I endear Myself to you through the favors that I confer upon you...

I endear Myself to you through the favors that I confer upon you, but you make Me hate you through the acts of disobedience to Me that you commit. My goodness is descending to you, while your evil is ascending to Me. Every single day and night, a noble angel carries to Me your evil deeds. Son of Adam! If you hear that somebody else bears these very characteristics, you will surely hate him.

(However, I completely know that you bear such characteristics, but I do not hate you.)[^2]” “If Allah is irate with a nation but they have not received His direct punishment, their prices will be exorbitantly expensive, their ages will be short, their trades will be profitless, their yields will not increase, their rivers will not be profuse, rainfall will not drop on them, and the evilest individuals will prevail on them[^3].” Amirul-Mu'minin (a) said: “Be wary of committing sins.

The reason of any misfortune, shortage in earnings, or even a scratch, injury or a wound is surely the commitment of a sin. Allah the Majestic says: “Whatever hardship befalls you is the result of your own deeds. Allah pardons many of your sins. (42:30) [^4] ” Imam al-Baqir (a) said: “Allah decides to settle the need of a servant in a definite time, whether near or remote.

But when that servant commits a sin, the Lord orders an angel to cancel the decision of the settlement of that need, and says: ‘Deprive that servant of the settlement of his need, because he exposed himself to My wrath; hence, deprivation has become the punishment[^5].’” “In the book of the Messenger of Allah (S), the following is recorded: If fornication spreads publicly after me, sudden death will spread.

If deficient and unjust measures are given, Allah will afflict with shortage in food for years. If they refrain from defraying the zakat, they will be deprived of the blessings of the earth, such as yields, fruits, and minerals. If they rule unjustly, they will cooperate in fields of wrong and oppression. If they breach the pledges, Allah will give a free hand to their enemies over them. If they rupture their relations, their treasuries will be in the hands of the evilest people.