Brethren! in faith! Allaah 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.
Fellow Muslims! 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 Allaah.
Among the evil impacts of sins is deprivation of blessings. The Prophet said, “Indeed man may be deprived of his provision because of a sin that he has committed.” Ibn Abbaas 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. Sin also 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 all gates of good and well being closed in their faces. For Allaah says, “And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him.” (At-Talaaq 65:4).
Sins make man despicable in the sight of his Lord. Al-Hasan Al-Basree said, “The sinners are despicable to Allaah, 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 Allaah, no one will honour him. Allaah says, “And whoever Allaah 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. The Messenger of Allaah said, “And the ignominy and humiliation are made the lot of those who disobey my order.”
Therefore, glory lies only in obeying Allaah and His Messengers. Allaah says, “Whoever desires honour (power and glory) then to Allaah belong all honour power and glory.” (Faatir 35:10)
When Cyprus was conquered, Aboo Dardaa started weeping and he was asked, “What is making you weep on a day that Allaah gives glory to Islaam and Muslims?” He said, “How despicable are men to Allaah 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 Allaah, their fate is what you see now.”
The Prophet said, “Nations will call one another from all horizons to fight you as eaters call one another unto their plate of food.” The Companions said, “Is that because we will be fewer then, O Messenger of Allaah?” The Prophet answered, “No, you will rather be in great numbers then, but your multitude will be as useless as the foam of a torrential flood. Your fear will be removed from the hearts of your enemies and “Wahn” will be put in your hearts.” They said, ‘What is Wahn”? He answered, “Love of this world and aversion for death.” (Ahmad).
The Prophet also said, “When you transact by ‘Eenah, take hold of tails of the cattle and you are satisfied with farming and you abandon Jihaad, Allaah will impose ignominy on you which He will not remove from you until you go back to your religion. (Aboo Dawood).
That is why some righteous predecessors used to say, “O Allaah, give me honour and glory through Your obedience and do not humiliate me on account of my sins.”
Brethren in faith! Among the impacts of sins is that they create all kinds of evil in the sea, air, harvest, fruits and homes. Allaah says,
“Evil has appeared in land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds) that He (Allaah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done in order that they may return (by repenting to Allaah, 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, Allaah subject them to a punishment. Mujaahid said, “When an unjust ruler takes the rein of power, and he commits injustice and evils; Allaah will, as a result, withhold rain and the crops and cattle will be destroyed.”
The Prophet said, “O you Muhaajiroon! There are five things I seek refuge with Allaah that they should not affect you: When adultery appears among a people and it is so widespread that they do it publicly, Allaah will afflict them with epidemic and pains that were unknown to their predecessors; when a people cheat in dry measure and scale, they will be afflicted with years of drought, hardships and unjust rulers; when a people refuse to pay Zakaah due on their wealth, they will be denied rain from the heaven and if not because of animals they will not have rains; when a people fail to fulfill covenants of Allaah, He will impose an enemy on them who will seize some of their wealth, and when people’s leader fail to judge by what Allaah has revealed in His Book, Allaah will create enmity among them.”
The Prophet said, “You should enjoin good and forbid evil or else Allaah will send a torment to you and then you will call Him and your call will not be answered.” (At-Tirmidhee)
Fellow Muslims! Among the punishment of sins in that it removes blessings, brings about calamities, and brings fear in the place of security and misery in the place of happiness. Allaah says,
“And whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He (Allaah) pardons much.” (Ash-Shooraa 42:30).
Alee said, “No calamity befalls except as a result of a sin, and it cannot be removed except through repentance.”
Whenever men disobey Allaah, 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. Allaah say,
“Verily, Allaah 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 Allaah 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. Allaah says,
“Verily, the pious will be in delight, and verily, the sinners will be in the blazing fire.” (Al-Infitaar 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. Allaah says,
“So whoever believes and does righteous good deeds, upon such shall come no fear, nor shall they grief.” (Al-An’aam 6:48).
Brethren in faith! Sins remove the blessings of religion and of worldly life. They erase the blessings of knowledge, good deeds and sustenance. Allaah 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’raaf 7:96)
Hence, the impact of sins affects the sinners and others and causes harm to all. Aboo Hurayrah said, “Indeed the bustards do die in their nest as a result of the sin committed by man.” Mujaahid 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 behavoiur of my wife and my riding animal towards me.” This is because Allaah do protect the believers who obey Him from the evils of this world and the Hereafter.” Allaah says,
“Truly, Allaah defends those who believe.” (Al-Hajj 22:38)
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