The Cause of Sin Religious authorities arraign ignorance and...

The Cause of Sin Religious authorities arraign ignorance and obliviousness as the main causes for sin. The most effective tactic of an enemy and its first means of infiltration is to distract its opposing party. Ignorance is the fountainhead of corruption—ignorance of the existential values of humanity, of the valuable results of sexual purity (‘iffah) , of the effects of sin, etc.

The Way of Salvation Several ways can be enumerated here: Repentance (which is returning to Allah (awj) with the resolute intention of abstaining from sin and which encompasses a multitude of grades) and pleading for forgiveness. Reminding oneself of one’s sins. The remembrance of Allah (awj). A resolved will [to remain on the straight path]. Thus, after the clarification of the meaning of sin and the other related issues, attributing sin to Allah (awj) becomes meaningless.

The issues of guidance, being led astray, and the variations in the natures of human beings in creation will be dealt with separately. Detailed Answer Sin: The Snare of Satan In the ahadith related from the Ahlul Bayt (ع), material attachments and sins are described as snares of Satan. That is, sins are traps with which Satan hunts human beings and ropes with which he enthrals them. Of course these ropes are multitudinous, colourful, and come in different sizes.

Satan lures every person in a special way. Some he entraps with wealth, some with positions of power, and others by exploiting their sexual drive.

The flames of Hell are intertwined with sinful and lustful pleasures; that is, the interior of the snare is fire and the exterior is pleasure, and the human being falls in the trap in the vain attempt to reach the apparent pleasures.[^1] The Consequences of Sin The consequences of sin can be divided into those that befall the individual and those that pertain to society. The consequences of sin for the individual are: It contaminates and pollutes the soul.

The sinner neither enjoys a beneficial sleep in which he would attain any knowledge in the form of a truthful dream, neither does he acquire any gnosis in his waking life, nor does he find the opportunity to benefit others by teaching them something useful to them. Therefore, if the soul—the soul which Allah (awj) designated as the recipient of Divine revelation and by which He swears in His book—is darkened, many secrets would be withheld from it.