Reasons behind Disobedience -Imam Ibn Qayyim

Reasons behind Disobedience
-Imam Ibn Qayyim

The foundation of sins, the small of them and the great, is three:

1. Shirk, associating partners with Allah (swt), which is the heart’s attachment to other than Allah (swt).
2. Dhulm, oppression and injustice, which is from obeying the furious rage in the hearts.
3. Fawahish, indecency and illicit acts, which is from the strong desires and lusts.

The height of Shirk is to worship others besides Allah (swt). The height of rage is killing. The height of lusts is fornicating. This is why Allah (swt) has combined these three in one ayah (verse),

“And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.” (Qur’an, 25:68)

These sins lead to each other. Associating partners with Allah (shirk) leads to oppression and injustice (dhulm) and immorality (fawahish), just as sincerity (ikhlas) and Oneness of Allah (tawheed) wipes them out. Allah (swt) says,

“…And thus [it was] that We should avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our chosen servants.” (Qur’an, 12:24)

‘Evil’ (in this ayah) refers to attachment to other than Allah (swt), and ‘immorality’ refers to fornication.
Likewise, oppression and injustice leads to associating partners with Allah and immorality. Associating partners with Allah is the most unjust of injustices just as worshiping Allah Alone is the most just of justice. So justice accompanies the Oneness of Allah and oppression accompanies associating partners with Allah.
As for justice accompanying tawheed, it is proved in the ayah:

“Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge – [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice.” (Qur’an, 3:18)

And as for oppression accompanying associating partners with Allah, it is proved in the ayah:

“…Indeed, association [with him] is great injustice.” (Qur’an, 31:13)

Likewise, immorality leads to associating partners with Allah (swt) and injustice, because when the intention (to commit immorality) is strong, it will lead to oppression and relying upon magic and Satan.
Allah (swt) has connected fornication and associating partners with Him in the ayah,

“The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that has been made unlawful to the believers.” (Qur’an, 24:3)

These three deeds (associating partners with Allah, injustice and immorality) gravitate towards each other, and one necessitates the other. This is why whenever the heart is weakest in tawheed and greater in associating with Allah, it is at its most immoral state and it is attached to committing these deeds and their results.
The analogy of this is contained in the series of ayat,

“So whatever thing you have been given – it is but [for] enjoyment of the worldly life. But what is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who have believed and upon their Lord rely.” (Qur’an, 42:36)

Allah (swt) tells us here that He has prepared something better than this worldly life for those who believe and rely upon Him – this is referring to tawheed. Then He says,

“And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive.” (Qur’an, 42:37).

These people avoid immoralities, which means they stay away from strong desires and lusts. Furthermore, they forgive even when they have a furious rage in their hearts. Allah (swt) connects tawheed to chastity and justice, which is the combination of all that is good.

-Taken from Imam Soheb Web's site