TRUE HARM AND BENEFIT

True harm is in the displeasure of Allah. The benefits and harms of this world are of absolutely no significance in relation to the displeasure of Allah Ta’ala. This issue has been unravelled in very clear terms in the Qur’aan Shareef. Allah Ta’ala declares:  “They ask you (O Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) about liquor and gambling, (whether these are halaal or haraam). Say: In these there is a big sin and many benefits.”

Subhaanallah! What a pristine way of responding. The thought of the many mundane benefits could have led people to think that these should, therefore, not be declared to be haraam. Allah Ta’ala does not brand this notion as baseless. In fact, it is accepted that there are benefits in these (liquor and gambling) for people; and not only one benefit, but plenty of benefits. Hence Allah Ta’ala uses the plural ’manaafi’ which means, ‘benefits’. But, there is a sin in it. Here it is worthy of noting that in mentioning the benefits Allah Ta’ala uses the plural form, that is, ‘benefits for mankind’, and in mentioning the harm He uses a singular, that is, ‘sin’. If this was the speech of a human the contrast would also have been with a plural; ‘sins’ would have been said. But this is not the case here.

Allah Ta’ala specifically mentioned the singular; and this is to alert us to the point that if something carries a thousand benefits, but there is a sin attached to it, in other words there is a speck of Allah Ta’ala’s displeasure in it, then those thousand benefits are worthless. The reason for this is that just as the pleasure of Allah, be it just a little, is a great treasure and hence Allah Ta’ala declares: “The pleasure of Allah is a huge treasure,” similarly, the displeasure of Allah Ta’ala is a huge calamity, regardless of the cause of that displeasure being just one sin. Accordingly, although the word, ‘sin’ is mentioned in its singular state, it is qualified with ‘big’.

The gist of this is that although there are many benefits in drinking liquor and in gambling, however, there is also sin involved. And this sin is so huge that it wiped out all those benefits. Thus, further on (in the Aayat) the word ‘benefits’ is discarded. Rather, the word, nafa’ or benefit is used. “Their sin is worse than their benefit.” Here the reason for using the singular is that preceding this it was declared that in contrast to the many benefits there is a sin involved. It is a rule that if a few grams of poison are mixed into a kilogram of sweetmeats then the kilo of sweetmeats will be inedible. In exactly the same manner, the benefits are not worthy of being procured in view of the one sin and hence the benefits are not even worthy of being expressed in the plural form.

Allah Ta’ala thus says: “Their sin is greater than their benefit.” This Aayat hands down the ruling that the worldly benefit or harm in something is not the basis for something being halaal or haraam, as some people think. Sometimes they even say, “What is the harm in this; there is benefit in it.” Thus we find even so-called learned people labouring to promote the permissibility of appearing on TV and video. They have been duped into thinking that something which benefits another is necessarily permissible, irrespective of it flouting any established teaching and principle of the Shariah.

You have observed that in spite of Allah Ta’ala affirming numerous benefits in liquor and gambling, but He still declares them to be haraam. The reason for this is simply that Allah Ta’ala loathes these for humans on earth and is displeased with their indulgence. It is therefore confirmed that the basis of something being haraam is the displeasure of Allah Ta’ala.

Thus, good  intentions are useless in so far as sins are concerned. A sin can never be permissible on the basis of any good intention. Good intentions are beneficial in permissible acts. In acts of Ibaadaat such as Salaat, Saum, etc. the acts are invalid without intention.

The Road To Allah
Selected Discourses of Hazrat Hakeemul Ummat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi
(May Allah illuminate his resting place)