The interpretation of 'Dui Kumayl' & the reason of prohibiting to commit some obvious sins in Islam

Gambling

Gambling is among the major sins. Imam s¡diq (a.s) has considered it a major sin in an important tradition.

The holy Qur’¡n has only considered wine and gambling as major sins:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ.

They will question you concerning wine, and arrow-shuffling. Say: In both is heinous sin. (2:219)

Making any gambling tools, getting money from them, buying, and selling them are prohibited in Islam. Most Shi'a jurisprudents consider playing with them as unlawful, even if winning and losing is not a matter. Keeping the gambling tools is unlawful and destroying them is necessary. Attending in a gambling circle and watching it are unlawful and leaving the place is a must.

Useless Acts for Amusing People

By useless acts here, it is meant doing things that have no worldly or heavenly benefits for the performer and the audience, and are complete waste of lifetime, every minute of which is provided by the help of millions of factors for the human being.

Wastage of valuable time is undoubtedly an instance of ungratefulness. The lifetime is among the greatest blessings Allah has bestowed on humans. To be grateful for this blessing, one should spend his lifetime worshipping Allah, serving his servants, and obtaining knowledge.

Muhaddith Qumi in his book “Manazil Al-Akhira” narrates: A man called Ibn Samad continuously calculated the past nights and days of his life. One day, he was counting his previous time, which seemed to him as sixty years. He counted the days of his life as twenty one thousand and nine hundred. This made him call out: “Woe betide me! If I have done at least one sin a day, I would meet my Lord with twenty one thousand and nine hundred sins.” Saying this, he fainted and then passed away.

Reference to People's Deficiencies

Keeping the face of Moslems and believers is an important fact and highly attended to in Islam, to the extent that in Islamic teachings a believer's face has considered equal to his blood:

عِرْضُ المُؤمِنِ كَدَمِهِ.

By disgracing people, there will be no trust among people. The family and society systems would collapse and Moslems' affairs would be disordered.

Only the prophets and Imams are without deficiency and fault. All other people have faults that are hidden from others' sight. Though there are some individuals who are not afraid of spreading their faults, most people value their public face and dislike to spread their faults.

As a result, those who refer to people's physical, moral, behavioral, verbal, material, or religious deficiencies and disgrace them, commit major sins, and are doomed to disgrace in this world and chastisement in the Hereafter.

It is narrated from Imam al-B¡qir and Imam Sadiq (a.s):

أقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ العَبْدُ إلَى الكُفْرِ أنْ يُؤاخِيَ الرَّجُلَ عَلَى الدِّينِ فَيُحْصِي عَلَيْهِ عَثَراتِهِ وَزَلاَّتِهِ لِيُعَنِّفَهُ بِهَا يَوماً ما.

The nearest act to disbelief is to make a religious fraternity with a man to remind him of his faults, and then blame him for his faults.[1]

Imam Sadiq (a.s) has narrated from the Messenger of Allah (a.s):

يَا مَعْشَرَ مَنْ أسْلَمَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَلَمْ يُخْلِصِ الإيمَانَ إلَى قَلْبِهِ! لا تَذُمُّوا المُسْلِمِينَ وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا عَوْراتِهِمْ، فإنَّهُ مَنْ تَتَبَّعَ عَوْراتِهِمْ تَتَبَّعَ اللهُ عَوْراتِهِ، وَمَنْ تَتَبَّعَ اللهُ تَعَالَى عَوْراتِهِ يَفْضَحْهُ وَلَوْ فِي بَيْتِهِ.

O You who have embraced Islam verbally but not whole-heartedly! Do not blame Moslems and chase their faults! Because anyone who chases Moslems' faults Allah will chase his faults. And if Allah chases someone's faults, He will disgrace him, though he is in his home.

Accompanying the Alleged Sinners

Humans are impressed by their companions more than by other things. A companion makes the most powerful impression on human, hence the Holy Qur’¡n verses and traditions of the Prophet's Household (a.s) give people important guidelines for making friends, especially to the believers.

Explaining this fact that appears in the verses and traditions requires a separate discussion. Fortunately, Islamic scholars have authored valuable works in this regard.

The holy Qur’¡n and the traditions prevent people from accompanying the disbelievers, wrongdoers, the Jews, and even alleged sinners, to prevent the harmful effects of their culture, ethics, and evil ideas on human, and deprivation from Allah's Mercy.

Imam s¡diq (a.s) stated:

لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِلمُؤمِنِ أنْ يَجْلِسَ مَجْلِساً يُعْصَى اللهُ فِيهِ وَلا يَقْدِرُ عَلى تَغْيِيرِهِ.

It is not deserved for a believer to attend a circle in which Allah is disobeyed, and he is not able to prevent it.[2]

Abu Hashim Ja'fari says: Imam al-Ri¤¡ (a.s) told me: “Why is it I see you with Abdul Rahman Ibn Ya'qub?” I said: “He is my uncle.” Imam (a.s) said: “He says an unacceptable thing about Allah; something which is not in accord with Qur’¡nic verses and the traditions. He describes the Almighty as the objects. So either accompany him and leave us, or be our companion and leave him alone.” I said: “He has his own ideas, and does not harm me. If I don't accept his ideas, I would have no responsibilities.” Imam (a.s) stated: “Don't you fear that a chastisement be sent upon him, and take you both? Have you heard of the one who was a disciple of Moses (a.s) and whose father was a disciple of Pharaoh? When the Pharaoh army reached Moses (a.s) and his followers beside the river, the son left Moses (a.s) to advise his father and join him to the followers of Moses. The father was following Pharaoh and the son was chasing him and quarrelling with him about his ideas. When they reached the edge of water they were both drowned. When Moses was informed of this, he said:” Allah's Mercy is upon him, but when Allah's chastisement descends those beside the wrongdoers would have no safety.”[3]

The Commander of Believers (a.s) stated:

مَنْ كَانَ يُؤمِنُ باللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلا يَقُومُ مَكَانَ رِيبَةٍ.

Anyone who believes in Allah and the Resurrection Day would not stand in a doubtful and accusing position.[4]

Imam s¡diq (a.s) stated:

مَنْ قَعَدَ عِنْدَ سَبَّابٍ لأوْلِيَاءِ اللهِ فَقَدْ عَصَى اللهَ تَعالى.

One who accompanies those who curse Allah's friends, have certainly disobeyed Allah.[5]

Jesus Christ (a.s) stated: “Show your friendship with Allah by loathing the sinners; you will approach Allah's Grace by retreating them.” He was then said: “O Spirit of Allah! Who should we accompany?” He responded: “Accompany someone whose company reminds you of Allah, whose speech increases your knowledge, and whose behavior make you desire the Hereafter.”

The veils that exist between man and Allah's chastisement and wrath are piety, chastity, honesty, worship, and serving. These veils remain if man abstains from doing the above-mentioned sins. If human is tempted by the temptations of apparent and hidden Satans, and pollute himself with sins, he has tore off these veils and hindrances, making the way open for the calamities and chastisements.