1. The Self, Desire and Sins

2. Major sins
قال الصادق ( عليه السلام ) : من اجتنب الكبائر يغفر الله جميع ذنوبه ، وذلك قول الله عز وجل ( إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُم مُّدْخَلاً كَرِيمًا(
Imam al-Sadiq (as) said: “He who avoids the major sins, God will forgive all his sins. This is the (meaning of the) words of Allah: “If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall remit from you your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise).” (4:31)
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs

3. Major Sins
عن عبيد بن زرارة قال : سألت أبا عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) عن الكبائر ؟ فقال : هنّ في كتاب علي ( عليه السلام ) سبع : الكفر بالله ، وقتل النفس ، وعقوق الوالدين ، وأكل الربا بعد البينة ، وأكل مال اليتيم ظلماً ، والفرار من الزحف ، والتعرّب بعد الهجرة ، قال : فقلت : هذا أكبر المعاصي ؟ فقال : نعم ، قلت : فأكل الدرهم من مال اليتيم ظلماً أكبر أم ترك الصلاة ؟ قال : ترك الصلاة ، قلت : فما عددت ترك الصلاة في الكبائر ، قال : أيّ شيء أوّل ما قلت لك ؟ قلت : الكفر ، قال : فإنّ تارك الصلاة كافر ـ يعني من غير علّة ـ.

4. Major Sins:
‘Ubayd bn Zurarah narrates that he asked Imam al- Sadiq (as) about the major sins. The Imam (as) said: “They are seven according to the Book of ‘Ali (as):
disbelieving in Allah
killing a person
being disobedient to one’s parents,
taking usury after this had been made clear(ly forbidden)
taking the wealth of an orphan unjustly,
fleeing during war,
and turning back from Islam after having migrated…
the one who does not pray (without an excuse) is a disbeliever in Allah.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs, n

5. ‘Small’ sins
: قال أبو عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) : إتّقوا المحقرات من الذنوب فإنّها لا تغفر ، قلت : وما المحقّرات ؟ قال : الرجل يذنب الذنب فيقول : طوبى لي إن لم يكن لي غير ذلك.
Imam al-Sadiq (as) said: “Beware of the sins which are considered small because they are not forgiven…these are the sins that a person commits then says: ‘how good it would be if I had committed only these sins.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs, n

6. Persistent sins
عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) قال : قال رسول الله ( صلّى الله عليه وآله ) : من علامات الشقاء جمود العين ، وقسوة القلب ، وشدّة الحرص في طلب الدنيا ، والإِصرار على الذنب
Imam al-Sadiq (as): “ The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: Among the signs of misery are dryness of the eyes, cruelty of the heart, hearkening after the world, and persisting upon sin”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs, n.20682

7. Sinning brazenly
عن جعفر بن محمّد ، عن أبيه ( عليهما السلام ) ، قال : قال رسول الله ( صلّى الله عليه وآله ) : من أذنب ذنباً وهو ضاحك دخل النار وهو باكٍ.
Imam al-Sadiq (as) narrates from his father (as) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “He who commits a sin while he is laughing, will enter Hell-fire while he is crying.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs, n

8. Why do we Sin? Obliviousness of God
The Prophet (saw): “Do not look at the smallness of the sin, rather than look at whom you are daring against”
Mizan, n. 2407

9. Lack of Shyness before God
Imam Ali (as): “Shyness prevents ugly actions”
Imam al-Sadiq (as)“He has no faith who does not have shyness”
Imam al-Kadhim (as): “Be shy of Allah in solitude just as you are shy of people in public”
The Scale of Wisdom, Chapter on Humility

10. Why do we Sin? Ignoring the Effects of Sinning

11. Sinning Slows Self-Improvement
The Imams: build, even if slowly, through action, but do not destroy (through sinning)

12. Sins waste away Good Actions
سألت أبا عبدالله عليه السلام عن قول الله عزّ وجلّ : وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَى مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَّنثُورًا. قال : أما والله إن كانت أعمالهم أشدّ بياضاً من ولكن كانوا إذا عرض لهم الحرام لم يدعوه.
Imam al-Sadiq (as) was asked about the ayah: “And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust” (25:23). He (as) said: “By Allah, their deeds were whiter than cotton. However, when haram things were presented to them, they did not abstain from them.”

13. Hardening of the Heart
Imam Ali (as): “The tears do not dry up except because of a hard heart, and the heart does not harden except because of sins.”
The Scale of Wisdom, n. 2420

14. Blackness of the Heart
عن أبي جعفر ( عليه السلام ) قال : ما من عبد إلاّ وفي قلبه نكتة بيضاء فإذا أذنب ذنباً خرج في النكتة نكتة سوداء فإن تاب ذهب ذلك السواد ، وإن تمادى في الذنوب زاد ذلك السواد حتّى يغطي (١) البياض فإذا غطّى البياض لم يرجع صاحبه إلى خير أبداً ، وهو قول الله عزّ وجل : ( بَلْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ )
Imam al-Baqir (as): “Every person has a white part within his heart. If he sins, a black dot appears within this white part. If he repents, this blackness disappears, but if he persists in sinning the blackness increases until it covers the white. Once the white is covered, the person will never return to good. This is the meaning of the ayah: “Nay! But on their hearts is the covering of sins which they used to commit.” (83:14)
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs

15. Grief and Regret
عن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام أنّه قال : كم من شهوة ساعة أورثت حزناً طويلاً
The Commander of the Faithful (as) said: “How often an hour of pleasure led to a long period of grief.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Struggle with the Self

16. Blocking Supplication
عن أبي جعفر ( عليه السلام ) قال : إنّ العبد يسأل الله الحاجة فيكون من شأنه قضاؤها إلى أجلٍ قريب أو إلى وقت بطيء ، فيذنب العبد ذنباً فيقول الله تبارك وتعالى للملك لا تقضِ حاجته واحرمه فإنّه تعرّض لسخطي ، واستوجب الحرمان منّي.
Imam al-Baqir (as): “A servant will ask Allah (SWT) for a need. It is in God’s Will to fulfil it quickly or at a later time. Then the servant will commit a sin, and so Allah (SWT) will say to the angel: ‘do not fulfil his need and deprive him of it, because he has exposed himself to My Anger, and deserves to be deprived.”
Mishkat, n. 820

17. Bringing on Calamities
Imam al-Baqir (as): “No (calamity) befalls a servant except due to a sin. And that which God forgives is greater.”
Mishkat, n. 816

18. Brining on Calamities
عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) قال : يا مفضّل إياك والذنوب وحذّرها شيعتنا ، فوالله ما هي إلى أحد أسرع منها إليكم ، إنّ أحدكم لتصيبه المعرّة من السلطان وما ذاك إلاّ بذنوبه ، وإنّه ليصيبه السّقم وما ذلك إلاّ بذنوبه وأنّه ليحبس عنه الرزق وما هو إلاّ بذنوبه ، وأنّه ليشدد عليه عند الموت وما ذاك إلاّ بذنوبه حتّى يقول من حضره : لقد غم بالموت ، فلمّا رأى ما قد دخلني قال : أتدري لم ذاك ؟ قلت : لا ، قال : ذاك والله إنّكم لا تؤاخذون بها في الآخرة ، وعجلت لكم في الدنيا.

19. Bringing on Calamities
Imam al-Sadiq (as) said to Mufadhdhal ibn Umar: “O Mufadhdhal, be wary of sins, and warn our Shia against them. For by Allah, they effect you quicker than anyone else. A person from among you may be harmed by the ruler, and this would be because of his sins. Another may become ill, and this would be because of his sins, or may lose his sustenance, and this would be because of his sins, or may experience great suffering at the time, and this would be because of his sins…” When the Imam saw how frightened I looked he said: “do you know why this is? It is because you will not be punished for them in the Hereafter, so their consequences come to you quickly in this world.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs, n

20. New Afflictions
سمعت الرضا ( عليه السلام ) يقول : كلّ ما أحدث العباد من الذنوب ما لم يكونوا يعملون أحدث لهم من البلاء ما لم يكونوا يعرفون.
Imam al-Redha (as): “As long as the servants continue to commit new sins that they had not committed before, there will come about afflictions that they had never known before”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs, n

21. Losing Authority
عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) قال : يقول الله عزّ وجلّ : إذا عصاني من يعرفني سلّطت عليه من لا يعرفني.
Imam al-Sadiq: “Allah, the Exalted, says: if the one who knows me disobeys Me, I will empower over him one who does not know Me.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs, n

22. Exclusion from the Guardianship of God
محمّد بن علي بن الحسين قال : قال رسول الله ( صلّى الله عليه وآله ) : قال الله جلّ جلاله : أيما عبد أطاعني لم أكله إلى غيري ، وأيّما عبد عصاني وكلته إلى نفسه ثمّ لم أُبال في أيّ واد هلك.
Imam al-Baqir (as) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Allah, the Exalted, said: any slave who obeys me, I will not entrust his affair to other than Me, but any slave who disobeys Me, I will hand his affair over to Himself, and I will not care in which valley he perishes.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs, n

23. Punishment in the Hereafter
Prophet Muhammad: “A servant may be imprisoned for one hundred years for one of his sins, the whole time looking longingly at his family in Heaven.”
Mishkat, n. 817

24. Punishment in the Hereafter
خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ . ثُمَّ الْجَحِيمَ صَلُّوهُ ثُمَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فَاسْلُكُوهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ الْيَوْمَ هَاهُنَا حَمِيمٌ وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍ 
“(It will be said): "Seize him and fetter him, Then throw him in the blazing Fire. Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!“ Verily, He used not to believe in Allah, the Most Great,  And urged not on the feeding of Al- Miskin (the poor), So no friend has he here this Day, Nor any food except filth from the washing of wounds” (69:30-36)

25. Punishment in the Hereafter
رَوَى الصَّدُوقُ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ مَوْلانَا الصَّادِقِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ، قَالَ: بَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ، صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ، ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ قَاعِداً إِذْ أَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ، وَهُوَ كَئِيبٌ، حَزِينٌ، مُتَغَيِّرُ اللَّوْنِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ، صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: يَا جِبْرِيلُ، مَا لِي أَرَاكَ كَئِيباً حَزِيناً؟ فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، فَكَيْفَ لا أَكُونُ كَذَلِكَ وَإِنَّمَا وُضِعَتْ مَنَافِيخُ جَهَنَّمَ اليَوْمَ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ: وَمَا مَنَافِيخُ جَهَنَّمَ يَا جِبْرِيلُ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى أَمَرَ بِالنَّارِ فَأَوْقَدَ عَلَيْهَا أَلْفَ عَامٍ، حَتَّى احْمَرَّتْ. ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَأَوْقَدَ عَلَيْهَا أَلْفَ عَامٍ حَتَّى ابْيَضَّتْ. ثُمَّ أَمَرَ فَأَوْقَدَ عَلَيْهَا أَلْفَ عَامٍ حَتَّى اسْوَدَّتْ وَهِيَ سَوْدَاءُ مُظْلِمَةٌ، فَلَوْ أَنَّ حَلَقَةً مِنَ السَّلْسَلَةِ الَّتِي طُولُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعاً وُضِعَتْ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا لَذَابَتِ الدُّنْيَا مِنْ حَرِّهَا. وَلَوْ أَنَّ قَطْرَةً مِنَ الزُّقُّومِ وَالضَّرِيعِ قَطَرَتْ فِي شَرَابِ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا لَمَاتَ أَهْلُ الدُّنْيَا مِنْ نَتَنِهَا. قَالَ: فَبَكَى رَسُولُ اللهِ، صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ، وَبَكَى جِبْرَئِيلُ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ، فَبَعَثَ اللهُ إِلَيْهِمَا مَلَكاً فَقَالَ: إِنَّ رَبَّكُمَا يُقْرِؤُكُمَا السَّلامَ وَيَقُولُ لَكُمَا إِنِّي قَدْ أَمِنْتُكُمَا مِنْ أَنْ تُذْنِبَا ذَنْباً أُعَذِّبُكُما عَلَيْهِ.

26. Punishment in the Hereafter
“One day the Prophet (S) of God was seated when Gabriel came into his presence, with a sad face and changed complexion. The Prophet (S) asked as to why he was looking so sad and grieved. Gabriel answered, ‘O Muhammad (S), why should I be not grieved, while today I saw the bellows of hell being set in. The Prophet (S) asked him what the bellows of hell were. Gabriel told him that it referred to the hell-fire, which according to the Commandments of God Almighty was ablaze for one thousand years. After it became red hot He ordered it to burn for another one thousand years till it was white-hot. Then He commanded it to burn for one thousand years more till it turned black. ..”

27. Punishment in the Hereafter
…Now that it was black and dark, if a slice of seventy cubits of it was to drop on this world, verily its heat would be sufficient to melt the whole world into fluid. If a single drop of its Zaqqum (an infernal tree, mentioned in the Quran proverbial for its extreme bitterness) and daree’ (something in hell more bitter than aloe, more fetid than carrion, and hotter than fire, which will be the food of the condemned) trickles down in the water reservoirs of the earth, everybody therein would die due to its stench. Thereupon the Prophet (S) wept and Gabriel also wept with him. On seeing this, God sent His angel, who came to them and said that God sent salaams to them along with the message that He exempted them both from the committing of sins and the consequent punishments.”
Narrated in Forty Hadith, Ayatollah Khomeini

28. Why do we Sin? The Desire of the Self
أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً فَمَنْ يَهْدِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ اللَّهِ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ {23}
“Have you then considered him who takes his low desire for his god, and Allah has made him err having knowledge and has set a seal upon his ear and his heart and put a covering upon his eye. Who can then guide him after Allah? Will you not then be mindful?”

29. Struggle against the Self
قال الصادق جعفر بن محمّد عليه السلام : من لم يكن له واعظ من قلبه وزاجر من نفسه ولم يكن له قرين مرشد استمكن عدوه من عنقه
Imam al-Sadiq (as) said: “He who does not have an advisor within his heart, and admonisher within his self, and a guiding companion, is allowing his enemy to take
his life.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Struggle with the Self

30. Struggle against the Self
Musharatah
“Self-conditioning or stipulation means binding oneself with the resolve not to do anything against God’s commands”
Muraqabah
“I assure you that this practice of self-criticism and self-examination would not hinder your day- to-day activity. I advise you to remain in the same state of mind till night-the time for introspection and inner deliberation-and evaluate your deeds of the whole day.”
Forty Hadith, Ayatollah Khomeini

31. Struggle against the Self
إنّ رجلاً في بني إسرائيل عبدالله أربعين سنة ، ثمّ قرب قرباناً فلم يُقبل منه فقال لنفسه : ما أتيت إلاّ منك ، وما الذنب إلاّ لك ، قال : فأوحى الله عزّ وجلّ إليه : ذمّك لنفسك أفضل من عبادتك أربعين سنة.
Imam al-Redha (as) said: “A man from the Bani Israil worshipped Allah for forty years. Then he offered a sacrifice, but it was not accepted from him. The man said to his self: ‘this was rejected only because of you, and the sin is only from you’. Thus Allah, the Exalted, revealed to him: ‘your chiding yourself was better than your forty years of worship.’”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Struggle with the Self

32. Freeing the Self
قال أبو عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) : اقصر نفسك عمّا يضرّها من قبل أن تفارقك ، واسع في فكاكها كما تسعى في طلب معيشتك ، فإنّ نفسك رهينة بعملك.
Imam al-Sadiq (as): “Hold yourself back from that which harms it before it leaves you. Strive to free it, just as you strive to earn a living, for your soul is a hostage of your actions.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs, n

33. Why do we Sin? Seeking an Advantage
أوحَى اللّه تَبارَكَ وَتَعالى إلى الدنيا: اِخْدِمي مَن خَدَمَنِي ، وأتْعِبي مَن خَدَمَكِ
The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily Allah revealed to the world, ‘Tire and wear out the one who serves you, and serve the one who rejects you.’

34. The Rewards of Abandoning Sin
عن رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وآله قال : من عرضت له فاحشة أو شهوة فاجتنبها مخافة الله عزّ وجلّ حرّم الله عليه النار وآمنه من الفزع الأكبر ، وأنجز له ما وعده في كتابه في قوله تعالى : وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ ….
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “He who has the opportunity to commit a sin or follow a desire, but avoid it for fear of Allah, the Exalted, then Allah (SWT) will make the Hell-fire haram to him, and will give him security from the great fear. He will make true for Him what He promised him in the Holy Qur’an: ‘and for He who fears the status of His Lord are two heavens’.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Struggle with the Self

35. The Rewards of Abandoning Sins
يَا مُوسى ، مَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ الْمُتَقَرِّبُونَ بِمِثْلِ الْوَرَعِ عَنْ
مَحَارِمِي ؛ فَإِنِّي أُبِيحُهُمْ جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ لَا أُشْرِكُ مَعَهُمْ أَحَداً.
Imam al-Sadiq (as) relates one of the revelations of Allah (SWT) to Prophet Musa (as): “O Musa, those who want to come close to me cannot do so with anything better than taking extra care to abstain from what I have made forbidden. If they do this, I will give to them everlasting gardens exclusive to them.”
Wasailul Shia, Chapter on Jihadul Nafs

36. Turning back to Allah

37. God Loves the Repentant
“Allah loves those who repent and loves those who purify themselves”
“If those who turn away from me knew how eagerly I wait for them, and how I am longing for them to repent, they would out of love for me and their joints would separate from one another. O ‘Isa, for how long should I look out longingly, and call (to them) with goodness, while they do not return”

38. The Dangers of Delaying Repentance
The Holy Prophet [saw] said: "The sighs of the people of Hell is mostly because of the postponement of repenting."

39. Contemplation and Confession

40. “Regret is repentance”
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) i

41. Making a Determination to Abstain from Sin
“My Lord, I repent to You...the repentance of one who does not tell himself that he may disobey (again later), and who does not secretly think that he might return to the offense...and to You, my Lord, I give my stipulation that I will not return to what is disliked by You, and my covenant that I will stay away from the acts of disobedience to You..”
Dua al-Tawba, Imam Zainul Abidin (as)

42. Entering Allah’s protective shield
“My Lord, but I cannot be faithful in repentance except with Your Protection, nor can I refrain from offenses without Your Strength, so strengthen me with a sufficient strength, and attend to me with a protective shield...”
(Dua al-Tawba, Imam Zainul Abidin as)

43. Rectifying Past Sins
A man asked Abu Imam al-Baqir (as): ‘I have been a governor since the time of al-Hajjaj until this very day - is repentance possible for me?’ He remained silent. When I repeated the question, he said, ‘No, until you compensate everyone for his lost rights.’
(al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 331, no. 3)
The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Repent for every sin; public [repentance] for public [sins] and private [repentance] for private [sins].’
(Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 127, no. 33)

44. Will repentance be accepted?
Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘One who is given repentance will not be deprived of its acceptance, one who is given the chance to ask forgiveness will not be deprived of being forgiven.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 69, p. 410, no. 124]

45. The Consequences of Repentance
“Once a person repents, Allah (SWT) turns mercifully to Him and forgives him. Then his limbs are ordered to conceal his secret, the lots of earth are ordered to conceal his sin, and even the record keeping angels are made to forget what they had written about him”