Sin darkens the heart, weakens the body and blocks obedience

The heart has a light that enables a person to recognize truth and distinguish the path of goodness. But sin can cover that light, according to Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya's Ad-Da' wa ad-Dawa.

The book describes the darkness of sin as resembling the darkness of night. As that darkness grows, a person becomes increasingly confused and may fall into innovation, misguidance and destructive acts without realizing it. Obedience, by contrast, is described as light.

Abdullah ibn Abbas is quoted as saying that goodness brings light to the face, radiance to the heart, ease in one's provision, strength in the body and love from other people. Wrongdoing, he says, brings darkness to the heart, weakness to the body, reduced provision and dislike from others.

The article also argues that sin steadily weakens the heart throughout a person's life. A believer's strength lies in the heart, it says, and when the heart grows stronger, the body becomes stronger. Physical strength alone can mislead people who rely on it, while people of faith overcome such strength through strength of heart.

Finally, the article describes a sinner's punishment as being prevented from obeying Allah and cut off from other paths of goodness. It compares sin to eating food that causes a long-lasting illness, leaving a person unable to enjoy other wholesome foods. It ends by saying that only Allah can be asked for help.

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Goodness has light in the face, radiance in the heart, ease in provision, strength in the body and love from the hearts of many people.