Sin and
its Effects on the Individual and Society
By: Khalid bin Amer Al
Malki
Allah created
man in this life and charged him with the greatest trust, which both the
Heavens and the Earth feared to shoulder: “And I have not created the jinn and
the men except that they should serve Me.” (51:56). In return for undertaking
this trust. He granted him a lot of potential, endowed him with countless
blessings and resources and honored him above the rest of His creatures with
the blessing of the mind, with which he distinguishes good from bad, and error
from right guidance.
It is
of the wisdom of Allah Almighty in human beings that He created them distinct
in everything .. in the livelihood, age and other things of this life. But this
in fact is not a standard of measure of misery or happiness, for example, in
the life to come. Rather, the measure for that happiness is good deeds. For
that reason, Allah has commanded man to hasten to righteous deeds and honest,
gentle speech, and has forbidden to him every offensive and malicious statement
or action. This is because sin is evil in this world and the Hereafter, and has
dire effects and consequences on the level of the individual and society.
Sin is
a cause for the deprivation of livelihood, and a cause for the spreading of
poverty and the deprivation of the blessing in what was granted to the
creatures. The Prophet –peace be upon him- says: (A man might be deprived of
provision because of a sin committed by him). And Ibn Abbas says: «A good deed
brings on brightness in the face, illumination in the heart, abundance on
provision, and love in people’s hearts; while an evil deed brings on darkness
in the face, gloominess in the heart, weakness in the physique, lack of
provision and hate in people’s hearts».
Once
sins become rampant in the community, it faces hardships and adversities and
all says of deliverance are closed in its face, and thus its sins become the
cause of its disgrace and humiliation. It is reported that when Cyprus was
conquered by the Muslims the Sahaabi Abu Darda –may Allah be pleased with him-
cried, and was told: «What makes you cry on the day when Allah strengthened
Islam and its people! He said: «How lowly human beings are to Allah if they do
away with his command! This had always been a mighty, victorious and dominant
nation, yet they abandoned Allah’s command and ended up in what you see».
Further
effects of sins are spread of psychological disorders among the members of the
community, emergence of fears and anxiety, and rise of concern and discontent.
Allah Almighty says, “Allah sets forth a Parable: a city enjoying security and
quiet, abundantly supplied with sustenance from every place: Yet was it
ungrateful for the favours of Allah: so Allah made it taste of hunger and
terror (in extremes) (closing in on it) like a garment (from every side),
because of the (evil) which (its people) wrough.” (16:112)
I am reminded of a fascinating story in this regard. A
man came to Ibrahim bin Ad-ham and said to him: « O Imam I wrong myself
extravagantly with transgressions and sins, so advise me O Imam. He said to
him: I shall give you five pieces of advice:
The man said: Let me have the first one O Imam.
The Imam
said: When you want to disobey Allah do not eat of His provision.
The man said: How O Imam could I not eat of Allah’s
provision while all the provision is His and He is in command of everything!
The Imam said: Glory be to Allah! How come you eat of
Allah’s provision, yet you disobey Him!
The man said: Let me have the second one O Imam.
The
Imam said: When you want to disobey Allah do not live in His land.
The man said: How come O Imam while the land is His land
and the heavens are His heavens!
The
Imam said: Glory be to Allah! How come you eat of Allah’s provision and live in
His land, yet you disobey His!
The man said: Let me have the third one O Imam.
The
Imam Ibrahim said: When you want to disobey Allah go to a place where Allah
will not see you.
The man said: How can I do that O Imam while Allah,
glory be to Him, says, “Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him”!
The
Imam said: Glory be to Allah! How come you eat of Allah’s provision and live in
His land and He sees you, yet you disobey Him!
The man said: Let me have the fourth one O Imam.
The Imam said: When you want to disobey Allah then
when the Angel of death comes to you tell him: leave me a little while.
The man said: How is that possible while he is the one
visitor that nobody can turn away?
The
Imam said: Glory be to Allah! You eat of Allah’s provision and live in His land
and He sees you and you cannot avoid death, yet you disobey Him!
The man said: Let me have the fifth one O Imam.
The
Imam said: When the guards of Hell take you to Hell tell them: no, take me to
Heaven.
The man said: How come O Imam I cannot do that.
The
Imam said: Glory be to Allah! You eat of Allah’s provision and live in His land
and He sees you and you have no power over death or over life and you have no
power over Heaven or over Hell, yet you disobey Him!
The man
said: enough! O Imam, I will never disobey Allah from this day onward.
Reference:
Tarawih Magazine (Ramadan 1431/August 2010), by
Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs, page: 7-8.
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