Spiritual Disease and Its Cure by Imam Shams-ud-Deen Muhammad bin Abi Bakr bin Qayyim AlJ awziyyah

Sins cause corruption and rottenness to different aspects of the environment, such as one's residence, water, air, plants and fruit. Allah~ has said: (Evil (sins and disobedience to Allah) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that He (Allah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah and begging His Pardon)2 Mujahid said: "When an oppressor is given responsibility, he spreads injustice and evil deeds, so Allah ~ withholds the rainfall, so the oppressor puts his effort into making mischief in the land; destroying the crops and the cattle. But Allah ~ does not like mischief." Then he recited: (Evil (sins and disobedience to Allah) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned.) Then he said: 'By Allah, it is not your sea here, but it refers to every community located by a flowing river.' 'Ikrimah said: "Evil has appeared on land and sea. I do not say it is this sea of yours, but every community situated near water." I say: Allah ~ has named sweet water as sea, saying: ( The two seas (kinds of water) are not alike; this is palatable, sweet and pleasant to drink, and that is salty and bitter)1; there is no sea which is both sweet and still. Sweet water is in running rivers, while the bitter sea is still. So Allah ~ named the communities located by running rivers with the name of that water. Ibn Zayd recited the Verse (Evil (sins and disobedience to Allah) has appeared on land and sea), saying: "It is sins ." He meant that sins are the cause for the appearance of all aspects of evil, which Allah ~ made as a punishment for sinners. Whenever they produce a sin, Allah ~ produces a punishment for them, as highlighted in the Verse: (that He (Allah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done). Allah ~ only makes us taste a small part of what we have done. But, should He ~ make us taste the effect of all the sins that we have committed, He ~ would not have left any human on this earth! Among the effects of sins on this earth is the occurrence of earthquakes and other seismic activities, which Allah ~ causes as a punishment and as a withdrawal of His Blessings on it. The Prophet(S.W.A) passed by the village of Thamud2, and forbade his Companions from entering their dwellings, except when weeping ( out of fear of the Punishment of Allah 'M which destroyed the nation of Thamud). He ~ forbade them from drinking the water of that village, or eating anything made by using that water, because of the effect of the sins committed by that community, which had led to the shortages and deficiency in their produce, etc. Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad: "There was found in the treasure house of Banu Umayyah a grain of wheat the size of a date-stone, in a container on which was written: 'This would grow in times of justice."' Many diseases were produced (Allah ~ made them occur) because of the sins of His Servants. A group of desert people informed me that dates used to be much bigger than they are now, and they had never witnessed the diseases which affect their fruit now. Sins can also affect the shape and creation. At-Tirmidhi reported that the Prophet ~ said: "Allah ~ created Adam , and his height was sixty arms. Mankind continues to shorten (in size) until now .. . " 3 When Allah ~ decides to purify the earth from oppressors, wrongdoers and traitors, He ~ brings out one of His Servants, from the family of His Prophet '.!;, to spread justice on the earth after it was filled with injustice. Isa ~I (Jesus) will be sent to fight the Jews and Christians, the followers of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal, the False Messiah, and establish Islam on earth. It will be then that the earth will bring forth its blessings and would return to its normal state . Hunters would eat their kill and then take shade underneath its skull. A bunch of grapes would become a heavy load for camels.

All this will take place because when the earth is purified of sins, the traces of Allah's Blessings would appear on its surface once more.