The Ill Effects of Sin
“Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allaah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself.” [1]
Narrated by Ibn Umar : Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said,
“If Allaah sends punishment upon a nation then it befalls upon the whole population indiscriminately and then they will be resurrected (and judged) according to their deeds.”[2]
Whatever good comes upon us - blessing or security - it is from Allaah, it is He who provided that, its beginning and end, from his beneficence. It is He who granted us from his bounty that we should carry out that which would lead to it, and it is He who granted us His blessing and completed that for us. Many people today attribute the misfortunes which befall them, whether relating to wealth and economics, or security and political affairs to purely materialistic causes.
There is no doubt that this is due to their limited understanding and weakness of their EEMAAN and their failure to reflect upon the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). Behind these reasons are causes prescribed as such by Allaah, However the material reasons may be a means of bringing about what is due to the causes prescribed by Allaah which necessitates the misfortune and punishment. Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic says
:“Evil (sins and disobedience of Allaah) has appeared on the land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds etc.), that Allaah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allaah).” [3]
"O Muslim! you are the best and most noble of the nations of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. Allaah does not punish this nation for its disobedience and sins in the way that He punished the previous nations. He will not cause its destruction with a single overwhelming punishment as happened to ‘Aad, [4] when they were destroyed by the violent wind which He unleashed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession so that they were left lying like the hollow trunks of palm trees, Do you see any remnants of them.
Ibn ‘Abbas narrates that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said
“I was granted victory with As-Saba (Easterly Wind), and the nation of ‘Aad, was destroyed by Ad-Dabur (Westerly Wind).” [5] and Anas narrates that “Whenever a strong wind blew, anxiety appeared on the face of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) (fearing that, that wind might be a sign of Allaah’s wrath).” [6]
He will not destroy it (the ummah) with the like of the punishment of Thamood [7] who were seized by the terrible shout and the earthquake so that they lay prostate corpses in their homes. And He will not destroy it with the like of the punishment of the people of Loot,[8] against whom Allaah sent a violent wind and stones from the sky and turned their homes upside down.
O Muslims ! Allaah, from His Wisdom and his Mercy, punishes this nation for its sins and disobedience by setting some part of it upon the others so that they destroy one another and take each other prisoner, Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, says
“Say : ‘ He has power to send torment on you from above you of from under your feet, or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another.’ See how variously We explain the Ayaat [9], so that they may understand. But your people (O Muhammed (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) have denied it (the Qur’aan) though it is the truth. Say : ‘I am not responsible for your affairs.’ For every news there is a fact (i.e. for everything there is an appointed term and you will come to know).” [10]
It is also reported by Sa’d ibn Abee Waqqaas, who said :
“We went along with Allaah’s messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) until we came to the mosque of Banoo Mu’aawiyah, so Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) entered and prayed two rak’ahs so we prayed along with him, so he called upon his Lord for a long time, then said : ‘I asked my Lord for three things, I asked him that He should not destroy my nation with a deluge so He granted me that; I asked Him that He should not destroy my nation with famine as happened to the people of Fir’awn so He granted me that; and I asked Him that they should not fight amongst themselves, but He refused me that.” [11]
Misconceptions Cleared
There are some people who doubt and seek to cause doubts that sins are a cause of misfortunes, and that is because of the weakness of their eeman and their negligence in reflecting upon the book of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic as Allaah of the says in the Qur’aan,
“And if the people of the towns had believed and had taqwaa (Piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessing from the heavens and the earth, but they belied (The messengers). So we took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and crimes etc). Did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment by night while they are asleep ? Or, Did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they play ? Did they then feel secure against the plot of Allaah. None feels secure from the plot of Allaah except the people who are lost.”[12]
Daawah to the Ummah
Sins affect the security of a land, they affect its ease, its prosperity, its economy and they affect the hearts of its people. Sins cause alienation between the people. Sins cause one muslim to regard his muslim brother as if he were upon a separate religion other than Islaam. But if we sought to rectify ourselves, our families, our neighbours and those in our areas, and everyone we are able to rectify , if we mutually encouraged good and forbade evil, if we assisted those who do this with wisdom and wise admonition then it would produce unity and harmony. Allaah the Mighty and Majestic says :
“Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islaam) enjoining the ma’roof [13] and forbidding the munkar.[14] And it is those who are successful. And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment.” [15]
Al-mugheerah ibn Shu’bah related that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said
“A group of my followers will remain victoriously upholding the truth until Allaah’s order (the last hour) comes on them while they are still Victorious.” [16] It is reported by Zaid ibn Thaabit that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said
“Allaah blesses any man who hears a saying of mine, memorises it and understands it, then conveys it just as he heard it.”[17] O Servants of Allaah ! Fear Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and beware of neglecting the prescribed laws of Allaah , beware of neglecting Allaah signs, beware of failing to reflect upon the book of Allaah, beware of failing to know the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), since in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of his Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) lies your success (if you cling to them , if you attest to the truth of what they inform of and follow their commands). And since we have been looking at them from a materialistic perspective the unbelievers are stronger and greater than us through that. However if we look from an Islamic perspective by the way of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah then we will abandon all that is a cause of these misfortunes as Allaah says:
“Verily , Allaah will help those who help His (cause) Truly, Allaah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.”[18]
The rest of the article can be read
here. I reccomend you read it.:)