Islamic Thoughts

• ANALYSES
• 1 Behavior code of Muslims toward non-Muslims
• 2 September 11 (2001) attacks on America not compatible with Islam
• 3 Ways To Defuse Religious Tensions
• 4 The Value Of The Ten Commandments
• 5 Bright Spot Of The Us Constitution: Religious Freedom
• 6 Lessons from the prophet's hudaibiah treaty.
• 7 Rulers' roles in promotion of christianity.
• 8 Exploring a model definition of 'religion'
• 9 Where islam stands as a civilized religion?
• 10 Proving god's existence through experimental science.
• 11 Roles of man as necessary & God as sufficient condition.
• 12 Human kindness is a shadow of god's kindness.
• 13 Why islam is the best choice for the Africans?
• 14 In Old Age, All Roads Lead To Death.
• 15 No Creations Are Without Purposes & Uses.
• 16 Prayer Prevents People From Bad Actions.
• 17 When Haram May Be Excusable: Five-Step Conditions.
• 18 Islamization Of Some Un-Islamic Cultures.
• 19 Greater The Faith, Tougher The Test.
• 20 How Science Can Make A Difference For Muslims?
• 21 The Time Gap Reality Between Sin & Punishment.
• 22 Good & Bad Days Alternate In Cyclic Order.
• 23 Let Moon-Sighting Unite & Not Divide The Muslims.
• 24 Faith Crisis Among Some Intellectuals.
• 25 Islamic Policy Toward Animals.
• 26 Improving The Muslim Performance (Aamal) Standard.
• ARGUMENTS
• 27 How Middle Course Better Than Conservative And Liberal Extremes?
• 28 Why God Is The Best One To Be Worshipped?
• 29 Costs And Benefits Of Belief In The Afterlife
• 30 Bible Is Similar To Hadith But Different From Quran
• 31 Defaming Islam: Freedom Of Speech Or Violation Of Rights?
• 32 How Islam Compares With Democracy?
• 33 Who Is Responsible For '0' Small Pox Since 1980?
• 34 Timeliness Is The Leading Condition For Prayer.
• 35 Ten Arguments For Women's Education.
• 36 Why Physical Fitness Matters For The Muslims?
• 37 Homosexuality Vs Adultery: Which Is Worse And How?
• 38 Countering Abortionist Argument
• 39 Which Is Better: Open Or Secret Prayer?
• 40 Small Or Large Recitation: Which Is Better In Prayer?
• 41 Personal Or Social Suffering: Which Is More Painful & Why?
• 42 Cultural Slavery Vs Cultural Diffusion.
• 43 Why Should America Ban Religious Defamation?
• ASSORTMENTS
• 44 Visible Action Of Invisible God: From Author's Diary.
• 45 Optional Good Deeds Are Like Bodyguards For Compulsory Ones.
• 46 The Gravitation Law Of Performance (Not One Of Newton).
• 47 The Theory Of Relativity (Not That Of Einstein).
• 48 In Good Deeds
• 49 "Rob Peter to pay Paul" is not for islam
• 50 Muslims Cannot Be "Penny Wise And Pound Foolish".
• 51 Islam Endorses Salad Bowl & Not Melting Pot Theory.
• 52 100% Homosexuality Means Prospect Of 'O' World Population.
• 53 Sinning In Teens To 40's & Suffering From 50's To Death.
• 54 Revenge May Be Lower But Not Greater Than Harm.
• 55 Why Karl Marx Is Irrelevant Forever?
• 56 Is God The Same One For All Religions?
• 57 How God Controls Economy And Livelihood?
• 58 How Muslim Repression In Myanmar Violates Buddhist Principles?
• MISCELLANEOUS
• 59 Grim Reality of Death: Unfailing Lesson for Everyone
• 60 Religion Vs Reason: Which is More Important?

21 : THE TIME GAP REALITY BETWEEN SIN AND PUNISHMENT

Every sin must be paid out in punishment specific for that. This unavoidable causal relation between sin and punishment is affirmed in the Quran (3:10)), as in other divine Books. The only way to avoid sin related punishment is to obtain forgiveness from God. Though punitive sufferings are direct result of sinful actions, such punishment in turn results in many beneficial effects like (a) erasing of sin (b) controlling arrogance (c) enhancing piety and remembrance of God and (d) testing of faith by Him. Exception in which punishment does not result from sin applies to selected sinless prophets. Their sufferings are designed to test their faith and improve piety. Usually punishment for an individual comes from your negligence in personal obligations like prayer, zakah etc. or committing grave sins like partnership, illegal earning, adultery etc. Similarly, punishment for the society (war, famine etc.) becomes due when the community as a whole defaults in social liabilities (fard kefaya) like '0' activity in preaching or complete inaction against social vices like rampant prostitution, oppression of the weak.

Though punishment results from sin, that however usually does not take place immediately after committal of sin. In fact, there is a time gap between sin and punishment which may be countable in terms of days, months or years. During this time break, the sinner gets a chance, apparently as a divine blessing, to ask for and possibly achieve forgiveness that might lead to exemption from punishment. This is one good side of time gap available between sin and penalty. The bad side is that you cannot understand the connection between sin and penalty. You will wrongly think that penalty is caused by the immediate visible cause like drunk driving as a cause of road accident leading to breaking of your right leg. You therefore do not feel importance of avoiding the real background cause, that is, sin which in this case might be, for example, your unjust kicking of an orphan by the same leg one year ago. You should therefore play wise by using the said time gap for getting sins pardoned rather than adding to sins. You should always bear this warning in our mind that one more sin today may translate into one more penalty tomorrow which would not be easy to tolerate. So we should try our best to avoid sins.