Can you please explain the term ‘fahisha’? What are the things that are termed under fahisha?

Can you please explain the term ‘fahisha’? What are the things that are termed under fahisha?
I ask this bcoz a muslim brother from my class is going to Arabia and he asked everyone forgiveness for all that he had done. Now I cant stop thinking about him. I don’t have a temptation to look to his face and I don’t know what his face looks like, but I just find myself thinking about him like what things he does when he was there.

I’m not thinking about him always but sometimes it pops up. I don’t think I love him, bcoz I don’t have the temptation to talk or dress nicely in front of him and I don’t feel jealous when he talks to the other girls. Just that he has a great and loving heart and I think that he admires me bcoz probably I am the only one in my class who is staying away from all sins (except this but I don’t know whether it is a sin).

If it was love, I would have looked at him, talked to him or dress nicely when he was present, but I follow the whole rules of Shariah. My other girl classmates are very bad bcoz they know the rules of shariah but don’t follow them. All of my friends hate me bcoz im just a shy girl who sits in one corner and they don’t like spending time with me.

in such a case, this muslim brother I was talking about is not like these people bcoz he doesn’t find it weird that I follow all the rules of shariah. we are in the same class and I NEVER meet or mingle with him except for educational purposes and that too by following shariah.

Some months before he had disturbed me by looking at my side always, but at that time I didn’t feel this. and when he understood that he was disturbing me, he took care not to look at me again.

I understood that he will miss me from his actions, and by these I understood that he was unselfish and that he has a great heart. I think I think only about his personality, but im not sure whether this will lead to fitnah. is it wrong to admire somebody for their personality? is it fahishah?

please do answer bcoz im in great confusion. or else I may jump into fitnah.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Sister in Islām,

It is encouraging to note that you are trying your best to adopt the quality of Hayā’ and modesty. This is a sign of your Imān and faith. We should realize that as humans, Allah has created us with certain weaknesses and vulnerabilities among which is the attraction to the opposite gender. Furthermore, Shaytān takes advantage of our weakness and tries his utmost to involve us gradually in sin and immodesty. Shaytān will first entice a person to pass a simple remark after which he will induce him to dwindle further into immodesty and before this person realises he will commit acts of filth, which he thought he would never do. It is in this regard that Allah cautions us,

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَة وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا 

“Do not draw near to fornication, for it is an indecency, and its way is evil”[1]

Therefore, one should distance one’s self from any action that will lead one to vice, be it an action, statement or thought. Though it is encouraged to admire a person for his good qualities, it essential that we consider our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Apparently, it may seem as though you are only admiring his personality however, it may escalade and lead to fitnah. Accordingly, you should dispel the thoughts of the person in reference reoccurring in your mind to the best of your ability as that may lead to evil (Fāhishah).

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Muntasir Zaman

Student Darul Iftaa
New York, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net