During this period the girl is ravaged by guilt, because deep down in her heart, she is aware that what she has done is haraam, and she also feels guilty about lying to her parents.
If there was a physical aspect to her relationship, then these feelings of guilt are deeply accentuated and coupled with a total loss of self-respect.
In the worst possible scenario, which is frequently happening, the girl, in an effort to improve her "self image," may turn to various other ways...smoking, clubbing, drinking and drugs...or she may embark on a series of flings just to make herself feel "special" again.
In short the "relationships" so sweetly portrayed in romance novels, which speak only of chocolates, flowers and happiness, end right there: on the pages of the novel. In real life, such relationships lead to nothing but unhappiness and heartache.
For how can there be any real happiness in a "love" inspired by Shaitaan? This type of "love" far from being pure and sacred falls into the category of fornication.
And regarding fornication, Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Qur'aan:
"The woman and man guilty of adultery of fornication, flog each of them with a hundred stripes: let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: And let a party of the Believers witness their punishment." [Surah An-Nur:2]
How can there be any long term happiness in a sin for which the punishment prescribed is so severe?
But while keeping in mind the above injunction, we should also not despair of the Mercy of Allah Ta'ala...for we cannot even comprehend the vastness of this Mercy. We need to realise and to tell ourselves that there is only temporary satisfaction of the nafs in a pre-marital relationship. And we need to terminate any such relationship which we might be involved in, and sincerely make taubah to Allah.
As difficult as it might be to end such relationships, once we realise and acknowledge to ourselves that the novels to which we are exposed to from such an early age are totally based on an uncultured way of life, which appears to be very appealing from the outside, but which bears no contentment, no real happiness, it will in sha Allah, be easy to do so.
In addition to painting a rosy picture of dating, these books also create a very wrong concept of what the ideal partner should be like.
It is obvious that since they are unethical publications, there is no stress on piety, good akhlaaq, honesty and all the other qualities people should be searching for in a potential marriage partner.
Instead these books promote superficial thinking, with all their emphasis on "good looks," " figures," "star football players," "smart cars,"etc.
Parents should closely monitor the reading material which their children bring home and should teach their children about the beauty of nikaah. contd.....