Abandon Sins to Befriend Allah

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “I saw on the Night of Ascension (Miraaj) a community who were eating carrion (the decaying flesh of dead animals). I asked Jibraeel (alaihis salam) who they were. He said that they were those who used to eat carrion in the world (i.e. they used to backbite others.)” [Minhaaj ul Abideen by Imam Ghazzali]

Backbiting is a serious sin as can be gauged by the punishment meted out for it.

The foundation of Allah’s friendship (Wilaayat) is giving up sins. It is not the abundance of Nawaafil (supererogatory deeds) that takes one to this level. If the person does not perform any Nawaafil, sufficing with Faraaidh, Waajibaat and Sunnan-e-Muakkadah while not committing a single sin (or repenting on the accidental commission of one), he becomes a Wali (friend) of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

“His Auliya are none but the Muttaqoon” [Quran: Surah Al-Anfaal, Ayat 34]

Muttaqoon are those who have Taqwa. Taqwa is the awareness of Allah’s (subhana wa ta’ala) constant presence in his/her life that one has, as a result of which he/she is too shy to commit sins. When the teacher is in the room, students don’t raise their voices even when talking to each other out of respect for the teacher, then how can I sin when Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is with me by His Hearing and Seeing all that I am doing wherever I am?

A person spends the entire night praying Tahajjud. His days are spent in the recitation of the Quraan. He performs Hajj and Umrah. But he cannot resist looking at women. He casts lewd glances, he listens to music, and backbites. Such a person cannot be a Wali-Allah. In spite of his Tahajjud, Hajj and Umrah he remains a Faasiq. According to Shariat, one who commits sins, such as backbiting, is a Faasiq. Fisq and Wilaayat are opposites which cannot be combined in a person at the same time.