True Power Is Self-Mastery

📖Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 717
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The strong are not those who defeat people. Rather, the strong are those who defeat their own ego.”

True strength is controlling oneself, including:

• Anger and pride
• Greed and envy
• Sexual desire before marriage (lust) Quran 23:5-7
• Impulsive actions that harm oneself or others

A believer who restrains sexual desire until lawful marriage and maintains chastity (ghayrah) demonstrates true self-mastery.

How to Control Desires Before Marriage:

1. Lower the gaze: Avoid looking at what is forbidden.
2. Guard private parts: Maintain chastity and modesty.
3. Engage in Dhikr (remembrance of Allah): Strengthens self-discipline.
4. Fasting: Helps control sexual and other desires.
5. Avoid temptation: Stay away from provocative situations, content, or media.
6. Seek lawful marriage: Fulfill desires in a permissible way.

Quranic Context:

📖Quran 23:1-3
Certainly will the believers have succeeded:
They who are during their prayer humbly submissive,
And they who turn away from ill speech,
And they who are observant of zakah,

📖Quran 25:63
And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace.

📖Quran 3:134
Those who spend [in Allah’s way] in prosperity and adversity and restrain anger and pardon people; and Allah loves the doers of good.

📖Quran 16:90
Indeed, Allah orders justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives and forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.