Imaam Shamsud-Deen Muhammad bin Ahmad
As-Safaareenee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“One of the pious predecessors said: “When six
things coexist with minor sins, they become major sins and when they coexist with
major sins, the burden becomes tremendous. [They are]:
First: Persistence: This
refers to firm resolve to return to the same sin. Consequently, it is said:
“There is no minor sin with persistence and there is no major sin with seeking
forgiveness. It is said: The evil of persisting in minor sins is falling into
major sins. Rarely does a slave commit a major sin without preceding it with
minor sins, like illegal sexual intercourse, for instance; it cannot be
conceived without gazing or touching and the like preceding it. That is, in
most cases.
Second: Belittling sin because it would increase
his crime in proportion to his belittlement of it, because belittling sin
entails belittling the command of Allaah concerning the greatness of the sin.
It is recorded in an authentic hadeeth: “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.” [Recorded by Al-Bukhaaree]
Third: Being delighted with the sin, because heart becomes
dark in proportion to a person’s delight and happiness with the sin. It is
related that one of the Children of Israel repented from a sin and worshipped
Allaah for years. Then he asked one of the Prophets to supplicate for him for
acceptance. So, he supplicated for him. Then Allaah revealed to him: If the
dwellers of the heavens and the earth should intercede, I will not accept it
while the sweetness of sin is still in his heart.
Fourth: Carelessness about Allaah’s favour upon him
in covering the sin up for him and giving him respite as He did not promptly
punish him.
Fifth: Displaying sin by doing it openly, talking
about it, boasting of it and seeking commendation. Doing so contains an increase
in audacity, lack of care and disaffirmance of blessing, because from the
blessings of Allaah Exalted is to display beauty and conceal evil. It is stated
in an authentic hadeeth: “All the people will be forgiven except those who
expose (openly) their wrongdoings.” Recorded by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
Sixth: When the sinner is a learned person who is
followed. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “Woe to the scholar because of the followers. He
commits an error and retracts from it but the people carry it and go with it to
the horizons.” It is said that a scholar is like a ship. When it sinks the
occupants would sink.”
It is related that a scholar from among the Children
of Israel was upon innovation then he abstained from it and did righteous deeds
for a long time. So, Allaah the Exalted revealed to a Prophet among their
Prophets: Say to so and so: If your sin were to be between you and I, I would
have forgiven you; but how about those whom you have led astray among My slaves
and I admitted them to the Fire? Just as the scholar’s burden of bad deeds is
magnified, so is his reward for acts of worship. How excellent is the statement
of the one who said:
“A great
corruption is an insolent scholar; and worse than him is a devout ignorant.
They are two great tribulations in the world, for the one who adheres to them
in his religion.”
Source: Adh-Dhakhaa’ir li Sharh Manzoomatil-Kabaa’ir,
by Imaam Shamsud-Deen Muhammad bin Ahmad As-Safaareenee, p. 340-343; transl. by
Abdus-Samee Abdus-Salaam
