Four Characteristics

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

It is undeniable that a man undergoes the life in the earth are flawed by the sins no matter major or minor ones. That is the reason why we could see vices, evil, and disobedience happen around us. According to glorious Quran, human are generally weak and could naturally being conquered by their own desire. But that is not a practical excuse for human to continue committing sin.

A faithful servant of the Lord are obliged to comply within the orders of the Lord delivered through the tongue of His prophet and messenger. A faithful servant would strive hard refusing evil desires and trying to avoid committing sinful acts or disobedience. 

The glorious Quran has also describe that those who refuse to obey the Lord would always be doomed and condemned under His wrath. They would surely receive bitter punishment in the hereafter. It suits those who violates His rules and law since a faithful servant and slaves of Him should never breaking the boundaries set by Him. 

The Lord says in Surah Maryam 19:70-72 translated as: "And certainly we know best those who are the most worthy to be burned therein 70 None of you but will pass over it: this is with your Lord a decree which must be accomplished 71 But that We shall save those who protects themselves against evil, and We shall leave the wrongdoers therein, (humbled down) to their knees 72"

According to honorable Imam al-Ghazali, sinful acts and disobedience happened due to four characteristics possessed by oneself summed as: 

I. Sifaat Rubbubiyah (Divine Characteristics)

II. Sifaat Shaytaniyah (Satanic Characteristics)

III. Sifat Bahimiyyah (Bestial Characteristics)

IV. Sifat Subu'iyyah (Ferocious Characteristics)

Divine characteristics happens when a person behave with the characters of the God. Human are slaves of the God and are not qualified to possess any of the divine characteristics such as takabbur (arrogance), longing for praises, or longing for being looked upon by the society. These characteristics in divine characteristics are only for the God not for human.

Satanic characteristics happens when feeling such as jealousy and hoax acts exists in one self. These feelings and characters could determine one self into disobedience and committing evil. As an example, Adam (as) was cast out from the paradise to being hoaxed by the Devil.

Bestial characteristics is signified by sub-characters such as greedy, conquered by the desire of stomach, heaping wealth according to desire, and others. Ferocity characteristics created acts such as irritability, vengeance, killing, violating, or cursing others.

All of these are the summary of the sifat mazmumah (evil characteristics) that we had discussed earlier. They are the factors that determines a man toward committing sinful acts and disobedience. If he leaves it without being cured, then his own evil characters would destroy him. Sin is like the poison and toxic in a human body. It would dissolve the whole body and could be fatal without any curing steps.  

If a person does not repent to Him from his sin, the sin would spread wide and become dangerous to his faith. It certainly would threaten his safety in the hereafter. A faithful servant and slave of the Lord must always observe and obey the order and the prohibition of the God. The God supports human with senses that could be used in order to think on their own and choosing either to perform righteousness or committing sin.

It should also be taken to the note that sinful matters are not those that could be underestimated by everyone of us. In fact, it needs us to be really careful in our daily acts and speeches. We certainly do not want them to haunt us in the hereafter. The whole short human life is a golden opportunity for human to perform charity and righteousness as many as possible before the death comes knocking the door. So, we should not always being in the comfort zone thinking that if we could escape earthly punishment and there would be no other punishment waiting for us. There still are torments and punishments waiting us in the hereafter.

The world is just a temporary stage for us to perform obedience to Him through His mercy which are the messengers of Him. We are responsible in avoiding defaults and other adverse actions. Pray for forgiveness from Him and repent while accumulating boons as they are those which could save us when we are assembled for the judgement in the hereafter. 

Says the God further in Surah Maryam 19:80-87

"To Us shall return all that he talks of and he shall appear before Us bare and alone 80 And they have taken (for worship) gods other than the God, to give them power and glory 81 Instead, they (those gods) shall reject their worship but will become adversaries against them 82 Don't you see that We have set the evil ones on against the non-believers to incite them with fury 83 So make no haste against them, for We but count out to them a (limited) number (of days) 84 The day We shall gather the righteous to (the God) the Most Gracious, like a band presented before a King for honors 85 And We shall drive the sinners into the hell like thirsty cattle driven down into the water 86 None shall have the power of intercession but such one who has received permission (promise) from the God the Most Gracious 87"

Allah please forgive us our sins, and our parents, and for the muslims male and female. And forgive the sins of those faithfuls to You dead or alive. With Your grace the One who is full of Grace! Sealed with prayers for love and peace, amin!