This
post highlights the physical nature of the effects of disobeying Islamic laws. There
is a misguided yet prevalent notion that there is a disconnection between the
physical and the spiritual worlds. This misguided notion that has its roots in Manichaeism
(Paganism) has dire consequences on one’s thoughts and behaviour. Such dualism
may easily mislead religious individuals to monasticism or extreme asceticism,
neither of which has any place in Islam. From another perspective, it may lead
people to negligence and carelessnesss, since people may falsely see the
so-called spiritual world in a distant and only care about the immediate
physical world that they experience daily. Such perception, gradually, takes
individuals away from religious orders and duties, since it removes the significance
of following religious orders and laws.
The
following authentic tradition, vividly
connects the effects of sins to our worldly and physical lives and conditions.
This post highlights the physical cause-and-effect aspect of Islamic laws and
orders.
Following
this tradition, I will make a few more points.
Arabic Text:
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ
أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ
مَالِكِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ:
وَجَدْنَا فِي كِتَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص إِذَا ظَهَرَ
الزِّنَا مِنْ بَعْدِي كَثُرَ مَوْتُ الْفَجْأَةِ وَ إِذَا طُفِّفَ الْمِكْيَالُ
وَ الْمِيزَانُ أَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِالسِّنِينَ وَ النَّقْصِ وَ إِذَا مَنَعُوا
الزَّكَاةَ مَنَعَتِ الْأَرْضُ بَرَكَتَهَا مِنَ الزَّرْعِ وَ الثِّمَارِ وَ الْمَعَادِنِ
كُلَّهَا وَ إِذَا جَارُوا فِي الْأَحْكَامِ تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الظُّلْمِ وَ
الْعُدْوَانِ وَ إِذَا نَقَضُوا الْعَهْدَ سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوَّهُمْ
وَ إِذَا قَطَّعُوا الْأَرْحَامَ جُعِلَتِ الْأَمْوَالُ فِي أَيْدِي الْأَشْرَارِ
وَ إِذَا لَمْ يَأْمُرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ لَمْ يَنْهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَ
لَمْ يَتَّبِعُوا الْأَخْيَارَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ
شِرَارَهُمْ فَيَدْعُوا خِيَارُهُمْ فَلَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهُمْ.
Farsi Translation:
حضرت
باقر عليه السلام فرمود:
كه
در كتاب رسول خدا يافتيم (نوشته بود): هر گاه پس از من زنا پديدار شود مرگ ناگهانى
فراوان گردد، و هر گاه از پيمانه و ترازو كم شود، خداوند آنان را بقحطى
و كمى (خوار و بار و ساير وسائل زندگى) مأخوذ دارد، و هر گاه از دادن زكات دريغ
كنند، زمين بركات خود را از زراعت و ميوهها و معادن همه آنها (از آنان) دريغ كند،
و هر گاه در احكام بناحق حكم كنند همكارى در ستم و عدوان كنند (و بستم همديگر دچار
شوند) و چون پيمانشكنى كنند خداوند دشمنشان را بر آنان مسلط كند، و چون قطع رحم
كنند خداوند اموال (و ثروتها) را در دست اشرار قرار دهد، و چون امر بمعروف و نهى
از منكر نكنند و پيروى از نيكان اهل بيت من ننمايند خداوند اشرار آنان را بر ايشان
مسلط گرداند، پس نيكان آنها دعا كنند و مستجاب نشود
English Translation:
Narrated
by Ali Ibn Ibrahim from his father and a number of our companions from Ahmed
Ibn Mohamed and all of them from Ibn Mahboub from Malek Ibn Attiya from Abu
Hamza from Abu Ja’far (peace be upon him) who said:
We found
in the book of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him):
“Should forbidden
sexual intercouse [Zina] emerge after I am gone, sudden death will increase,
and should cheating in measurements by weighing down the balance [unfairly]
occur, Allah takes from them via famine and defections, and should alms-giving be
refrained from, the Earth will withhold its blessings of every crop, fruit, and
metal and minerals, and should they judge unjustly amongst people and help one
another in iniquity and aggression or should they break pledges, Allah will set
their enemies dominant upon them. Should they sever the ties of kinship, wealth
will fall in the hands of the evil. Should they not enjoin to good nor forbid from
what is prohibited, and not follow the righteous from amongst the people of my
house, Allah will set upon them the evil ones from amongst them. Consequently,
the righteous amongst them shall supplicate but their [supplications] shall not
be answered.”
Source :
Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Page 374, Tradition #2
Here are a few points
that I noticed in this tradition:
- Forbidden sexual intercourse [or zina] is a physically unhealthy behaviour with dire physical consequences. It is one of the contributing factors to sudden death.
19 Million New Cases Of Sexually Transmitted Disease Annually In The USA
Researcher
Dr Alessandra Fisher found: “Several interpersonal, sexual, and biological factors
are associated with having extramarital affairs.
“Unfaithfulness
in men seems to be associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular
events.”
She
told the Daily Mail: “Extra-martial sex may be hazardous and stressful because
the lover is often younger than the primary partner and probably sex occurs
more often following excessive drinking and/or eating.
“It
is possible that a secret sexual encounter in an unfamiliar setting may
significantly increase blood pressure and heart rate, leading to increased
oxygen demand.”
Here’s the complete study:
This study was first
published on April 2012. It is the first
of its kind. Hopefully, more related research will be done to examine this
topic further and in detail.
- An implicit, yet quite interesting, point in this tradition is the link between the action of alms-giving and the Earth. In this tradition, it is said that it is the Earth that withholds its blessings. It is implied that the Earth has been created and designed in such a way to detect the deed of alms-giving. How does this occur? I do not know. However, this fact links our actions and deeds to our Earth and environment. In other words, our Earth responds to our actions. If we follow what God has commanded, our Earth will open its blessings to us. On the other hand, if we disobey God’s commands, our Earth keeps its blessings away from us. Our action is the cause, the Earth’s response is the effect.
- A significant fact that is brought to our attention in this tradition is that our deeds or negligence has an effect, not only on our own prayers and supplications, but also on supplications of the righteous amongst us. If via our actions we create a negative atmosphere, the supplications of the righteous amongst us will not be answered. This may be the answer to a common question, “why, amidst our regular supplications, do our societies continue to become more immoral? Why isn’t oppression and difficulties taken away from our societies even though we supplicate regularly?” Moreover, this point highlights the importance of supplicating in the right environment. It brings our attention to the status of our environment. If we want supplications to be answered, then we must enjoin to good and forbid from evil, in order to create a positive and receptive environment.
So, why are our
societies in such a downward spiral? Because many people amongst us, many people
in our societies, disbelieve in or do not follow the teachings of ahlul bayt
(as). The teachings of ahlul bayt (as) help us to create a positive atmosphere,
an atmosphere that is responsive to our supplications. If and when we do not
follow their guidelines, we allow a negative atmosphere to surround us, an environment
that blocks our prayers and supplications from being answered.
In conclusion, we need
to realize that our deeds, our bodies and our environments are linked and
interconnected. Our obedience or
disobedience of God’s commands are linked to our physical, worldly environment
and our physical bodies. It is a mistake to connect religion, sins or
obligations, to only the hereafter. The sooner we realize the immediacy of the
effects of our actions, the sooner we begin to care about our daily deeds and
intentions, and the sooner we begin to prepare a healthy environment, where the
supplications are answered.
Let us not forget that,
... And Allah
is Swift at reckoning. (2:202)
... Allah
is Swift at reckoning. (3:19)
... and He
is Swift at reckoning. (13:41)
...
Truly, Allah is Swift at reckoning. (14:51)
... and Allah
is swift at reckoning. (24:39)
...
Truly, Allah is Swift at reckoning. (40:17)
