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Impact of Sins on Human Spirit

Owais Jafrey 

 

 

Man is born with virtue and vice. He is capable of doing good, yet he is not safe from committing a sin. He is neither an angel, protected from wrong doing, nor is he a satan, devoid of virtue. To err is human, and that is why our beloved Prophet (s) advised: “The son of Adam is inclined to commit a sin, but it is a good sinner who repents and seeks forgiveness from Allah.”

Hence every Muslim is to be obedient to Allah and the Prophet (s) and he must try his best to stay away from the sin. Avoidance of sins is the best of the acts. At times the abstainer from sins may achieve the status equal to that of a great worshiper, because once the Prophet (s) informed the believers: “Save yourself from what is forbidden and the sins, and you will be (counted among) the distinguished worshippers.”

1. Committing sins results in many physical and spiritual diseases, and puts the Faith at risk. The sins can also lead to the state of disbelief. Prophet (s) declared that the difference between faith and disbelief is giving up prayers.

2. One of the great dangers of sins is that sins lead the sinner to die in disbelief. Hafiz Ibn-e-Qayyem wrote that there are many reasons for such a tragic end. First is one’s over indulgence in the world and forgetfulness of the Hereafter, which in turn results in Allah’s disobedience. Committing certain sins may rust the heart and extinguish its light. As a result the heart loses the capacity to absorb good. Such a heart fails to pay heed to advice or good consul and may die in disbelief.

3. Sins darken the heart. Prophet (s) said that when a Believer commits a sin, a black dot appears on the heart. Repentance and seeking forgiveness removes this dot, but if sins are continued to be committed, then the heart gets completely darkened. Allah says in the

Quran: كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُون (their heats are encrusted with what they have

4. As a result of sins the heart is sealed. And a sealed heart loses the capacity to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Verse 23 of Surah Al-Jathiya reads:

أفَرَأيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَی عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَی سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ

عَلَی بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً فَمَنْ يَهْدِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ اللَّهِ أفَلا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Have you seen him who takes his own vain desires as his god? And Allah knowing [this] left him astray and sealed his hearing and his heart and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember?”

5. Prophet (s) warned that people who refrain from praying Salaat-ul-Jum’aa (Friday congregational prayers), Allah will seal their hearts and they will be from among the

6. Sinner is also degraded in the sight of Allah, which results in additional degradation in the sight of people. It is quoted from the Prophet (s) that people are divided in two classes:  Those who are pure and pious and earn honor in the sight of Allah, and those who are unchaste and sinners are condemned by Allah. As per another Hadith, whoever wants to earn respect among people should adopt piety.

7. According to Ibne Abbas, piety gives grace to the face, light to the heart, brings ease and blessings in livelihood, and strengthens the body and a pious person is loved by people. On the contrary, sins make the face unattractive; cause darkness not only in the heart but also in the grave, weaken the body and result in loss of respect among people.

8. According to scholars, sins deaden the heart. It is a death warrant for the heart and obedience the elixir for the heart for a thriving and healthy life.

9. Sinners do not enjoy the prayers for two reasons: (1) Committing sins deadens the heart, and loss of enjoyment in worship. (2) Even if the heart is not totally dead, it certainly is sick. A sick person doesn’t enjoy the taste of food and drink; likewise a sick heart can’t get close to Allah and cannot enjoy prayers. According to Wuhaib bin Werd, not only sins, but even the intention to commit a sin kills the pleasure of worship. Bashar Hami says that he who commits a sin is deprived of (blessings of) the night prayers.

10. Knowledge of Deen is a light divine, which descends from Allah on worshipper’s heart, and the commitment of sins extinguishes this light and consequently the sinner fails to acquire knowledge. When Imam Shafaie went to seek knowledge from Imam Malik, he a seeing his intelligence foretold him that he saw a light in his heart and warned him against the sin, which may extinguish that light.

May Allah keep us sage from sins and may He, in His Infinite Mercy, grant us the tofeeq

(divine gift) to distinguish between virtue and vice and piety and sin.

Note: The above article is an edited version of one of the Friday Sermons given by Br. Owais Jafrey of Seattle, Washington

 

 

 

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