How can one get rid of desires?

A Muslim is not asked to get rid of desires but rather to modify them to conform to Sharia, for Allah created them for the wisdom of human survival.

Among what helps in that are:

1. The intellect: For man to distinguish what benefits him from what harms him, and to curb the reins of immediate desires that cause grief.

2. Contemplation of the Afterlife: Reflecting on the reward for whoever opposes his whims, and the punishment for whoever follows them, while remembering the greatness of Allah and His watchfulness.

3. Understanding the consequences of whims: Realizing that following desires leads to ruin, loss of true pleasure, and misery.

4. Striving against the self: Compelling it to be disciplined by the etiquette of Sharia, for Allah helps whoever strives against his self.

5. Seeking help from Allah: Relying on Him, persistently supplicating, and asking Him for assistance to modify desires and purify the self.