Will sin be totally annihilated after Imam Zaman’s rule has been established?
The most important motives for the human being’s sinning are, on the one hand, his avarice in hoarding material wealth and, on the other hand, his sense of need for the goods of this world. If the human being possesses a sufficient amount of wealth, a good social reputation, if his mentality becomes Divine-permeated, if the world and her goods are belittled in his eyes, and he thus reaches the certainty that all Divine promises are true and as such will certainly be fulfilled, regardless of the aversion of the enemies and their effort to obstruct their realization; if he reaches the certainty that there will be a resurrection, a reckoning, that paradise and what it holds are incomparably superior to the life of this world – in such a case, there will be no motive for sinning. This is especially true based on a few narrations to the effect that at the commencement of the Imam’s revolution, Satan will be slain by the Prophet in Jerusalem, hence putting an end to his tempting and decoying. (Tafsir al-Qummi)
Moreover, during that time there will be innumerable obstacles in the way of sinning – such as, the inescapable and universal rule of justice, the healthy and secure environment, and the general rejection of corruption and sin by society. Therefore, there will remain very little motive for sin, and at the same time there will be obstacles in its way, which means that sin will be at its lowest ebb.
There are also numerous narrations in this regard, such as: Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq has thus described that era, “Illicit gender relationships, alcoholic beverages, and usury will vanish. People will turn their attention to worship and obedience; they will righteously honor their trusts. The evil people will perish, and the virtuous will remain.”
In another narration, the Prophet is recorded as having given the following good tidings: “Allah will, through the Mahdi, relieve the hardships of the nation of Islam. He will enamor their [i.e. people’s] hearts with the love of worship and obedience, and will make His justice universal. Allah will, through him, eradicate lies; He will destroy the spirit of violence and animosity, and will free them of the disgrace of bondage.” (Al-Ghaybah)
