The Addiction of Sins

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Addiction of Sins
حسام بن عبدالعزيز الجبرين

The Addiction of Sins


Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, The All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful. The Master of the Day of Requital. praise be to Allah, who forgives sins, accepts repentance, has severe punishment, the mighty, and there is no god but He, unto Him is the return. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant, His Messenger, His chosen one, and his friend. May Allah ’s prayers and peace be upon him, his family and his companions.


Afterwards,
I advise myself and you to fear Allah, Glory be to Him, in the hope that we will be among the winners:
﴿ يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴾ [الشعراء: 88، 89].
“The Day when neither wealth will be of any use (to any one) nor sons, except to him who will come to Allah with a sound heart".


Brothers in Islam,
It is recorded in Bukhari and Muslim that Abu Bakr As-Siddiq said: I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to teach me an invocation so that I may invoke Allah with it in my prayer. He told me to say:
(اللهم إني ظلَمتُ نفسي ظُلمًا كثيرًا، ولا يغفرُ الذنوبَ إلا أنت، فاغفِرْ لي من عِندِك مغفرًة، إنك أنت الغفورُ الرحيمُ).
"Allahumma inni zalumtu nafsi zulman kathiran, Wala yaghfiru dh-dhunuba illa anta, fa ghfir li maghfiratan min `indika, wa r-hamni, innaka anta l-ghafuru r-rahim".


(O Allah! I have done great injustice to myself and none except You forgives sins, so bestow on me a forgiveness from You, and Have Mercy on me, You are the Forgiver, the Merciful).


And if the Abu Bakr As-Siddiq was guided to say this, then why shouldn't we say this? while we are the people of many shortcomings and sins!


Yes, "every son of Adam sins, but the best of the sinners are the repentant. “So, are we like this? Or have we become addicted to sins, so, we do not regret and do not repent. on the authority of Abdullah bin Masoud, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, PBUH said: “Beware of evil deeds that are regarded as insignificant for they gather against a man until they perish him. And the Messenger of Allah gave an example of that.


“Some people landed on a deserted land, then they intended to cook something, so this man went and brought stick, that man went and bought stick, until they gathered a huge number of sticks, then set on fire and cooked what they had thrown into fire.” Classed as authentic by Al-Albani.


Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "You people do (bad) deeds (commit sins) which seem in your eyes as tiny (minute) than hair while we used to consider those (very deeds) during the life-time of the Prophet as destructive sins."


Brothers in faith,
The addiction to sins has various negative effects. Its harmful and bitter effects are: darkness and hardheartedness which the sinner finds in his heart.


It is mentioned in the hadith of Muslim: Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as reed mat is woven stick by stick and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that there will become two types of hearts: one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by any turmoil or temptation, so long as the heavens and the earth endure; and the other black and dust-coloured like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is abominable, but being impregnated with passion”.


Among the effects of the addiction to the sins is: that a sin leads to another sins and a single sin creates many other sins. Allah Almighty has forbidden us from following the footsteps of Satan, and sins are the footsteps of him.


One of the effects of the addiction to the sins is that the sin becomes beloved to him until it becomes a habit of him.


Ibn al-Qayyim says: “Even many immoral people commit sin without finding pleasure in it and without any cause inviting to it, only because, they find pain in leaving sins.”


And from the evil omen of addiction to the sins is: that the slave belittles the disobedience to his Lord, and this is a dangerous sign. Ibn Masoud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which, he is afraid, may fall on him; whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose and he just drives them away like this." Abu Shihab (the sub-narrator) moved his hand over his nose in illustration.


Ibn al-Qayyim said: Among the punishments of sin is that, “it distracts the heart from its soundness and steadfastness to its sickness and deviation, so it continues to be a diseased one until it does not benefit from the food that gives life and righteousness to it. It is because the effect of sins on the hearts is like the effect of diseases on the bodies”.


Among the effects of abundance of sins is that: when the sins multiply, they are imprinted on the heart of sinner, and he becomes among the heedless. In the hadith of Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and it is classed as hasan by Al-Albani: “When the believer commits sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents and gives up that sin and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be polished. But if (the sin) increases, (the black spot) increases. That is the Ran that Allah mentions in His Book: “Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn.” [83:14].


“Al-Hasan said: “It means: sin upon sin until the heart becomes blind”.


It suffices that the addiction to disobedience is a cause of Allah’s wrath and punishment in this world and in the grave and on the Day of Resurrection.

رأيت الذنوب تميت القلوب
وقد يورثُ الذلَ إدمانُها

وترك الذنوبِ حياةُ القلوب
وخيرٌ لنفسك عصيانها

(I saw that sins kill the hearts, and sometimes the addiction to the sin creates humiliation.


Abandoning sins is life for the hearts, and it is better for yourself to leave them).


Brothers in Islam:
Some of the servants are addicted to alcohol and some are addicted to smoking and some are addicted to backbiting and some are addicted to lies and some are addicted to envy and some are addicted to shaving the beard and some are addicted to sleep, neglecting prayers and some are addicted to forbidden look at opposite gender and some are addicted to listen to forbidden things. and our condition with sins, servants of Allah, is deferent, some commit abundant sins while others commit less.


Some people from us repent immediately while some others don’t. And some of us insist on sins.


The addiction to sins requires us to review our conditions and to examine ourselves. Don’t you see how He, Glory be to Him, shows His love to us with His blessings even though He is need-free and does not want anything from us while we make Him displeased with sins, despite we need Him. His blessings come down to us while our evils ascends to him! Neither His blessings, His righteousness, His bounties prevent us from disobeying Him, nor our sins and wrongdoing cut off His kindness.


Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if you do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be among the losers. Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive our sins and save us from the torment of the Fire.

Second Sermon

Praise be to Allah who said:
﴿ أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَنْ نَجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَاءً مَحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ ﴾ [الجاثية: 21]
“Do those who have committed evils assume that We will make them like those who believe and do righteous deeds, so as their life and death become equal? Evil is what they judge”.


And may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon His Messenger, who used to seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him more than a hundred times a day, and upon his family and companions.


After that,
So, I advise myself and you to renew repentance and to strive against ourselves so that our remaining life can be better than what has passed. And there is no doubt that leaving the sin, which a slave has become addicted to, requires hardship, but let us remember that Paradise is surrounded by hardships and that Hellfire is surrounded by desires, and these are remedies by which I remind myself and my brothers.


First: We should throw ourselves before Allah, asking Him for guidance and sincere repentance, because the sin is misguidance, and we should look for the times in which supplications are answered. He, Glory be to Him, said in the divine hadith: “Oh, my servants, all of you are astray, except for those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from me, I will guide you.” Narrated by Muslim.


And second of the remedies is that: Be keen on what nourishes your faith and reminds you of your hereafter. for, if your faith becomes strong, you start hatting disobedience and the effect of the sin in the heart becomes weak.


(إنه ليس له سلطان على الذين آمنوا وعلى ربهم يتوكلون)
“He is such that he has no authority over those who believe and place trust in their Lord”.


Listen to a godly recitation, visit a graveyard, listen to a sermon and pray superfluous prayers.


Third: struggle against yourself.


﴿ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا ﴾ [الملك: 2]
“The One who created death and life, so that He may test you as to which of you is better in his deeds”.


And Allah the Almighty has promised:
﴿ وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ﴾ [العنكبوت: 69]
“As for those who strive in Our way, We will certainly take them onto Our paths”.


Allah’s promise is true, and the struggle against one’s self is to keep him away from the occasions and the causes that lead him to disobedience, whether they are friends, a place, or otherwise.


And a servant must be be keen to rectify his heart, it is mentioned in the hadith: Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart”.


And fourth, when we are weak and are involved in disobedience: we must regret and repent, then we must be eager to do a good deed or righteous deeds. The Almighty said:
﴿ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى لِلذَّاكِرِينَ ﴾ [هود: 114]
“Establish Salah at both ends of the day, and in the early hours of the night. Surely, good deeds erase bad deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful”.


Brothers in faith,
here is a note: When some people repent then return to sin. Like this, sins and repentance are repeated on behalf of them. So, they despair, abandons repentance and surrenders, and this is a mistake, as long as you regret for your disobedience and resolve not to return to sin and resolve to repay the rights for people if it is, then your repentance is valid and no one stands between you and your Lord even if you sinned thousands of times as long as you repent Allah sincerely:
﴿ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ ﴾ [البقرة: 222]
“Allah loves those who repent”.


It in the hadith that Muslim included it: Abu Huraira reported from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that his Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, thus said. A servant committed a sin and he said:O Allah, forgive me my sins, and Allah (the Exalted and Glorious) said: My servant committed a sin and then he came to realize that he has a Lord Who forgives the sins and takes to account (the sinner) for the sin. He then again committed a sin and said: My Lord, forgive me my sin, and Allah, the Exalted and High, said: My servant committed a sin and then came to realize that he has a Lord Who would forgive his sin or would take (him) to account for the sin. He again committed a sin and said: My Lord, forgive me for my sin, and Allah (the Exalted and High) said: My servant sas committed a sin and then came to realize that he has a Lord Who forgives the sins or takes (him) to account for sin. O servant, do what you like. I have granted you forgiveness. 'Abd al-A'la said: I do not know whether he said thrice or four times to do" what you desire".


And some people make mistakes, like: when someone repeats the sin after repentance, so he promises his Lord that he will not do it or swears that he will not do it. This is not commanded by the Shariah, but rather it commanded us to repent without covenanting or swearing.


And here is another note: Some people commit sin in secret, then they reveal it to show people. This is a mistake, as they have added the sin of speaking out the sin. It is in the hadith: "All the sins of my followers will be forgiven except those of the Mujahirin (those who commit a sin openly or disclose their sins to the people).


And if the sinner does not repent, then there is nothing less than asking for forgiveness and increasing good deeds to remove his bad deeds. May Allah pardon and have mercy on him.


Finally, servant of Allah, listen to this hadith included by Bukhari and Muslim: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'There is no one among you but his Lord will speak to him without any intermediary between them. He will look to his right and will not see anything but that which he sent forth. He will look to his left and will not see anything but that which he sent forth. Then he will look in front of him and will be faced with the Fire. So, whoever among you can protect himself from fire, even by means of half a date, let him do so.'


Translated by: Alamgeer Usmani.
Date: Sunday, 27/2/2022.