our sins
For those of us Muslims who are living in safety around world, just remember, our sins could very well be the reason why our brothers and sisters in faith are suffering.
Yes, you read it right, not only do our sins harm us, but they harm the rest of the Muslim Ummah.
You ask, how do our sins affect our brothers and sisters who are suffering?
The general principle is that each soul is responsible for its own sins, as we see the verses in the Noble Qur’ān [6:164, 17:15, 35:18, 39:7, 53:38] which include the statement that “…no burdened person (with sins) shall bear the burden (sins) of another”.
These verses are not referring to what I am about to explain. These verses are primarily regarding the accountability on the Day of Standing.
However, the matter we are exploring here is regarding us in this worldly life.
Allāh says in Noble Qur’ān 8:25 – “And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial, etc.) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong (but it may afflict all the good and the bad people), and know that Allāh is Severe in punishment.”
Although the above verse was revealed for a specific incident between the companions, it should be known that the verses in the Noble Qur’ān are to be taken primarily in their general meaning.
As noted in Tafsīr aṭ-Ṭabarī, Ibn ‘Abbās said regarding the above verse that “Allāh commanded the believers to stop evil from flourishing among them, so that Allāh does not encompass them all in the torment (Fitnah).”
Also, as noted in Jāmi‘ at-Tirmidhī in a Ḥasan Ḥadīth, Hudhayfah Ibn ul-Yamān reported: The Prophet ﷺ said: “By the one in whose hand is my soul, you will enjoin good and forbid evil or else Allāh will soon send the punishment upon you. Then you will supplicate to Allāh and he will not accept it from you.”
Ibn Kathīr quotes Imām Aḥmad who reported that Umm Salamah, the Prophet’s wife ﷺ and may Allāh be pleased with her, that she said: “I heard the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ saying, “If sins become apparent in my Ummah, Allāh will surround them with punishment from Him.” Umm Salamah then said: “O Allāh’s Messenger! Will they have righteous people among them then?” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Yes.” Then Umm Salamah asked: “What will happen to them?” The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ answered: “They will be stricken as the people, but they will end up with Allāh’s forgiveness and pleasure.”
Let us not forget, that in the Battle of Uḥud, all it took was for a part of the army, the archers, to disobey the orders of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ by leaving their posts in order to get the booty, and thus cause the Muslims to be defeated, and even the Messenger’s face ﷺ was bleeding and he lost a tooth.
So, in other words, one part of the Ummah at that time disobeyed, and it caused the rest of the Ummah to suffer, and these were the companions, the best Muslims.
Allāh says in Noble Qur’ān 24:63 “…So let those beware who dissent from the Prophet’s order, lest Fitnah strike them or a painful punishment.”
The Fitnah here could be: disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, being overpowered by a tyrant, etc.
Allāh also says in Noble Qur’ān 8:53 “That is so because Allāh will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in their ownselves. And verily, Allāh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.”
So what do we get from all of this?
1. We must enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil with knowledge and wisdom. If we don’t, Allāh will punish us and not answer our prayers.
2. Not only will we be punished, but other Muslims will also suffer who may not have necessarily committed those sins.
3. The bounties of Allāh are taken away from us when we become weak believers.
4. Change has to happen at the grassroots level, we all need to begin with ourselves, our families, our communities, and ultimately our rulers.
5. We could very well blame the Muslim governments and rulers for the problems Muslims are facing around the world today, but pay attention to what Allāh says in Noble Qur’ān 6:129
“And thus will We make some of the wrongdoers allies of others for what they used to earn.”
In other words, one way this could happen that Allāh puts over the Muslims wrongdoers as leaders because they masses in general are wrongdoers. And in no way does this absolve those in authority from their obligation, they will have to answer to Allāh.
How many of us Muslims in the West are dealing in Ribā? Many of us are buying houses on conventional mortgages.
Many of us are falling into embarrassing major sins, be it Zinā or indulging in intoxicants and gambling.
Many of us only know the Masjid during Ramaḍān and on ‘Īd. Many of us recite the Noble Qur’ān mainly in Ramaḍān.
Many of us are loose with our women and pay no attention to the way they dress and behave.
Many of us due to deep ignorance fall into major and minor Shirk, some insisting on innovations in the Religion and going against the Sunnah.
We can go on and on.
Allāh knows best, and we ask Allāh to make us among those who listen to the admonition and be from those who follow it in the best way.