Quickness of Punishment for Sins

“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 from him for the sin. ’ “The Imam said, ‘Also of the decision of Allah, in the case of a person who is insignificant to Him, but he has good deeds before Allah, is that He grants him good health. If He does not do this. He expands the means of living for him and if He does not do this to him also He causes death to become easy for him to match his good deed.’”

“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.’”

“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, constraint in the means of his living or fear for his worldly affairs. If anything is left to offset this I will cause his death to be a severe suffering.’ “I swear by My Majesty and Glory that I will not take out of this world a servant whom I want to be punished until I will fully compensate him for his good deeds in this world. This I will do either by expanding the means of his living, granting him good health in his body or by grating him peace in this world and if anything will be left without compensation I will cause his death to take place with ease.’”

“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.’”

“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.”

“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 of wood is all because of sins and what Allah forgives is much more. In the matters of whoever faces quick suffering for sins in this world, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, is by far more Honorable and Great and will not allow a repeat of his suffering in the next life.”’

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

“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.’”

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

“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 paradise. “Any servant whom I want to go in fire, I grant him health in his body. If this completes compensation to him I then call him to My presence, otherwise, I grant him security from the rulers. If this completes compensation to him I then call him in My presence, otherwise, I expand the means for his living. If this completes compensation to him I then call him in My presence, otherwise, I make dying easy for him so he comes in My presence without any good deeds before Me, then I send him in fire.’”

“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 beautiful cloths with a huge crowed around it. He prayed to Allah saying, ‘O Lord, I testify that you make just decisions, and do not do injustice. That servant of Your’s never considered anything as your partner, even for a blinking of an eye, and You caused him to die that kind of death. This servant of You has not believed in You, even for a blinking of an eye, and You have caused him to die this kind of death.’ Allah said, ‘My servant, I am as you said I am. I make decisions with justice and do not do injustice. That servant of Mine had certain sins and I caused him to die that way so he could come in My presence without any sins. This servant of Mine had certain good deeds before Me, thus, I caused him to die this way so he would come in My presence without any good deeds before Me.’”

“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 is a kingdom and for falsehood there is a kingdom. Each of them is humiliated in the kingdom of the other. The least that a believer may suffer in the kingdom of falsehood is the failure of his children to maintain good relations with parents, and injustice from his brothers. Any believer who may receive comfort in the kingdom of falsehood, for this he faces suffering before his death, either in his physical health, his children or his property until Allah purifies him from what he has received in the kingdom of falsehood and will expand his share in the kingdom of truth. Exercise patience and be happy.’”