Question

if a person drinks once only like one sip knowing it is bad but only drinks to see what bad is in it.and then decides to never try it again, how big of a sin is it? And what is the way of asking for forgiveness from ALLAH Almighty.

Answer

Curiosity and experimentation are innate characteristics of humankind. It is part of our nature and a gift from God. After all, our knowledge of the sciences and the mechanics of the world (and that outside of it) have come about due to the fulfillment of these urges. Our cravings to know and understand, have led us to the present advancements in the world. However, you pose a completely different problem, one that is somewhat perplexing. The only way I can answer your questions is through analogy. Say, for example, you make it to Heaven, insha’Allah. From above, somewhere, you look down and see people suffering in Hell in the worst ways and you say to yourself, “hmmm, I wonder what it feels like down there”.  So you decide to put only your toe in Hell to know how it feels. Keep in mind that you can see the bad and you know that potentially you may lose your foot (or worse fall in) just to fulfill your curiosity.I am sure you wont like to even imagine that. Another analogy would be trying to taste a poison, knowing very well its potential effects but you just want to see what it would taste like. This again wont be wise at all.

Brother,I completely understand you wanting to know the “bad” in drinking (I assume you are referring to alcohol). First you already know its “bad”, so that couldn’t possibly be your quest.  Second you should realize that the amount you consume, whether it’s a sip or you guzzle it all, is not really the problem (it would be if you get drunk, of course). The mere fact that you know God has prohibited something and you indulge in it, even if its slight, makes it a sin. We can’t go around in life excusing our actions by mentally training ourselves into thinking that we can get away with half sins or “lesser” sins. Think about those who want to understand the affects of heroin, or revel in some sexual acts but not others to maintain one aspect of their “purity”. In all honesty, that one sip may do absolutely nothing to you (I do not condone sipping even the slightest bit) and you may even like it (which can really be a problem). This “liking it” may bring you to the conclusion of “this is not so bad, so what’s the harm?”  Obviously, this attitude does not take into consideration the infinite senseless conditions alcohol (or any other harmful thing) has done to individuals and societies as a whole.

A sin is a direct rejection of God’s rule even though a person is aware of them and knows the prohibition/rule/belief is God’s Truth. Sins vary in gravity. One sin can be worse than the other but an accurate measurement of how “bad” a sin is cannot be calculated with any certainty.  The best thing to do is avoid them all.

Repentance is achieved through prayer and honestly asking God for forgiveness. It also means that a person will do his/her best not to ever repeat the sin. Keep in mind that a person who chooses to commit a sin walks a very fine line in having his/her repentance accepted, but that is a thing up to God I’m only pointing out a potential reality. So ask God’s forgiveness in the best way you can with all sincerity and hope that He ,in His Absolute Compassion and Eternal Mercy, accepts your contrition.

God knows best

UIUK