Sins Committed From Time to Time (al-Lamam)

قُلْتُ لَهُ أَ رَأَيْتَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَ الْفَواحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ‌[2] قَالَ هُوَ الذَّنْبُ يُلِمُّ بِهِ الرَّجُلُ فَيَمْكُثُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ يُلِمُّ بِهِ بَعْدُ.

“Once I said to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘How do you consider the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, “. . . those who avoid major sins and indecent acts except al-Lamam (sins committed from time to time). . . .” (53:33) The Imam said, ‘It is the sin that one may commit then stops it, as Allah wills, and then

قُلْتُ لَهُ‌ الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَ الْفَواحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ‌ قَالَ الْهَنَةُ بَعْدَ الْهَنَةِ[3] أَيِ الذَّنْبُ بَعْدَ الذَّنْبِ يُلِمُّ بِهِ الْعَبْدُ.

“Once I read the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, before one of the two Imam (a.s.) . . those who avoid the major sins and indecent acts except the al-Lamam ones . . (53:33) The Imam said, ‘It is a thing after a thing, that is, a sin after a sin that a servant (of Allah) commits.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ إِلَّا وَ لَهُ ذَنْبٌ يَهْجُرُهُ زَمَاناً[1] ثُمَّ يُلِمُّ بِهِ وَ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ‌ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَ الْفَواحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ‌ قَالَ الْفَوَاحِشُ الزِّنَى وَ السَّرِقَةُ وَ اللَّمَمُ الرَّجُلُ يُلِمُّ بِالذَّنْبِ فَيَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ مِنْهُ.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from Ishaq ibn ‘ Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Every believer may have a sin and he shuns it for a period of time, then he commits it again and this is that which is mentioned in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَنْ جَاءَنَا يَلْتَمِسُ الْفِقْهَ وَ الْقُرْآنَ وَ تَفْسِيرَهُ فَدَعُوهُ وَ مَنْ جَاءَنَا يُبْدِي عَوْرَةً قَدْ سَتَرَهَا اللَّهُ فَنَحُّوهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَ اللَّهِ إِنَّنِي لَمُقِيمٌ عَلَى ذَنْبٍ مُنْذُ دَهْرٍ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَتَحَوَّلَ عَنْهُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ فَمَا أَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقاً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّكَ وَ مَا ي

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whoever comes to us seeking to learn Fiqh (laws of Shari’a) and the Holy Quran, allow him to come in. Whoever comes to us to make public what Allah has covered, you must move him away.’ A man from the people then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, I have been invo

مَا مِنْ ذَنْبٍ إِلَّا وَ قَدْ طُبِعَ عَلَيْهِ عَبْدٌ مُؤْمِنٌ يَهْجُرُهُ الزَّمَانَ ثُمَّ يُلِمُّ بِهِ وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَ الْفَواحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ‌ قَالَ اللَّمَّامُ‌[3] الْعَبْدُ الَّذِي يُلِمُّ الذَّنْبَ بَعْدَ الذَّنْبِ لَيْسَ مِنْ سَلِيقَتِهِ أَيْ مِنْ طَبِيعَتِهِ.

“Any sin that may become imprinted in a believing servant (of Allah) he shuns it for a period of time then commits it again as it is mentioned in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘ . . . those who avoid the major sins and the indecent acts except the al-Lamam . . .’ (53:33) The Imam said, ‘One comm

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَا يَكُونُ سَجِيَّتُهُ الْكَذِبَ وَ الْبُخْلَ وَ الْفُجُورَ وَ رُبَّمَا أَلَمَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئاً لَا يَدُومُ عَلَيْهِ قِيلَ فَيَزْنِي قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ لَكِنْ لَا يُولَدُ لَهُ مِنْ تِلْكَ النُّطْفَةِ.

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘A believer does not have lying, stinginess or indecent acts as part of his nature and normal behavior, perhaps he may commit certain sins in which he does not continue.’ It was asked, ‘Does he commit fornication?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, but no child is beggotten from that seed.’”