Chains of Dunyā and Ākhirah

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

“إِذِ الْأَغْلَالُ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ وَالسَّلَاسِلُ يُسْحَبُونَ”

(Qur’ān 40:71)

“Idhi Al-‘Aghlālu Fī ‘A`nāqihim WaAs-Salāsilu Yusĥabūn”

“When the shackles are around their necks and the chains; they will be dragged.” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Allāh ﷻ says that they will be dragged into the fire with iron chains around their necks. Who are those? Those who will go to hell. They are the ones with shackles around their necks and halters made of iron chains. These are the sins. Sins are wrapped around a person’s neck. It holds his neck. It holds him all around little by little.

If he does not repent, may Allāh ﷻ protect him, it eventually becomes a big chain and it becomes real and apparent on the Day of Judgment. You will see on the Day of Judgment, just as some people tie up their animals or dogs with a leash. It is the same, but this time with an iron chain.

Why? It is easy to get rid of it. If he repents and asks forgiveness while alive, Allāh ﷻ removes those little things around his neck. If he does something else again, it’s the same. If he begs Allāh ﷻ and asks forgiveness, He ﷻ removes it. It is in your hands. To be saved from those collars is in your hands. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla loves forgiveness. He ﷻ forgives those who ask for forgiveness.

Therefore, do not say that it’s nothing because it is small. We repent and ask forgiveness for all our sins, and Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla forgives the sins of that day with His ﷻ forgiveness. If you persist and deny knowing or doing something according to your own mind, then may Allāh ﷻ protect you, you will suffer the punishment forever in ākhirah. It’s not easy.

People get confused on what to do for a small problem in dunyā. But why? Because they have forgotten Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. So that they can get rid of that problem, they put a collar around their necks in another, worse way. There are collars in dunyā too. Some of them are hard to get rid of. For example, it becomes a habit. That habit harms your body. It also harms you financially and harms your family and life. It’s hard to get rid of it.

That’s why, you must stay away from the leash before you put it around your neck. While you say, “Let’s try it once. It’s okay. Once more, once more,” the leash becomes wrapped tightly around your neck then. You can’t get rid of it. All kinds of sins and continuous habits. There are some bad habits for the body that many people can’t get rid of. There are light ones, and there are heavy ones. There aren’t good ones, of course. A leash is a leash.

Therefore, you must stay as far away from sin as possible. Sins are not a good thing. They are a bad thing. So Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla forgives. But we should not put the collar around our necks so that we don’t suffer, in shā’a Llāh. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

17 May 2025/ 19 Dhul Qa’dah 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul