Every human being is a sinner. We all sin, one way or another. A person who says that he/she is 100% pure and free from sinning is 100% a liar. So we should never judge other people and assume that we are better than others.
But why do we sin?
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Well, basically we do it because we mistakenly perceive that there is benefit in it. People steal because they think that the additional wealth will bring joy, people lie because they think that it could help them in life, people oppress others because they feel that power could help them, and so on. We sin because the ego feeds off the sins, mistakenly seeing the sins as beneficial, while it’s actually the opposite. Metaphysically, we are actually harming ourselves with the sins that we do, that there are consequences of the sins that we do toward our souls.
You might have realized that human beings are easily deceived and have limited ability to process information. For most people, we act based on our egos, based on how we understand the world around us. Not how it’s supposed to be understood. This is the main reason why we sin. Because of our mistaken understanding of how the world works.
In the spectrum of consciousness mentioned by Wilber (1977), the ego is the lowest form of consciousness. The higher forms of consciousness are the existential consciousness (based on an estimation of how the world is supposed to be understood, an ethical worldview), and a non dualistic consciousness, pure consciousness (full realization of the mind, body, and soul that we are part of the cosmos, and we act accordingly).
What we should try to achieve is what Wilber defined as a non dualistic consciousness, which in the Islamic tradition can be achieved by constant purification of the soul through tasawwuf. In Imam Al Ghazali’s categorization, it is the state of the peaceful soul, nafs al muthmainah, when the soul is fully aware of its true nature, permeates all levels of a person’s being, and he/she acts accordingly.
But for all of us, whenever the ego is still in charge, we will always be prone to sinning. Throughout our lives, no matter how hard we try, elements of the ego will always remain with us, which means that we will most likely never be free from sinning. However, with knowledge, hard work, and dedication, we can at least try to minimize its occurrence, and live a more ethical and tranquil life.
As Prophet Muhammad mentioned, everyone is a sinner, the best of the sons of Adam are the ones who repent the most (paraphrased).
Having remorse whenever we commit a sin is a sign of a healthy heart. A heart that knows what is right and wrong. Even though it continuously struggles in doing what is right.
God knows best.
Reflection of An Nisa verse 111
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