I Can't Stop Sinning

By Farheen Naaz

It was said by Benjamin Franklin: Watch the little things; a small leak will sink a great ship . . .

The little things we’re talking about here are our own actions and the small leak, is the leak caused by our sins. We often fall into the trap of committing sins thinking it’s just minuscule, but end up making it a habit; for example, lying; we start with lying out of fear of someone in authority, to escape punishment or to just hide facts, but slowly it becomes a habit which gets set in our minds subconsciously and we exert it unknowingly at times or just because we want an easy way out. Such little things are the ones which will lead up to big ones!

At some point in our life we all hold on to things which Allah (SWT) wants us to let go of. We may hold on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits or activities which we become so attached to that it seems impossible to let go. We feel like a part of our heart will be ripped off if we let go that thing or we might feel like we won’t or can’t survive without it! Constant doing of such a thing or things makes us feel this way.

All we need to do is realize that we are just one step away from help. Allah (SWT) has told us time and again how forgiving and merciful he is. He told us that if a slave of His takes a step towards Him, He will run towards that particular slave and embrace him/her in His grace! Allah The Almighty, is asking us to just take one step towards Him. Can we not do even this much for the one who created us? For the one and only who is ready to take us back into his abode even after our numerous sins?

Changing wrong habits and activities one is attached to is a long term or may be a lifelong process, it will be difficult too, depending on the level of attachment for the habit, but the reward of peace and the reward of a better aakhira should be enough for a believer to at the least initiate the process of detoxification from the sins! Indeed, patience is the virtue of a righteous and being patient over a sin is extremely heart wrenching at times We should strive towards attaining in all walks of life.

Patience is of three kinds:

• 1. Displaying patience whilst performing one’s shar’i obligations and doing good actions however difficult that might be.
• 2 To stay away from all sin, basically the evil and prohibited acts despite the fact that they are very beloved to the soul at times.
• 3. Patience during times of hardships without complaints.

Ibn Taymiyyah has said in Majmu’-al Fatwa (10:576) : Avoiding temptation to sin and being patient upon that is greater than being patient whilst being affected with trails.

Sometimes it is very difficult to move our focus to what we can be as a muslim, as a human, beyond the acts of disobedience we are involved in. We have to be brave enough and muslim enough to believe that Allah (SWT) will never take away anything from us without giving something better in it’s place. What goes around comes around, and sometimes in a much better form.

Instead of focusing on the pit being formed in us because of giving up a wrong thing which we are/were dearly attached to, we should concentrate on filling up the small leak holes created because of the small acts of disobedience, before our eeman ship sinks into such depths unimaginable even by us. We can start by following small everyday acts of rewards like wearing the right shoe first, sitting and drinking water, helping someone cross the road if need be, smiling etc. .

Let’s embark on this journey of purifying our hearts and open minds, believe in ourselves and have faith in Allah that yes! We can do it! inshaAllah!

Posted in: Islam