Purification of the Heart - Avoiding Sins

 Avoiding Sins

The heart fluctuates in this life between hardness and softness. When sins accumulate, it becomes hardened, and when a servant increases in acts of obedience, the heart becomes softened.

Sins have ugly consequences if they are committed hastily or accumulated. A spark may burn down a whole town, and sins are like shackles around people's necks, and destruction comes from persisting in them. Blessings disappear with sins, and retribution and punishment follow. The sinner finds that every matter he turns to is closed off or difficult to achieve.

Sins diminish the blessings of life. Whatever goodness the servant may miss out by committing a sin is multiplied many times compared to the pleasure and enjoyment gained from it. The punishment for wrongdoing will eventually come, even if it is delayed. Allah, the Most High, says:" 

لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَآ أَمَانِىِّ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ۗ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوٓءًۭا يُجْزَ بِهِۦ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيًّۭا وَلَا نَصِيرًۭا ١٢٣

(Surah An-Nisa 4:123)

Iblis was expelled from the abode of honor for neglecting to prostrate just once. Allah, glorified be He, says: 

قَالَ فَٱهْبِطْ مِنْهَا فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيهَا فَٱخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰغِرِينَ ١٣

“[Allah] said, "Descend from Paradise, for it is not for you to be arrogant therein. So get out; indeed, you are of the debased.” 

(Surah Al-Araf: Ayat 13)

Adam was expelled from Paradise for partaking of a forbidden fruit. Allah, the Most High, says:

وَقُلْنَا يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ ٱسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ٣٥

فَأَزَلَّهُمَا ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ ۖ وَقُلْنَا ٱهْبِطُوا۟ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّۭ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّۭ وَمَتَـٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍۢ ٣٦

"And We said, 'O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.' But Satan caused them to slip out of it and removed them from that [condition] in which they had been." 

(Surah Al-Baqarah, : Ayat 35-36)

"A woman entered the Hellfire because of a cat that she had confined.1" "While a man was walking, dragging his dress with pride, he was caused to be swallowed by the earth and will go on sinking in it till the Day of Resurrection."2

Thus, sins lead to destruction. So be fearful of your sins and never feel secure from punishment. For the insignificance of sin in the eyes of a servant is great in the sight of Allah, indicating impending doom.

Beware of belittling sins, because when they accumulate upon a person, they destroy him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Verily, the example of the belittling of sins is like a group of people who set up camp in a valley, and then one of them brought a stick, and another one brought a stick until  they baked their bread."

(Ahmed)1

Sin becomes magnified and its danger intensifies when a person openly commits it, belittles it, takes delight in it, or disregards Allah's covering. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Verily, you perform deeds that appear to you as insignificant as a strand of hair, but we used to count them among the destructive sins during the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him,." 

(Al-Bukhari)2

When death approached Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, may Allah have mercy on him,3 he wept. He was asked, "What makes you weep?" He replied, "By Allah, I do not weep for a sin that I am aware of committing. But I fear that I may have committed a sin, considering it insignificant, while it is great in the sight of Allah."4

Sin is not limited to committing forbidden actions alone; rather, falling short in fulfilling obligations is also among the blameworthy deeds. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Repentance and seeking forgiveness can be a result of neglecting obligations and committing prohibitions. Many people are unaware of this"5

References:

1 In Al-Musnad, Hadith number (22808), from the narration of Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him).

2 Book of Asceticism, Chapter on the Reprehensible Aspects of Sin, Hadith number (6492).

3 He is Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Al-Munkadir ibn Abdullah Al-Tamimi Al-Qurashi, born 30 AH and passed away in 130 AH. Siyar A'lam al-Nubala (353/5).

4 Revival of the Religious Sciences, (481/4).

5 Majmu' Fatwa by Shaykh al-Islam, (670/11).

1 Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Book of Drinks and Watering, Chapter on the Virtue of Giving Water, Hadith number (2365), and Muslim, Book of Righteousness and Maintaining Family Ties and Good Manners, Chapter on the Prohibition of Torturing a Cat or Similar Animals that Do Not Harm, Hadith number (2242), from the narration of Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

2 Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Book of Prophetic Hadiths, Chapter on the Hadith of the Cave, Hadith number (3485), from the narration of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).