Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 209
! ! 209 him t he ability to choose, he will therefore be called to account. ” Thus, when a master tells a servant to carry out a task using his own judgment, he will call the servant to account. Punishment f or Disbelievers God Almighty says in the [following verse] : َﺳ ِﻌ ًۡري ا َّو َا ۡﻏ ٰﻠ ًﻼ َو َﺳ ٰﻠ ِﺴ َ۠ﻼ ِﻟ ۡﻠ ٰﻜ ِﻔ ِﺮ ۡﻳ َﻦ َا ۡﻋ َﺘ ۡﺪ َﻧ ﺎ ِا َّﻧ ۤﺎ “ Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and iron - collars and blazing Fire. ” (Holy Qur’ān , Ch. 76: V. 5) Abstain f rom Customs a nd Bad Habits What are these chains? They are the customs which are associated with one’s nation. For example, even if they have no money, people will take out a loan in order to carry out the customs and rituals at their son’s we dding. This is the chain which shackles a disbeliever and never leave s him. In contrast , the momin [believer] spends nothing on his N ikah. If he can afford it, he will distribute dried dates, and if he cannot, there is no obligation to do so. Then, those habits which are of a personal nature are like chains [around one’s neck]. Islam prohibits any addiction, whether it be to alcohol, tobacco, tea, or anything else. A person commits sins due to his addictions. In the time of the Promised Messiah as , some of his relatives who opposed him, wo uld gather together to smoke hookah. Those who were new addicts, would join them and they would all abuse the Promised Messiah as. Once, an Ahmadi joined this gathering and they presented him with some hookah and began to curse the Promised Messiah as. The Ahmadi felt greatly distressed at joining such a gathering. When they saw that he was quiet, they asked him why he did not say anything. The Ahmadi replied, “What can I say? I am scolding myself. If I was not in the habit of smoking, I would not have had to listen to this abuse. ” Thereafter , he vowed to never smoke again. Thus , addiction can force one into sin.