the greater of the two evils by means of the lesser.

It is furthermore obligatory for anyone who enjoins right and forbids wrong to intend, through that, the rectification of people—not to assert power over them. Some individuals do command or forbid merely to exercise their authority and vindicate themselves, and this is a serious deficiency. True, some benefit may still arise—evil is repelled and good performed—but the flaw remains great. Therefore, whenever you command right or forbid wrong, resolve in your heart that you seek people’s reform, not to dominate or defeat them; then you will be rewarded and Allah will place blessing in your enjoining and forbidding. Allah’s help is sought.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, “And in the marital act of any one of you there is a charity.” That is, when a man approaches his wife, the deed counts as charity. They asked, “Messenger of Allah, does one of us fulfil his desire and still receive a reward for it?” He replied, “Tell me: if he were to place it in the unlawful, would he not incur sin?”—meaning, were he to commit fornication and gratify his desire in what is forbidden, would that not be sinful? They answered, “Yes.” He said, “Likewise, when he places it in what is lawful he is rewarded.” All praise is due to Allah. In other words, when a man suffices himself with the lawful and dispenses with the unlawful, he is rewarded for that very abstention.

The same applies when a person eats: he gratifies his appetite through eating and drinking, yet because this lawful nourishment spares him from the unlawful, a reward is written for him.

For this reason the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Saʿd ibn Abi Waqqas, “Know that you will never spend anything seeking thereby the Face of Allah without being rewarded for it, even what you place in the mouth….”