The interpretation of 'Dui Kumayl' & the consequences of committing sins

اللَّهُمَ اغْفِرْ لِىَ الذُّنُوبَ الَّتِى تَهتِكُ الْعِصَمَ

O Allah, forgive me those sins which tear apart safeguards!

The deeds, behaviors, states, and manners that are against Allah's orders and His Prophet's and Imams' traditions are considered as sins. Some sins are so severe that they are considered as declaration of war with Allah and His Prophet (s.a).

The sins an individual commits in this world, would be an eternal fire afflicting the sinner in the Hereafter:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا.

“Those who devour the property of orphans unjustly, devour Fire in their bellies… (4:10)”

Committing sins is, in fact, getting sustenance from the All Generous and becoming ungrateful to Him for His hospitality. It is quite unfair to benefit from Allah's Blessings for years and then getting ungrateful to Him.

The Story of Gratefulness for the Hospitality of a Generous

Ya'qub Layth, the famous figure of Sistan and the leader of liberalizing revolution against the oppressor Abbasid dynasty, was the son of a zinc-worker, as a child. He was engaged in his father's work for a while and spent his wage generously for his friends. His brevity and generosity made other brave youngsters accompany him. Leaving zinc work, he began another work with his friends. But they quitted it too, and decided to steal the treasury of the ruler of Sistan. Since skillful guards protected the treasury, this was not an easy job. They determined to dig a canal from the suburbs down to the floor of the treasury and seize all of it rapidly.

It took them six months to dig the canal and finally, they entered the treasury at a midnight. They secretly assembled all the gold, silver, jewelry, and drachmas in various bags and prepared to go out through the canal, when a dazzling jewel attracted the attention of Ya'qub in the darkness. He could not identify it due to darkness and hence tried it with his tongue to find out that it was a piece of crystallized salt. So he ordered his followers to leave all the property and return through the canal to the suburbs.

The surprised youngsters accompanying him came out of city barehanded and asked the reason. Ya'qub said: “Though we had tried six consecutive months to reach the treasury and it was time to collect all its property, I saw it unfair to ransack the assets of the ruler after I had tasted the salt belonging to him.”

Opening the treasury gate, the guards were surprised at seeing the canal skillfully dug and the assets intact, and reported the event to the ruler of Sistan. The ruler ordered to announce in the city he would bless the thief if he introduced himself. Ya'qub introduced himself to the ruler peacefully, and told of unfairness of tasting the salt belonging to the ruler, and betraying him.

The ruler of Sistan got happy with such a brave, fair, and generous youngster and appointed Ya'qub as the army commander of Sistan. Ya'qub progressed in the same position and managed to fight the corrupted Abbasid government to save the oppressed.

Committing sins is spiritual impurity, which pollutes the heart, mind, and though and deprives man from Allah's Mercy and Blessings.

Committing sins tears off the veils guarding humans against chastisement and disgrace and unveils his secrets in this world and in the Hereafter. It deprives humans from being Allah's servant, concealing his faults by Allah, and His Forgiveness!

Religious notables have divided the sins into two main categories; major (cardinal) and minor sins. As Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) stated, major sins are those for which the Almighty has obligated the Hell.

If human being avoids the major sins, not polluting his humanity, Allah would forgive his other sins and makes him subject to His Mercy and Forgiveness:

إِنْ تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُمْ مُدْخَلاً كَرِيمًا.

“If you avoid the heinous sins that are forbidden you, We will acquit you of evil deeds, and admit you by the gate of honor. (4:31)”

In the valuable book ‘Uyun Akhbar Al-al-Ri¤¡’, it is narrated from the eighth infallible Imam (a.s) that the major sins are:

1. Killing a human whose killing Allah has forbidden. 2. Adultery. 3. Theft. 4. Drinking intoxicants. 5. Getting cursed by one's parents. 6. Escaping Jihad (holy war). 7. Seizing orphans' assets oppressively. 8. Eating blood, corpse eat, pork, and whatever killed without the Name of Allah. 9. Usury. 10. Making unlawful money. 11. Gambling. 12. Shortening the measures. 13. Accusing a blameless. 14. Homosexuality. 15. Hopelessness of Allah's Mercy. 16. Considering oneself safe from Allah's chastisement. 17. Helping the oppressors. 18. Befriending the oppressors. 19. False swearing. 20. Capturing people's rights without need. 21. Lying. 22. Pride. 23. Extravagance. 24. Dissipation. 25. Disloyalty. 26. Despising Hajj. 27. Fighting Allah's friends. 28. Engaging in useless hobbies. 29. Insistence on committing sins.

Inauspicious Consequences of Committing Sins

Qur’¡nic verses and traditions contain instances of the outcome of committing sins. Committing sins ruins belief and diminishes good deeds. Sins bring about worldly misfortune and catastrophes and also chastisement in the Hereafter. Committing sins hinders acceptance of prayers by Allah. It deprives humans from intercessions, and makes the hearts cruel. Sins make preaches ineffectual. They make human humble and deprived of Allah's sustenance. They keep humans away from serving Allah. Committing sins results in gradual dominance of Satan on humans. It tears down the discipline present in the society and the families. Sins make people unconfident to each other. They cause a hard death and difficulty in the purgatory.

It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a.s):

أمَا إنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ عِرْقٍ يَضْرِبُ وَلا نَكْبَةٍ وَلا صُدَاعٍ وَلا مَرَضٍ إلا بِذَنْبٍ، وَذلِكَ قَوْلُ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي كِتَابِهِ: “وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ.”

No vein is cut, no foot strikes a stone, no trouble is made, no sickness is caused except for committing a sin. That's why the Almighty has stated in His Book: ‘Whatever affliction may visit you is for what your own hands have earned; and He pardons much. (42:30)’[1]

It is also narrated from him:

إنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُذْنِبُ الذَّنْبَ فَيُحْرَمُ صَلاةَ اللَّيْلِ وَإنَّ العَمَلَ السَّيِّءَ أسْرَعُ فِي صَاحِبِهِ مِنَ السِّكِّينِ فِي اللَّحْمِ.

Whenever an individual misses saying his night prayer, he has certainly committed a sin. The effect of a sin in the sinner is faster than the effect of a knife in meat.[2]

It is narrated from Imam al-Reza (a.s):

أوحَى اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إلَي نَبِيٍّ مِنَ الأنْبِيَاءِ: إذَا أُطِعْتُ رَضِيتُ، وَإذَا رَضِيتُ بَارَكْتُ، وَلَيْسَ لِبَرَكَتِي نِهَايَةٌ، وَإذَا عُصِيتُ غَضِبْتُ، وَإذا غَضِبْتُ لَعَنْتُ، وَلَعْنَتِي تَبْلُغُ السَّابِعَ مِنَ الوَرَى.

The Almighty told one of the Prophets (a.s) through revelation: If I am obeyed, I would be pleased, and if I am pleased, I would give Blessings, and My Blessings are infinite. If I am disobeyed, I would be Wrathful, and if I become Wrathful, I curse, and My Curse would affect seven generations ahead.[3]

Throughout history, it has been proved that sometimes the progeny of oppressors have been afflicted by poverty, patience, disability, or narrowness of sustenance. This is, in fact, a Blessing from Allah for them, not to become involved in sins and revolt.

About insistence on committing sins, it is narrated from Amir Al-Mu'minin (a.s):

مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ إلاَّ وَعَلَيْهِ جُنَّةٌ حَتَّى يَعْمَلَ أرْبَعِينَ كَبِيرَةً؛ فَإذَا عَمِلَ أرْبَعِينَ كَبِيرَةً انْكَشَفَتْ عَنْهُ الجُنَّةُ، فَيُوحِي اللهُ إلَى المَلائِكَةِ أنْ اسْتُرُوا عَبْدِي بِأجْنِحَتِكُمْ، فَتَسْتُرُهُ المَلائِكَةُ بِأجْنِحَتِهَا، (قال) فَمَا يَدَعُ شَيْئاً مِنَ القَبِيحِ إلاَّ قَارَفَهُ حَتَّى يَمْتَدِحَ إلَى النَّاسِ بِفِعْلِهِ القَبِيحِ، فَتَقُولُ المَلائِكَةُ: يَا رَبِّ، هَذا عَبْدُكَ مَا يَدَعُ شَيْئاً إلاَّ رَكِبَهُ وإنَّا لَنَسْتَحْيِي مِمَّا يَصْنَعُ. فَيُوحِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إلَيْهِمْ أن اِرْفَعُوا أجْنِحَتَكُمْ عَنْهُ، فَإذا فُعِلَ ذَلِكَ أخَذَ بِبُغْضِنَا أهْلَ البَيْتِ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَتَهَتَّكُ سِتْرُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِِ وَسِتْرُهُ فِي الأرْضِ، فَتَقُولُ المَلائِكَةُ: يَا رَبُّ هَذا عَبْدُكَ قَد بَقِيَ مَهْتُوكَ السِّتْرِ. فَيُوحِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إلَيْهِمْ: لَوْ كَانَتْ للهِ فِيهِ حَاجَةٌ مَا أمَرَكُمْ أنْ تَرْفَعُوا أجْنِحَتَكُمْ عَنْهُ.

There is no servant but there are forty veils of reverence for him, until he commits forty major sins. After doing so, Allah reveals to the angels: Cover My servant with your wings. The angels cover the servant with their wings. Then that servant commits every sin he wishes to the extent that he takes pride in doing sins among people. The angels say: O Allah! Your servant commits every sin and we are ashamed of his wrongdoing. Allah reveals to them: Take your wings off from him. Then that servant begins enmity with the Prophet's Household (a.s) and his reverence is violated in the heavens and the earth. The angels say: O Allah! Your servant's reverence is violated. The Almighty reveals to them: If I attended to him, I didn't order you to take your wings off him!

A pious believer, who remembers Allah and the Resurrection Day, knows the inauspicious signs of committing sins, and loathes sins apparently and secretly, is a viable human. And a sinner, who is ignorant of Allah and the Resurrection Day, and doesn't fear sins, is actually a dead person.

Sins Tearing off Reverence

The great narrator of traditions, Shaykh ¯ad£q, in his “Ma'ani Al-Akhbar” has narrated a very important tradition from Imam ZAyn Al-'Abidin (a.s) on the inauspicious signs of sins. Part of the tradition explains the part of Du`¡’ Kumayl all the phrases of which begin with “اللهم اغفر لي الذنوب التي” (O Allah! Forgive me the sins that…):

The sins that tear off human reverence are: 1. Drinking intoxicants. 2. Gambling. 3. Useless act and speech for making people laugh. 4. Reference to people's deficiencies. 5. Accompanying the alleged sinners.

Drinking Intoxicants

Imam M£s¡ Ibn Ja'far, Imam al-Ri¤¡, and Imam al-Jaw¡d (a.s) have considered drinking intoxicants as a major sin. The great Eastern and Western scientists have proved that drinking intoxicants has harmful effects on the brain, stomach, liver, heart, kidney, respiratory and circulation tracts, human mind and progeny. Sometimes the resulting diseases are impossible to cure and the drinker is doomed to death.

The wine bottle is a dangerous and harmful enemy to human being, and an impure and foul thing.

The Holy Qur’¡n has considered drinking intoxicants as impure, filth, and the act of Satan. Qur’¡n also knows its harms much more than its benefits. Allah has made it unlawful for all people, because of its harmful effects, and He would punish the drinkers severely in this world and the Hereafter, except that the drinker could take repentance.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) has cursed ten people in relation to the intoxicant liquid: One who plants a tree for it, one who gardens its tree, one who extracts the grape or other fruits for it, one who has drunk it, one who is the cupbearer, one who has delivered it with his animal, one who has taken it from the porter, one who has sold it, one who has bought it, and one who has consumed the money earned in this way.

يَأتِي شَارِبُ الخَمْرِ يَوْمَ القِيامَةِ مُسْوَدٌّ وَجْهُهُ مُدْلِعاً لِسَانَهُ، يَسِيلُ لُعَابُهُ عَلَى صَدْرِهِ، وَحَقَّ عَلَى اللهِ أنْ يَسْقِيَهُ مِنْ بِئْرِ خَبَالٍ... بِئْرٍ يَسِيلُ فِيها صَدِيدُ الزُّناةِ.

In the Hereafter, the intoxicant drinker enters the Resurrection Scene with his face black, his mouth crooked, and his tongue out of his mouth, and he cries from thirst. He is drunk from a well into which the impurity of the adulterers is poured.[4]

Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) has stated:

شَارِبُ الخَمْرِ كَعابِدِ الوَثَنِ.

Drinking intoxicants equals idolization.[5]

Imam B¡qir (a.s) has stated:

إنَّ شَارِبَ الخَمْرِ يُحْشَرُ كَافِراً وإنَّهُ رَأسُ المَعَاصِي.

A drinker would be considered as a disbeliever in the Resurrection Day. Intoxicant liquids are the foundation of all sins![6]

Amir Al-Mu'minin, Imam `Al¢ (a.s) was asked: “Have you said that wine is worse than theft and adultery?” Imam confirmed and stated: “An adulterer may not commit any other sin, but when someone drinks wine, he commits adultery, murder, and he quits prayer!”[7]

The Messenger of Allah (s.a) stated:

مَنْ شَرِبَ الخَمْرَ بَعدَ مَا حَرَّمَهَا اللهُ عَلَى لِسَانِي فَلَيْسَ بِأهْلٍ أنْ يُزَوَّجَ إذَا خَطِبَ وَلا يُشَفَّعَ إذَا شَفَعَ ولا يُصَدَّقَ إذَا حَدَّثَ وَلا يُؤْتَمَنَ عَلى أمَانَةٍ؛ فَمَن إئْتَمَنَهُ بَعْدَ عِلْمِهِ فَلَيْسَ الَّذِي ائْتَمَنَهُ عَلَى اللهِ ضَمَانٌ وَلَيسَ لَهُ أجْرٌ وَلا خَلَفٌ.

One who drinks wine after Allah has announced its prohibition to me, does not deserve a positive response to his request. The intercession of a drinker is not accepted. His speech is unacceptable. He is not a trustee, so if something is given in his trust, there is no guarantee for it from Allah.