The benefits of falling into a sin for a sincere believer!

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

The purpose of this article is not to encourage sins, but rather to encourage repentance. Every son of Aadam will eventually commit a sin or fall into error, as no one is perfect as has been mentioned numerous times in the Ahaadeeth:

Anas رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“Every son of Aadam commits sin, and the best of those who commit sin are those who repent.”

[Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2499) and Sunan Ibn Maajah (4251) and graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Narrated Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما: I did not see anything more resembling to minor sins than what Abu Hurairah reported from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, who said:

“Allaah has written for the son of Aadam his inevitable share of adultery whether he is aware of it or not: The adultery of the eye is the looking (at something which is sinful to look at), and the adultery of the tongue is to utter (what it is unlawful to utter), and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace), and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the inner-self wishes and longs for (adultery) and the private parts turn that into reality or refrain from submitting to the temptation.”

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6243, 6612) and Saheeh Muslim (6421, 6422) and the wordings are his]

So only those are protected whom Allaah تعالى protects and every one of us is required to repent to Allaah and seek his forgiveness. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, even though his past and future sins were forgiven, still sought Allaah’s forgiveness hundred times a day.

This article is subdivided into two parts:

1. The benefits of falling into a sin – from Lataa’if al-Ma`aarif of Ibn Rajab.

2. A sin which leads to Jannah – from Madaarij al-Saalikeen of Ibn al-Qayyim.

PART 1

The benefits of falling into a sin:

Ibn Rajab رحمه الله said (paraphrased):

The intended meaning here is that Allaah تعالى, in His divine Wisdom, sometimes allows the hearts of His slaves to become negligent till they fall into committing a sin. Had their hearts been in a constant state of vigilance, like how they are when they hear the remembrance of Allaah, they would not have committed sins; but sometimes their falling into a sin has two benefits:

First Benefit: (The sincere Believers) who have sinned will acknowledge their mistakes (and will be remorseful), and they will acknowledge their shortcomings in fulfilling the rights of their Lord, and they will lower their heads (in humility) – and this is more beloved to Allaah than (merely) doing many good deeds (that do not have any positive affect on their doers). (Many a time it so happens that) the one who is in a constant habit of doing many good deeds ends up being self-amazed (self-conceited, proud, arrogant, haughty), as has been mentioned in the Hadeeth that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“If you were not to commit sins, I would have feared for you something which is worse than that: ‘self-amazement!’”

[Musnad al-Bazzaar (6936) and the wordings are his, Shu`ab al-Imaan of al-Baihaqee (6868) with a slight difference in wordings; and graded as “Hasan li ghairihee” (authentic due to corroborating chains) by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (658), Saheeh al-Targheeb (2921) and Saheeh al-Jaami` (5303). Al-Haithamee also graded it as “Jayyid” in Majma` al-Zawaaid (17948)]

Al-Hasan (al-Basree) said: If the son of Aadam were to arrive at the correct (judgment) every time he spoke, and were every action of his upon righteousness – it wouldn’t have taken him long to go mad with self-amazement.

Others have said: the sin which makes one humble is better than being boastful and proud of one’s righteousness. The groaning of the sinners is more beloved than the soft humming sound of those who glorify Allaah. This is because sometimes the soft humming sound of those who glorify Allaah can lead them towards haughtiness, whereas the groaning of the sinners adorns them with humility.

And in a narration attributed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم it is mentioned:

“Allaah تعالى may benefit His slave with the sin he had committed.”

[al-`Uqailee in al-Dhu`afaa’ (431), Musnad Shihaab (1095), al-Hilyah (8/198), and graded as “Dha`eef” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Dha`eefah (3105) and Dha`eef al-Jaami` (1661)]

Al-Hasan (al-Basree) said: A slave may commit a sin and he does not forget (about his disobedience), and he remains afraid of its (retribution) till he enters paradise because of it.

The purpose of this slipup is that it makes the Believer remorseful for his slip, makes him feel sorry for his carelessness, and it is to straighten him from crookedness, and to bring him forward instead of him lagging behind, and to take him out of falling into a bottomless pit of desires and taking him by his hand towards success.

Second Benefit: The slave receiving the forgiveness of Allaah and being pardoned by Him. Allaah تعالى loves to pardon and forgive, and from His Lofty Names are “al-Ghaffaar”, “al-`Afwu” and “al-Tawwaab”. If all the creation were to be perfect, then who would be left to be forgiven? (And who would be there to seek His forgiveness?)

[Lataaif al-Ma`aarif (1/20-21) of Ibn Rajab]

Notes:

Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Allaah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which he had lost in the desert.”

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6309) from the Hadeeth of Anas رضي الله عنه and Saheeh Muslim (6610, 6611, 6619) from the Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah and Anas رضي الله عنهما]

In another Hadeeth, Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Allaah is more pleased with the repentance of His believing servant than a person who loses his riding beast carrying food and drink. He sleeps (being disappointed of its recovery) and then gets up and goes in search for that, until he is stricken with thirst and then comes back to the place where he had been before and goes to sleep completely exhausted placing his head upon his hands waiting for death. And when he gets up, lo, there is before him his riding beast and his provisions of food and drink. Allaah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than the recovery of this riding beast along with the provisions (of food and drink).”

[Saheeh Muslim (6613, 6616, 6617, 6618) from the Hadeeth of Ibn Mas`ood, al-Nou`maan Ibn Basheer, al-Baraa’ Ibn `Aazib and Anas رضي الله عنهم]

Ibn `Umar رضي الله عنهما narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Indeed Allaah accepts the repentance of a slave as long as his soul does not reach his throat.”

[Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3537) and Sunan Ibn Maajah (4253) and graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

PART 2

A Sin that Leads to Jannah

Source: http://abdurrahman.org/2009/07/23/a-sin-that-leads-to-jannah/

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“Sin may be more beneficial for a person, if it leads him to repent, than doing a lot of acts of worship. This is what is meant by the words of one of the Salaf:

‘A person may commit a sin and enter Paradise because of it, or he may do an act of worship and enter Hell because of it.’

They said: ‘How is that?’

He said: ‘He may commit a sin and continues to think about it, and when he stands or sits or walks he remembers his sin, so he feels ashamed and repents and seeks forgiveness and regrets it, so that will be the means of his salvation.

And he may do a good deed and continue to think about it, and when he stands or sits or walks he remembers it and it fills him with self-admiration and pride, so it is the cause of his doom.

So the sin may be the factor that leads him to do acts of worship and good deeds and to change his attitude so that he fears Allaah and feels shy before Him and feels humiliated before Him, hanging his head in shame and weeping with regret, seeking he forgiveness of his Lord. Each of these effects is better for a person than an act of worship that makes him feel proud and show off and look down on people. Undoubtedly this sin is better before Allaah and is more likely to bring salvation than one who admires himself and looks down on others, and who thinks that he is doing Allaah a favor. Even if he says words that indicate something other than that, Allaah is the Witness over what is in his heart. Such a person may feel hatred towards people if they do not hold him in high esteem and humiliate themselves before him. If he were to examine himself honestly, he would see that clearly.”

[Madaarij as-Saalikeen (1/299) of Ibn al-Qayyim]