The Bitter Consequences of Sins

The Bitter Consequences of
Sins
By Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah [1]

It is essential to know that sins and
acts of disobedience are, necessarily, very harmful. Their harm effects upon the
heart are akin to the harmful effects of poison upon the body, though the
effects vary in their levels and intensities. So is there any evil or harm in
this world, or in the Hereafter, except that it is due to sins and disobedience?


So what was it that expelled the two
parents [i.e. Adam and Eve] from Paradise; the home of delight, bliss, splendor
and joy; to the home of pain, sorrow and misfortune?

What was it that expelled Iblees
[i.e. Satan] from the heavenly realms, causing him to be rejected and cursed;
transforming him both inwardly and outwardly, so that his form became ugly and
hideous - his inner form more hideous than his outer - replacing his nearness
with remoteness, mercy with curse, his beauty with ugliness, from being in
Paradise to being in the blazing Fire, from having faith to being an unbeliever,
from having the patronage and friendship of Allaah, the Praiseworthy Guardian,
to being the greatest enemy and opponent, from glorifying and praising Him to
committing acts of unbelief, shirk, lies, deception and shamelessness, from
being adorned with faith to being clothed in the garment of unbelief, sinfulness
and disobedience, causing him to reach the deepest depths of despicability,
plunging down in the sight of Allaah as far as it is possible to plunge; causing
the anger of Allaah the Exalted to be upon him, making him an outcast - despised
and humiliated - so that he became a leader for every sinner and criminal,
becoming pleased with leadership for himself, after having reached the station
of worship and nobility?

0 Allaah, we seek refuge in You from
opposing Your command and falling into what You have forbidden. What was it that
caused the people of the earth to drown, to the extent that the water rose above
even the mountaintops? What was it that caused the violent winds to overcome the
people of ‘Aad, such that it flung them down dead upon the face of the earth -
as if they were lopped-off palm trunks - and it destroyed whatever dwellings and
crops it came across, thus making them an example for nations until the Day of
Resurrection?

What was it that caused the piercing
shrieks to be set loose upon the Thamood people, such that their hearts were
severed within their very bodies, by which they all perished? What was it that
caused the town of the homosexuals to be raised­ up and turned upside down, such
that they were all destroyed? Then stones from the sky pelted down upon them so
that they suffered a combined punishment, the like of which was not given to any
other nation! And for their brothers will be its like; and it is not far off
from the transgressors! What was it that caused the clouds of punishment to
overcome the people of Shu’ayb, such that when these clouds were above their
heads it rained scorching fire upon them? What was it that caused the Pharaoh
and his people to be drowned in the ocean, and caused their souls to be
transported to the Hellfire, so their bodies drowned and their souls
burned?

What was it that caused Qaaroon, his
dwelling, wealth and family to sink down into the earth? What was it that caused
the destruction of those generations after Noah, and how they were afflicted
with various punishments that caused their annihilation? What was it that caused
the destruction of the companions of Yaa Seen, with the clamorous shout, which
destroyed them?

What caused there to be sent against
the Children of Israa’eel enemies of great strength and might, plundering their
homes, killing their men, enslaving their women and children, burning their
dwellings, seizing their wealth, and then returning again a second time,
destroying what was rebuilt after the first onslaught? What was it that caused
the various types of punishments to be set loose upon the Children of
Israa’eel?

Killing them, enslaving them,
destroying their land and at times causing them to be oppressed by kings, whilst
at another time causing them to be transformed into apes and swines - and
finally the Lord took an oath that: “He would certainly keep on sending
against them, until the Day of Resurrection, those who will inflict them with a
humiliating torment.” [Soorah al-A’raaf 7:167]

Imam Ahmad said: al-Waleed ibn Muslim
related to us; that Safwaan ibn ’Amr related to us; that ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn
Jubayr ibn Nufayr related; from his father, who said: “When Cyprus was conquered
and its people were dispersed and they started weeping to each other, I saw
Abud-Dardaa sitting alone and weeping. So I said to him: 0 Abud-Dardaa! What
makes you weep on this day that Allaah has granted strength and honor to Islaam
and its people?

So he said: Woe be to you 0 Jubayr!
How insignificant the creation becomes to Allaah when they turn away from His
command. In front of us is a nation who were evidently powerful and who had
dominion, yet they abandoned Allaah’s command, so look what has become of them.”
[2]

‘Alee ibn al-Ja’d said: Shu’bah ibn
‘Amr ibn Murrah informed us; I heard Abul-Bukhtaree say: I was informed by
someone, who heard the Prophet (sallalalhu alaihi wa-sallam) saying: “The
people will not perish, until they have no excuse left for themselves.”[3]


Imaam Ahmad reports in his Musnad,
from the hadeeth of Umm Salamah, who said: I heard Allaah’s Messenger
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) saying: “When acts of disobedience become
widespread in my ummah, then Allaah may send punishment upon them all from
Himself” So I said: 0 Allaah’s Messenger! Even if there are righteous people
amongst them that day? So he replied: “Indeed!” So I said: How will that
be? He replied: “They will be afflicted with what afflicts the people, then
they will move on to the forgiveness of Allaah and His good pleasure.” [4]


FOOTNOTES

[1] Ad-Daa’ wad-Dawaa’ (pp.65-67).


[2] Reported by Imaam Ahmad in az-Zuhd (i/86) with an authentic (saheeh)
chain of narration

[3] Reported by Ahmad (4/260) and Abu Daawood
(no.4347) with an authentic chain of narration.

[4] Reported by Ahmad
(6/304) and one of its narrators is Layth ibn Abee Sulaym, who is weak. However
the hadeeth is established due to further supporting narrations. Consult
Silsilatul-Ahaadeethus-Saheehah (no.1372) of Shaykh al-Albaanee