Part 34

15. Underestimating the value of sins

One of the deadly ways that Satan can influence man is by constantly whispering to him: “This is a small sin, it is insignificant”, until he

brings him down by it. So it is due to negligence that many sins are committed, and thus many sanctities of Allah 3% have been violated.

However, a reasonable Muslim is always wary of minor sins as well as major ones, because commiting a minor offence could lead a person to a big one. In fact, if all the small sins gathered in one person, they would destroy him/her.

Abu Hurayrah #% reported that the Prophet 4% said: “When a believer sins there is a black spot (placed) in his heart, yet if he should repent and ask pardon, then his heart would be polished; but if he does it more, it increases till it gains ascendancy over his heart. That is the rust mentioned by Allah 3%: (Nay, but what they were committing has spread like rust over their hearts)”'.

Being careless about one’s sins is a sign of weakness in one’s faith, because the more powerful one’s faith is, the more cautious and fearful of Allah a believer would become. Anas ibn Malik # said: “You are indeed doing deeds which, in your eyes, are smaller than a hair, yet we used to consider them, at the time of the Prophet #, as grave grave offences.”?

It was said: “Do not look at the smallness (insignificance) of the offence, but look at the greatness of the One Whom you have disobeyed.”

The Companions of the Prophet # - and they were the people whose belief was the strongest — used to be so cautious that they even feared to be hypocritical to themselves.

Al-Bukhari reported that Ibn Abi Maleekah said: “There were thirty of the Prophet’s Companions % in my time, and all of them were wary of not being conceited.”

So a Servant of Allah, who seeks salvation on the Day of Resurrection should not belittle even the smallest of sins; for the Prophet # said to ' Recorded by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

? Recorded by al-Bukhari.

‘Aishah #: “Avoid sins which are considered insignificant, for they have one sent by Allah to enquire about them.”

16. Feeling secure about Allah’s devising

Some people commit sins freely, but when you try to advise them, they simply reply: “Verily, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, and Most-Merciful”. But these poor people tend to forget that Allah’s Punishment is Most Painful one; for He € said: (Tell My slaves that I am the EverForgiving, the Most Merciful, but also that My Punishment is a Painful Punishment)’. Allah 3% is Forgiving towards the repentant, Merciful to the believers, but those disobedient (sinners) shall have a painful punishment. So do not be deluded by the Mercy of Allah, and do not forget His Punishment; (Do they fee secure about Allah’s Devising? No one feels secure about Allah’s Devising except for those who are lost)’.

Neglecting the Punishment of Allah 3% generates carelessness, which in its turn generates indifference. The latter is a tool of Satan and one of the causes that lead to the total loss and decline of a person. So, whoever neglects one Command of Allah, Satan shall draw him to neglect a more significant Command, and whereon, until he allures him/her into the net of sins. So one should cultivate this inner fear of Allah (being mindful of Him 3) in order to drive away these sins, and avoid walking into unlawful deeds. Allah 3 describes the real faithful in Paradise: (Beforehand, we used to live in fear among our families. But Allah was gracious to us and safeguarded us from the punishment of the searing wind)’. Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “A believer performs his duties and displays his obedience to Allah while being apprehensive and worried (anxious about the Punishment of his Lord). As for the profligate, he indulges in sins; in “deceptive” self-assurance.”

' Recorded by al-Nasa’i, al-Darimi (2/303) and Ibn Majab (2/1417). ? Surat al-Hijr, verses 49-50.

3 Surat al-A ‘raf, verse 99.

4 Surat al-Tar, verses 26-27.

Anas ibn Malik 4 reported that the Prophet 3% delivered a sermon the like of which I had never heard before; he said: “If you but knew what I know then you would have laughed little and wept much.”

The Prophet # said: “He who fears sets out at nightfall and he who sets out at nightfall reaches the destination. Allah’s commodity is dear. Allah’s commodity is Paradise.”* Al-Mundiri, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “The meaning of the Hadith is: As for he who fears Allah’s Punishment, his fear will make him observe good deeds and so behave the appropriate conduct of (those of) the Hereafter.”

How could anyone feel secure about the Punishment of Allah, when there is ahead of us a crucial and critical Day; the Day when we shall all stand before Allah 3%, barefooted and naked, and He & shall question us for every minor and major act.

Al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir said: “I heard the Prophet 4 say: ‘The person who would have the least punishment from amongst the people of the Hellfire, on the Day of Resurrection, would be a man under whose arch of the feet a smouldering ember would have been placed so that his brain would boil because of it.””

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri 4 reported that the Prophet 4 said: “Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): ‘O Adam.’ Adam would reply: ‘Labbayk wa Sa‘dayk’, (all good is in Your Hand.) Allah will say: ‘Bring out the People of the Fire.” Adam would say: ‘O Allah! How many are the People of the Fire?’ Allah will reply: ‘From every thousand, remove nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine.’ At that time children would become hoary headed, every pregnant female would have a miscarriage, and one will see mankind as drunken, yet they will not be drunken, but dreadful will be the Wrath of Allah.” The companions of the Prophet asked: ‘O Allah's Apostle! Who is that (accepted) one?’ He replied: ‘Rejoice with glad tidings; one person will be from you while one-thousand will be from Gog and Magog.’ The Prophet further said: ‘By Him in Whose Hands my life is, you should hope that

' Recorded by al-Bukhari. ? Recorded by al-Tirmidhi. > Al-Targheeb (6/79).

* Recorded by al-Bukhari.

you would be a quarter of the People of Paradise.’ We shouted: ‘Allahu Akbar\’ He added: ‘I hope that you will be one-third of the people of Paradise.’ We shouted: ‘Allahu Akbar!’ He said: ‘I hope that you will be half of the people of Paradise.’ We shouted: ‘Allahu Akbar!’ He further added: “You (Muslims) (compared with nonMuslims) are like a black hair on the skin of a white ox or like a white hair in the skin of a black ox (ie. your number is very small as compared with theirs).”!

17. Despairing of the Mercy of Allah

If Satan is unable to influence man by making him feel secure about Allah’s devising, he puts him under a lot of distress until he feels hopeless, and so he despairs of the Mercy of Allah 3€; he would say to him: ‘Your sins are numerous and grave; they cannot be forgiven, and it is not possible for the Mercy of Allah to reach you’. He would stay behind a Servant of Allah until he fully despairs, and then he would say to him: ‘Enjoy life the way you want, before your death, since you are bound to end up in the Hell fire’. This is the way Satan moves people gradually closer to more sins until they indulge completely in satisfying their desires.

A Servant of Allah should block this entrance by remembering — and invoking — the Mercy of Allah, which extends to all things; for Allah 3€ accepts the repentance of the disbeliever, if he repents and embraces Islam, so why should He & not accept the repentance of a Muslim who sinned.

Allah 3g has opened the door of repentance to all His Servants, and made them desirous of His Mercy; so He 3¢ called out to them: Say: My Servants, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the Mercy of Allah. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful)’.

Sayyid Qutb, may Allah have Mercy upon him, said: “This is the Extensive Mercy which encompasses every sin; it is a call to habitual sinners who are lost in the world of misguidance, calling them to have

' Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. ? Surat al-Zumar, verse 53.

hope and trust in Allah’s Forgiveness; verily, Allah is Merciful to His Servants. He 4 knows their weaknesses and inabilities, and is completely Aware of all the factors affecting them. He 3 knows that Satan is anxiously waiting to allure them at every junction, with all his attractions. He 3 knows that the mentality of man is fragile, could breakdown at any time, if he lets the rope that holds him slip, for this is the bond of Islam which strengthens him; and that his innate nature, such as bodily functions, inclinations, and desires, all tend to deviate from their right balance and end up offending, since his nature is too weak to maintain that sound natural balance.

Allah 3% knows all these aspects of man, so He 3 supplies him with all the necessary support, and extends His Mercy for him. He 8& does not punish him for his sin until He provides him with all the means to amend his mistake, and guides his footsteps to the Right Path. When a person endulges excessively in sinful acts, and assumes that thre is no way back for him; at this moment of despair and hopelessness, he hears the following call of mercy: (Say: My Servants, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the Mercy of Allah. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the EverForgiving, the Most Merciful)’. :

If we should learn the reason for the revelation of this verse, we would see the extension of the Mercy of Allah to all mankind.

Ibn ‘Abbas 2 said’: “Some pagans who had committed a great number of murders in great numbers and fornicated excessively, came to Muhammad 3%, saying: ‘O Muhammad, whatever you say and invite people to, is good; but we wish you could inform us whether or not we could éxpiate for our evil deeds of the past’. So the following Divine Verses were revealed: (Those who do not invoke with Allah any other god, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, nor fornicate; (but) anyone who does that will receive an evil punishment, and on the Day of Resurrection his punishment will be doubled and he will be humiliated in it timelessly, for ever, except for those who repent and have faith and act rightly: Allah will transform the wrong actions of such people into good ones —