:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)
(Peace be upon you)
Hi. Hope you're doing well, brother Daniel. Welcome to IB! Thank you for joining us and entrusting us with your concern and asking us for help.
I know gambling is hard, but your willpower has to be stronger. I'd say your first priority should be learning salat (prayer) as prayer is supposed to keep us from
fahsha (evil, mischief, indecency, injustice) as described in the Quran.
Also, it is natural to like or want nice stuff, because we all like nice things; however, what we need to do is prevent attachment to worldly stuff - so that we are able to praise Allah in every situation with "Alhamdhullilah ala kulli hal" ("praise is to Allah in every situation") - if or when
nauzbillah (God-forbid) we should experience a lack in that stuff.
As far as desire for girls is concerned, that is understandable; and your desire for the opposite sex is a gift that Allah has put in you so that you are able to have a companion and partner in life. That said, as you know, that desire and gift is given to us not to harm ourselves or other people in breaking our or their hearts in premarital relationships but to be able to find comfort and peace in a marriage with a destined partner. If you find your desires strong, you should consider marrying a woman of good Islamic character at your earliest when you're able so as to be able to partake of physical intimacy in a
halal (permissible) way. In the meantime, fasting is a strongly recommended alternative if you find in yourself your desires too strong to handle with exercising only self-restraint.
And if you want to change your mindset, I'd recommend you to hang around with good Muslim brothers to inspire you so that in their company you find yourself desiring to better your
iman (faith) and wanting to become the best version of yourself. Prophet :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.” This importance of good company is inestimable in Islam; and therefore, I recommend that you go again to the mosque and see if you can make some great friends there or if there's an Islamic cultural center near you wherein you can attend Islamic events and meet people.
Hey, being a new Muslim means having a new lease on life as all your past sins have been forgiven and you're like a baby; so, this is your opportunity, your time to write your future in the way that you'll honestly look back at your life and past in old age and say, "I have lived a happy and fulfilling life. I don't have any regrets." Take baby steps - you'll get there! Take care.
And please, please, please don't be shy to ask here for any help or reach out whenever you want here because we're all brothers and sisters struggling differently in life and I'm sure we are each other's best bet for support and encouragement to staying firm on the Straight Path.
Barkallahu feek (may Allah bless you).
Wishing you peace, happiness, and goodness,
:wa: (And peace be upon you)
Thanks guys I know gambling is wrong and I shouldn't be doing its, it's goes against every part of what Islam stands for, it's just hard considering I'm a new Muslim, it's about taking myself out of my old ways. I need to stay on the right path, at the minute all I can think about is having nice stuff and girls. I need to change the way my mind is set
