Abstaining from Sins

Abstaining from sins

The following are some evil acts prohibited in Islam and for which grave warnings of punishment have been sounded by Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam):

• To mock at someone.
• To taunt a person.
• To call a person by a degrading nick-name.
• To cast suspicion against someone.
• To search for the faults of others.
• Gheebat (scandalling)
• To gossip.
• To revile a person for no proper reason.
• Double-talk, to be two-faced.
• To slander.
• To deceive.
• Pride, vanity.
• Cruelty and oppression.
• Refraining from aiding one in hardship inspite of having the means.
• To create loss for another in his wealth.
• To cast aspersions against a person thereby running his reputation.
• To be unkind to juniors and disrespectful to seniors.
• To break ties with a Muslim for some worldly motive.
• Making/Taking Pictures of living things-people and animals.
• Shaving or cutting the beard.
• Imitating the kuffaar and fussaaq in dress.
• For women to imitate men in dress and for men to imitate women in dress.

Besides the above, there are many other sins and it is essential to abstain from all sin. Involvement in sin stunts spiritual development and the Noor of Imaan does not glitter. Sin darkens the heart. Sin hardens the heart and creates a detestation for Allah Ta’ala and for all pious men associated with Allah Ta’ala. Constant indulgence in sin creates in one an aversion for pious company. The consequence is that the one given up to sin recedes further and further from the Rahmat of Allah Ta’ala. He then loses all hope in rectitude and in the mercy and forgiveness of Allah Ta’ala. When overcome by this destructive condition, the Believer will be standing on the threshold of kufr.

It is essential to continuously resort to taubah and seek the forgiveness of Allah Ta’ala. Taubah and Istighfaar do not allow the darkness flowing from sin to engulf and permanently settle on the heart. Taubah secures forgiveness for all sins of violation of Allah’s Rights. However, if the sin involves the huqooq (rights) of others as well, a requisite for obtaining forgiveness is to rectify the rights of those whose rights were violated. This is to be done by either discharging the actual object if the haqq is in tangible form, e.g. money, etc., or by obtaining pardon if the right is intangible, e.g. slander, abuse, violence against the person.

Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (radiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:

“A sincere repenter of sins is like one who has not committed sins.” (Baihaqi)

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:

“Discharge the rights of the brother (Muslim) today–whether such rights pertain to his honour or wealth–before there comes the time (Aakhirah) when there will be neither gold or silver.” (Bukhari)

If arrangements are not made here to fulfil usurped or undischarged huqooq (rights), the demand for discharge will be made in the Aakhirah. But, there, man will have no means of paying his rights and fulfilling what he had cast aside here. Thus, he will be made to pay and discharge the rights of others in Qiyaamah by means of his accepted virtuous deeds. His deeds (the sole capital of the Believer in Aakhirah) will be taken and in proportion to the right usurped will be handed over to the Saahibul Haqq (the one who is entitled to the rights).

Hayaatul Muslimeen by Hadhrat Hakimul Ummah Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rahmatullahi Alayh). Pg 171 -172.

Source: Darul Uloom Zakariyya