Persistence in Sin — Its Destructive Consequences and the Shari'ah Path to Salvation
Compiled by: Tawheed.com
Allah ﷻ states:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّـهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
“When they commit an immoral act or wrong themselves, they remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah? – and they do not persist knowingly in what they have done.”
(Āl ʿImrān: 135)
This verse highlights that true believers are those who, upon falling into sin, remember Allah, repent, and do not knowingly repeat their wrongdoings. Sadly, in today’s society, repetition of major sins has become widespread and normalized.
"لَا كَبِيرَةَ مَعَ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ وَلَا صَغِيرَةَ مَعَ الْإِصْرَارِ"
“There is no major sin left when one repents and seeks forgiveness, and no minor sin remains minor when done persistently.”
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ﴾
“And among the people is he who buys idle tales to mislead others from the path of Allah without knowledge, and takes it as a mockery. For such there will be a humiliating punishment.”
(Luqmān: 6)
The term “idle tales” includes everything that distracts from the remembrance of Allah and prayer, such as:
◈ Musical instruments
◈ Songs and melodies
◈ Entertaining stories and dramas
◈ Novels and fictional tales
◈ Card games
◈ Sensual and provocative magazines
In the Prophet’s ﷺ time, slave girls were bought to sing and distract people from the Qur’an. Today, modern media does the same through radio, TV, films, mobile phones, and other tools, spreading fahāshah (obscenity) and distracting from Allah’s remembrance.
➊ Abū Mālik al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه reports the Prophet ﷺ said:
“There will be people in my Ummah who will regard adultery, silk (for men), alcohol, and musical instruments as lawful. Allah will transform some of them into monkeys and pigs until the Day of Judgment.”
(Bukhārī, 5590 – Kitāb al-Ashriba)
➋ ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn رضي الله عنه reports:
“In this Ummah, there will be punishments such as the earth swallowing people, showers of stones, and transformations in form. These will occur when people drink alcohol, take singing girls, and play musical instruments.”
(Tirmidhī 2212; Ṣaḥīḥah al-Albānī 2203; though declared weak by Shaykh Zubair ʿAlī Zai)
➌ Abū Mālik al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه also reported:
“Some people of my Ummah will drink alcohol under new names, indulge in entertainment with instruments and singing women. Allah will cause the earth to swallow them and transform some into monkeys and pigs.”
(Ibn Mājah 4020)
Could it be that earthquakes in Muslim lands are a consequence of widespread music and singing?
Music has now infiltrated everything — even mosques and the Kaʿbah, where mobile phones play musical tones.
➤ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah has made alcohol, gambling, and drums unlawful.”
(Abū Dāwūd 3696)
If the songs involve women’s voices and lyrics promoting lust or romance, the severity of sin increases.
Imitating disbelievers in appearance, behavior, speech, or dress is haram.
➤ ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما reports the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Be different from the polytheists: grow your beards and trim your mustaches.”
(Bukhārī 5892; Muslim 259)
➤ Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه said:
“Trim the mustaches, let the beards grow, and oppose the Magians.”
(Muslim 260)
These prove that growing the beard and trimming the mustache is obligatory, and doing otherwise is haram.
➤ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”
(Abū Dāwūd 4031)
➤ He ﷺ also said:
“Allah curses those who alter His creation.”
(Bukhārī 5931; Muslim 2125)
The harms of smoking are well-known:
◈ Lung cancer
◈ Heart diseases
◈ Other fatal illnesses
➤ ﴿وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ﴾ (An-Nisāʾ: 29)
“Do not kill yourselves.”
➤ ﴿وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ﴾ (Al-Baqarah: 195)
“Do not throw yourselves into destruction.”
➤ ﴿وَلَا تُؤْتُوا السُّفَهَاءَ أَمْوَالَكُمُ﴾ (An-Nisāʾ: 5)
“Do not entrust your wealth to the foolish.”
Since spending on cigarettes is neither beneficial religiously nor materially, it is wasteful and haram.
➤ Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated:
“In the later times, some people will use black dye; they will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”
(Nasāʾī 5078)
➤ Jābir رضي الله عنه reported:
“On the day of Makkah’s conquest, Abū Quḥāfah’s hair and beard were completely white. The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Change this whiteness but avoid black.’”
(Muslim 2102)
Thus, dyeing white hair black is a major sin and involves deception.
➤ Jarīr ibn ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه narrated:
“Whoever initiates a wrong practice in Islam, he will bear its sin and the sin of those who follow him.”
(Muslim 1017)
➤ Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
“Whoever calls towards misguidance will bear his own sin and the sins of those who follow him.”
(Muslim 2674)
➤ ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه reported:
“Any soul that is unjustly killed, a share of its blood guilt is upon the son of Ādam (Qābīl) who initiated murder.”
(Bukhārī 6867; Muslim 1677)
When a sincere believer hears the command of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, his response is:
﴿إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۚ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴾
“The only statement of the believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, ‘We hear and we obey.’ And it is they who will be successful.”
(An-Nūr: 51)
We beseech Allah ﷻ through His beautiful names:
◈ To grant us the ability to obey His commands
◈ To protect us from sin
◈ To bless us with ḥalāl sustenance
◈ To make us independent of ḥarām wealth
◈ To grant us Jannat al-Firdaws
Āmīn.
وَصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَالْـحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Compiled by: Tawheed.com
❖ Condemnation of Persisting in Sin & Its Consequences
✿ The Act of Insisting Upon Sin
Allah ﷻ states:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّـهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
“When they commit an immoral act or wrong themselves, they remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah? – and they do not persist knowingly in what they have done.”
(Āl ʿImrān: 135)
This verse highlights that true believers are those who, upon falling into sin, remember Allah, repent, and do not knowingly repeat their wrongdoings. Sadly, in today’s society, repetition of major sins has become widespread and normalized.
✿ Famous Saying of the Scholars:
"لَا كَبِيرَةَ مَعَ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ وَلَا صَغِيرَةَ مَعَ الْإِصْرَارِ"
“There is no major sin left when one repents and seeks forgiveness, and no minor sin remains minor when done persistently.”
❖ Some Common Sins of Today:
❖ Listening to Music and Singing
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ﴾
“And among the people is he who buys idle tales to mislead others from the path of Allah without knowledge, and takes it as a mockery. For such there will be a humiliating punishment.”
(Luqmān: 6)
The term “idle tales” includes everything that distracts from the remembrance of Allah and prayer, such as:
◈ Musical instruments
◈ Songs and melodies
◈ Entertaining stories and dramas
◈ Novels and fictional tales
◈ Card games
◈ Sensual and provocative magazines
In the Prophet’s ﷺ time, slave girls were bought to sing and distract people from the Qur’an. Today, modern media does the same through radio, TV, films, mobile phones, and other tools, spreading fahāshah (obscenity) and distracting from Allah’s remembrance.
❖ Selected Ḥadīths:
➊ Abū Mālik al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه reports the Prophet ﷺ said:
“There will be people in my Ummah who will regard adultery, silk (for men), alcohol, and musical instruments as lawful. Allah will transform some of them into monkeys and pigs until the Day of Judgment.”
(Bukhārī, 5590 – Kitāb al-Ashriba)
➋ ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn رضي الله عنه reports:
“In this Ummah, there will be punishments such as the earth swallowing people, showers of stones, and transformations in form. These will occur when people drink alcohol, take singing girls, and play musical instruments.”
(Tirmidhī 2212; Ṣaḥīḥah al-Albānī 2203; though declared weak by Shaykh Zubair ʿAlī Zai)
➌ Abū Mālik al-Ashʿarī رضي الله عنه also reported:
“Some people of my Ummah will drink alcohol under new names, indulge in entertainment with instruments and singing women. Allah will cause the earth to swallow them and transform some into monkeys and pigs.”
(Ibn Mājah 4020)
❖ Reflection:
Could it be that earthquakes in Muslim lands are a consequence of widespread music and singing?
Music has now infiltrated everything — even mosques and the Kaʿbah, where mobile phones play musical tones.
➤ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah has made alcohol, gambling, and drums unlawful.”
(Abū Dāwūd 3696)
If the songs involve women’s voices and lyrics promoting lust or romance, the severity of sin increases.
❖ Shaving the Beard & Keeping Long Mustaches
Imitating disbelievers in appearance, behavior, speech, or dress is haram.
✿ Ḥadīths:
➤ ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما reports the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Be different from the polytheists: grow your beards and trim your mustaches.”
(Bukhārī 5892; Muslim 259)
➤ Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه said:
“Trim the mustaches, let the beards grow, and oppose the Magians.”
(Muslim 260)
These prove that growing the beard and trimming the mustache is obligatory, and doing otherwise is haram.
❖ Imitating the Disbelievers:
➤ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”
(Abū Dāwūd 4031)
➤ He ﷺ also said:
“Allah curses those who alter His creation.”
(Bukhārī 5931; Muslim 2125)
❖ Smoking & Other Intoxicants
The harms of smoking are well-known:
◈ Lung cancer
◈ Heart diseases
◈ Other fatal illnesses
✿ Qur'anic Evidence:
➤ ﴿وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ﴾ (An-Nisāʾ: 29)
“Do not kill yourselves.”
➤ ﴿وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ﴾ (Al-Baqarah: 195)
“Do not throw yourselves into destruction.”
➤ ﴿وَلَا تُؤْتُوا السُّفَهَاءَ أَمْوَالَكُمُ﴾ (An-Nisāʾ: 5)
“Do not entrust your wealth to the foolish.”
Since spending on cigarettes is neither beneficial religiously nor materially, it is wasteful and haram.
❖ Dyeing the Hair Black
➤ Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated:
“In the later times, some people will use black dye; they will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”
(Nasāʾī 5078)
➤ Jābir رضي الله عنه reported:
“On the day of Makkah’s conquest, Abū Quḥāfah’s hair and beard were completely white. The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Change this whiteness but avoid black.’”
(Muslim 2102)
Thus, dyeing white hair black is a major sin and involves deception.
❖ Calling Towards Misguidance or Sin
➤ Jarīr ibn ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه narrated:
“Whoever initiates a wrong practice in Islam, he will bear its sin and the sin of those who follow him.”
(Muslim 1017)
➤ Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
“Whoever calls towards misguidance will bear his own sin and the sins of those who follow him.”
(Muslim 2674)
➤ ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه reported:
“Any soul that is unjustly killed, a share of its blood guilt is upon the son of Ādam (Qābīl) who initiated murder.”
(Bukhārī 6867; Muslim 1677)
❖ The Attitude of a True Believer
When a sincere believer hears the command of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, his response is:
﴿إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۚ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴾
“The only statement of the believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, ‘We hear and we obey.’ And it is they who will be successful.”
(An-Nūr: 51)
❖ Concluding Supplication:
We beseech Allah ﷻ through His beautiful names:
◈ To grant us the ability to obey His commands
◈ To protect us from sin
◈ To bless us with ḥalāl sustenance
◈ To make us independent of ḥarām wealth
◈ To grant us Jannat al-Firdaws
Āmīn.
وَصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَالْـحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
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