The Consequences of Committing Sins
Since 2012-11-17
The great scholar Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah wrote the following words in a famous tract called Al-Jawaab Al-Kaafi in response to a letter written to him by an individual who was seeking advice on how to rid himself of major sin.
The great scholar Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah wrote the following words in a famous tract called Al-Jawaab Al-Kaafi in response to a letter written to him by an individual who was seeking advice on how to rid himself of major sin. We take a look at the dire consequences of committing sins in general:
One: The Prevention of Knowledge. Knowledge is a light which Allah throws into the heart, and disobedience extinguishes this light. Imaam Shaafi’ee said:
I complained to Wakee’ about the weakness of my memory
So he ordered me to abandon disobedience
And informed me that knowledge is light
And that the light of Allah is not given to the disobedient.
Two: The Prevention of Sustenance, Just as Taqwaa brings about sustenance, the abandonment of Taqwaa causes poverty. There is nothing which can bring about sustenance like the abandonment of disobedience.
Three: The Prevention of Obedience (to Allah). If there was no other punishment for sin other than that it prevents one from obedience to Allah then this would be sufficient.
Four: Disobedience weakens the heart and the body. Its weakening the heart is something which is clear. Disobedience does not stop weakening it until the life of the heart ceases completely.
Five: Disobedience reduces the life span and destroys any blessings. Just as righteousness increases the life span, sinning reduces it.
Six: Disobedience sows its own seeds and gives birth to itself until separating from it and coming out of it becomes difficult for the servant.
Seven: Sins weaken the hearts will and resolve so that the desire for disobedience becomes strong and the desire to repent becomes weak bit by bit until the desire to repent is removed from the heart completely.
Eight: Every type of disobedience is a legacy of a nation from among the nations which Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, destroyed. Sodomy is a legacy of the People of Lot. Taking more than one’s due right and giving what is less is a legacy of the People of Shu’ayb. Seeking greatness in the land and causing corruption is a legacy of the People of Pharoah. Pride/arrogance and tyranny is a legacy of the People of Hud. So the disobedient one is wearing the gown of some of these nations who were the enemies of Allah.
Nine: Disobedience is a cause of the servant being held in contempt by his Lord. Al-Hasan Al-Basree (radiallahu ‘anhu) said: They became contemptible in (His sight) so they disobeyed Him. If they were honorable (in His sight) He would have protected them. Allah the Exalted said: {And whomsoever Allah disgraces, none can honour him.} [Al-Hajj 22:18]
{وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّـهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ} الحج: 18
Transliteration: waman yuhini Allahu famalahu min mukrimin
Ten: The ill-effects of the sinner fall upon those besides him and also the animals as a result of which they are touched by harm.
Eleven: The servant continues to commit sins until they become very easy for him and seem insignificant in his heart, and this is a sign of destruction. Every time a sin becomes insignificant in the sight of the servant it becomes great in the sight of Allah. Ibn Mas’ood (radiallahu ‘anhu) said: “Indeed, the believer sees his sins as if he was standing at the foot of a mountain fearing that it will fall upon him and the sinner sees his sins like a fly which passes by his nose so he tries to remove it by waving his hand around.” [Al-Bukhari]
«قال ابن مسعود:إن المؤمن يرى ذنوبه كأنه قاعد تحت جبل يخاف أن يقع عليه ، وإن الفاجر يرى ذنوبه كذباب مر على أنفه ، فقال به هكذا» رواه البخاري
Twelve: Disobedience inherits humiliation and lowliness. Honor, all of it, lies in the obedience of Allaah. Abdullaah ibn al-Mubaarak said: I have seen sins kill the hearts and humiliation is inherited by their continuity. The abandonment of sins gives life to the hearts and the prevention of your soul is better for it.
Thirteen: Disobedience corrupts the intellect. The intellect has light and disobedience extinguishes this light. When the light of the intellect is extinguished it becomes weak and deficient.
Fourteen: When disobedience increases, the servant’s heart becomes sealed so that he becomes of those who are heedless. The Exalted said: {Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn.} [Al-Mutaffifeen 83:14]
{كَلَّاۖ بَلْۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ} المطففين: 14
Transliteration: Kalla bal rana AAala quloobihim makanoo yaksiboona
Fifteen: Sins cause the various types of corruption to occur in the land. Corruption of the waters, the air, the plants, the fruits and the dwelling places. The Exalted said: {Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon).} [Ar-Rum 30:41]
{ظَهَرَ ٱلْفَسَادُ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِى ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُوا۟ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ} الروم: 41
Transliteration: Thahara alfasadu fee albarri waalbahri bima kasabat aydee alnnasi liyutheeqahum baAAda allathee AAamiloo laAAallahum yarjiAAoona
Sixteen: The disappearance of modesty, which is the essence of the life of the heart and is the basis of every good. Its disappearance is the disappearance of all that is good. It is authentic from the Messenger (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that he said: “Modesty is goodness, all of it.” [Muslim]
«الحياء كله خير» رواه مسلم
A Poet said:
And by Allah, there is no good in life or in the world when modesty goes.
Seventeen: Sins weaken and reduce the magnification of Allaah, the Mighty in the heart of the servant.
Eighteen: Sins are the cause of Allah forgetting His servant, abandoning him and leaving him to fend for himself with his soul and his shaytaan and in this is the destruction from which no deliverance can be hoped for.
Nineteen: Sins remove the servant from the realm of Ihsaan (doing good) and he is prevented from (obtaining) the reward of those who do good. When Ihsaan fills the heart it prevents it from disobedience.
Twenty: Disobedience causes the favors of Allah to cease and justify His retribution. No blessing ceases to reach a servant except due to a sin and no retribution is made deserving upon him except due to a sin. Ali (radiallahu ‘anhu) said: “No trial has descended except due to a sin and it (the trial) is not repelled except by repentance.”
Allaah the Exalted said: {And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.} [Ash-Shura 42:30]
{وَمَآ أَصَـٰبَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَن كَثِيرٍ} الشورى: 30
Transliteration: Wama asabakum min museebatin fabima kasabat aydeekum wayaAAfoo AAan katheerin
And the Exalted also said: {That is so because Allah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in their ownselves.} [Anfaal 8:53]
{ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِّعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا۟ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ} الأنفال: 53
Transliteration: Thalika bianna Allaha lam yaku mughayyiran niAAmatan anAAamahaAAala qawmin hatta yughayyiroo mabianfusihim
May Allah have mercy upon us and help us to abandon the sins that are the causes of our problems. Ameen.
[The bulk of this article was derived from Ibn Al-Qayyim’s Al-Jawaab Al-Kaafi English Translation by Abu ‘Iyaad and The Ill-Effects Of Sins by Muhammad Saalih ibn Al-‘Uthaimeen]
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