By Shaykh Abdul Qayum
10 July 2026

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Dear respected brothers and sisters, Allah reminds His servants through the signs He has placed all around them. Among these signs are the changing seasons: the cold of winter and the strong heat of summer.

The believer does not only feel the weather on his skin. He looks beyond the physical experience and takes a lesson from it. These days of heat can turn our thoughts to something far greater, and can move us to return to Allah. Allah says:

Let us reflect today on two lessons: the reminder contained in this heat, and the duty of lowering the gaze for the sake of Allah.

The Heat is a Sign

We are living through days of intense heat. The strong sun, the discomfort, the tiredness it brings, all of this is an opportunity to reflect. A believer takes lessons from what he experiences and draws nearer to Allah through it. Allah says:

The Prophet ﷺ connected the heat of this world directly to the Fire. He told us that the Fire complained to its Lord and said, "My Lord, parts of me have consumed other parts." So Allah permitted it two breaths, one in winter and one in summer. The severe heat we feel and the severe cold we feel come from these two breaths.

This is why Allah warns us:

If we struggle with a few hours of heat in this world, what about the Fire whose fuel is people and stones? This heat should wake us to repentance, to obedience, and to a sincere wish to be saved from Allah's punishment.

Every Comfort is a Blessing

The heat also reminds us that comfort itself is a blessing. So many of the favours Allah gives us go unnoticed until they are reduced or taken away. Cool air. Shade. Health. Shelter. Safety. Strength. We enjoy these day and night without a second thought. Allah says:

And He says:

So let us be grateful for every favour we enjoy, and let this heat remind us of how much we have been given.

The Shade of that Day

When we rush to find shade in this world, we should remember the Day when people will desperately need shade, and there will be none except the shade of Allah.

The Prophet ﷺ told us that there are seven whom Allah will shade on the Day when there is no shade but His. Among them he mentioned a man who is invited by a woman of beauty and standing, and he says, "I fear Allah." Notice this carefully. Resisting temptation today becomes a means of shade tomorrow.

This brings us to the second lesson.

Lowering the Gaze

Summer often brings more temptation. Immodesty becomes more visible, the streets and shops become more testing, and unlawful content becomes easier to reach. Islam teaches the believer to discipline the eye, because the eye is one of the main gateways to the heart. Allah says:

And He says of Himself:

So lowering the gaze is not only outward modesty. It is worship. It is obeying Allah, and it is a way of purifying the heart.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us not to follow one look with another. He said the first glance is forgiven, but the second is not. And he told us that the son of Adam has his share of this sin decreed for him, and that the sin of the eyes is the unlawful look.

But look at the reward. In a narration it is said that the unlawful glance is a poisoned arrow from the arrows of Shaytan, and that whoever leaves it out of fear of Allah, Allah will replace it with a faith whose sweetness he finds in his heart.

Think about what a person gains from lowering the gaze. Allah grants light and purity to the heart of the one who restrains himself. Faith is strengthened, because every time a servant turns away from temptation, he proves his fear of Allah. Marriages and families are protected, for many problems begin with an unchecked glance and an attachment that should never have formed. And the heart is given peace, because unlawful looking leaves a person restless and never satisfied, while obedience brings calm.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

Whoever guarantees for me what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I guarantee for him Paradise."

And Allah says:

So Paradise is not gained by wishes alone. The Prophet ﷺ reminded us that the reward of Allah are precious, and that His reward is Paradise. It is reached through patience: patience in obedience, patience in staying away from sin, and patience through the hardships Allah decrees. Turning away from temptation takes patience, and the reward for that patience is nothing less than Paradise.

O Allah, let this heat soften our hearts and turn us back to You. Save us from the Fire, and shade us on the Day when there is no shade but Yours. Help us to lower our gaze and guard our hearts, make us grateful for every blessing You have given us, and grant us Paradise through Your mercy.

Ameen.

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