مُكَفِّراتُ الذُّنوبِ Things that Expiate Sins

1 ـ العُقوبةُ في الدنيا

46ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): لا يَزالُ البَلاءُ في المؤمنِ والمؤمنةِ في جَسَدِهِ ومالِهِ وولدِهِ حَتّى يَلقَى اللّه‏َ وما علَيهِ مِن خطيئةٍ .

1. Punishment in this World
46– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'As long as a believing man or woman is in a state of physical, financial or domestic affliction when he dies, he meets Allah with a clean slate.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 67, p. 236, no. 54]
 

47ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ما مِنَ الشِّيعةِ عَبدٌ يُقارِفُ أمراً نَهَينا عَنهُ فيَموتُ حتّى يُبتَلى ببَلِيّةٍ تُمَحَّصُ بها ذنوبُهُ ، إمّا في مالٍ ، وإمّا في ولدٍ ، وإمّا في نفسِهِ ، حتّى يَلقَى اللّه‏َ عزّوجلّ وما لَهُ ذنبٌ ، وإنّه لَيَبقى علَيهِ الشيءُ مِن ذنوبِهِ فَيُشَدَّدُ بهِ علَيهِ عِندَ مَوتِهِ .

47– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'No servant from amongst our followers (shi`aa) who commits an act that we have forbidden dies without first being afflicted with a severe calamity which expiates his sins, be it with regard to his wealth, his children or his own soul, such that he meets Allah with a clean slate. Moreover, if any of his sins remain even after that, then they are expiated by the pain and difficulty at the time of death.’[al-Khisal, p. 235, no. 10]
 

48ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إذا أرادَ اللّه‏ُ بعَبدٍ خيراً عَجَّلَ عُقوبَتَهُ في الدنيا ، وإذا أرادَ بعَبدٍ سوءاً أمسَكَ علَيهِ ذُنوبَهُ حتّى يوافِيَ بها يومَ القيامةِ .

48– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'When Allah wishes good for His servant, He hastens his punishment to the life of this world, and when he wishes bad for a servant, He suspends the punishment of his sins to face him on the Day of Resurrection.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 81, p. 177, no. 18]
 

2 ـ الأمراضُ

49ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): السُّقمُ يَمحُو الذُّنوبَ.

2. Illnesses
49– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Illness wipes away sins.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 67, p. 244, no. 83]

 

50ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): حُمّى ليلةٍ كَفّارةُ سَنَةٍ.

50– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The fever of a single night is expiation for a whole year's sins.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 81, p. 186, no. 39]
 

51ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إذا ابتَلَى اللّه‏ُ عَبداً أسقَطَ عنهُ مِنَ الذُّنوبِ بقَدْرِ عِلَّتِهِ.

51– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'When Allah afflicts a servant with illness, sins shed away from him in proportion to the severity of his ailment.’[Da`aim al-Islam, v. 1, p. 218]
 

52ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ في المَرَضِ يُصيبُ الصَّبِيَّ ـ: كفّارةٌ لوالِدَيهِ.

52– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The illness that afflicts a child is expiation for his parents' sins.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 81, p. 186, no. 40]
 

3 ـ الأحزانُ

53ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): ما أصابَ المؤمنَ مِن نَصَبٍ ولا وَصَبٍ ولا حَزَنٍ حتّى الهَمُّ يُهِمُّهُ إلّا كَفَّرَ اللّه‏ُ بهِ عَنهُ مِن سيّئاتِهِ .

3. Sorrows
53– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Every fatigue, hardship or sorrow that a believer undergoes, as well as worries that distress him, are a means by which Allah deletes his evil deeds.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 38]
 

54ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّ الهَمَّ لَيَذهَبُ بِذُنوبِ المُسلِمِ .

54– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Verily distress takes away the sins of the Muslim.’[al-Da`awat, p. 120, no. 285]
 

55ـ الإمامُ الرِّضا (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ما أحَدٌ مِن شيعَةِ عَليٍّ أصبَحَ صَبيحةً أتى بِسيّئةٍ أو ارتَكَبَ ذنباً إلّا أمسى وقد نالَهُ غَمٌّ حَطَّ عَنهُ سَيِّئَتَهُ ، فكيف يَجرِي علَيهِ القَلمُ؟!

55– Imam al-Rida (AS) said, 'When anyone from among the followers (shi`aa) of Ali commit a sin or perpetrates an evil deed in the morning, it is expiated by any distress he may undergo by nightfall. So how can the Pen ever write down his evil deeds?!'[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 68, p. 146, no. 94]
 

4 ـ الحَسناتُ

56ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إذا عَمِلتَ سيّئةً فَاعمَلْ حَسَنةً تَمْحوها.

4. Good Deeds
56– "Maintain the prayer at the two ends of the day, and during the early hours of the night. Indeed good deeds efface misdeeds. That is an admonition for the mindful.”[ Qur'an 11:114]
 

5 ـ حُسنُ الخُلُقِ

57ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): أربَعٌ مَن كُنَّ فيهِ وكانَ مِن قَرنِهِ إلى قَدَمِهِ ذُنوباً بَدَّلَها اللّه‏ُ حَسَناتٍ: الصِّدقُ، والحَياءُ، وحُسنُ الخُلُقِ، والشُّكرُ.

5. Good Character
57– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Four qualities, when possessed by a person, cause Allah to transform his evil deeds into good deeds, even if he is sinful from head to toe. They are: honesty, modesty, good character and thankfulness.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 107, no. 7]
 

58ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّ حُسنَ الخُلُقِ يُذِيبُ الخَطيئةَ كما تُذِيبُ الشمسُ الجَليدَ ، وإنّ سوءَ الخُلُقِ لَيُفسِدُ العَمَلَ كما يُفسِدُ الخَلُّ العَسَلَ.

58– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Verily good character melts away evil deeds as the sun melts away ice, and verily bad character corrupts one's actions like vinegar corrupts honey.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 71, p. 395, no. 74]
 

6 ـ إغاثةُ المَلهوفِ

59ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مِن كفّاراتِ الذُّنوبِ العِظامِ: إغاثَةُ المَلهوفِ ، والتَّنفيسُ عنِ المَكروبِ.

6. Bringing Solace to a Grief-stricken Person
59– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Among the things that expiate grave sins are: bringing solace to a grief-stricken person, and providing relief to an anguished person.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 24]
 

7 ـ استِغفارُ المَلائكةِ

60ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنَّ للّه‏ِِ عزّ ذِكرُهُ ملائكةً يُسقِطونَ الذُّنوبَ عن ظُهورِ شِيعَتِنا كما تُسقِطُ الرِّيحُ الوَرَقَ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ في أوانِ سُقُوطِهِ ، وذلكَ قولُهُ عزّوجلّ: «يُسَبِّحُونَ بحَمدِ رَبِّهِم ويَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنوا»214 واللّه‏ِ ماأرادَ بهذا غَيرَكُم .

7. The Angels' Seeking Forgiveness [on the sinner's behalf]:
60– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Verily Allah, Exalted be His Remembrance, has angels who strip off sins from the backs of our followers (shi`aa) like the wind strips the leaves off the trees in autumn, and this is in accordance with His words in the Qur'an, "they glorify the praise of their Lord and seek forgiveness on behalf of those who believe.” By Allah this verse refers to none other than you [my followers].’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 59, p. 196, no. 61]
 

8 ـ كثرةُ السجودِ

61ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): جاءَ رَجُلٌ إلى رسولِ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) فقالَ: يارسولَ‏اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ، كَثُرَت ذُنُوبي وضَعُفَ عَمَلِي ، فقالَ رسولُ‏اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): أكثِرِ السُّجودَ فإنّه يَحُطُّ الذُّنوبَ كما تَحُطُّ الرِّيحُ وَرَقَ الشَّجَرِ .

8. Frequent Prostration
61– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'A man once came to the Prophet (SAWA) and said, 'O Prophet of Allah, my sins have increased and my [performance of] good deeds has weakened', to which the Prophet (SAWA) replied, 'Prostrate yourself to Allah frequently for verily this strips off sins as the wind strips off the leaves from the trees.’[Amali al-Saduq, p. 404, no. 11]
 

9 ـ الحجُّ والعُمرةُ

62ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): العُمرَةُ إلى العُمرَةِ كَفّارَةُ ما بَينَهُما ، والحجّةُ المُتَقَبَّلَةُ ثوابُها الجَنَّةُ ، ومِنَ الذُّنوبِ ذنوبٌ لا تُغفَرُ إلّا بعَرَفاتَ.

9. Performance of the Obligatory and the Voluntary Pilgrimage (Hajj and `Aumra)
62– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The voluntary pilgrimage (`Aumra) expiates all sins committed since the preceding voluntary pilgrimage, and the reward for an accepted obligatory pilgrimage (Hajj) is Paradise. There are certain sins that can only be forgiven on the plains of `Aarafa [part of the obligatory pilgrimage].’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 99, p. 50, no. 46]
 

10 ـ الصلاةُ على محمّدٍ وآلِهِ

63ـ الإمامُ الرِّضا (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن لم يَقدِرْ على ما يُكَفِّرُ بهِ ذُنوبَهُ فَلْيُكثِرْ مِنَ الصَّلاةِ على محمّدٍ وآلِهِ فإنّها تَهدِمُ الذُّنوبَ هَدماً.

10. Sending Blessings on Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and his Household
63– Imam al-Rida (AS) said, 'Whoever is not capable of performing actions to expiate his sins should abundantly send blessings on Muhammad and his household for verily this completely eradicates sins.’[Amali al-Saduq, p. 68, no. 4]
 

11 ـ الموت

64ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): المَوتُ كفّارةٌ لِذُنوبِ المؤمنينَ.

11. Death
64– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Death acts as a penance for the sins committed by believers.’[Amali al-Mufid, p. 283, no. 8]