Sin at will, but only if you can fulfill...
A man once came to the great Zahid
(ascetic) Sultan Ibraheem ibn Adham
(RA) and said, “Shaykh my nafs
(ego/self) calls me towards doing bad
deeds, so please advise me. (So I may
be able to overcome this.)
Sultan Ibrahim said; “If your nafs
calls you to this then oblige and
there will be no issue for you, but
first fulfill these five conditions.
The man replied; please inform me of
these?
First Condition: If you want to
transgress Allah, then find a place
wherein He will not be able to see
you.
The man replied, “SubhanAllah. How can
I hide from him, when nothing is
hidden from Him? (69:18)
Sultan Ibrahim said; “SubhanAllah. Are
you not ashamed to transgress Allah
while he looks upon you?”
Second Condition: If you want to
transgress Allah then do not do so on
His land.
The man replied; “SubhanAllah. Where
can I go when all the land of the
universe is His?
Sultan Ibrahim said; “SubhanAllah. Are
you not ashamed to transgress Allah
while living on his Land?
Third Condition: If you want to
transgress Allah, then do not eat from
His sustenance.
The man replied; “SubhanAllah. How can
I live then, when every bounty is from
him?
Sultan Ibrahim said; “SubhanAllah. Are
you not ashamed to transgress Allah
when He nourishes you and conserves
for you your provisions?”
Fourth Condition: If you want to
transgress Allah, when the Angels come
to take drag you to Hell, do not go
along with them.
The man replied; “SubhanAllah. I will
not have the strength to do this,
rather they will drag me without my
choice to Hell. (In reference to 44:47
THQ)
Fifth Condition: If you want to
transgress Allah, when your book of
deeds is opened for you, deny that the
bad deeds belong to you.
The man replied; “SubhanAllah. And
where will the Noble Scribes (Angels)
and the witnesses that will speak be
on that day be? (In reference to
verses 82:11 and 24:24 THQ)
Then the man understood the lesson,
began to cry profusely, repented to
Allah, and continued to live in piety
until he died.
