Written transcript of the lecture
The Meshkat-e Noor teachings series🌼🔆🌼The Dragon of Sin🌼🔆🌼
🌹🔅☘️ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ ☘️🔅🌹
🔅🌹 “A Speck and a Mountain of Sin” “Taking Sin Lightly” “Unforgivable Sins” “Supplication 20 of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya” “Session 220” and more … Summary with an addendum 1403.03.03 Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141(903) 🌹🔅
🔅🌼 The Most Foolish Narcissism🌼🔅
🌹Making light of sin is a clear sign of advanced, foolish narcissism.
🌹There is no more terrible trap than one a person lays for himself with his own hands—for example, trying to use one sin to catch or destroy another. Such a person is like a spider that spins its web only to become ensnared in it.
🌹Making sin permissible and imagining it insignificant is a form of making a fool of oneself: a satanic attempt to make sin seem appealing.
🔅🌼 Never Dismiss a Tiny Spark of Fire🌼🔅
🌹If a small spark of sin catches hold of you, it will set your greater world ablaze.
🌷🔆 فِي الْإِرْشَادِ قَالَ: قَالَ ع إِيَّاكُمْ وَ مُحَقَّرَاتِ الذُّنُوبِ فَإِنَّ لَهَا مِنَ اللَّهِ طَالِباً وَ إِنَّهَا لَتَجْتَمِعُ عَلَى الْمَرْءِ حَتَّى تُهْلِكَهُ.[1]
🔆 Beware of minor sins, for they will be called to account by God and pile up until they destroy a person.
🌻🔆الزلزلة : 7 فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ
🔆So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it.
🌻🔆الزلزلة : 8 وَ مَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ
🔆And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.
🔅🌼 Treating a Minor Sin with Indifference Is a Major Act of Insolence🌼🔅
🌹To speak approvingly of sin, however small, is to take pride in feeding on filth.
🌷🔆 قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع اتَّقُوا الْمُحَقَّرَاتِ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تُغْفَرُ قُلْتُ وَ مَا الْمُحَقَّرَاتُ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ يُذْنِبُ الذَّنْبَ فَيَقُولُ طُوبَى لِي إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِي غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ. [2]
🔆Avoid what are regarded as minor sins, for they will not be forgiven. I asked, “What are these sins regarded as minor?” He replied, “A man commits a sin and says, ‘How fortunate I am if this is the only sin I have!’”
🔅🌼 A Speck of Filth Is No Mere Speck 🌼🔅
🌹A speck of filth can defile a honeycomb and spoil a pot of delicious syrup. One sin can taint a person’s entire greater world.
🌹A single virus can make the world of the body sick and destroy it.
🌹Do not smile with approval at the face of even the most insignificant sin; its mocking grin will answer with your ruin.
🌷🔆 عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ لَا تَسْتَكْثِرُوا كَثِيرَ الْخَيْرِ وَ لَا تَسْتَقِلُّوا قَلِيلَ الذُّنُوبِ فَإِنَّ قَلِيلَ الذُّنُوبِ يَجْتَمِعُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ كَثِيراً وَ خَافُوا اللَّهَ فِي السِّرِّ حَتَّى تُعْطُوا مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمُ النَّصَفَ.[3]
🔆Imam Kazim, peace be upon him, said: “Do not regard abundant good deeds as too many, and do not count a few sins as few, for small sins accumulate until they become great and numerous.”
🔅🌼 Do Not Stockpile the Firewood of Sin🌼🔅
🌹Do not think yourself beyond reproach. Be concerned for yourself; guard yourself against vanity and sin.
🌹False self-confidence is a particular form of narcissism—and a dangerous one.
🌹 Replace self-confidence with trust in God. Trust in God means relying on the Almighty, the Mighty and All-Subduing. Rather than relying on your own frail and lowly self, rely on God, the Strong, the Great, the All-Powerful. Do not say, “I can repent after I sin.” Do not commit a sin in the hope of repenting later. Flee from sin, and seek refuge in God to escape the temptation to sin.
🌹 Beware: the chaff of sin will grow into a mountain of sin.
🌷🔆 إِيَّاكَ وَ الثِّقَةَ بِنَفْسِكَ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَكْبَرِ مَصَايِدِ الشَّيْطَان[4]
🔆 Imam ʿAlī, peace be upon him: “Beware of trusting yourself, for it is one of Satan’s greatest snares.”
🌷🔆 وَ عَنْ أَبِي عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ وَ الْحَجَّالِ عَنْ ثَعْلَبَةَ عَنْ زِيَادٍ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص نَزَلَ بِأَرْضٍ قَرْعَاءَ فَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ ائْتُوا بِحَطَبٍ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَحْنُ بِأَرْضٍ قَرْعَاءَ مَا بِهَا مِنْ حَطَبٍ فَقَالَ ص فَلْيَأْتِ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ بِمَا قَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءُوا بِهِ حَتَّى رَمَوْا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بَعْضَهُ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص- هَكَذَا تَجْتَمِعُ الذُّنُوبُ ثُمَّ قَالَإِيَّاكُمْ وَ الْمُحَقَّرَاتِ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ فَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ طَالِباً أَلَا وَ إِنَّ طَالِبَهَا يَكْتُبُ ما قَدَّمُوا وَ آثارَهُمْ وَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْناهُ فِي إِمامٍ مُبِينٍ. [5]
🔆 Imam al-Ṣādiq, peace be upon him, said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, once stopped with his companions in a barren place. He said to them, “Bring some firewood.” They replied, “O Messenger of God, we are in a barren place; there is no firewood here.” He said, “Each of you should bring whatever you can.” So each brought some firewood, and they piled it up before the Prophet. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said, “This is how sins accumulate.” Then he said, “Beware of minor sins, for there is one who seeks them out, and the seeker of sins records what people have sent ahead, along with their effects.”
🔅🌼 Do not sin in the hope of repenting later 🌼🔅
🌹 The door to repentance and forgiveness is open, but beware: you may not be granted the success to pass through it.
🌷🔆 عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ اتَّقُوا الْمُحَقَّرَاتِ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ فَإِنَّ لَهَا طَالِباً يَقُولُ أَحَدُكُمْ أُذْنِبُ وَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ وَ نَكْتُبُ ما قَدَّمُوا وَ آثارَهُمْ وَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْناهُ فِي إِمامٍ مُبِينٍ وَ قَالَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ إِنَّها إِنْ تَكُ مِثْقالَ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ فَتَكُنْ فِي صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِي السَّماواتِ أَوْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ [6]
🔆 Imam al-Bāqir, peace be upon him: “Avoid minor sins, for they, too, have those who seek them out. Let none of you say, ‘I will commit a sin and then ask God to forgive me.’ God, Mighty and Exalted, says: وَ نَکْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَآثَارَهُمْ وَ کُلَّ شَیْءٍ أحْصَیْنَاهُ فِی إِمَامٍ مُبِینٍ. He also says: ‘If it be the weight of a mustard seed, hidden in a rock or in the heavens or the earth, God will bring it forth. Surely God is All-Subtle, All-Aware.’
🔅🌼 A minor sin can bring major loss 🌼🔅
🌷🔆 قَالَ: قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع لَا يَصْغَرُ مَا يَنْفَعُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ لَا يَصْغَرُ مَا يَضُرُّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَكُونُوا فِيمَا أَخْبَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ كَمَنْ عَايَنَ. [7]
🔆 Imam ʿAlī, peace be upon him: “What will benefit you on the Day of Resurrection must not be thought insignificant, and what will harm you on that Day must not be thought insignificant. So, regarding what God has told you, be as one who has seen it with his own eyes.”
🔅🌼 To trivialize any sin is to diminish one’s own reason 🌼🔅
🌹 To regard sin as a worm is to turn it into a dragon.
🌷🔆 عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع أَنَّهُ قَالَ: أَشَدُّ الذُّنُوبِ مَا اسْتَهَانَ بِهِ صَاحِبُهُ. [8]
🔆 The Imam, peace be upon him, said: The gravest sins are those that their perpetrator considers trivial.
🔅🌼 Taking sin lightly is a sign of foolishness 🌼🔅
🌷🔆 قَالَ ع أَشَدُّ الذُّنُوبِ مَا اسْتَخَفَّ بِهِ صَاحِبُهُ. [9]
🔆 The Imam, peace be upon him, said: The gravest sin is one that its perpetrator considers insignificant.
🔅🌼 Looking down on sin diminishes the sinner 🌼🔅
🌹 Sincere repentance breaks sin’s hold, while brazen persistence in sin feeds it: a worm becomes a snake, and a snake becomes a dragon.
🌷🔆 عَنِ الصَّادِقِ ع عَنْ آبَائِهِ ع فِي حَدِيثِ الْمَنَاهِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ: لَا تُحَقِّرُوا شَيْئاً مِنَ الشَّرِّ وَ إِنْ صَغُرَ فِي أَعْيُنِكُمْ وَ لَا تَسْتَكْثِرُوا شَيْئاً مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَ إِنْ كَثُرَ فِي أَعْيُنِكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ لَا كَبِيرَ مَعَ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ وَ لَا صَغِيرَ مَعَ الْإِصْرَارِ [10]
🔆 The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: Do not regard any evil as insignificant, even if it seems small to you, and do not regard any good as great, even if it seems abundant in your eyes. For no grave sin remains grave when accompanied by seeking forgiveness, and no sin remains small when one persists in it.
🔅🌼 The pain of sin is agonising 🌼🔅
🌷🔆 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ع أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ فِي حَدِيثٍ لَا تَسْتَصْغِرَنَّ حَسَنَةً أَنْ تَعْمَلَهَا فَإِنَّكَ تَرَاهَا حَيْثُ تَسُرُّكَ وَ لَا تَسْتَصْغِرَنَّ سَيِّئَةً تَعْمَلُهَا فَإِنَّكَ تَرَاهَا حَيْثُ تَسُوؤُكَ. [11]
🔆 Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him, said: O Muhammad ibn Muslim! Do not consider any good deed insignificant, for you may find it somewhere that brings you joy. And do not consider any evil deed insignificant, for you may find it somewhere that grieves you.
🔅🌼 Whoever takes pride in their sin deceives themselves 🌼🔅
🌷🔆 عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ الَّتِي لَا تُغْفَرُ قَوْلُ الرَّجُلِ لَيْتَنِي لَا أُؤَاخَذُ إِلَّا بِهَذَا. [12]
🔆 Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him, said: Among the sins that are not forgiven is a person’s saying, “I hope I will be held accountable for no sin other than this one!”
🔅🌼 Do not be an unjust judge in your own case 🌼🔅
🌹 Only those who condemn their own misdeeds judge themselves fairly; they do not rule in their own favour, make their faults seem lovable, or turn a blind eye to them.
🌹 If people were to judge themselves, they would always rule in their own favour. No one is repelled by the smell of garlic and onions on their own breath. How often the stench of sin may seem pleasant to the sinner.
🌷🔆 رُوِيَ عَنْ أَحَدِ الْأَئِمَّةِ ع أَنَّهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَمَ ثَلَاثَةً فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ كَتَمَ رِضَاهُ فِي طَاعَتِهِ وَ كَتَمَ سَخَطَهُ فِي مَعْصِيَتِهِ وَ كَتَمَ وَلِيَّهُ فِي خَلْقِهِ فَلَا يَسْتَخِفَّنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ شَيْئاً مِنَ الطَّاعَاتِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَدْرِي فِي أَيِّهَا رِضَى اللَّهِ وَ لَا يَسْتَقِلَّنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ شَيْئاً مِنَ الْمَعَاصِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَدْرِي فِي أَيِّهَا سَخَطُ اللَّهِ وَ لَا يُزْرِيَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِأَحَدٍ مِنْ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَدْرِي أَيُّهُمْ وَلِيُّ اللَّهِ. [13]
🔆 God, Mighty and Exalted, has concealed three things within three others: His pleasure among acts of obedience, His wrath among sins, and His friend among His creatures.
None of you should regard any act of obedience as insignificant, for you do not know which act will earn the pleasure of God, the Most High. Nor should any of you regard any act of disobedience as minor, for you do not know which sin will incur God’s anger. And none of you should look down on any of God’s creatures, for you do not know which of them may be a friend of God.
🔅🌼Narrow-mindedness means treating sin as something trivial.🌼🔅
🌷🔆 قَالَ وَ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ ص لَا تَنْظُرُوا إِلَى صَغِيرِ الذَّنْبِ وَ لَكِنِ انْظُرُوا إِلَى مَا اجْتَرَأْتُمْ. [14]
🔆 The Messenger of God, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace, said: “Do not look at how small a sin is; look instead at whom you have dared to disobey.”
🔅🌼Committing a sin is worse than taking one’s own life.🌼🔅
🌹No one knows how long they have to live.
🌹Do we know whether we will be granted the opportunity to repent?
🌹It is always beautiful to refrain from sin.
🌷🔆 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: مَنْ هَمَّ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يَعْمَلْهَا فَإِنَّهُ رُبَّمَا عَمِلَ الْعَبْدُ السَّيِّئَةَ فَيَرَاهُ الرَّبُّ فَيَقُولُ وَ عِزَّتِي وَ جَلَالِي لَا أَغْفِرُ لَكَ أَبَداً. [15]
🔆 Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: “Anyone who intends to commit a sin should not do so, for it may happen that a servant commits a sin and his Lord sees him and says: ‘By My might and majesty, I will never forgive you again.’”
🔅🌼Beware of Satan’s spiderwebs!🌼🔅
🌹With every sin, a thread is spun around a person, like a spider’s web.
🌷🔆 بِحَقٍّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنَّ صِغَارَ الْخَطَايَا وَ مُحَقَّرَاتِهَا لَمِنْ مَكَايِدِ إِبْلِيسَ يُحَقِّرُهَا لَكُمْ وَ يُصَغِّرُهَا فِي أَعْيُنِكُمْ وَ تَجْتَمِعُ فَتَكْثُرُ وَ تُحِيطُ بِكُمْ [16]
🔆 A narration from Jesus, peace be upon him: “Truly I tell you, small and seemingly insignificant sins are among Satan’s snares. He makes them seem trivial to you and small in your eyes, until they pile up and engulf you.”
🌼Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141 (903)🌼
[1] Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, vol. 15, p. 313 Shaykh Hurr al-Amili, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Ahl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[2] Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, vol. 15, p. 310 Shaykh Hurr al-Amili, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Ahl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[3] Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, vol. 15, p. 310 Shaykh Hurr al-Amili, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Ahl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[4] Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, p. 168 Tamimi Amudi, Abd al-Wahid ibn Muhammad, Dar al-Kitab al-Islami, Qom, second edition, 1410 AH.
[5] Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, vol. 15, p. 311 Shaykh Hurr al-Amili, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Ahl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[6] Al-Kafi (Islamic edition), vol. 2, p. 270 Kulayni, Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, Tehran, fourth edition, 1407 AH.
[7] Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, vol. 15, p. 312 Shaykh Hurr al-Amili, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Ahl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[8] Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, vol. 15, p. 312 Shaykh Hurr al-Amili, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Ahl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[9] Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 15, p. 312 Sheikh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan, Āl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[10] Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 15, p. 312 Sheikh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan, Āl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[11] Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 15, p. 312 Sheikh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan, Āl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[12] Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 15, p. 313 Sheikh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan, Āl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[13] Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 15, p. 313 Sheikh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan, Āl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[14] Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 15, p. 313 Sheikh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan, Āl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[15] Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 15, p. 313 Sheikh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan, Āl al-Bayt Foundation, Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
[16]Biḥār al-Anwār (Beirut edition), vol. 14, p. 311
