Sins

A young man who had stolen was brought to ʿUmar (for punishment). He said, “By Allāh I have never stolen before this time.” So ʿUmar responded, “You lie, Allāh would not (or does not) surrender a servant of His on the first sin.”

Abū Dāwūd, Al-Zuhd article 56, and others. Graded ṣaḥīh by Ibn Kathīr and others.

When a sin is hidden it harms only the perpetrator, but if it is made apparent and not rectified, it harms all the people.

Ibn Waḍḍāḥ, Al-Bidʿah #287.

It is better for a man to leave one ḥarām dirham than to give one hundred thousand in charity.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm 5:125.

It is reported that Mu’āwiyah b. Qurrah – Allāh have mercy on him – said: Those who will be taken to account most on the Day of Resurrection are those who were healthy and unoccupied. Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 4:152

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 4:152

Zuhd (abstinence from materialism, asceticism) is of three types: (i) obligatory zuhd, (ii) virtuous zuhd and (iii) zuhd for safety. Obligatory zuhd is to abstain from what is forbidden (harām); virtuous zuhd is to be disinterested in what is allowed (of this world); and zuhd for safety is to stay away from doubtful matters. Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 905.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 905.

I have considered sending out men to the different regions to check on all those who are well off enough but have not made Hajj, and impose the jizyah (tax imposed on Ahl Al-Kitāb in the Muslim state) on them; they are not Muslims, they are not Muslims. It is also reported that he said: If the people abandoned Hajj, we would fight them for it as we fight them for the prayer and zakāh. It is also reported that he said: Whoever dies, being well off enough but having never done Hajj, let him die as a Jew if he wishes or as a Christian. It is reported that Al-Aswad b. Hilāl – Allāh have mercy on him – said to a freedman of his called Miqlāṣ: If you died and had never made Hajj, I would not pray over you. It is reported that Sa’īd b. Jubayr – Allāh have mercy on him – said: If a neighbor of mine died without ever making Hajj, while being well off enough to do so, I would not pray over him. It is reported that Mujāhid b. Rūmī said: I asked Sa’īd b. Jubayr, ‘Abd Al-Raḥmān b. Abī Laylā and Ibn Ma’qal (‘Abdullah Al-Muzanī) about a man who died, being well off enough, but never having made Hajj. Ibn Abī Laylā said, “I hope that if his next of kin does Hajj on his behalf…” Sa’īd b. Jubayr said, “The Fire, the Fire.” ‘Abdullah b. Ma’qal said, “He died in a state of disobedience to Allāh.” Al-Khallāl, Al-Sunnah 5:43-47, articles 1572-1576.

Al-Khallāl, Al-Sunnah 5:43-47, articles 1572-1576.

يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ ٱلْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى ٱلصُّدُورُ

Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Al-Zuhd article 1428.

I will not leave anything Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – did, except that I will also do it; for I fear that if I were to leave any of his commands and ways I would deviate. Al-Bukhārī, Al-Ṣaḥīḥ 2:386 ḥadīth no. 3093; Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah article 77, and others. Notes After recording this narration, Ibn Battah states: This, my brothers, is the greatest Ṣiddīq (true believer i.e. Abū Bakr), fearing that he would fall into deviation if he were to leave any of the commandments of his Prophet – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him. What then is to happen in a time in which people deride their Prophet and his commandments, and compete with each other and show off in contradicting him and mock his Sunnah? We ask Allāh to protect us from slipping and to save us from evil deeds.

This, my brothers, is the greatest Ṣiddīq (true believer i.e. Abū Bakr), fearing that he would fall into deviation if he were to leave any of the commandments of his Prophet – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him. What then is to happen in a time in which people deride their Prophet and his commandments, and compete with each other and show off in contradicting him and mock his Sunnah? We ask Allāh to protect us from slipping and to save us from evil deeds.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 765.

Ibn Abī Ya’lā, Tabaqāt Al-Hanābilah Vol. 1 p182.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-Tawbah article 57.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-Tawbah article 70.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 2318.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 2619.

I would rather fornicate thrity-three times than consume a dirham of usury while Allāh knows that I knowingly consumed it as usury, Al-Mundhirī states in Al-Targhīb wa Al-Tarhīb, “Reported by Ahmad through a good chain of transmitters.” Graded sahīh by Al-Albāni in Sahīh Al-Targhīb wa Al-Tarhīb Vol. 2 p178.

Al-Mundhirī states in Al-Targhīb wa Al-Tarhīb, “Reported by Ahmad through a good chain of transmitters.” Graded sahīh by Al-Albāni in Sahīh Al-Targhīb wa Al-Tarhīb Vol. 2 p178.

It would be better for a person to be turned to dust than to deliberately walk in front of a person who is praying. Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Al-Tamhīd. Graded sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Sahīh Al-Targhībi wa Al-Tarhīb Vol. 1 p135.

Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Al-Tamhīd. Graded sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Sahīh Al-Targhībi wa Al-Tarhīb Vol. 1 p135.

Whoever wears silk; Allāh will make him wear fire for a day – not one of your days, but one of Allāh’s long days. Reported by Al-Bazzār. Graded sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Sahīh Al-Targhībi wa Al-Tarhīb Vol. 2 p225.

Reported by Al-Bazzār. Graded sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Sahīh Al-Targhībi wa Al-Tarhīb Vol. 2 p225.

Killing a believer is worse to Allāh than the ending of the world. Al-Nasā`ī, ­Al-Sunan. Graded sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Sahīh Al-Jāmi’ no.4361.

Al-Nasā`ī, ­Al-Sunan. Graded sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī in Sahīh Al-Jāmi’ no.4361.

Whoever’s sin was because of [carnal] desires, hope for him (as he may repent and be forgiven); but whoever’s sin was out of pride, fear for him. For indeed, Âdam sinned out of simple desire, and was forgiven; whereas Iblîs sinned out of pride, and was cursed. Al-Dhahabî , Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` in his biography of Sufyân b. ‘Uyainah.

Al-Dhahabî , Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` in his biography of Sufyân b. ‘Uyainah.

He was one of the major scholars, he was born during the life of the Prophet – Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him…he was a reliable and truthful reporter…he reported numerous ahādīth. The following are some of the Companions he reported from: Here is the story of how he repented. He narrates: I was a boy with a nice voice and I was good at playing drums. I was once with a friend and we had nabīdh (a date infusion drink that can turn alcoholic) and I was singing for my friends. Ibn Mas’ūd was passing by and entered upon us; he struck the drink container we had and broke the drum. Then he said, “O boy! If your nice voice was to be heard reciting Qur`ān instead you would be the man!” And then he went on his way. I asked my friends, “Who was that?” They told me it was Ibn Mas’ūd. At that point tawbah was cast into my soul, and so I ran after him crying, I grabbed his garment and he turned to me and embraced me and cried. He said, “Welcome to him who Allah loves. Sit down.” He then went inside and brought out some dates for me. Thereafter, Zādhān became pious; Al-Dhahabī also reports that he was seen praying and it was as if he was a piece of wood or a tree in his stillness and humility in prayer. He died in 82H, Allah have mercy on him. Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of Zādhān.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of Zādhān.

Do not think about how small the sin is, but think about who you have just disobeyed. Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq Vol.1 p150.

Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq Vol.1 p150.

Singing sprouts hypocrisy (nifāq) in the heart as water sprouts greens and herbs. Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā Vol.2 p469, and Al-Bayhaqī, Al-Sunan Al-Kubrā Vol. 52 p231. Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawzīyah – Allah have mercy on him – said in Madārij Al-Sālikīn, Vol.1 p487: These are the words of someone who fully understood singing and its effects, for no one regularly sings or listens to song except that his heart falls into nifāq without him realizing. If such a person understood the reality of nifāq and its end he would see it in his own heart. Never do the love of song and the love of Qur`ān come together in a person’s heart except that one expels the other. I and others have witnessed how heavy the Qur`ān feels to singers and song-listeners; how they coil when it is recited and how they get angry with a reciter when he recites too long for them (in prayer etc); and how their hearts do not benefit from what he recites: they are not moved to do anything by it. But when the Qur`ān of Shaytān comes, lā ilāha illallāh! How they lower their voices and settle down! How their hearts feel at peace and how the crying and emotions start, how moved they are inwardly and outwardly and spend on clothing and perfume and staying up hoping for a long night ahead. If this is not nifāq then it is certainly the way to it and its foundation.

These are the words of someone who fully understood singing and its effects, for no one regularly sings or listens to song except that his heart falls into nifāq without him realizing. If such a person understood the reality of nifāq and its end he would see it in his own heart. Never do the love of song and the love of Qur`ān come together in a person’s heart except that one expels the other. I and others have witnessed how heavy the Qur`ān feels to singers and song-listeners; how they coil when it is recited and how they get angry with a reciter when he recites too long for them (in prayer etc); and how their hearts do not benefit from what he recites: they are not moved to do anything by it. But when the Qur`ān of Shaytān comes, lā ilāha illallāh! How they lower their voices and settle down! How their hearts feel at peace and how the crying and emotions start, how moved they are inwardly and outwardly and spend on clothing and perfume and staying up hoping for a long night ahead. If this is not nifāq then it is certainly the way to it and its foundation.

Nay, but their hearts were covered over by what (sins) they earned. [Al-Mutaffifīn: 14] Al-Hasan (Al-Basrī) said, “It is because of doing one sin after another, until the heart becomes blind and dies.” Qatādah also said, “It is because of doing one sin after another, one sin after another, until the heart dies and becomes black.” Ibn Zayd said, “Their sins overcome their hearts until no good can get through to them.” Mujāhid explained, “They used to consider the heart like a hand: when a person sins, his heart starts to scrunch up,” and he folded his little finger, “and when he does another sin,” he folded the next finger and continued until he had his fist clenched. “Then a seal is placed over it, and they used to say that this is the ‘covering’.” Al-Tabarī in his Tafsīr, Sūrah Al-Mutaffifīn.

Al-Tabarī in his Tafsīr, Sūrah Al-Mutaffifīn.

The believer sees his sins as if he is sitting at the foot of a mountain fearing that it might fall on him, while the sinner (fājir) sees his sins as a fly that lands on his nose, he just waves it away. Al-Bukhārī, Al-Sahīh, The Book of Supplications, Chapter on Tawbah. Ibn Hajr quotes in his commentary, Fath Al-Bārī: Ibn Abī Jumrah said, “The reason for this [fear] is that the heart of a believer is illuminated; so when he sees from himself something that goes against what he illuminates his heart with, it is very distressing to him. The wisdom behind giving the example of a mountain is that a person might find some way to escape from other dangers, but if a mountain falls on a person he does not survive. In short, the believer is dominated by fear (of Allah) due to the strength of īmān he has; he does not therefore feel falsely secure about being punished because of his sins. This is the way of the Muslim: he always fears and checks on himself, his good deeds are little to him and he fears even the small bad deeds he has done.”

Ibn Abī Jumrah said, “The reason for this [fear] is that the heart of a believer is illuminated; so when he sees from himself something that goes against what he illuminates his heart with, it is very distressing to him. The wisdom behind giving the example of a mountain is that a person might find some way to escape from other dangers, but if a mountain falls on a person he does not survive. In short, the believer is dominated by fear (of Allah) due to the strength of īmān he has; he does not therefore feel falsely secure about being punished because of his sins. This is the way of the Muslim: he always fears and checks on himself, his good deeds are little to him and he fears even the small bad deeds he has done.”

Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq Vol.1 p146, no.57.

You will never meet Allah with anything better for you than having few sins. Whoever wants to surpass those who exert themselves in worship, let him stop himself from committing numerous sins. Ibn Al-Jawzī, Sifah Al-Safwah Vol.1 p319.

Ibn Al-Jawzī, Sifah Al-Safwah Vol.1 p319.

You people do things today that you regard as less significant than a strand of hair, whereas we, during the time of the Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – used to consider them destructive sins. Al-Bukhārī in his Ṣaḥīḥ, Chapter on sins that are seen as insignificant but which should be kept away from.

Al-Bukhārī in his Ṣaḥīḥ, Chapter on sins that are seen as insignificant but which should be kept away from.