Necessity of saving oneself from the avenues of sin
Whilst Islam has encouraged the acquisition of good habits and noble character, it has also stressed salvation from wickedness and bad behaviour: iniquity, lewdness, and infidelity. All avenues leading to adultery, such as lustful gazing, inappropriate use of the ears, hands and tongue, etc., have all been described as lewd behaviour (fawahish). Almost all worldly religions have prohibited adultery, however a salient and distinguishing feature of Islam, is the strict prohibition and control of those channels, means and avenues leading to infidelity.
For example, where Islam has forbidden the consumption of alcohol, it has not stopped at only making drinking of alcohol impermissible. Rather to reinforce the prohibition it has ruled on so many avenues associated with alcohol. For example, the manufacturing, transporting, handling, selling and serving of alcohol are all forbidden; just as the drinking of alcohol is impermissible.
Another example is the prohibition of idol worship; all avenues leading unto it, for example, model making, drawing and photography of animate objects all have been prohibited. Similarly all channels leading unto this act have also been forbidden. People used to worship the sun at fixed times; accordingly even performance of Salaah at sun-rise, zenith (noon) and sun-set have been prohibited for Muslims to display any notion to an onlooker of sun worship; whereas the performer of Salaah is not worshipping the sun. Nevertheless even the remotest resemblance has been removed.
(Discourse of Mufti Ahmad Khanpuri Hafidhahullah :Extracted from Ashraf`s Tranquil Eye,pg 10,)