Quickness of Punishment for Sins

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِذَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ‌[1] أَنْ يُكْرِمَ عَبْداً وَ لَهُ ذَنْبٌ ابْتَلَاهُ بِالسُّقْمِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ ابْتَلَاهُ بِالْحَاجَةِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ بِهِ ذَلِكَ شَدَّدَ عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ لِيُكَافِيَهُ بِذَلِكَ الذَّنْبِ قَالَ وَ إِذَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ يُهِينَ عَبْداً وَ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةٌ صَحَّحَ بَدَنَهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ بِهِ ذَلِكَ وَسَّعَ عَلَيْهِ فِ

“Of the decision of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, in the affairs of a servant whom He honors and who has a sin, is that Allah causes him to suffer certain illnesses. If He does not do this He causes him to become needy, if He does not do this He causes death to become very difficult for him to compensate fro

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا كَثُرَتْ ذُنُوبُهُ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا يُكَفِّرُهَا ابْتَلَاهُ بِالْحُزْنِ لِيُكَفِّرَهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘When the sins of a servant (of Allah) increase and he does not have enough good deeds to expiate them, Allah causes him to suffer sadness and depression.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ عِزَّتِي وَ جَلَالِي لَا أُخْرِجُ عَبْداً مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَ أَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَرْحَمَهُ حَتَّى أَسْتَوْفِيَ مِنْهُ كُلَّ خَطِيئَةٍ عَمِلَهَا إِمَّا بِسُقْمٍ فِي جَسَدِهِ وَ إِمَّا بِضِيقٍ فِي رِزْقِهِ وَ إِمَّا بِخَوْفٍ فِي دُنْيَاهُ فَإِنْ بَقِيَتْ عَلَيْهِ بَقِيَّةٌ شَدَّدْتُ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَ عِزَّتِي وَ جَلَالِي لَا أُخْرِجُ عَبْداً مِنَ الدُّ

“The Messenger of Allah has said that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘I swear by My Majesty and Glory, I will not take out of this world a servant whom I want to receive mercy until I will compensate from him for all the sins that he has committed. (I will do so) by causing illness in his body, cons

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيُهَوَّلُ عَلَيْهِ‌[1] فِي نَوْمِهِ فَيُغْفَرُ لَهُ ذُنُوبُهُ وَ إِنَّهُ لَيُمْتَهَنُ‌[2] فِي بَدَنِهِ فَيُغْفَرُ لَهُ ذُنُوبُهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘A believer may suffer a nightmare so his sins are forgiven or is bodily humiliated so his sins are forgiven.’”

إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً عَجَّلَ لَهُ عُقُوبَتَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَ إِذَا أَرَادَ بِعَبْدٍ سُوءاً أَمْسَكَ عَلَيْهِ ذُنُوبَهُ حَتَّى يُوَافِيَ بِهَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

“When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, wants good for a servant He hastens his punishment in this world. When He wants evil for a servant He preserves his sins for him to find their consequences on the Day of Judgment.”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ ما أَصابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِما كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ‌ وَ يَعْفُوا عَنْ كَثِيرٍ[3] لَيْسَ مِنِ الْتِوَاءِ عِرْقٍ وَ لَا نَكْبَةِ حَجَرٍ[4] وَ لَا عَثْرَةِ قَدَمٍ وَ لَا خَدْشِ عُودٍ إِلَّا بِذَنْبٍ وَ لَمَا يَعْفُو اللَّهُ أَكْثَرُ[5] فَمَنْ عَجَّلَ اللَّهُ عُقُوبَةَ ذَنْبِهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَجَلُّ وَ أَكْرَمُ وَ أ

“Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Whatever hardship befalls you is the result of your own deeds. Allah pardons many of your sins,’ (42:30) has said, ‘The spraining of one’s muscles, bumping over a stone, the slip of foot or being bruised by a piece

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَا يَزَالُ الْهَمُّ وَ الْغَمُّ بِالْمُؤْمِنِ حَتَّى مَا يَدَعُ لَهُ ذَنْباً.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Anxiety and sadness continue to trouble a believer until no sin is left in him.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيَهْتَمُّ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ مِنْهَا وَ لَا ذَنْبَ عَلَيْهِ‌[6].

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘A believer continues facing anxiety and sadness in this world until he leaves it with no sins in him.’”

لَا يَزَالُ الْهَمُّ وَ الْغَمُّ بِالْمُؤْمِنِ حَتَّى مَا يَدَعُ لَهُ مِنْ ذَنْبٍ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘A believer continues facing anxiety and sadness until no sin is left in him.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُدْخِلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا ابْتَلَيْتُهُ فِي جَسَدِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ كَفَّارَةً لِذُنُوبِهِ وَ إِلَّا شَدَّدْتُ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَنِي وَ لَا ذَنْبَ لَهُ ثُمَّ أُدْخِلُهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُدْخِلَهُ النَّارَ إِلَّا صَحَّحْتُ لَهُ جِسْمَهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ تَمَاماً لِطَلِبَتِهِ عِ

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, “Any servant whom I want to admit in paradise I cause bodily suffering to expiate for his sins, if this would not be enough I then cause dying to become a severe suffering until he comes before Me without any sins, then I admit him in

مَرَّ نَبِيٌّ مِنْ أَنْبِيَاءِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بِرَجُلٍ بَعْضُهُ تَحْتَ حَائِطٍ وَ بَعْضُهُ خَارِجٌ مِنْهُ قَدْ شَعَّثَتْهُ الطَّيْرُ[1] وَ مَزَّقَتْهُ الْكِلَابُ ثُمَّ مَضَى فَرُفِعَتْ لَهُ مَدِينَةٌ فَدَخَلَهَا فَإِذَا هُوَ بِعَظِيمٍ مِنْ عُظَمَائِهَا مَيِّتٍ عَلَى سَرِيرٍ مُسَجًّى بِالدِّيبَاجِ حَوْلَهُ الْمِجْمَرُ[2] فَقَالَ يَا رَبِّ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ حَكَمٌ عَدْلٌ لَا تَجُورُ هَذَا عَبْدُكَ لَمْ يُشْرِكْ بِكَ

“A prophet of the prophets among the descendents of Israel once passed by a man. Half of the body of the man was under the wall and the other half out of the wall. The birds had scattered it and dogs had chewed it up. Then he came to a city where the chief had passed away. His body laid in state covered with the most b

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْخٌ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ وُلْدِي وَ عُقُوقَهُمْ وَ إِخْوَانِي وَ جَفَاهُمْ عِنْدَ كِبَرِ سِنِّي فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَا هَذَا إِنَّ لِلْحَقِّ دَوْلَةً وَ لِلْبَاطِلِ دَوْلَةً وَ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا فِي دَوْلَةِ صَاحِبِهِ ذَلِيلٌ وَ إِنَّ أَدْنَى مَا يُصِيبُ الْمُؤْمِنَ فِي دَوْلَةِ الْبَاطِلِ الْعُقُوقُ مِنْ وُلْدِهِ

“Once I was in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) that an old man came and said, ‘O Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) I complain to you against my sons for their failing to maintain good relations with parents and against my brothers for their injustice to me during my old age.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) said, ‘O you, for truth there