them in their beds”—when they have reached ten years of age and have not yet experienced a wet dream. What, then, of those older than that? And if the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“No man is alone with a woman without Satan being the third among them,”
and also said:
“Beware of entering upon women.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what about a husband’s male relative?” He replied, “The husband’s male relative is death.”
If being alone together is forbidden because of what is feared may result from it, what, then, of lying together?
As for someone’s claim that he does this for Allah’s sake, such claims are mostly lies. He may indeed have an intention to act for Allah’s sake, but mixed with his own desires—just as some make similar claims about keeping company with non-mahram women. The matter then remains as Allah Most High said concerning wine:
“In them both is great sin and benefit for people, but their sin is greater than their benefit.”
Al-Sha‘bī related from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:
“When the delegation of ‘Abd al-Qays came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, there was among them a strikingly handsome boy. He seated him behind his back and said, ‘David’s sin, peace be upon him, was only a look.’”
This was despite his being the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and being married to nine women. The delegation consisted of righteous people, and such indecency was not known among the Arabs. So many warnings against keeping company with “young lads” have been transmitted from the shaykhs that recounting them would take a long time.
No one may do anything that leads to these forbidden evils, even if he combines it with something beneficial, such as teaching or moral training. “Beardless youths” can be taught and trained without these evils, which harm them, their companions, and the Muslims—through ill suspicions at times and doubts at others. Indeed, it is related that there was a man with whom would sit