Download PDF: [S] Fear of Committing Sins (Islamic story)

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Kataani – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates:

 

There was a person who had the habit of calculating the amount of sin and transgression he had committed. One day, he calculated his age, it came to seventy. He then added the days which came to about 25,500. One day, he screamed out aloud and fell unconscious. When he regained his senses, he remarked, “Even if I committed a single sin every day, I will appear in front of my Creator with over twenty five thousand sins. What about those sins which I am completely unaware of. There is no doubt that I have beautified my world and destroyed my Hereafter. When I do not like to leave one place and go to a place which is already destroyed, how can I escape from this? How can I face the punishment that awaits me there?” After saying these words, he fell on the floor and passed away.

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “Whoever can visit the grave should do so. However, besides good words, do not utter any other words. The deceased is also harmed by the same thing which causes harm to those who are living.” (As Sunnan Kabeer. Imam Nisaa’i)

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas – may Allah be pleased with them – narrates, “Whoever walks past the grave of someone whom he knew and greets him, the person (in the grave) recognizes this person and also greets him.” (Tafseer ibn Katheer)

 

Once, Khalifah Sulayman bin Abdul Malik asked the eminent Saint, Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Haazim – may Allah be pleased with him, “O Abu Haazim! Why is it that we dislike death?”

 

He replied, “The reason is that you have (completely immersed yourself) in this world and have destroyed your Hereafter. It is obvious that you will not like to travel from a place where you reside to a place of desolation or one which has been destroyed.”

 

He then asked, “O Abu Haazim! How will we be presented in front of Allah Almighty?”

 

He replied, “O Ameerul Mo’mineen! The pious person is like that person who was lost and returns to his family in a state of joy and happiness. As for the sinful person, he is a like slave who has escaped from his master, he does not wish to meet his master. Therefore, because of his opposition to the laws of Allah Almighty, how will be happy to meet the Creator?”

 

It is mentioned that when the blessed companion, Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Uthman Ghani – may Allah be pleased with him – used to visit the cemetery, he used to weep so much that his beard became wet. He used to stand for a long time weeping. People then informed him that he never wept in this manner when the subject of Jannah or Hell was mentioned; how come he wept like this when remembering the grave. He replied, “I have heard the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – declare that, ‘Among the stages of the Hereafter, the first stage is the grave. Whoever achieves salvation from this, the affairs after this would become easier. If one does not achieve salvation from this, then the affairs after this will become even more difficult.’” (Tirmidi Shareef)