Sins: Poison of the Heart

by Haifaa Younis

Many of us may be unaware that some things that we do, are actually sins - acts of disobedience to Allah (swt). Even when we are aware of them, we don't think that our sins can have negative consequences for us, in our relationship with Allah (swt), other people, and even the world.
Learning about sins is an eye-opening, transforming experience that changes your heart and mind. Furthermore, it makes you look at the world from a new perspective which can change your life forever. 
Discover, dissect and digest how to prevent and even overcome that which poisons the heart of the believer. 

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction

104 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2023

About the author

Dr. Haifaa Younis is an American Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist with roots from Iraq. Her pursuit of Islamic knowledge initiated when she began to study with various Islamic scholars from across the United States while she simultaneously attended individual courses and lectures on subjects including Aqeeda, Fiqh, usual Fiqh, Hadeeth, and Tazkiyah (purification of the soul).

From the United States, she moved to Saudi Arabia where she graduated from the Mecca Institute of Islamic Studies (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) and Al-Huda Qur’an Memorization School (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) where she completed the memorization of the Qur’an.

She is the founder and Chairman of Jannah Institute and currently teaches seminars on the thematic commentary of various chapters of the Holy Qur’an and their practical relevance in our day-to-day living. Additionally, she offers retreats on key topics that inspire hearts, combining the inner essence of Islam with an outward expression of practice. Dr. Haifaa is passionate about spreading the word of Allah (SBW) and igniting the love of Islam and the Qur’an through her teachings.

Reviews

[Khairun Atika · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When a person has a living heart, a heart connected to Allah swt, and they commit even a small sin or think about committing a sin, it will feel as though they have lost something valuable - as though they are losing their relationship with Allah swt." - Sins: The Poison of the Heart by Dr Haifas Younis

Reflective, illuminating and poignant, this book is an important reminder to every Muslim, a necessary text that allows you to ponder on the gravity of sins. Divided into seven chapters, each one explains the effects of sins in multiple ways. It cleverly encapsulates how sins may seem trivial at first, especially in a contemporary, liberal setting.

As the chapters progress, it touches on the repercussions of constant sinning, or how someone tends to become ignorant of the actions of sinning. With references to numerous hadiths and verses of the Quran, instances of the consequences of sins are constantly reinforced, to shed some light on how sins are ultimately the downfall of every person - it affects every aspect of your self.

This was a truly reflective piece that allowed me to ponder on how much we constantly need to repent, to be aware of how we are constantly making sins or mistakes. At the end of the day, what's important is we turn to Him, to repent and seek forgiveness, and to perform more good deeds with good intentions, and hope that our sins will be forgiven. Ameen.

[سيرين · Rating 5 out of 5]

JazakAllah khair for publishing this. The book discusses sins and their consequences. I really appreciate how Dr. Haifaa Younis explains everything in such a clear and simple way. InshaAllah, I’ll be reading it again so I can act upon it. I would recommend this book to every Muslim. I love how it’s full of knowledge yet short. I also appreciate the thick paper, it makes highlighting easy without worrying about bleed-through. JazakAllah khair!

[Saira Fazili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many times when we’re struggling with deen we look for books that make us feel good about Allah, and are easygoing. Been there done that, and I absolutely needed those books when I read them. But here’s a very very important book for people feeling a bit lost. Sin takes away so much blessing, and renders the heart dead in more ways than one. To know what Allah likes, doesn’t like and see where you stand in your level of submission to Him is an honest conversation all believers should have - especially in a time when sins are so normalised.

I love Dr Haifaa for writing a book on sins that isn’t harsh, but doesn’t mince its words and serves as an appropriate warning regardless. Grateful to have an introduction to this topic with Quran, authentic hadith and sayings of the pious predecessors. Took my sweet time to read it and will revisit.

[Rahoz books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book compiles the dr haifaa's lectures on sins, offering a profound exploration of these themes. It's a compelling read that prompts deep introspection into our lives and their impact on our connection with Allah and others. Serving as a potent reminder of our transgressions and the importance of repentance, it left a lasting impression, provoking introspection throughout my reading. I particularly appreciate its brevity and quality, including its thick, high-grade paper.

[Sabah Nalbant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to read in one sitting. How Dr. Younis always manages to write in a way that feels motivating and forgiving instead of worrying us to be bad and pay for what we do. May we use her teachings and writings to become better people and please Allah swt. May Allah swt bless her and give her a high rank in Jannah for her daw'ah 🌹🌹🌹🌹

[Rabia Siddiqui · Rating 2 out of 5]

not a bad book per se, just felt very repetitive for me and the writing style was too simple

[Arisha (Free Palestine 🇵🇸) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good Alhamdulilah! Haifa’s writing style is very easy to understand and I’m glad she cited everything. I learned so much about the deen and my own heart, may Allah swt make it easy to act upon beneficial knowledge. Ameen.

[koneko reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is a collection of the author's lecture about sins and tazkiyah in 2022. focusing on this topic, this book will blow you away with numerous reminders for us. it will make you pause and reflect for a moment things in your life and how it affects your relationship with Allah (and others).

This book serves as a great reminder for us to reflect the disobedience we did and to repent to Allah.

This book really hit the spot and made me reflect a lot during my reading. Regarding the book, I love it because it's short and compact. The paper quality is also very good (so thick!).

[Julia Carrigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I did not find this book to be spiritually nor religiously illuminating. I love and respect this scholar, may God grant her all that is good. But this book seemed to be completely out of touch with the lived reality of dealing with the struggle of sin. Alhamdullilah it quotes the most beautiful texts of our tradition, the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Of course, the advices from these are perfect and of the utmost benefit. But the analysis of these sources is extremely surface and feels ingenuine. It spends a great deal of time establishing that sin in a bad thing. I don't think anyone reading this book would disagree. But we want to know how to avoid it. How to stop it. How to break bad habits.

Honestly, I've been thinking about it a lot and maybe this is a question which cannot be answered by religious authority but which we must seek in art. It's really increased by certainty in artistry as worship. So that's good.

But really, if you want to read something genuinely transformative to help you reduce in sin-- Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.

[Gabriela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have taken my time with this book reading only a passage or page at a time. I appreciate it stylistically. The chapters are clear and logical. The excerpts from the holy Quran are very neatly translated, transcribed, and provided in Arabic (which I absolutely love). The topic is very solemn, maybe too deep, for a novel or book medium. Something feels lost or missed in translation from Shayka Haifa Younis' regular talks or workshops. I will say that I am very grateful for this book, as new and fresh and unfamiliar as it may be. The teachings have been very potent and have given me a great sense of belonging and deepening in my faith. I am still grieving in my heart with pain, and illness in my mind, given the topic, so I will continue to pray for healing and strength to continue to read it and be forgiven when I don't read it. May we all be protected with the love and honorable teachings of this precious gift.

[Taybah_tells · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have on every Muslim's bookshelf 📚

This book is not very long, but it took me about 2 months to get through it, because of mere reflection alone.
this book forced open my eyes to the way we have normalized sins in our western lives, and just how much sin we engage in on a regular basis without giving it a single thought truly shock me to my core.
it also forced me to have such deep introspection that it made me cry, and in alot of circumstances, to course correct where I was going wrong in my life without even realizing it.

May Allah SWT reward Dr Haifaa Younes for making this available as a book, and for her work.. her videos and teaching brought the topic of purification of the heart to the forefront

May we all be granted the ability to purify our hearts on a regular basis, and may we have sound hearts when we meet Our Creator, Allah SWT, on the day of Qiyamah, Allahumma Ameen 🤍

[Rabia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

~ "Even then your hearts became hardened like a rock or even harder, for some rocks gush rivers, others split, spilling water, while others are humbled in awe of Allah. And Allah is never unaware of what you do." (al-Baqarah, 2:74)

When we disobey Allah and we don't feel any remorse, then our hearts have become hardened.
When we cannot forgive someone, then our hearts are hardened.
Our hearts also enable us to see; they are like a window from which we can see right and wrong. However, committing sins can lead to weakening the heart's insight and can blind it. When it cannot see properly anymore due to sinning, we are unable to make the correct decisions that will take us towards the Right Path.

[…]

Every time that we obey Allah, we will be able to see the Truth more clearly. Actions or deeds that start off as difficult, become easier the more we want to obey Allah. ~

[She Reads Sometimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. The physical book is beautiful and of excellent quality.

This book is filled with heartfelt sincere reminders and advice, all backed up by Quran and sunnah. You can feel Dr Haifaa Younis' earnestness through the words on the page. As a Muslim, this is a valuable self purification tool which you can come back to again and again. Highly recommended.

[Tracy Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, easy read diving deeper into sins and how they affect not only us, but other people, our future families, the environment and our spiritual hearts! Dr Haifaa Younis writes in a way that is easy to understand. I finished this book feeling motivated to do better for the sake of Allah SWT. Would recommend to anyone, whether you’re a new revert or a born Muslim looking for a gentle reminder.

[Rayfienta Gumay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content of this book summarizes the 9 Weeks Series from Jannah Institute channel. It's an easy read that, instead of being judgmental, asks us to reflect on how sins affect many aspects of our lives and reminds us how we ourselves will be the ones in great loss from doing what displeases Allah.

[hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good summary of what constitutes Dhanb (sin) in Islam. A lot of overlap with other faiths, especially Abrahamic ones. I liked particular insight on how our sins, though may only appear personal, can also have consequences for other people and the community at large. Our actions affect not only us.

[ن القتن · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most interesting and beautiful book I have ever read. Very educational 😁

[Salha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smoothly written book with a comprehensive cover of sins with references to the Quran and Sunnah.

[Emma Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read/consider how sin is viewed in another faith.

[Esma Ergül · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeder Muslima muss dieses Buch haben. Es ist wunderschön und sehr lehrreich. Insha‘Allah kommen ich regelmäßig auf dieses Buch zurück und lese es erneut und erneut

[Farhana Kabir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Thoughtful

It's a very thoughtful book and lots to
learn. May Allah bless the readers and the writer. Ameen. Jazakallahu Khair.

[Lobna El Gammal · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Warda · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐3.5 stars⭐

[Nurpitriani · Rating 5 out of 5]

i wanna say Jazakallahu Khairan dr Haifaa, i have read the book and im reflacting on it.

[sara سارة · Rating 5 out of 5]

six stars. dr. haifaa younis will always be one of my favourite to listen to and gain knowledge about the love of Allah from.

[Bilqis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a WONDERFUL book that will make you rethink your approach to sins. If you have ever heard Dr. Haifaa Younis speak, this book has the same soothing tone but packs a punch when it comes to delivering its message. 

I gave this 5 stars and enjoyed it so much that I even annotated it (something I never do)!

[Abderrahman Yalouh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had an excellent idea, the way the author delivered it could have been better. When speaking about the fear of Allah, sins you must also mention hope in Allah, love in Allah and forgiveness of Allah as it’s an extremely large and vast topic that cannot be delivered properly without telling the reading parable of forgiveness, how to make a proper tawbah and include verses of love and hope.