and without this, when the motives for temptation exist both in him and in them, there is no assurance against it. Boys who are a source of temptation to women are likewise instructed to do the same.

When separation is needed to remove temptation, distancing one person is easier than distancing an entire group of men or women, since the latter is not feasible. Allah’s limits must therefore be safeguarded, and whatever leads to their transgression must be avoided as far as possible. If this applies to someone who is neither under suspicion nor guilty of any sin, then what of someone known for suspicious conduct and sin?

Likewise, a woman known for suspicious conduct through which she tempts men is to be kept away, as far as possible, from places that give rise to suspicion. Protecting religious commitment from harm as far as possible is obligatory. If this is the Sunnah, then what of someone whose gathering contains sources of temptation known fully only to Allah—and of a man who imitates women in their dress?

The use of terms such as beauty, comeliness, and adornment for righteous deeds, and ugliness, disgrace, and defilement for corrupt deeds, is evident in the Quran, the Sunnah, and the words of the scholars. The same applies to terms such as goodness, purity, foulness, and impurity. An example is the well-known hadith of Abū Dharr, narrated by Abū Hātim ibn Hibbān in his Sahīh, in which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Among the wisdom of the household of David is this: A wise person must set aside a time to commune with his Lord, a time to take himself to account, and a time to be with his companions who tell him about himself