Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 226
226 away from the places where he can obtain drink, or where he may be reminded of his habit, and if things which are likely to remind him of it are kept away from him, he will, after a short time, regain the power of self- control and will completely divest himself of the habit of drink. Keeping this principle in view Islam has laid down instructions whereby all those avenues by which evil thoughts or vices can enter the human mind are sought to be closed. It is a matter of surprise, however, that this psychological truth on which Islam has based injunctions which have made a substantial addition to the volume of moral and intellectual debt which the world owes it, has provoked the fiercest opposition to Islam and has failed to receive due appreciation even at the hands of those who appraise the value of all things by the standard of reason. It is difficult to explain here in detail the teach- ings of Islam concerning all those matters that incite a man to sin or wrongdoing. I shall, therefore, confine myself to a few instances by way of illustration. I shall first advert to those injunctions which re- late to chastity. Islam does not, like other religions, merely say, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery,'—for, we do not stand in need of being told that adultery is sinful. The question is how shall we avoid falling into this sin? Islam tells us that we can avoid the commission of this sin by shutting the doors through which the temptation to commit it might enter, viz. , the doors of sight, hear- ing, and touch. When a man beholds a beautiful person,