PRESENTER:For example, if we assume that servants of Allah perform the big sins that we avoid in a vital way, even one of them, what is its affect on his or her faith?

ADNAN OKTAR:Of course one can be negatively affected and be shaken in spirits but it is clear that he wouldn't be abandoning the religion. He would swear off that and repent sincerely. He will would his mind and will. He will pay extra attention not to repeat it again. Because Allah says, Muslims do not knowingly persist in immense wrongdoings. He says that they don't keep doing it. One must make it stop there. Sins don't give people any pleasure anyway. Sin is with a strangled feeling of dirt, boredom and pain. I mean a person can't be happy when he commits a sin. Unlawful acts bring along pain, fatality and torment with it. Therefore, for a believer, regret should not mean morally collapsing. I mean not in the meaning of crying, feeling introvert; one can cry out of fear of Allah, but it is not right to be demoralized, to lose one's self confidence, control, to get his memory and mind negatively affected, or to feel physically weak.

You only repent, that's it. Because how do you know that Allah will take revenge? What if He forgives? He can take revenge or He can forgive but we have the duty to repent sincerely. And we have the duty to be determined. Muslim is strong-willed anyway; he will use his mind. Our body doesn't do anything unless we command it. It is dependent on our command; if you say "sit down" it sits down; if you say "get up" it gets up. Human body is modest. These happen because they don't command. For example, if he says "don't" when he is about to do something bad, then the body doesn't do it. If you say "sit down" it sits down. Where is it seen that the human body revolts against the person, right? It is completely mild; the human body is like a slave.

PRESENTER:What is the condition of the lower self?

ADNAN OKTAR:It is the same; the lower self and the body are the same. They exaggerate the lower self.  Saying "lower self cannot be controlled, lower self drags the person. I couldn't control my lower self." It's an excuse; it is only because of lack of faith and lack of intelligence connected to that. Even if it is the most tempting thing, no matter what it is, a person can control himself very easily. Why should he go out of control? Right? If there is an act forbidden by religion, then he just does not it, that's it. You command your body and it doesn't do it. The story of being "out of control" is merely a word of mouth originating from the conservative segment of society. Saying "the lower self steps in" as if a completely different creature steps in, the monster holds it and takes it away by grabbing from his throat. And as an excuse they say; "the lower self did it, not me".

PRESENTER:It could be in order to hide behind it.

ADNAN OKTAR:They should leave this talk. It is very abnormal and very unreasonable. How could it be? The lower self is created as enemy to Allah. And it always commands the evil. But it is very weak and obedient. It is subject to command. It stops when you say "stop." If it is lawful by religion and you say "come along" then it continues. That's it. It has no other trait other than this. Or some people say, "satan did it, I didn't." For example he commits a crime. They ask, "how did it happen?" He says, "satan provoked me, do you see that, that microbe made me do it." But Allah reveals in the Qur'an that satan's influence is weak. He says, satan has no authority over His sincere Muslim slaves, over His sincere servants. How could he influence? If satan comes, you say "go away" and he goes away. It's that simple. He has not that much a power. He only whispers and when he does, you just say "I'm not listening." It would be over and done with. I mean what obligation do you have?

OKTAR BABUNA:You drew an analogy insha'Allah. You said that someone with strong faith is paralyzed in the face of an unlawful act, he can't do it anyway insha'Allah.

ADNAN OKTAR:Now assume that the man brought the wine here and put it on the table. How could it be so tempting that the person loses his control and drinks that wine with shaky hands? I am not drinking it. It's that simple. Besides, he wouldn't enjoy when drinking it anyway. It's like a sort of poison; it disturbs one very much so a Muslim doesn't take pleasure in something like that. For instance, the lower self gets paralyzed in the face of something illegitimate, say an illegitimate affair. How could the person's heart be at ease? One couldn't enjoy something like that. One's soul would almost get locked because one's conscience must be very clear at all times. One's conscience must be at ease against Allah; there should be mutual love and respect, right? One should be in the comfort of praying. How could someone be relaxed when he knows that he is committing a sin? The person's brain would lock him for once. If there is a clear attitude against a matter, then the brain locks the body automatically. Every part of the body gets strained. The person can't do anything then. And it turns into a torment for him. Therefore, the system of someone who has real faith is innately strong about this anyway. He would have no such issue. The other is lack of faith. The person is excessively loose; a believer in the morning and unbeliever in the evening. Different in the evening, different in the morning; his faith comes and goes continuously. During those times of coming and going, the person can be very relaxed and reckless when faced something like this. This is what is meant. Or Muslim doesn't enter into something like that, by Allah's leave insha'Allah.