ON HUMAN LIFE

WHAT IS • Sin or dhanb ذنب) ) is defined as any action

that goes against the commands of Allah(SWT) (GOD ALMIGHTY) as explained in the Quran (word of Allah) and the Sunnah or teachings of last Prophet Mohammad(SAW).

Gradations of Sins

Shirk: ascribing a partner to God (Sura 4:48)`Ithm, dhulam, fujur, su, fasad, fisk, kufr: wickedness and depravity (Suras 2:99, 205; 4:50, 112, 123, 136; 12:79; 38:62; 82:14

Haram: transgressions (Suras 5:4; 6:146)

I’tada, junah, dhanb: immorality (Suras 2:190,229; 17:17 33:55)

Sayyia, khatia: mistakes (Suras 7:168; 17:31; 40:45; 47:19 48:2)

2 tempting factors to do sin

• 1- Nafs Ammarah

• Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human soul) is certainly prone to evil unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely certainly my Lord is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (Yusuf,12:53)

2-Shaitan

O ye children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the garden stripping them of their raiment to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them: We made the evil ones friends (only) to those without faith. Araaf,7:27

Verily Satan is an enemy to you: so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his adherents that they may become Companions of the Blazing Fire. (Fatir,35:6)

and do not follow the footsteps of the evil one for he is to you an avowed enemy. (Baqarah,2:168)

Original forgiveness. NO• Adam and Eve were the first humans to sin. God

forgave them when they turned to Him in repentance.• It is human nature to sin• Satan is going to try and trick us into committing sin.• After we sin we turn to God in sincere repentance. • It is a lesson of original forgiveness and not original

sin. • If we sin, it is our fault and not our fore parents fault. • God does not create us as sinners. He creates us pure

and then it is us who sin and make our selves impure.

Classification of Sins

• A- Major or Al-Kaba'ir: These are defined as acts which are :1. Expressly forbidden in the Qur'an or 2. By the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon

him), or 3. For which there is a hadd or punishment

under Islamic law.

A-• In a Hadith, Prophet (S) said-Avoid the seven noxious things"- and

after having said this, the prophet (saw) mentioned them: • “1-Associating anything with Allah; • 2- Magic or sorcery • 3-Killing one whom Allah has forbidden without a just case, • 4-Consuming the property of an orphan, • 5-Devouring usury, • 6-Turning back when the army advances, and • 7-Slandering chaste women who are believers but indiscreet." 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas said: "Seventy is closer to their number than seven," and indeed that is correct. For details visit:http://www.jannah.org/articles/sins.html

B-Minor • Minor sins are acts which are displeasing to Allah but for

which no specific punishment or severe warning has been issued.

• The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about." (Muslim)

• Minor sins are not, however, to be taken lightly“You counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great.” (Qur'an 24:15)“Nay, their hearts have been sealed by the sins they have accumulated.” (Qur'an 83:14).

The Effects of Sins by Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyya1: The Prevention of Knowledge

5: Sins reduce the lifespan and destroys any blessings

9: Sin is a cause of the servant being held in contempt by his Lord

13: Sin corrupts the intellect

17: Sins weaken and reduce the magnification of Allah in the heart

2:The Prevention of Sustenance

6: Sin sows its own seeds

10: The ill-effects of the sinner fall upon those besides him

14: When sinincreases, the servant’s heart becomes sealed

18: Sins are the cause of Allah forgetting His servant

3: The prevention of obedience (to Allah

7: Sins weaken the heart’s will and resolve

11; One sins until they become very easy for him

15: Sins lead to corruption in the land.

19: Sins remove the servant from the realm of Ihsaan

4:Sins weaken the heart and body

8: Each sin is a legacy of a nation destroyedby Allah.

12: Sin inherits humiliation

16: The disappearance of modesty

20: Sin causes the favors (of Allah) to cease

1-Prevention of Knowledge

• Knowledge is a light which Allah throws into the heart and disobedience extinguishes this light.

• Imaam Shaafi'ee (Rahimahullah) said: "I complained to Wakee' about the weakness of my memory, so he ordered me to abandon disobedience. And informed me that the knowledge is light. And that the light of Allah is not given to the disobedient."

2- The prevention of RIZQ (sustenance)

• Just as Taqwah brings about sustenance, the abandonment of Taqwah causes poverty. There is nothing which can bring about sustenance like the abandonment of disobedience.

3-The prevention of obedience (to Allah)

• If there was no other punishment for sin other than that it prevents one from obedience to Allaah then this would be sufficient.

4- Sins weaken the heart and the body

• It is clear that sins weaken the heart spiritually • Sins do not stop weakening it until the life of

the heart ceases completely.

Sins make the heart blind and sick

• Indeed, it is not the eyes that are blinded, but the hearts, which are within the chests”

(Qur’an, 22:46). • The worst of the diseases is the spiritual sickness of

the heart. Four things that greatly poison the heart: • 1-Unnecessary talking, • 2-Unrestrained glances, • 3-Over eating, and • 4-Keeping bad company.

5-Sins reduce the lifespan and destroy all blessings

• Just as righteousness increases the lifespan, sinning reduces it.

6-Sin sows its own seeds and gives birth to more sins

• Sin keeps replicating itself till separating from it and coming out of it becomes difficult for the servant.

7-Sins weaken the hearts will and resolve to do good

• 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

8-Every sin is a legacy of curse upon a nation which Allah 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 Pharaoh• Pride/arrogance and tyranny is a legacy of the

People of Hood. • So the disobedient one is wearing the gown of some

of these nations who were the enemies of Allah.

Results of sins for different nations

Each one of them We seized for his crime: of them against some We sent a violent tornado (with showers of stones); some were caught by a (mighty) Blast; some We caused the earth to swallow up; and some We drowned (in the waters): it was not Allah Who injured (or oppressed) them: they injured (and oppressed) their own souls. (Ankabut,39:40)

Chastisements for different nations

Hurricane Tornado Blast

Sink hole in ground Massive floods

9- Sin is a cause of being

• Al-Hasan al-Basree (rahimahullah) 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 lowers (humiliates) there is none to give honor." [Hajj 22:18]

10-The ill-effects of the sinner fall upon others

• The ill-effects of the sinner fall upon those besides him and the animals.

Allah sets forth a parable: a city enjoying security and quiet abundantly supplied with sustenance from every place: yet was it ungrateful for the favors of Allah: so Allah made it taste of hunger and fear (closing in on it) like a garment (from every side) because of the (evil) which (its people) wrought. (Nahal,16:112)

11- One continues to commit sins until they become very easy for him

• Every time a sin becomes insignificant in the sight of the servant it becomes great in the sight of Allah.

• Ibn Mas'ood (radiy Allahu 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. [Bukhaaree]

12- Sin inherits humiliation and lowliness

• . Honor, all of it, lies in the obedience of Allah.• 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 protection of your soul is better for it."

13- Sin 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.

14-When sins increase, the servant's heart becomes sealed

• When the heart becomes sealed, he becomes of those who are heedless. The Exalted said:

• "But no! A stain has been left on their hearts on account of what they used to earn (i.e. their actions)." [Mutaffifeen 83:14]

15-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.

Appearance of Corruption

• "Mischief has appeared on the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have earned; that He may give them a taste of some of (the actions) they have done, in order that they may return." [Rum 30:41]

Fasaad or corruption

• Fasaad means an imbalance and is the opposite of 'islaah' (reformation). Fasaad is when something decays, spoils and it is not as it should be.

• There are two types of fasaad: • 1-Tangible evil such as famine, drought, wars, land

pollution, earthquakes and climate changes. • 2-Intangible such as bad manners and doing shirk.

16- DISAPPEARANCE Of

• Haya 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 'alayhi wa sallam) that he said: Modesty is goodness, all of it [Bukhaaree and Muslim] A Poet said:

• "And by Allaah, there is no good in life or in the world when modesty goes."

17-Sin reduces the magnificence of Allah, in the heart of the servant

• Sins weaken and reduce the magnificence of Allah, the Mighty in the heart of the servant

18-Sins are the cause of Allah forgetting His servant

When Allah forgets His servant: • He abandons him • Leaves him to fend for himself his soul from

his shaytan.• In this is the destruction from which no

deliverance can be hoped for.

19-Sins remove one from

• He is prevented from (obtaining) the rewards of those who do good at highest level.

• When Ihsan fills the heart it prevents it from disobedience.

• 3 levels of piety:

20- Sin causes the favors (of Allah) to cease

• It makes His revenge and wrath lawful. • No blessing ceases to reach a servant except

due to a sin and no retribution is made lawful upon him except due to a sin.

Remedy for sin is • Alee (radiy Allahu 'anhu) said: No trial has descended

except due to a sin and it (the trial) is not repelled except by repentance.

• Allah the Exalted said: "Whatever misfortune afflicts you then it is due to what your hands have earned and (yet) He pardons many." [Shura 42:30] • And the Exalted also said: "That is because never will

Allah change the favor He has bestowed on a people until they change what is with themselves." [Anfaal 8:53]