Sins are bitter to the Faithful
Sins are bitter to the Faithful: Pay full attention to this Holy verse. What points does Almighty Allah present in this verse:
وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمْ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ
“…and He has made hateful to you unbelief and transgression and disobedience… (49:7)”
Meaning: A true believer, a nice faithful person, a lucky one is such that God, by His Grace, helps him as a result of which a sin becomes bitter to him. If it is like this only then can he became a righteous man and a true companion of Muhammad even if there is a distance of a thousand years between him and Muhammad. Only now you can reach the point when Faith tastes sweet to you and sins become bitter. (made hateful to you unbelief) Here unbelief is in the meaning of denial and transgression is in the meaning of stepping out of obedience and sinning limitlessly greater sins and disobedience is absolute sin.
After a believer attains the stage in which a sin tastes bitter to him, if ever he commits a sin it is merely by chance. If incidentally his tongue speaks an indecent word, he himself feels very bad about it and he strikes his head with his hand. Every sin tastes bitter to him and hence very difficult to commit. If his eye falls on a sin he becomes disgusted. Here is something more. A point that there should not arise a doubt regarding compulsion that one is compelled to refrain from sin because it is bitter for him.
God makes you taste the sweetness of Faith
Faith becomes dear to someone it is from God. Man, by himself, is not capable to make faith dear to him. God becomes merciful to him in this regard. He makes him feel the sweetness of His remembrance. Once he tastes the delight of the Oneness of God, he never forsakes it. “Make me taste the sweetness of Your remembrance.” (Supplication) Faith becomes dearer to you than your life, extremely dear, praiseworthy and honorable. May God give it to us all. Likewise how a sin becomes detestable to human nature? Usually heart likes a sin. How can it become bitter to your mouth? It is impossible except by the Grace and kindness of God Almighty. So thereafter Allah says: God by His Grace favors a believer. He makes Faith dear to his heart and makes sin bitter for him.
Delight of faith for those who want it
It is possible that you may say: It is a kind of force, as He wanted that sin should become detestable to me so that I may not it; that He wanted to make faith increase in my heart etc. The reply to this doubt is in the last phrase of this Holy verse:
فَضْلاً مِنْ اللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةً وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
“By grace from Allah and as a favor; and Allah is Knowing, Wise. (49:8)”
He does not make one taste the delight of faith for nothing and baselessly and likewise, He also does not give dislike for sin to anyone at random. It is not so. God is All wise. He only turns towards one who has a will and who himself walks on His path willfully, who fights with his heart’s desires, who does so much struggle with his desires and passions and keeps so much off sinning and prays so much to God in this matter that he becomes deserving of it. In this holy month of Ramadhan he says: O Lord! Grant me a faith, which sticks to my heart, which never changes, which never goes away, a faith that becomes most honorable in my sight. Allah “has endeared the faith to you and has made it seemly in your hearts”. It does not happen until you are prepared for it. God does not give anything forcibly to anyone. Unless and until you extend your hand for begging from Him, nothing is granted.
Nothing until you ask for it
According to a report in Usul al-Kafi, Imam Sadiq told Maisar: O Maisar! Do not say that whatever is destined happens. If a servant did not pray and did not ask for a thing from God, he does not get it. Nothing is forced upon anyone. For example, if one wants water, can it be given to him by force? If one is thirsty and he asks for water, water is given to him.
Seek faith – unless you seek Faith it is not available. One of the supplications prayed while circumambulating the Ka’ba during Hajj is the subject of this Holy verse: O Lord! Make faith dear most to my heart; make it so beautiful that I may give up everything but never give up the faith. My Lord! Make disbelief so indignant and bitter for my heart that I may choke at the very thought of sinning. That I may become righteous. Resentfulness of sin is not something that can ever be forced upon anyone. Until a man does not develop qualification for this gift, it is not given. It is a situation of loftiness, a robe of honor, which is offered at the time of protecting oneself from sinning. This is what must be sought from God. O God! Give light to my heart with which I may realize the evil of a sin. Grant me a taste, which makes me realize the bitterness of sin. This is called “evidence of the Lord”.
وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ؛ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلا أَنْ رَأَى بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ
“And certainly she made for him, and he would have made for her, were it not that he had seen the manifest evidence of his Lord…”
It cannot be achieved without demand in earnest and qualification. Thus there is no force. It is not granted without the labor and request of man himself.
وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْإِنسَانِ إِلاّ مَا سَعَى
“And that man shall have nothing but what he strives for;”
Seek earnestly and sincerely and then see how God deals with you. It is likely that even in the most difficult situations, God helps you in such a way that the divine help astonishes you.
وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمْ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ
“…and He has made hateful to you unbelief and transgression and disobedience…”
Here it is better if I, for a little change in the subject, quote a relevant tradition and story.
