The ruling on one who contracted an illness as a result of drinking intoxicants while ignorant of their ruling
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Question:
The listener, Saleh Abdullah Ahmad, sent a message saying: A person drank intoxicants and contracted an ulcer, but he was ignorant of the prohibition of intoxicants and the consequences of consuming them. Is this illness a trial from Allah, or is it not a trial? In other words: If he is patient with this illness, does he receive a reward?
Answer:
Yes, just like anyone else. This illness may be caused by the intoxicants, or it may be due to other causes. Illnesses are an expiation for the Muslim. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Illness is among the greatest of calamities, so Allah expiates the sins of the Muslim through it, even if he is a sinner. He must repent to Allah from the intoxicants, feel remorse, cease from them, and resolve not to return to them; for they are the mother of all evils, and they are among the greatest of major sins.
It is obligatory for him to repent from that. This illness will, if Allah wills, be an expiation for him and a means for erasing his bad deeds. He should be patient, seek reward, and ask his Lord for forgiveness. Illnesses are an expiation for Muslims, and with patience and seeking reward, there is a reward in addition to the expiation. He must repent to Allah and hasten in doing so, resolving not to return to this great sin. He should ask his Lord and humbly beseech Him constantly to protect him from its evil and to grant him safety from its harm. He must also be cautious in the future not to sit with those who drink, for sitting with drinkers and open sinners leads one to return to the sin. One should be cautious. May Allah grant him healing and repentance.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. Does a person’s forgetting to ask about the prohibition of something exempt him from punishment?
The Shaykh : Forgetting is not by one’s choice. Allah says: [al-Baqarah: 286] Allah said: (Glorified and Exalted is He), as authentically reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So if one forgets to ask about something that happened to him, forgetting is a legal excuse. However, he should strive to examine himself and look into his deeds so that he asks about what is unclear to him, repents from his bad deeds, and fulfills what Allah has made obligatory upon him, without being lax. A believer must be cautious, must be careful, and must watch over his Lord. Allah the Exalted says: [al-Hashr: 18] And He the Exalted says: [al-'Ankabut: 6] And He the Exalted says: [al-'Ankabut: 69] And Allah the Exalted says: [al-Taghabun: 16].
It is obligatory for him to watch over Allah, strive against his self, and examine it before his term comes, so that he knows what is for him and what is upon him, so that he knows his mistakes and slips and repents to Allah from them, and so that he knows his shortcomings and makes up for them. He has no right to be negligent or lax. Rather, he must take the utmost care of his religious affairs and examine himself in his days and nights until he knows that he has fulfilled what Allah has made obligatory upon him, and until he knows that he has left what Allah has forbidden him, and until he hastens to repent from the bad deeds and sins that have passed. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
The listener, Saleh Abdullah Ahmad, sent a message saying: A person drank intoxicants and contracted an ulcer, but he was ignorant of the prohibition of intoxicants and the consequences of consuming them. Is this illness a trial from Allah, or is it not a trial? In other words: If he is patient with this illness, does he receive a reward?
Answer:
Yes, just like anyone else. This illness may be caused by the intoxicants, or it may be due to other causes. Illnesses are an expiation for the Muslim. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whatever distress, sorrow, fatigue, pain, or harm befalls a Muslim, Allah expiates his sins through it.
ما أصاب المسلم من هم، ولا غم، ولا نصب، ولا وصب، ولا أذى إلا كفر الله به من خطاياهIt is obligatory for him to repent from that. This illness will, if Allah wills, be an expiation for him and a means for erasing his bad deeds. He should be patient, seek reward, and ask his Lord for forgiveness. Illnesses are an expiation for Muslims, and with patience and seeking reward, there is a reward in addition to the expiation. He must repent to Allah and hasten in doing so, resolving not to return to this great sin. He should ask his Lord and humbly beseech Him constantly to protect him from its evil and to grant him safety from its harm. He must also be cautious in the future not to sit with those who drink, for sitting with drinkers and open sinners leads one to return to the sin. One should be cautious. May Allah grant him healing and repentance.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. Does a person’s forgetting to ask about the prohibition of something exempt him from punishment?
The Shaykh : Forgetting is not by one’s choice. Allah says:
Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
رَبَّنَا لا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَاHe has done so
قد فعلتO you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍAnd whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself
وَمَنْْ جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِAnd those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَاSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُواا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْIt is obligatory for him to watch over Allah, strive against his self, and examine it before his term comes, so that he knows what is for him and what is upon him, so that he knows his mistakes and slips and repents to Allah from them, and so that he knows his shortcomings and makes up for them. He has no right to be negligent or lax. Rather, he must take the utmost care of his religious affairs and examine himself in his days and nights until he knows that he has fulfilled what Allah has made obligatory upon him, and until he knows that he has left what Allah has forbidden him, and until he hastens to repent from the bad deeds and sins that have passed. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.