Social Sins; Examples and Consequences
Anything that disrupts the security of people and prevents individuals from reaching spiritual progress and perfection is considered a social sin.
Members of society need to have security over their lives, properties and reputation; therefore, any disruption of this security amounts to social sin. Murder, abortion, and kidnapping are among social sins that threaten human life. Accordingly, God notes in Surah An-Nisa that a believer or any other person has no right to kill someone intentionally. According to the Quran, one should not kill his children due to poverty, whether this child is a fetus or has been born. Also, in Surah Yusuf, the Quran points to the kidnapping of Yusuf by his brothers, considering it a social sin as their actions affected the safety of Yusuf's life.
Undermining people's economic security is another social sin. For example, the Holy Quran introduces theft as a sin, or in Surah Al-Baqarah, believers are asked to stay away from usury. Hoarding, defrauding, and gambling are sins that the Quran forbids because they affect the financial security of people.
Most of the sins that are committed with the tongue, such as slander, mocking, backbiting, lying, spying, are revealing people's secrets are classified as social sins. Violating the reputation of others, spreading gossip, committing adultery, and illicit relationships are also social sins.
Social sins affect the human soul and body. Among the consequences of social sins, one can point to the weakening of beliefs, undermining of the genuine culture of society, normalizing the ugliness of sins, violating sanctities, and the breaking of the structure of families.
People in such societies suffer from problems such as depression, obsession, physical problems, aimlessness, lack of motivation, weakening of social security, lack of responsibility, and elimination of intimacy in the family.
By Mohammad Ali Haqshenas
