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The problem of persisting in certain sins and being unable to rid oneself of them, despite knowing their gravity and despite repeated attempts at repentance, is a spiritual and moral phenomenon from which many people suffer. The sin may be old and deep-rooted in the self, or new and incidental; it may be visible to people, or hidden and known only to Allah. As the years pass and a person develops in knowledge and spirit in various fields, some sins remain stuck in his conduct, as though they had become part of his habits and were hard to uproot. There may be one possible central cause: a lack of taqwā (that is, a weakness in the state of wariness and fear of Allah) in the heart, which has prevented this sin from being treated at its root in the self and from being overcome.
In this study we will draw on verses of the Noble Qur'an and the sayings of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) to address this important question: Why are we unable to overcome certain recurring sins? What is the role of taqwā in curbing the pull of disobedience? And what other factors are at work? We will then set out practical solutions grounded in Islamic teachings that a person can follow to break the shackles of deep-rooted sins and triumph over the desires of his self, by Allah's leave.
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The Beauty of Evil
Does evil have a beautiful face? A journey that uncovers the secret of trials and their purposes, inspired by the book *Beyond Evil* (*Mā Warāʾ al-Sharr*) by Shaykh Miṣbāḥ Yazdī. [CHECK: confirm the established English title of the book, if one exists]
The Problem of Repeated Sin and Its Effect on the Heart
Committing a sin time after time without being able to give it up has serious effects on the heart and the soul. Repeated sins weaken the sense of repentance and, over time, embolden the sinner against the limits set by Allah, and they may become a familiar habit for him. The Ahl al-Bayt (the Household of the Prophet) (peace be upon them) explained that persisting in a minor sin may turn it into a major one, for it is reported from Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him): “التقوى ترك الإصرار على المعصية” “Taqwā is abandoning persistence in disobedience.”
That is, part of the essence of taqwā is that a person does not continue in sin and does not belittle his disobedience. Continuing in sin without sincere repentance erases the light of inner insight little by little until the heart turns black. The Prophetic hadiths contain what points to this: “إن العبد إذا أخطأ خطيئة نُكتت في قلبه نكتة سوداء، فإذا نزع واستغفر وتاب صُقل قلبه، وإن عاد زيد فيها حتى تعلو قلبه، وهو الرَّين الذي ذكره الله: كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ” “When a servant commits a sin, a black spot is marked upon his heart. If he desists, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart is polished; but if he returns, it is increased until it covers his heart. This is the covering (rayn) that Allah mentioned: ‘Nay! Rather, a covering has come over their hearts.’”
The constant repetition of sin drags a person into a state of hardness of heart and the disappearance of any inner rejection of disobedience.
On the other hand, some sins may stem from deep-rooted psychological or environmental factors. A person may have absorbed bad habits since childhood, or grown up in an environment lax about certain prohibitions, so that uprooting that stubborn habit requires double the effort. Bad company may likewise play a role in entrenching sins: whoever constantly mixes with people of disobedience finds it hard to part with what they are doing. For this reason the Imams (peace be upon them) advised keeping the company of the righteous and abandoning the company of sinners, because of the effect this has on a person's conduct. In addition, caprice and desire play a major role: sins are often beloved to the lustful self, which makes abandoning them a bitter struggle between reason and faith on the one hand and emotional craving or habit on the other. Satan, too, slips in through these weak points, adorning disobedience and making light of it in the servant's eyes whenever he resolves to abandon it, so as to make him fall into it once again.
The Role of Taqwā in Curbing Disobedience
Taqwā is the cornerstone in building inner immunity against sins. It means that the believer places a shield between himself and Allah's anger and displeasure by carrying out His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. Taqwā is a state of constant awareness and rational wariness of transgressing Allah's limits, arising from a sense of His watchfulness, Mighty and Majestic is He, and from awe of Him. The more firmly this feeling is rooted in the heart, the more a person is able to control his desires and rein in his self that incites to evil. Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) describes the state of the person of taqwā in his words:
".. ذمتي بما أقول رهينة، وأنا به زعيم! إن من صرحت له العبر عما بين يديه من المثلات حجزته التقوى عن تقحم الشبهات.. ألا وإن الخطايا خيل شُمس حمل عليها أهلها وخلعت لجمها فتقحمت بهم في النار... ألا وإن التقوى مطايا ذُلُل حمل عليها راكبها وأعطوا أزمتها فأوردتهم الجنة.." “…My pledge is bound to what I say, and I am its guarantor! Whoever has had the lessons [of the past] make plain to him the exemplary punishments that lie before him, taqwā restrains him from plunging into doubtful matters… Indeed, sins are unruly horses on which their people are mounted, their bridles thrown off, so they plunge with them into the Fire… Indeed, taqwā is a set of docile mounts on which their rider is mounted, the reins given to them, and they bring them to Paradise…”
Taqwā is thus a spiritual power that gives its possessor control over the self and leads it towards good, unlike the one who lacks taqwā and is overpowered by his desires. Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) also says, in an eloquent simile: “إنَّ الخطايا خيلٌ شُمُس حُمِل عليها أهلها فجمحت بهم إلى النار… وإنَّ التقوى مطايا ذُلُلٌ أُعدّتْ لأهلها يُملكون أزمّتها فيُوردهم الجنة” “Indeed, sins are unruly horses on which their people are mounted, and they bolt with them into the Fire… and taqwā is a set of docile mounts prepared for its people, who are given possession of their reins, and they bring them to Paradise.”
The Imam explains this by saying that the one who abandons taqwā is weak-willed in the face of desires, like a rider who has mounted an unruly steed without a bridle, so that the steed throws him into ruin; whereas the person of taqwā is strong-willed and holds the reins of his self, like a skilled rider who controls his obedient horse and guides it safely wherever he wishes.
Among the strongest things that drive a person to abandon sin is the sense of Allah the Exalted's watchfulness and the fear of meeting Him in a state of disobedience. The Exalted says:
﴿أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَى﴾ “Does he not know that Allah sees?”
﴿إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ﴾ “Indeed, your Lord is ever watchful.”
﴿يَعْلَمُ خَائِنَةَ الْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ﴾ “He knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal.”
These verses and others remind us that Allah is aware of everything, small and great; nothing is hidden from Him, not even what we conceal in our breasts. When certainty that there is no escape from Allah's sight, even in private, takes root in the believer's heart, he will feel shame before his Lord and fear Him as He deserves to be feared. It is reported from the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī (peace be upon him): “اتّقوا معاصي الله في الخلوات فإن الشاهد هو الحاكم” “Beware of disobeying Allah in private, for the Witness is the Judge.” “ولا تهتكوا أستاركم عند من يعلم أسراركم” “And do not tear away your veils before the One who knows your secrets.”
And from Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him): “يا إسحاق خَفِ الله كأنك تراه، فإن كنت لا تراه فإنه يراك” “O Isḥāq, fear Allah as though you see Him; for if you do not see Him, He sees you.”
This constant awareness of Allah's watchfulness is the core of taqwā, and it is what restrains a person from committing disobedience openly or persisting in it. Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) explained the reality of the one who fears Allah, saying: “من عَلِمَ أن الله يراه ويسمع قوله ويعلم ما يعمله من خير أو شر فيحجزه ذلك عن القبيح من الأعمال، فذلك الذي خاف مقام ربه ونهى النفس عن الهوى” “Whoever knows that Allah sees him, hears what he says and knows the good or evil he does, and this restrains him from shameful deeds, that is the one who has feared the standing of his Lord and restrained the self from caprice.”
He thus made the sign of fearing Allah that a person withholds himself from shameful deeds because he senses Allah's watchfulness.
Besides fear, taqwā has another dimension, which is love and reverence: love of Allah and veneration of His limits. The believer with taqwā does not abandon sin merely out of fear of the Fire, but also out of shame before Allah and love of His good pleasure. In the supplication of Imam al-Sajjād (peace be upon him) he says: “إلهي إن كان صغر في جنب طاعتك عملي فقد كبر في جنب رجائك أملي” “My God, if my deeds have been small beside obedience to You, my hope has grown great beside my expectation of You.”
– an indication that his longing for Allah's mercy and his love for Him are greater than his meagre deeds – and then he says: “وأستغفرك من كل لذة بغير ذكرك، ومن كل راحة بغير أنسك، ومن كل سرور بغير قربك” “And I seek Your forgiveness for every pleasure without remembrance of You, every ease without intimacy with You, and every joy without nearness to You.”
This is the state of one whose heart is filled with the love of Allah, so that he feels estranged from forbidden pleasure because it distances him from his Beloved, Exalted and Majestic is He.
Factors That Keep Us from Abandoning Sin
Alongside weakness of taqwā, there are several factors that leave a person unable to abandon certain sins despite knowing that they are wrong:
Heedlessness and weak remembrance: When the heart is heedless of the remembrance of Allah, the inner forces of restraint weaken. Remembrance awakens the conscience and urges repentance, whereas heedlessness is a veil that Satan exploits. The Exalted says:
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْصِرُونَ﴾ “Indeed, those who have taqwā, when an impulse from Satan touches them, remember [Allah], and at once they see clearly.”
The verse shows that the people of taqwā may be exposed to Satan's promptings, but these soon pass when they remember Allah; they return to their senses and see the truth at once. As for others, if one forgets Allah and gives himself over to his heedlessness, Satan's whisperings take hold of him and make falsehood seem fair to him. Hence the hadith states: “وما أحدٌ أشدّ على الشيطان من ذكر الله” “And nothing is harder on Satan than the remembrance of Allah.”
and that remembering Allah «في كل موطن» “in every situation”
when about to undertake an act of obedience or disobedience comes between a person and disobedience. Therefore the first practical step is to remove the causes of heedlessness from one's life, such as excessive preoccupation with this world and its pleasures, the idle amusement that makes one forget the Hereafter, bad company, and overindulgence in permissible things that harden the heart.
Love of this world and its desires: Excessive attachment to this world and its desires makes the heart a captive that follows its caprice wherever it turns. The Exalted says in warning:
﴿أَرَضِيتُمْ بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا﴾ “Are you content with the life of this world?”
– that is, the believer should not make this world his greatest concern, nor make passing desires the price of his own self. Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) rebuked the one who sells his Hereafter for his worldly life, saying: “لبئس المَتجر أن ترى الدنيا لنفسك ثمنًا” “How wretched a trade it is that you should see this world as a price for your own self!”
When a person falls captive to love of this world, it becomes hard for him to abandon its forbidden enjoyments. Desire blinds inner insight when it is let loose without restraint; souls that are weak before the allure of desires find a thousand justifications for continuing in sin in pursuit of immediate pleasure. The cure begins with training the self in relative detachment (zuhd) and contentment, and accustoming it to curbing forbidden desire wisely before it grows out of control. The Exalted has said:
﴿وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىٰ﴾ (al-Nāziʿāt 40–41) “…and restrained the self from caprice, then indeed Paradise will be the refuge.”
– so He made Paradise the outcome of striving against caprice.
Weak knowledge of oneself and one's worth: Sometimes a person falls into sin because he thinks little of the human dignity with which Allah has distinguished him. The Qur'an tells us that the human being is Allah's vicegerent on earth, honoured and preferred over many creatures:
﴿وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ… وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ﴾ (al-Isrāʾ 70) “And We have certainly honoured the children of Adam… and preferred them.”
If a person forgets this lofty station and sees himself as cheap, he commits sins without any sense of degradation. But whoever knows his own worth rises above base things, sensing that disobedience is unworthy of his dignity. Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) says: “من كرُمت عليه نفسه هانت عليه شهواته” “Whoever holds his own self in honour, his desires become insignificant to him.”
One scholar likened a person who throws himself into disobedience to someone who owns a luxury car but drives it on rough roads full of mud until it is ruined; likewise, the human soul is precious, and sinking it in the mire of sins is an insult to that soul. Knowing and respecting oneself is therefore a strong deterrent against sins. Here we must point to a very important journey on this path.
Taking minor sins lightly and sliding towards major ones: Among Iblīs's ploys is to make sin seem trivial to a person on the pretext that it is minor, so that he dares to commit minor sins repeatedly, and they drag him into greater major sins. Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) warned: “أشدّ الذنوب ما استهان به صاحبه” “The gravest of sins is the one its perpetrator takes lightly.”
because belittling a sin is a sign of heedlessness of the greatness of the One who has been disobeyed, and because persisting in a minor sin turns it into a major one. Hence it is reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him): “لا صغيرة مع الإصرار ولا كبيرة مع الاستغفار” “There is no minor sin with persistence, and no major sin with seeking forgiveness.”
Persistence turns minor sins into major ones, while repentance erases even major sins. So beware, truly beware, of continuing in any sin, even one thought trivial, for it may become an addiction that binds its owner and makes it hard for him to free himself from it.
Despair of repentance and weak hope of reform: After repeated failure, Satan may lure the sinner into the snare of despairing of Allah's mercy, so that it seems to him that there is no point in trying and that he is inevitably doomed. This is among the most dangerous of things, because despair weakens the motivation for repentance and righteous deeds. Yet Allah the Exalted has opened the door of repentance wide and promised to accept it however often the sin is repeated, on condition of sincerity and truthfulness each time. The Exalted said:
﴿يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ…إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا﴾ (al-Zumar 53) “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah… Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.”
And in the ḥadīth qudsī (a saying of Allah conveyed by the Prophet): “ابن آدم، لو بلغت ذنوبك عَنان السماء ثم استغفرتني غفرت لك ولا أبالي” “Son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and you then sought My forgiveness, I would forgive you, and I would not mind.”
However great the sins, Allah's pardon is greater. Losing hope is therefore a grave error to be guarded against; rather, the sinner must think well of his Lord and be certain that the door of return is open, so that he does not surrender to despair. When the believer with taqwā is afflicted with sin, he hastens to seek forgiveness in remorse and never tires of repenting, unlike the wretched one who is careless and never seeks forgiveness.
Practical Means for Overcoming Deep-Rooted Sins
Having understood the causes and obstacles, we come to the practical and remedial steps to which the Qur'an and the narrations guide us for combating deep-rooted sins and overcoming them:
Sincere, renewed repentance: The first step is always to renew one's repentance sincerely. However often you fall, make your intention sincere with each repentance and do not belittle your sin. Sincere repentance means remorse for the past, desisting at once, and resolving not to return, together with seeking forgiveness and doing righteous deeds. Imam al-Bāqir (peace be upon him) described repentance as: “الندم بالقلب، والاستغفار باللسان، وترك الذنب في الحال، والعزم على أن لا يعود” “Remorse in the heart, seeking forgiveness with the tongue, abandoning the sin at once, and resolving not to return to it.”
So hold fast to these meanings. And do not despair if you go back and commit the same sin afterwards; rather, repent again and seek forgiveness, for Allah rejoices at His servant's return and loves persistence in seeking forgiveness. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “لكل داء دواء، ودواء الذنوب الاستغفار” “For every illness there is a remedy, and the remedy for sins is seeking forgiveness.”
So make seeking forgiveness your constant companion.
Strengthening faith and the sense of Allah's watchfulness: As we have explained, the essence of the cure is building genuine taqwā in the heart. You can strengthen the sense of Allah's watchfulness through several things:
Remembering Allah often with the heart and the tongue: for example, keeping up the morning and evening remembrances, the Tasbīḥ of al-Zahrāʾ (the glorification taught to Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ) (peace be upon her) after the prayers, and reading the Qur'an with reflection. Remembrance revives the heart and drives away heedlessness; it is an effective weapon for strengthening faith and deterring disobedience.
Reflecting on Allah's greatness, His might and His knowledge that encompasses all things: remember that the heavens and the earth are in His hands and nothing is beyond His power, and remember His blessings upon you and His kindness to you despite your shortcomings, so that perhaps you will feel ashamed to disobey Him and will revere Him too much to let Him see you where He has forbidden you.
Daily self-watchfulness and self-accounting: train yourself to examine your deeds every day. During the day, watch over your thoughts, words and actions; at night, hold yourself to account for what you have done. If you find good, praise Allah and do more; if you find shortcomings, mend them by seeking forgiveness and resolving to do better tomorrow. This daily striving gradually extinguishes the ember of persistence in disobedience and keeps your heart alive and alert.
Increasing acts of worship, especially prayer and fasting: Acts of worship in Islam were prescribed for no purpose other than to purify the self and strengthen the will to good in a person. Prayer, for example, when performed with presence of heart and humility, forbids the one who prays from indecency and wrongdoing, according to the text of the Qur'an:
﴿إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ﴾ “Indeed, prayer forbids indecency and wrongdoing.”
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) likened it to a flowing river in which the servant washes five times a day so that no dirt remains, and Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) said: “من أحبَّ أن يعلم أَقُبِلت صلاته أم لم تُقبل فلينظر: هل منعته صلاته عن الفحشاء والمنكر؟ فبقدر ما منعته قُبلت منه” “Whoever wishes to know whether his prayer has been accepted or not, let him look: has his prayer kept him from indecency and wrongdoing? To the extent that it has kept him from them, it has been accepted from him.”
Likewise, fasting refines the instincts and cultivates taqwā in the heart:
﴿كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ… لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ﴾ “Fasting has been prescribed for you… so that you may attain taqwā.”
It trains the believer to give up lawful desires during the fast in obedience to Allah, so that it becomes easier for him to give up the forbidden at other times. Therefore, regular voluntary fasting (on Mondays and Thursdays, for example, or fasting the “White Days”, the middle days of the lunar month) helps a great deal in breaking the intensity of desire (whether sexual desire or the appetite of the stomach). The same is true of other acts of worship: night prayer, reciting the Qur'an, performing supererogatory prayers, and frequent supplication and intimate prayer all purify the heart and fill it with light, and this divine light strengthens a person's immunity against returning to sin.
Reflecting on the consequences of sins, of this world and of the Hereafter: Among the most beneficial means emphasised by the narrations is constant reflection, especially when the self presses insistently towards sin. Reasoned reflection exposes the deception of desire and lays out the truth before the mind. The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: “الفكر مرآة صافية” “Reflection is a clear mirror.”
It shows a person the good outcome of obedience and the ugly outcome of disobedience. Among the useful forms of reflection mentioned in the narrations are:
Reflecting on the outcome and result of sin: remember that immediate pleasure is followed by long regret, or by punishment if you do not repent. This calls one to repentance and to desisting.
Reflecting on the transience and passing of this world: this world is perishable and all that is in it will pass away, so how can a rational person sell his everlasting Hereafter for an hour's desire? This reflection inspires detachment and lightens one's attachment to this world.
Reflecting on Allah's countless blessings upon you: this inspires love of Allah and shame at disobeying Him.
Reflecting on death and its nearness: this reminds you that time is short and that death may take you suddenly before you repent; this is enough to deter the self from its error and rein in desire. It is reported in the hadith: “كفى بالموت واعظًا” “Death suffices as an admonisher.”
The remembrance of death is a wondrous remedy for extinguishing the fire of disobedience at the very moment the self is ablaze.
Reflecting on the Hereafter and the Day of Reckoning: imagine yourself standing before Allah, and remember the terrors of the Resurrection as the Qur'an has depicted them:
﴿خُشَّعًا أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌ مُّنتَشِرٌ﴾ (al-Qamar 7) “Their eyes humbled, they will emerge from the graves as if they were scattered locusts.”
and
﴿يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ… لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ﴾ (ʿAbasa 34–37) “On the Day a man will flee from his brother… for every man among them, that Day, will be a matter occupying him.”
These scenes shake the heedless heart and remind it that every deed carries a severe reckoning, except what one has repented of and set right.
Reflecting on Paradise and the Fire: call to mind Allah's promise to the people of taqwā of Gardens of Bliss, and remember in contrast His threat to the disobedient of the Fire of Hell, so that hope may grow strong in your heart and awe may be kindled, keeping you from sin.
This reflection is in truth a kind of mental exercise for the self: through it the spell of desires is dispelled so that their false reality appears, and a person compares a base, fleeting pleasure with dire consequences and chooses salvation. Hence Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) said: “ما زلَّ من أحسن الفكر” “Whoever reflects well does not slip.”
– that is, whoever reflects well does not let his foot slip into disobedience.
Treating the roots of sin and breaking its causes: Every sin has hidden causes and motives that may differ from one person to another, and the effective cure lies in uprooting the cause of the disease. The people of knowledge say: “The cure of an ailment lies in cutting off its cause.” For example, if the cause behind your falling into a particular sin is a certain company or an environment that makes that sin easy, then you must change that company and keep away from the corrupting environment. If the cause is unrestrained mixing on the internet or repeated seclusion that leads to the forbidden, then change your lifestyle, fill your free time with what is beneficial, and occupy yourself with acts of obedience so that there is less room for Satan's whisperings. And if the cause is a spiritual or emotional void that you are trying to fill with sin, then begin by filling your heart with the love of Allah, the company of believers, and good deeds that bring you happiness and tranquillity in place of that false, forbidden pleasure.
Gradualness and patience in striving against the self: Abandoning entrenched habits does not happen overnight; it requires patience, perseverance and continuous effort. The human self may resist at first and refuse to change, but by persisting in disciplining it, it softens, by Allah's leave. A gradual plan may help you: if the sin is very frequent, try to reduce its frequency little by little by setting interim goals (for example, a week without falling into this sin, then a month, and so on), rewarding yourself if you succeed. If a relapse occurs, do not be discouraged; rise again, seeking Allah's help. Remember the words of Allah the Exalted:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا﴾ (al-ʿAnkabūt 69) “And those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to Our ways.”
Your sincere striving itself will surely bring Allah's help and guidance. Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) said: “لا يكن أفضلَ ما نِلْتَ في جهاد نفسك تركُ العُجب بها” “Let not the best of what you have attained in striving against your self be the abandonment of self-admiration over it.” [CHECK: the meaning of this saying is ambiguous; literal rendering given]
– an indication that the road is long and requires humility and perseverance.
Seeking Allah's help and sincere supplication: On this journey there is no doing without sincerely asking Allah for help. Call upon Allah insistently to purify your heart, strengthen your will, and turn evil and indecency away from you. In the transmitted Supplication of Kumayl (Duʿāʾ Kumayl) it says: “اللهم قوِّ على خدمتك جوارحي، واشدد على العزيمة جوانحي، وهب لي الجدّ في خشيتك، والدوام في الاتصال بخدمتك…” “O Allah, strengthen my limbs for Your service, make my heart firm in resolve, and grant me earnestness in fearing You and constancy in remaining joined to Your service…”
And say often: “يا مُقلّب القلوب ثبّت قلبي على دينك” “O Turner of hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.”
and “يا مصرّف القلوب صرّف قلبي إلى طاعتك” “O Director of hearts, direct my heart to Your obedience.”
as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us. If you are sincere with Allah, He will help you, grant you success, and prepare for you means of help that never occurred to you, in fulfilment of His promise, Exalted is He:
﴿وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا… وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ﴾ (al-Ṭalāq 2–3) “And whoever has taqwā of Allah, He will make for him a way out… and will provide for him from where he does not expect.”
That is, taqwā and diligence in obeying Allah bring a way out of every hardship, and among the greatest hardships is the domination of the self's caprice; so Allah helps the sincere person of taqwā and makes the path to deliverance easy for him.
Following the example of the Imams and reading the lives of the righteous: Looking into the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Household (peace be upon them), as well as the stories of the penitent and the righteous, kindles in the heart the fire of positive aspiration and resolve. We read, for example, of Yūsuf the Truthful (peace be upon him), how he held fast to Allah in the face of the temptation of the wife of al-ʿAzīz and said, steadfast: “معاذ الله” “I seek refuge in Allah!”
and the outcome was that Allah made him an honoured ruler. Or we read accounts from the lives of penitents whose state was transformed from heedlessness to strong faith, and we learn that changing the self is possible whenever intention and resolve are sincere. The company of the righteous and reading their words revive the heart and make disobedience contemptible in the sinner's eyes, whereas mixing with people of idle amusement makes one forget the Hereafter and makes sin seem trivial. So choose whom you keep company with, and be influenced by those who bring you closer to Allah.
Practical measures specific to each sin: In addition to the above, there is tried and tested practical advice for each kind of sin:
To overcome sexual desire: lowering the gaze from what is forbidden, keeping away from provocations, hastening to marry if possible, and fasting and reciting the Qur'an often to calm the surge of desire. Remember the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) advice: “يا معشر الشباب، من استطاع منكم الباءة فليتزوّج؛ فإنه أغضُّ للبصر وأحصنُ للفرج، ومن لم يستطع فعليه بالصوم فإنه له وِجاء” “O young people, whoever among you is able to marry, let him marry, for it lowers the gaze more and guards chastity better; and whoever is unable, let him fast, for it is a shield for him.”
– a Prophetic directive that makes marriage a fortress of chastity, while whoever cannot manage it should fast often to break the intensity of desire.
To resist the appetite of the stomach (gluttony): try fasting regularly, avoid overeating, and remember the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): “ما ملأ ابنُ آدم وعاءً شرًا من بطنه” “The son of Adam fills no vessel worse than his stomach.”
and that a full belly drives away discernment. Moderating your habits of eating and drinking gives you greater control over your cravings and desires.
To treat anger: remember the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) advice to the man who asked him for counsel, to whom he said three times: “لا تغضب” “Do not become angry.”
If you feel anger within you, perform ablution or change your posture and position, and say:
“أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم” “I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the accursed.”
And remember what is reported from the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him): “الغضب نار موقدة، من كظمه أطفأها، ومن أطلقه كان أول محترق بها” “Anger is a kindled fire: whoever suppresses it extinguishes it, and whoever lets it loose is the first to be burned by it.”
To abandon backbiting and talebearing: remember the ugliness of backbiting and the Qur'an's depiction of it as eating the flesh of one's dead brother (Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt: 12). Whenever your self tempts you to disparage someone, recall your own faults first, call to mind the right your believing brother has over you and the sanctity of his honour, and seek forgiveness at once if you fall into it. And alert those you sit with – with wisdom and good exhortation – to refrain from delving into people's honour.
For any other sin, such as attachment to forbidden media content, drugs, gambling or the like: always look for the lawful alternative that fills the void. If you do not occupy the self with obedience, it will occupy you with disobedience. Try to replace the bad habit with a good one: sport, reading, developing a useful skill, the company of people of goodness and knowledge, voluntary work… This substitution gradually narrows the space for caprice.
Conclusion: The Path to Salvation Lies in Taqwā of Allah and Continuous Striving
In closing, we recall the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He:
﴿إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ﴾ (al-Ḥujurāt 13) “Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the one with the most taqwā.”
A person's elevation and salvation are achieved only in proportion to the taqwā he possesses. If we find in ourselves an inability to curb a particular sin again and again, let us review the level of our taqwā and our awe of Allah in the depths of our hearts. And let us know that taqwā is not merely a theoretical idea; it is persistent work and striving, as Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) described it: “دارُ حِصْنٍ عَزِيز” “an abode of mighty fortification”
and “خيرُ زادٍ ليومِ المعاد” “the best provision for the Day of Return.”
The believer is required to train himself in taqwā step by step until abandoning sin becomes easy for his heart, indeed until disobedience becomes hateful to him and he feels severe remorse if he falls into it.
At the same time, Allah's mercy is vast and His help is near to the sincere. As long as the servant strives against his self and knocks at his Master's door seeking help, Allah will not forsake him. It is narrated from Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him): “ما نقل الله عز وجل عبدًا من ذلّ المعاصي إلى عزّ التقوى إلا أغناه من غير مال، وأعزّه من غير عشيرة، وآنسه من غير بشر” “Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, does not move a servant from the abasement of sins to the honour of taqwā without making him rich without wealth, mighty without kinsfolk, and at ease in company without people.”
This is the fruit of taqwā, which compensates the believer for the illusory pleasure of disobedience with dignity of soul, peace of conscience and the intimacy of nearness to Allah.
We ask Allah the Exalted to grant us true taqwā and fear of Him in private and in public, to help us against our selves that incite to evil, and to purify us of sins and faults. If we exert our utmost in striving against our selves and seek our Lord's help sincerely, there is no doubt that we will triumph over our bad habits, even if after a while. Let our watchword be what is narrated from Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him): “لا تخف إلا ذنبك” “Fear nothing but your sin.”
As long as you fear your sin, avoid it and strive to abandon it, Allah will take charge of guiding you and granting you success in sincere repentance and prosperity in this world and the Hereafter, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.
Sources:
The Noble Qur'an, Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt, verse 13.
Nahj al-Balāgha – Short Sayings: 242 (on the meaning of taqwā).
Biḥār al-Anwār by al-Majlisī, vol. 70, p. 327 (hadith on the effect of sins on the heart).
The words of Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) on taqwā and controlling caprice.
Al-Kafeel Forum – Factors that prevent sin.
Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa – Hadith on Allah's watchfulness and fear of Him.
Mīzān al-Ḥikma – Hadith “Fear nothing but your sin”.
Al-Kāfī by al-Kulaynī – vol. 2, p. 76 (hadith on the servant's transfer from the abasement of disobedience to the honour of taqwā).
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