Archive of Imam's Messages

The Concept of Sin: An Islamic Perspective

Part Two

Understanding Sins

Allah (SW) made sins to test us, He said: {every single soul shall taste death.  For We [but] test you [in life] with evil and good as a trial. And it is to Us you shall be all returned [for recompense]} 21:35.  This test is to make us earn our places either in Heaven or Hell. This is what is unique about us as humans, being different than animals or angels, we choose!

Humans are able to engage in righteous deeds or evil deeds (sins.) Both paths were set by Allah (SW), and humans are to choose. Allah (SW) said: {indeed, it is We [alone] who have shown him the way to be either thankful or ungrateful.} 76:3. Allah also said: {rather, say [to one and all]: The truth has come from your Lord [in this Quran]. so whoever wills- let him believe! And whoever wills- let him disbelieve!} 18:29.

Allah (SW) helped us to make good deeds and to keep away from the evil ones. Allah (SW) revealed His Book Al Quran as a guide and sent Mohammad (PBUH) to be the role model for us. {Truly there has [now] come to you from God a [guiding] light and a clear Book [in this Quran]. By it God guides whoever follows His good pleasure along the pathways of peace. And, thereby, He brings them out from the [veils of] darkness into the light- by His permission. Thus does He guide them to a straight way [of salvation] 5:15/16.

Allah (SW) made righteousness a feeling of tranquility in our hearts and He made evil a disturbing feeling. Allah (SW) said: {However, God has endeared faith to you and adorned it in your hearts. Thus He has made unbelief hateful to you, as well as ungodliness and disobedience} 49:7. The prophet (PBUH) said: “Righteousness is what your inner soul feels tranquility (about it) and evil is what wavers in your chest and you hate it to be exposed to people.” Hadith narrated by Imam Shawkani.

Allah (SW) is the All Forgiving and He opened the door of forgiveness to all regardless of their sins. Let no one think that he cannot repent and come back to Allah at all. Allah (SW) said: {Say: [O prophet: God declares to humanity]: O my servants! Those [of you], who have committed [sins in great] excess against their own souls; never despond of the mercy of God! For, indeed, God forgives sins, one and all. Indeed, it is He [alone] who is the All-Forgiving, the Mercy-giving} 39:53. Allah also said: {Moreover, God desires to grant you repentance, while those who follow [their] passions desire that you should fall a great fall away [from faith]} 4:27.

Allah (SW) knows that we make mistakes and we come back to it again and again. As long as we repent sincerely and ask forgiveness He will forgive our sins again and again. The prophet (PBUH) said: “Each (one) of the sons of Adam (shall) sin and the righteous sinful (ones are those who) repent.” Hadith narrated by Ibn Hibban. It is amazing how the prophet (PBUH) described a sinner by being righteous! This sends a positive message that you can still be righteous if you repent. In another Hadith the prophet (PBUH) said that Allah (SW) said (in the holy Hadith): [a servant committed a sin. He said: “O’ Allah forgive my sin.” Allah said: “My servant committed a sin and he knew that he has a Lord (who) forgives sins and holds (people liable) to sins.” He (the servant) went back and committed a sin and said: “O’ Lord forgive my sin!” Allah said: “my servant committed a sin and he knew that he has a Lord (who) forgives sins and holds (people liable) to sins.” He (the servant) went back and committed a sin and said: “O’ Lord forgive my sin!” Allah said: “my servant committed a sin and he knew that he has a Lord (who) forgives sins and holds (people liable) to sins. (Go ahead) do what you wish for I have forgiven you.]”[1]  The meaning of this Hadith is that as long as the person repents (sincerely,) Allah shall keep forgiving him.

Effects of sins

1.      Punishment in this life and the Hereafter: Sins are acts of disobedience and rejecting the orders of Allah by people who should be grateful and thankful for all God has given them. For that, punishment in this life and in the Hereafter is the outcome of their actions:

a.       Allah (SW) said: {Now, God puts forth this parable of a town: It was secure and peaceable. Its provision would come to it in plenty from every locale. Then it belied God’s own blessings upon it [by worshiping false gods]. Thus God gave it a touch of the garment of hunger and fear, for what they had wrought} 16:112.

b.      Allah (SW) said: {Not a single affliction strikes you [human beings] but that it is for what your own hands have earned- and He pardons much} 42:30.

c.       Allah (SW) spoke about a flood on the people of Noah, wind on the people of Ad, great pounding on the people of Saleh and the drowning of the army of Pharaoh.

2.      Prevention from blessed provisions (Al-Rizq): Al-Rizq is a blessing from Allah (SW), but people who commit sins could be prevented from such blessings because of their actions. The prophet (PBUH) said: “The servant would be prevented from the (blessed) provisions by touching (engaging) sins.”[2]

3.      Darkness in the heart: People are born with pure hearts. We have the ability to make it dark by engaging in sins or the ability to keep it pure by staying away from sins. The prophet (PBUH) said: “Trials (Fitann) would be exposed to hearts like (how a) mat (is made,) a stick (after) a stick. Any heart absorbing (falling into) it (Fitann,) a black dot will emerge in it and any heart rejecting it (Fitann,) a white dot will emerge in it until settling on two (kinds of hearts); a white (one) like Al Safa in which no trials would affect him as long Heavens and earth are around and a black dark (one) like the jug (set) upside down unable to know righteousness or reject evil only what feeds from his desires.”[3]

4.      Preventing rain and inviting tyrants: Rain is seen as a blessing from Allah that will bring life to the world. Living under a just ruler is also seen as a necessity for an honorable life. When people engage in sins they should expect that such blessings will not last around them for long. The prophet (PBUH) said: “There are no people who cheated in the (trade) scale but whom were punished with drought, scarce provisions and the tyranny of the ruler. And as long as they are rejecting to pay the Zakah from their money they are prevented from rain coming from the sky; if it wasn’t for the animals, the rain would not come down.”[4]

5.      Preventing good deeds: Sins invite more sins, exactly how good deeds invite more good deeds. The more people engage in sins they become accustomed to it making it harder to grow accustomed to righteous deeds. One person came to Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri and said: “I sleep in good health, and I like to make Qiyam Al-Lail, so I prepare the water but why is it I do not wake up?” Imam Al-Hasan said: “Your sins have chained you.”

6.      Prevents blessings (Baraka) from knowledge: Knowledge about Islam is the most honorable thing a person can obtain. For knowledge to be blessed it has to be supported by righteousness not sins. The more sins a person engages in the less Baraka will be in knowledge he obtains. Imam Shafei once said: “I complained to my teacher Wakeei’ about my troubles memorizing so he instructed me to let go of sins. He said that knowledge is a blessing from Allah and it will not be given to a sinner!”

7.      Supplications will not be answered: Dua is a powerful tool and a great act of worship. Part of the conditions that make the Dua answered is that a person must be clear from sins. The prophet (PBUH) mentioned: “The person traveling for long periods, whose hair is not combed, (clothes are) dusty and he raises his hands to heavens and says: O’ Allah, O’ Allah, O’ Allah; but his food is from haram and his drink is from haram and his clothes are from haram and he feeds on haram, so how would (it be possible for his supplications) to be answered!”[5]

Sh. Kifah Mustapha