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The Impacts of Sins on the Society
Shaykh Husayn Al Shaykh
[(Shawwal 30, 1424 (January 3, 2003)]
All praise is due to Allaah,
Lord of all the worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his
household and Companions.
Brethren! in faith! Allaah
does not command men but to do what will bring them benefits in this world
and the Hereafter. Hence sins are among the greatest evils that affect men
in this world and the next. Sins had actually removed many blessings and
caused many afflictions.
Fellow Muslims! The effects
of sins show in the individuals and the society; they affect the heart and
the body and bring about calamities whose gravity is known to none but
Allaah.
Among the evil impacts of
sins is deprivation of blessings. The Prophet said, "Indeed man may be
deprived of his provision because of a sin that he has committed." Ibn
Abbaas said, "Surely, good deed puts illumination on the face; light in
the heart; blessings in the wealth; strength in the body and love in
people's hearts. Sin also has a darkness on the face and in the heart;
weakness in the body; reduction in the provision and hatred in the hearts'
of the people."
When sins become widespread
in a society, its affairs become difficult and the members of that society
find all gates of good and well being closed in their faces. For Allaah
says,
"And whoever fears Allah
and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him."
(At-Talaaq 65:4).
Sins make man despicable in
the sight of his Lord. Al-Hasan Al-Basree said, "The sinners are
despicable to Allaah, that is why He made them commit sins; had they been
honourable in His sight, he would have protected them from committing
sins." Whenever someone becomes despicable in the sight of Allaah, no one
will honour him. Allaah says,
"And whoever Allaah
disgraces, none can honour him."
(Al-Hajj 22-18)
Whenever sins become
widespread among the Muslim society, they will be the cause of its
humiliation in the sight of other nations. The Messenger of Allaah said,
"And the ignominy and humiliation are made the lot of those who disobey my
order."
Therefore, glory lies only
in obeying Allaah and His Messengers. Allaah says,
"Whoever desires honour
(power and glory) then to Allaah belong all honour power and glory."
(Faatir 35:10)
When Cyprus was conquered,
Aboo Dardaa started weeping and he was asked, "What is making you weep on
a day that Allaah gives glory to Islaam and Muslims?" He said, "How
despicable are men to Allaah when they neglect His Commands! This
conquered nation was a powerful nation who used to wield enormous
authority, but when they abandoned the Command of Allaah, their fate is
what you see now."
The Prophet said, "Nations will call one another from
all horizons to fight you as eaters call one another unto their plate of
food." The Companions said, "Is that because we will be fewer then, O
Messenger of Allaah?" The Prophet answered, "No, you will rather be in
great numbers then, but your multitude will be as useless as the foam of a
torrential flood. Your fear will be removed from the hearts of your
enemies and "Wahn" will be put in your hearts." They said, 'What is
Wahn"? He answered, "Love of this world and aversion for death."
(Ahmad).
The Prophet also said, "When you transact by 'Eenah,
take hold of tails of the cattle and you are satisfied with farming and
you abandon Jihaad, Allaah will impose ignominy on you which He will not
remove from you until you go back to your religion. (Aboo Dawood).
That is why some righteous
predecessors used to say, "O Allaah, give me honour and glory through Your
obedience and do not humiliate me on account of my sins."
Brethren in faith! Among the
impacts of sins is that they create all kinds of evil in the sea, air,
harvest, fruits and homes. Allaah says,
"Evil has appeared in
land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression
and evil deeds) that He (Allaah) may make them taste a part of that which
they have done in order that they may return (by repenting to Allaah, and
begging His pardon)."
(Ar-Room 30:41).
The evil in this verse means
reduction in blessings, and hardships and pains that happen in the land
whenever men commit sins. Whenever they commit a sin, Allaah subject them
to a punishment. Mujaahid said, "When an unjust ruler takes the rein of
power, and he commits injustice and evils; Allaah will, as a result,
withhold rain and the crops and cattle will be destroyed."
The Prophet said, "O you
Muhaajiroon! There are five things I seek refuge with Allaah that they
should not affect you: When adultery appears among a people and it is so
widespread that they do it publicly, Allaah will afflict them with
epidemic and pains that were unknown to their predecessors; when a people
cheat in dry measure and scale, they will be afflicted with years of
drought, hardships and unjust rulers; when a people refuse to pay Zakaah
due on their wealth, they will be denied rain from the heaven and if not
because of animals they will not have rains; when a people fail to fulfill
covenants of Allaah, He will impose an enemy on them who will seize some
of their wealth, and when people's leader fail to judge by what Allaah has
revealed in His Book, Allaah will create enmity among them."
The Prophet said, "You should enjoin good and forbid
evil or else Allaah will send a torment to you and then you will call Him
and your call will not be answered." (At-Tirmidhee)
Fellow Muslims! Among the
punishment of sins in that it removes blessings, brings about calamities,
and brings fear in the place of security and misery in the place of
happiness. Allaah says,
"And whatever misfortune
befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He (Allaah)
pardons much."
(Ash-Shooraa 42:30).
Alee said, "No calamity
befalls except as a result of a sin, and it cannot be removed except
through repentance."
Whenever men disobey Allaah,
are ungrateful for His favour and seek after causes of His wrath instead
of causes of His pleasure, He will turn their well-being to punishment and
their happiness to misery. Allaah say,
"Verily, Allaah will not
change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change
their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing) sins. But when Allaah
wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning back on it and they
will besides Him no protector."
(Ar-Ra'd 13-11)
Dear Muslims! Among the
impact of sins is the spread of psychological diseases among people, fear
and distress. This is because; sins expose the heart to diseases and
perversion. So the effect of the sins on the hearts is the effect of
diseases on the body and the only remedy for the heart diseases is to
abandon sins and to repent. Allaah says,
"Verily, the pious will
be in delight, and verily, the sinners will be in the blazing fire."
(Al-Infitaar 82:13-14).
Ibn Al-Qayyim said in his
comments on the above verse: "Do not ever think that the delight and the
fire in this verse are restricted to that of the Hereafter alone. It is
rather meant for the three stages that man passes through: this world, the
world between his death and the Hereafter and his last abode in the
Hereafter. Some men will be in delight while others will be in blazing
fire. Is there any delight in this world greater than that of the heart?
Is there any torment greater than fear, sorrow and distress? That is why
the upright and pious people are free from sorrow and distress. Allaah
says,
"So whoever believes and
does righteous good deeds, upon such shall come no fear, nor shall they
grief."
(Al-An'aam 6:48).
Brethren in faith! Sins
remove the blessings of religion and of worldly life. They erase the
blessings of knowledge, good deeds and sustenance. Allaah says,
"And if the people of the
towns had believed and had piety, certainly, We should have opened for
them blessings from the heaven and the earth."
(Al-A'raaf 7:96)
Hence, the impact of sins
affects the sinners and others and causes harm to all. Aboo Hurayrah said,
"Indeed the bustards do die in their nest as a result of the sin committed
by man." Mujaahid said, "The animals do curse the sinners among men
whenever there is a severe drought and rain is withheld and they say: This
is evil the impact of the sins of men."
Sins embolden devils to
attack man with insinuations, fright, and sorrow as they make him neglect
all that can bring him benefit. Sins also make devilish people attack him
either in his presence or absence, as they embolden his servants, children
and neighbors to maltreat him. One of the righteous predecessors said,
"Whenever I commit a sin, I see the impact of that in the behavoiur of my
wife and my riding animal towards me." This is because Allaah do protect
the believers who obey Him from the evils of this world and the
Hereafter." Allaah says,
"Truly, Allaah defends
those who believe."
(Al-Hajj 22:38)
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