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The
Holy Last Messenger (s.a.s.) said:
“Righteousness is good morality and sin is that
which causes discomfort (or pinches) within your
soul and which you dislike people to become
informed of.” [Sahih Muslim]
Sin is
that aspect in a Muslim’s life in which he or
she makes effort to abstain from at all costs.
Allah warns all of mankind that everything
mankind does in this world will be put before us
on Yawmul-Qiyaama (The Day of Resurrection) in
Surah al-Zilzal:
“And he who does an atom’s weight of good will
see it. And he who does an atom’s weight of evil
will see it.” [Holy Qur’an, 99:7-8]
Allah
also warns mankind that the one whose bad deeds
(sins) are heavy will be in Hell, as can be
found in Surah al-Qari’ah. A Muslim’s strife is
to live the life of a believer and separate from
the likeness of the sinner, as Allah
differentiates the Mu’min (believer) from the
fasiq (sinner) in Surah As-Sajdah:
“Is
he who is a believer like unto him who is a
sinner? They are not alike! For those who
believe and do righteous works, for them are
Gardens of Retreat, a welcome (in reward) for
what works they did. And as for those who do
evil, their abode is the Fire. Whenever they
wish to leave, they will be forced back into it,
and it will be said to them: Taste the torment
of the Fire which you used to reject.” [Holy
Qur’an, 32:18-20]
It is
clear that one must steer away from sin and do
righteous acts. However uncertainty arises in
the mind when referring to the subject of sin
such as 1.) the difference between a sin and a
mistake, 2.) Shaytaan’s (Satan) role in the
commission of a sin, 3.) if one becomes removed
from Islam due to committing a sin, and 4.) the
major sins. The purpose of this essay is to
provide concise answers to such inquiries,
inSha’Allah.
Question: What is the difference between sin
and mistakes? What role does Shaytaan, the
accursed one, play in sin?
Fault
means any action that takes place
unintentionally and sin is with
intention. For example, Shaytaan put such ideas
into the heart of Hazrat Adam (a.s.) to approach
the tree. Adam did it and as a result, Allah
sent him to the earth. Similarly, Hazrat Yunus
(Jonah) committed a fault and he adopted that
way prohibited to him according to the
instruction of Allah. Allah says in the Holy
Qur’an that it was Shaytaan who put the idea
into Hazrat Adam and Hazrat Yunus (a.s.), so
there is no doubt that Shaytaan can put these
ideas into the hearts of the Nabiyeen to divert
their attention from the right way. But the
mistakes they commit are only according to the
Hikmat of Allah. These mistakes are below the
standards of the Nabiyeen, so we can not
point it out that they took place according to
the Order of Allah. We must say Shaytaan is
responsible. All the good things take place from
the Kindness of Allah while all of the bad
things are due to Shaytaan. The awliya are not
free from this was-wâs (evil whispers), but if
this was-wâs happens to any wali, as soon as he
realizes it, he busies himself in tawba
(repentance). But on the other hand, the common
people, when they commit a sin, they do not
realize it and they do not feel guilty about it.
Note:
Sins are of three types:
-
Against Allah.
-
Against brotherhood.
-
Against humanity.
In
Hadith, Hazrat Anas (r.a.) narrated that
Rasulullah (s.a.s.) said Shaytaan travels
through the body like blood.
Explanation by Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim:
Allah gave full power to Shaytaan to put evil
ideas into the hearts of men. If a man does not
act upon these ideas, he has passed the worldly
examination and will get a high place in Jinnah
(Heaven). When we say that the Shaytaan travels
through the body like blood, it means not
physically but according to his evil ideas or
thinking there are things that travel like the
human blood.
In
Hadith Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifah (r.a.) related
that the Nabi (s.a.s.) said:
“The was-wâs that enters the hearts of my ummah
Allah has forgiven, as long as they don’t act
upon or voice it.” [Imam Al-Bukhari and
Imam Muslim agree on it]
Tafsir (Commentary): Was-wâs is the bad
intentions that enters one’s heart. And those
good intentions that enter one’s heart is called
ilham. The ilham won’t be accepted unless
it is accordance with the Holy Qur’an and Hadith.
Bad thoughts by a person that is not related to
aqeeda (belief), and doesn’t act on them, for
him is Maafoo (forgiveness). If vice versa is
related to kufr (disbelief), then it will be
kufr. And if related to dhal (straying away),
then it will be dhalleen. For both of these
situations, tawba is fardh (obligatory). If this
intention is related to any actions and not
aqa’id (belief), and he keeps this intention in
his heart, then he is a sinner.
Question: Does the commission of sin remove
one from Islam?
Hazrat
Anas bin Malik relates Rasulullah said that
three things form the foundation of Al-Islam.
1.)
Whosoever says Laa ilaaha illAllah,
Muhammadur-Rasulullah (There is none worthy of
worship, but Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger),
do not take him out of Al-Islam because he
committed a sin.
2.)
From the time I was sent as Nabi, Jihad will
continue until the last person of this ummah
wages war against the dajjal, and the rule of a
tyrant and the justice of a just ruler can
not abrogate this.
3.)
To accept the taqdir of Allah. [Sahih of Abu
Dawud]
Tafsir: Ahlus-Sunnah (The People of the
Sunnah, or traditions & practice of the Holy
Nabi Muhammad, may Allah’s Peace and Blessings
be upon him.) does not remove someone from
Al-Islam because he committed a sin, but the
Khariji say the person becomes a kafir
(disbeliever). The Mu’tazila say the person will
be out of Islam, but still be Muslim. If a
person commits such an act which is a sign of
kafir (wearing crosses, sajda to idols, etc.)
then he will be out of Islam, but if someone
says something that has one hundred meanings and
ninety-nine are kafir and one is Islam, then we
must take the one meaning unless he’s referring
to any of the ninety-nine.
Question: What other kinds of sin are there,
and how are they forgiven?
Kabirat is that which Shari’ah has strictly
forbidden. And the punishment for that in this
dunya is haad or ta’zirat or the punishment will
come in Akheel. Kabirat pertains to that which
is not forgiven, until a person makes tawba
(repentance). Gumara sajira, or it’s called
tharaba sajira, is forgiven through practicing
of good deeds. If one commits tharaba sajira
continuously, it becomes tharaba kabira. There
are four kinds of tharuba (sins).
1.)
That which will not be forgiven without tawba.
Commission of this sin is like a kafir.
2.)
That sin which has a possibility of being
forgiven by tawba or by good deeds. These are
tharaba sagina.
3.)
Those sins for which tawba is necessary, but, if
Allah wills, he can forgive without tawba. This
is tharaba kabira, but it is tharab that
transgress the rights of Allah.
4.)
The tharab kabira that are connected to the
rights of the society, other people. For
forgiveness, it is necessary to make tawba and
then restore the rights to that person and ask
his forgiveness, and on conditions that he
forgives you. This does not pertain exclusively
to wealth. If one does not ask for forgiveness
and is not forgiven, then on Yawmul-Qiyaama, the
one whose rights have been transgressed will be
given the good deeds of the transgressor as much
as he pleases in accordance with justice. Or
else the sins of the oppressed will be given to
the transgressor according to justice. Allah
may, of His own will, make the oppressed happy
and show Mercy to the dhalameen (oppressor).
Hadith:
Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ud narrates that a
person asked Rasulullah (s.a.s.), “Ya Rasulullah,
according to Allah, which is the greatest sin?”
Rasulullah (s.a.s.) answered, “To
associate partners with Allah (known as
shirk), while He has created you.”
Then he was asked, “Which is the biggest
sin after that?” And he (s.a.s.) said,
“To kill your offspring because he will
eat with you.” Then he was asked “Which
is the greatest after that,” and he said,
“To make zinna (fornication) with your
neighbor’s wife.”
As can
be seen from the evidence provided, sin is a
very major issue in the life of a Muslim. A
Muslim strives to gain the pleasure of Allah and
abstains from that which incurs the wrath of
Allah. A Muslim begs Allah for His Guidance each
and every time he or she performs Salaat (the
ritual form of prayer a Muslim is commanded to
perform five times a day), by reciting the last
three ayats of Surah al-Fatiha (the opening
Surah of the Holy Qur’an):
“(We beg of you to) Guide us in the Straight
Path. The path of those whom You have favored.
Not of those who have earned Your anger, and nor
of those who have gone astray.”
Allah
shows the Muslim the prayer for seeking His
Guidance and avoiding His Wrath. The Mu’min is
one who fully adheres to the Shari’ah and earns
the Pleasure of Allah, thus steering away from
sin at all costs. Al-Gawth Al-A’zam Shaykh
Muhyyuddin ‘Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani (r.a.) has
given many discourses on securing this path, and
in Futuh Al-Ghaib (The Revelations of
the Unseen), he states in the very first
discourse:
Three
things are indispensable for a believer in all
conditions of life: he should keep the
Commandments of Allah; he should abstain from
the haraam (forbidden); and he should be pleased
with the decree of Providence. Thus the least
that is expected of a believer is that he should
be without these three things. So it is meant
that he should make up his mind for this and
talk to himself about this and keep his organs
engaged in this.
In
conclusion, one sees that there exists a
distinct difference between sin and mistakes.
One should distinguish between the two and be
aware of what his or her niyyat (intention) is
before proceeding with an action. The Holy Last
Messenger (s.a.s.) “Actions are but by
intentions and every man will have but that
which he intended.” It is best that one
proceeds with the intention of pleasing Allah,
and doing an action for Allah’s sake. Major sins
are those sins in which a Muslim would never
imagine of doing under any circumstances, but if
committed, tawba would be performed immediately.
One’s sins do not remove him or her from
Islam unless he or she commits an act of kafir,
unless their belief removes one from Islam.
Allah says: “If I were to punish everyone for
their sins, then NOTHING would remain in
existence.” The worst sin anyone could ever
commit is to ascribe partners with Allah, and
this is known as shirk.
The
evil which man does is either by his nafs (the
unruly self which causes man to act
irreligiously and cause his own harm) or
Shaytaan. Allah is not happy with evil or bad
deeds, and good deeds make Allah happy. And good
is done by the help of Allah, but Allah only
helps who desires good and puts forth effort.
May Allah guide us all and forgive the sins of
the past and the present and protect us from
future sins. Aameen! |
