Shakirah Hunter

As we focus on all the Ibadah we would love to incorporate into our lives during Ramadhan – we sometimes forget that our first goal should be to remove the sin that might be festering away and dimininshing our ability to do good deeds. Simply put – we have to spring clean before we bring in new furniture or décor. We always look at sin from the impact it has on our lives in the hereafter – but we often forget that sin has the ability to impact our lives in this world and deprives us of so many things that are integral to our growth and development.

1. Deprivation of sustenanceThe Holy Prophet (s) has said:يقول النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم: (إنَّ الرجلَ ليُحرَمُ الرزقَ بالذنبِ يصيبُهُ، ولا يردُّ القدرَ إلا الدعاءُ، ولا يزيدُ في العمرِ إلا البرُّ)“Most Certainly a man is dprived of sustenance because of a sin that afflicted him..”

2. Deprivation of the Noor of knowledge:One is unable to feel the effects of knowledge which is the light that it creates in the heart. Once Imam Maalik (ra) was amazed at the intelligence of his student Imam Shafiee (ra) and remarked to him: “I see that Allah has placed a light in your heart so do not extinguish it with the darkness of sin.”

3. Loneliness: Sin brings with it a distancing from Allah Ta’ala , so one begins to feel a deep loneliness from Allah Ta’ala and then loneliness from people, until finally it only feels solace in bitterness and bad company.

4. The inability to gain Taufeeq:Taufeeq is the ability to do all that you desire to do , at times you desire to fast, to pray qiymaul layl or to do many acts of ibadah – but somehow you find yourself unable to do so .  You find that no matter how hard you try you are unable to bring about a change or implement a good action into your life.

5. The Removal of barakah in your life:You will find yourself constantly remarking how there is no time and life is just running away from us. We think that we are so incredibly busy therefore we don’t have time – but the reality is that the effect of sin is such that it creates a complete removal of barakah from your life.

6. Deprivation of obedience to Allah Ta’ala:A man came to Hasan Al Basri (ra) and said to him that he prepares himself to wake up for qiyamul layl but can never stand up for qiyamul layl. Hasan Basri (ra) responded : (ذنوبك قيّدتك) “your sins have tied you up.”

7. Disgrace in his worldly life:Most certainly a man commits a sin in secret then he sees the morning with the humiliation of it upon him. إن الرجل ليصيب الذنب في السر فيصبح وعليه مذلته

8. The heart becomes completely unmindful:Hasan (ra) says : this is becauses a sin is committed upon another sin until the heart becomes blind.

9. The removal of modesty :The effect of sin is that one does not care about his actions whether in relation to Allah Ta’ala or in relation to His servants.

10. The descending of punishment from Allah Ta’ala:This comes in the forms of natural disasters like earthquakes and tremors etc.

These effects of sin are often not regarded and can hinder ones attempts at change and reformation. It is imperative that we are honest with ourselves and prepare our hearts firstly by removing sin that might be festering there. In order to plant anew one must remove the dead soil and festering plants.