation during the first week is extremely intense. This is because your last pornographic experience is still fresh on your mind. We’ll talk more about this below.

The Seven-Day Craving

Can you quit looking at porn for an entire week?

For most men reading this, the answer is no. The classic test of addiction is whether or not you can make it a full seven days without even looking at porn. That’s because of the Seven-Day Craving, a classic pitfall for first-time quitters.

The Seven-Day Craving is exactly what it sounds like… You’ll usually experience very intense cravings around Day 7 without looking at porn. For some men, you’ll get your 7-Day Craving at Day 21. For some men, it’ll come at Day 5 and last ‘til Day 10.

Read more: [How to resist temptation to look at porn.]

1 to 3 Weeks Without Porn

Congratulations! You made it past the first week. You’ve still got a long road ahead of you, but you should still pat yourself on the back for making it this far.

These are the most common symptoms men report after the initial one-week hump:

• Zombie-like State – Because your brain has been deprived of its regular Dopamine highs, it’s common for abstainers to enter a sluggish, zombie-like state. Expect low energy levels to last anywhere from two weeks to two months.
• Unable to Focus – I could not work efficiently in the first few weeks after I quit. The constant fatigue somehow made me feel restless, and things that normally took 30 minutes were now taking an hour. I had no motivation and no focus.
• Social Awkwardness – It’s hard to accurately describe this symptom, but many men echoed that they felt awkward or exposed in social settings. It feels like you constantly have your foot in your mouth.
• Low Sex Drive – You might expect your sex drive to be bursting at the seams after going without porn for a week or two, but many men report the exact opposite. Although porn will still ignite temptation when you think about it, any other sexual activity may not sound appealing while your brain reboots.
• Loneliness – This website is mostly tailored towards married men, but you single men especially will have trouble with this one. You’ll experience loneliness, and you’ll want to escape it with porn. Don’t give in!

4 to 8 Weeks Without Porn

28 days without any porn or masturbation is when about 50% of men start feeling the initial porn addiction withdrawals start to go away.

For the rest of you, keep going, you’re relief is just a few weeks away!

Heavily addicted men will probably need another month or two. Even if you still struggle with withdrawal symptoms, by now you’ve at least gotten used to going through each day without porn. Looking at it is no longer a habit.

Here’s what’s happening in your brain right now:

The “layers” of addicting Delta Fos-B which built up in your brain due to repeated Dopamine overdosing are starting to disintegrate. Your brain is it essentially re-wiring itself to function with normal levels of Dopamine.

Here are some specific withdrawals to look out for from days 30 to 60:

• Random Temptation – There have been so many times that I’ve made it to four or five weeks without looking at porn, only to have a single bad day that sent me hurtling back into relapse.
• Bursts of Overwhelming Emotion – You may be reading a book, looking out the window or lying in bed when suddenly you feel yourself tearing up about nothing in particular.
• Insomnia – Men who were heavily addicted to porn for a long time are the most likely to experience insomnia in this stage of recovery. Insomnia due to withdrawal is nearly impossible to treat, and over-the-counter sleep aids probably won’t do much to help.
• Depression – Again, not all men will suffer from depression, and some may experience it much earlier in the withdrawal process. It’s not uncommon for this depression to last several weeks, but it always goes away eventually.

2 Months & Beyond

If you’ve made it two solid months without looking at porn at all, then you’re starting to notice some definite improvements in your life.

• You’re starting to feel happier
• Your sex drive is coming back in a healthy way
• You have more energy and focus than ever before
• Your marriage actually feels fulfilling and your wife looks gorgeous

The longest that I’ve ever heard porn addiction withdrawal symptoms last without any relapse is seven months. That was in a 45 year-old man who’d been looking at porn multiple times a day for thirty years.

For me, four months without porn was the turning point for my withdrawal symptoms, but it took me two miserable years to get there.

That’s why there’s one thing that you absolutely must remember at all times:

Never
Ever
Let Your Guard Down

Temptation could come at any turn, and years down the road you may still face a spark of temptation every now and then. But if you can keep yourself away from porn without any relapse for a full two months, I guarantee you’ll start noticing some changes.

 The Dangers of Pornography!

Porn Will Violate Your Soul + Illustrated + Dont give up avoiding+

4.SELECTING A TIME FOR SEXUAL RELATIONS

READ DISCLAIMER BEFORE PROCEEDING

4. SELECTING A TIME FOR SEXUAL RELATIONS

GENERALLY, THE SHARI'A does not specify any particular time for engaging in or desisting from sexual activity. Married couples may choose any time of the day or night for sex, unless there is some other external factor prohibiting sex, such as the time for prayer is about to end and one has not yet prayed, or the wife is menstruating. It is authentically reported that the Messenger of Allah (s) engaged in sexual relations with his wives at various times of the day and night.

Furthermore, sexual activity can only take place if the urge exists and if the couple have the necessary agility and are relaxed. As such, it is impractical to impose specific times for sex, given that couples differ from one another in their hours of work, times of resting and sleeping, and their desire to have sex. As a result, Shari'a has not legislated a time in which they should engage in sexual relations.

Scholars mention, however, certain times that are favourable for sexual activity, and others during which it is disliked. Statements are transmitted from certain Companions and early Muslims (r). It is worth noting that these preferences are based on medical reasons, individual experiences or personal judgments, and do not constitute a legal (shari’) ruling. There is no sin attached to disregarding them. Many of the statements quoted from the Companions and early Muslims in this respect are not authentically established with proper chains of transmission, for instance the poetry transmitted from Sayyiduna 'Ali (r) on this subject.

Given this, one need not consider the advice below to be binding or authentically established. It should not be given more importance than it deserves, but at the same time, one should not consider what some books mention about preferable times for having sex and times to avoid sex as baseless. These recommendations are based on experience and personal judgment and this is the context in which the terms "preferred" and "disliked" should be read in the coming sections.

Source: Islamic Guide To Sexual Relations

To Be Continued....