such of God’s punishment as God wills, just as it departs from him in this world when he commits a sin. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said of the believer who drinks wine, steals, or commits unlawful sexual intercourse that he does none of those things as a believer while he is doing it. He said that faith departs from him at that time, while he performs the act.
People have interpreted this report otherwise than it should be understood, because they did not grasp what the Lawgiver meant. They explained faith in terms of deeds and said that he meant the deed. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, clarified what he meant in another report. He, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, “When a servant commits unlawful sexual intercourse, faith departs from him until it is over him like a canopy. When he desists, faith returns to him.”
Know that the divine wisdom in this is that when the servant sets about a transgression that he believes to be an offense and a sin, by committing it he exposes himself to God’s punishment descending upon him and to being chastised for it. That act calls for an affliction from God to befall him. The faith in his heart therefore departs from him until it is over him like a canopy.
When the affliction descends from God seeking him, his faith meets it and turns it away from him. Nothing can withstand faith, so it keeps the affliction from reaching him, as a mercy from God. There is no clarification beyond the clarification of
Notes
Translator’s note TN1359-1: The author understands the departure of faith during sin as temporary and protective. The image of the canopy explains why he does not take the departure to mean the loss of the believer’s faith.
