Chapter 13 - On Avoiding the Forbidden and the Like

“All goodness is in the sword and under its shadow. The people will not be directed to the right path except by the force of the sword. Swords are keys to Heaven and Hell.”

“Whoever illegitimately devours the property of a believer is not my friend.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “If a man swears that he will not scratch his nose with the wall, God will make him scratch his nose with the wall.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said the following regarding God's statement: “But for such as fear the time when they will stand before (the Judgment seat of) their Lord, there will be two gardens.” [The Holy Quran: Rahman 55:46], “This refers to one who realizes that God will see whatever he does, and hear whatever he says, whether good or bad. This will stop him from doing bad deeds. Such a person fears God and will forbid himself from his selfish carnal desires.”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “All eyes will be crying on the Resurrection Day except for the eyes that remain open at night for the sake of God, and eyes which cry for the fear of God, and the eyes that are closed not to see what God has forbidden to see.”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “You will not experience any calamities except due to committing sins. However God is even more forgiving than that.”

“There are occasions in the Hereafter when you get imprisoned for one hundred years for just one sin while you jealously look at your brothers and wives in Heaven.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Committing sins will hinder the arrival of your daily bread. This refers to the Almighty God's statement: “Verily We have tried them as we tried the People of the Garden” [The Holy Quran: Qalam 68:17]

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Committing sins will block the daily bread of a Muslim.”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “Sometimes you ask God for something and God destines it to be fulfilled sooner or later. But if you commit a sin, God the Almighty will tell the angel to deprive you and not fulfill your request because you have raised His anger and deserve to be deprived.”

Imam Musa ibn Ja' far (a.s) was asked about the major sins. He wrote: “The major sins are those sins which God has promised the punishment of Hell and you should avoid them. If you are a believer, then your other sins will be covered up. There are seven major sins which will take you to Hell: murder, damnation of parents, usury, immigration from an Islamic environment, accusing pious women of fornication, devouring the properties of an orphan, escaping from a holy war.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Avoid minor sins that will not be forgiven.” He was asked: “What are such sins?” He said: “They are the ones which if a man commits them he says: I am prosperous if I do not commit any other sins.”

Prophet of God (a.s) saw a group of people who were stoning a chicken. He said: “Who are these people. May God damn them.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Whoever asks for forgiveness but continues to commit sins is like a joker.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Sins will not be minor ones if you insist on committing them, and they will not be major ones if you repent and ask for forgiveness.'

What has made them cry?” They said: “Their sins.” He said: “Stop crying, you will be forgiven.”

man was near his death. The Prophet went to visit him along with some of his companions. The Prophet was such a blessing that anyone he talked to would respond to him. The Prophet (a.s) said: “O' young fellow!” The young man opened his eyes and said, “Hello to you father of Ghasim.” The Prophet (a.s) said: “Say I witness to the unity of God, and that you are Muhammad, the Prophet of God.” The young man looked at his father and said nothing. The Prophet reiterated what he had said and the young fellow did the same thing again. The Prophet repeated his words for the third time, but this time when the young man looked at his father, his father said: “It’s up to you to say it or not.” The man said: “I witness that there is no god but Allah, and you are Muhammad the Prophet of God” and then died. The Prophet asked his father to go out, and asked his companions to wash the dead man, and to prepare his body to be prayed upon and buried. Then he left and said: “Thank God that He saved a man from Hell through me today.”

“I swear by My Honor and Grandeur that I will not take the life of anyone upon whom I have bestowed My Mercy upon, until I punish him for his sins either through physical illness, or hardships in earning a living, or fear. Even if some sins are left I will make his death a hard one. I swear by My Honor and Grandeur that I will not take the life of whom I want to punish until I reward him for any good deeds he has done either through an increased income, physical health, or peace of mind. Even if some of his good deeds remain unrewarded, I will make his death an easy one.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “If God the Almighty wants to honor someone but he has committed some sins, He will make him ill, or needy, or make his death a hard one so as to compensate for his sins. And if He wants to humiliate one who has done some good deeds, He will make him healthy, or increase his income or make his death an easy one so that he gets the reward of his good deeds.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted on the authority God's Prophet (a.s): “Whoever intends to and performs a good deed will be rewarded by God tenfold, and whoever intends to do but does not perform a good deed will be rewarded by God one-fold. Whoever intends to but does not perform a bad deed will be ignored and nothing will be recorded, but if he commits it one sin will be recorded for him.”

Imam Reza (a.s) said: “One who covers up his good deed receives a seventy fold reward, one who makes a bad deed known by the public is weak and without any protectors, but one who covers up bad deeds is forgiven.”

“Whoever commits a sin and laughs will enter the Fire (of Hell).”

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “No worship is dearer to God than watching out what you eat, and restricting your sexual relationships to what is legitimate.”

Imam Zeyn al-Abedin (a.s) said: “The best form of holy war is to watch out what you eat, and restrict your sexual relationships to what is legitimate.”

A man told Imam Baqir (a.s): “I have not done many good deeds and have not fasted much, but I hope not to eat anything but what is lawfully earned, and not marry anyone but those who are legitimately allowed.” The Imam (a.s) said: “What effort is superior to watching out what you eat and restricting your sexual relationships to what is legitimate.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “The farthest away one can be from God is to be only concerned about eating and sex.”

“No one is immune from fornication and anyone can somehow derive pleasure from it. The fornication for the eyes is to look, the fornication for the mouth is to kiss, and the fornication for the hands is to touch whether or not one actually engages in sexual intercourse.”

Imam Kazim (a.s) told one of his sons: 'O' my son! Make an effort not to think that you have no shortcomings in worshipping God, since God is not worshipped as He deserves to be.”