AL-ISLAAH PUBLICATIONS
The Harm of sins
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The Harm of sins
One harm of sin is that the sinner will be deprived of Deeni-knowledge because Deen (knowledge) is Noor (Light), and due to sinning, this Noor is extinguished. Another harm of sin is that ones' sustenance is decreased in this world. Another harm is that the sinner experiences a detachment and terror from ALLAH TA'ALA. Die to sinning, he also feels a detachment and terror from people, especially the Pious. When sitting in the company of the Pious, their talks do not have an effect on his heart. A sinner experiences difficulty in most of his duties. Darkness develops in his heart. IF he ponders over this darkness, his mind becomes perturbed.
Owing to this, one becomes involved in Bidah (innovations - deviation from the right path and ignorance). The body and heart becomes weak. The weakness of the heart is apparent due to the fact that the courage and ability to do good gradually decreases and finally vanishes. Thus he becomes deprived of worshipping ALLAH TA'ALA. Today one good deed is left out, tomorrow another and the day after yet another is left out until all good deeds are left out. Due to sinning ones lifespan is shortened and Barakah (Blessings) is lost. A sin becomes a means of committing another and another until the sinner becomes submerged in sin. The intention to repent weakens until eventually the sinner has no ability to repent at all.
Death suddenly overtakes the sinner in this condition, because the remembrance of death is absent. After a while the sinner tends to ignore the evils related to sinning. Sinning is not regarded as being evil anymore nor does he care of his perpetuating a wrong. But in fact, these people boastfully talks about their sins. Such a person is very far from ALLAH TA'ALA'S forgiveness. Every sin is a legacy or inheritance of some enemy of ALLAH TA'ALA. Thus this person becomes cursed like them. It comes in the Hadith of Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam): “Whoever imitates a nation or people, he is from them.”
A sinner becomes wretched and disliked by ALLAH TA'ALA. When ALLAH TA'ALA dislikes a person, the entire creation loses respect for that person. As the misfortune of sinning reaches the sinner, in the same way it reaches the other creation and they all curse him in turn. Sinning causes harm and defect to ones intellect, because the intellect is of Noor, therefore, due to sins and dirt it is weakened. In fact, sinning itself is a sign of a person's deficiency.
One great misfortune is that the sinner falls in the category of people cursed by Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). He also becomes deprived of the Du'aas (supplications) of the Malaa'ikah (Angels) Due to the evil of sin, various disasters such as floods, hurricanes, decrease in fresh produce, etc. Shame and modesty becomes a rarity in a sinner's life and when those no longer are evident, then he does whatever he pleases, and no reliability is left in that person. Sinning causes the greatness of ALLAH TA'ALA to leave the heart. When ALLAH TA'ALA'S greatness leaves his heart he becomes degraded. In fact, if the greatness of ALLAH TA'ALA was in his heart he would never have dared sin. One becomes deprived of blessings and calamities befall him. Titles of praise and dignity are denied instead evil titles are given to sinners. When someone does good, then titles such as Believer, Barr (Pious), Mitee (Follower), Wali (Friend of ALLAH TA'ALA) etc. are given to the person. When one does evil his titles are Evil Doer, Sinner, Fornicator, Adulterer, etc. That person who sins, is often overpowered by Shaitaan, because submission and devotion to ALLAH TA'ALA is a fort of ALLAH TA'ALA protected against His enemies. Due to sinning one becomes deprived of peace of mind and contentment of heart. He is always afflicted by some worry or difficulty. The person is always worried that his sin should not be exposed so that people will lose respect for him or that someone may take revenge against him. By continuously sinning it (the sin) becomes entrenched in the heart, and thus causes one to die without Imaan. Whatever actions are predominant in a person's life. That is what he will be doing at the time of death! (IQTIBASAAT JAZAA-UL-A'MAAL)
(KHANQAH SHEIKH ZAKARIYYA, Lenasia, South Africa.)
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