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The Impacts of Sins on the Society - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
The Impacts of Sins on the Society
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear
Muslims:
Allah (SWT) 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. 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 Allah (SWT).
Among the evil impacts of sins is deprivation of blessings. The Prophet (PBUH)
said, "Indeed man may be deprived of provision because of a sin that he
has committed". (Ahmed). Ibn Abbas (RAA) 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 while sin 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 many gates of good and well being closed in their faces. For Allah
(SWT) says:
"And whoever
fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for
him". (At-Talaq 65:4).
Dear Muslims:
Sins make man
despicable in the sight of his Lord. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The sinners
are despicable to Allah (SWT), 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 Allah, no one
will honour him. Allah (SWT) says:
"And whoever
Allah 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. Therefore, glory lies only in
obeying Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (PBUH). On the occasion of one of the
Muslim conquests, Abou Ad-Darda` (RAA) started weeping and he was asked,
"What is making you weep on a day that Allah gives glory to Islam and
Muslims?" He said, "How despicable are men to Allah 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 Allah, their fate is
what you see now".
That is why some
righteous predecessors used to say, "O Allah, give me honour and glory
through Your obedience and do not humiliate me on account of my sins".
Dear Brothers And Sisters In Islam:
Among the impacts
of sins is that they create all kinds of evil in the sea, air, harvest, fruits
and homes. Allah (SWT) says:
"Evil has
appeared in land and sea because of what
the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds) that He (Allah) may
make them taste a part of that which they have done in order that they may
return (by repenting to Allah, 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, Allah (SWT) subject them to a punishment. The
Prophet (PBUH) said, "You should enjoin good and forbid evil or else Allah
will send a torment to you and then you will call Him and your call will not be
answered." (At-Tirmidhi).
Among the
punishment of sins is that it removes blessings, brings about calamities, and
brings fear in the place of security and misery in the place of happiness.
Allah (SWT) says:
"And whatever
misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He
(Allah) pardons much". (Ash-Shoura 42:30).
Ali (RAA) said, "No calamity befalls
except as a result of a sin, and it cannot be removed except through
repentance". Whenever men disobey Allah (SWT), 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. Allah
(SWT) says:
"Verily, Allah 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 Allah 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. Allah
(SWT) says:
"Verily, the
pious will be in delight, and verily, the sinners will be in the blazing
fire". (Al-Infitar 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. Allah (SWT) says:
"So whoever
believes and does righteous good deeds, upon such shall come no fear, nor shall
they grieve". (Al-An'am 6:48).
Dear Muslims:
Sins remove the
blessings of religion and of worldly life. They erase the blessings of
knowledge, good deeds and sustenance. Allah (SWT) 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'raf 7:96).
Hence, the impact
of sins affects the sinners and others and causes harm to all. Abou Hurayrah
(RAA) said, "Indeed bustards do die in their nests as a result of the sin
committed by man". Mujahid 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 behaviour of my
wife and my riding animal towards me". This is because Allah (SWT) do
protect the believers who obey Him from the evils of this world and the
Hereafter". Allah (SWT) says:
"Truly, Allah defends those who
believe". (Al-Hajj 22:38).
May
Allah (SWT) make us from those who listen to the truth and follow it, bless,
guide and forgive us all.
May
He (SWT) give solace to the relatives of those killed in the recent earthquake
in Algeria
