Major sins in Islam

The Major Sins 
--Al-Kaba'r--

The major sins are those acts which have been forbidden by Allah in the Quran and by His Messenger (SAW) in the Sunnah (practise of the Prophet), and which have been made clear by the actions of of the first righteous generation of Muslims, the Companions of the Prophet (SAW).

Allah Most High says in His Glorious Book:

If you avoid the major (part) of what you have been forbidden (to do), We will cancel out for you your (other) evil deeds and will admit you (to Paradise) with a noble entry. (al-Nisa 4:31)

Thus by this verse, Allah Most High has guaranteed the Garden of Paradise to those who avoid the major sins. And Allah Most High also says:

Those who avoid the greatest of sins and indecencies, and forgive when they are angry (al-Shra 42:37) Those who avoid the greatest sins and indecencies, except for oversights, (will find that) surely your Lord is ample in forgiveness. (Al-Najm 53:32)

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "The five [daily] prayers, Friday to Friday, and Ramadan to Ramadan make atonement for what has happenned since the previous one when major sins have been avoided." It is therefore very important to determine exactly what the greatest vices, technically called "the major sins" (Kaba'ir), are, in order that Muslims should avoid them.

There is some difference of opinion among scholars in this regard. Some say these major sins are seven, and in support of their position they quote the tradition: "Avoid the seven noxious things"- and after having said this, the propeht (SAW) mentioned them: "associating anything with Allah; magic; killing one whom Allah has declared inviolate without a just case, consuming the property of an orphan, devouring usury, turning back when the army advances, and slandering chaste women who are believers but indiscreet." (Bukhari and Muslim)

'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas said: "Seventy is closer to their number than seven," and indeed that is correct. The above tradition does not limit the major sins to those mentioned in it. Rather, it points to the type of sins which fall into the category of "major." These include those crimes which call for a prescribed punishment (HADD; plural, HUDUD), such as theft, fornication or adultery (ZINA), and murder; those prohibited acts for which a warning of a severe punishment in the Next is given in the Qur'an or the tradition; and also those deeds which are cursed by our Prophet (SAW). These are all major sins.

Of course, there is a gradation among them, since some are more serious than others. We see that the Prophet (SAW) has included SHIRK (associating someone or something with Allah) among them, and from the text of the Qur'an we know that a person who commits SHIRK will not his sin be forgiven and will remain in Hell forever.

Allah Most High says: Surely, Allah does not forgive associating anything with Him, and He forgives whatever is other than that to whomever He wills. (al-Nisa 4:48 and 116)

01. Associating anything with Allah 

02. Murder 

03. Practising magic 

04. Not Praying 

05. Not paying Zakat 

06. Not fasting on a Day of Ramadan without excuse 

07. Not performing Hajj, while being able to do so 

08. Disrespect to parents 

09. Abandoning relatives 

10. Fornication and Adultery 

11. Homosexuality(sodomy) 

12. Interest(Riba) 

13. Wrongfully consuming the property of an orphan 

14. Lying about Allah and His Messenger 

15. Running away from the battlefield 

16. A leader's deceiving his people and being unjust to them 

17. Pride and arrogance 

18. Bearing false witness 

19. Drinking Khamr (wine) 

20. Gambling 

21. Slandering chaste women 

22. Stealing from the spoils of war 

23. Stealing 

24. Highway Robbery 

25. Taking false oath 

26. Oppression 

27. Illegal gain 

28. Consuming wealth acquired unlawfully 

29. Committing suicide 

30. Frequent lying 

31. Judging unjustly 

32. Giving and Accepting bribes 

33. Woman's imitating man and man's imitating woman 

34. Being cuckold 

35. Marrying a divorced woman in order to make her lawful for the husband 

36. Not protecting oneself from urine 

37. Showing-off 

38. Learning knowledge of the religion for the sake of this world and concealing that knowledge 

39. Bertrayal of trust 

40. Recounting favours 

41. Denying Allah's Decree 

42. Listening (to) people's private conversations 

43. Carrying tales 

44. Cursing 

45. Breaking contracts 

46. Believing in fortune-tellers and astrologers 

47. A woman's bad conduct towards her husband 

48. Making statues and pictures 

49. Lamenting, wailing, tearing the clothing, and doing other things of this sort when an affliction befalls 

50. Treating others unjustly 

51. Overbearing conduct toward the wife, the servant, the weak, and animals 

52. Offending one's neighbour 

53. Offending and abusing Muslims 

54. Offending people and having an arrogant attitude toward them 

55. Trailing one's garment in pride 

56. Men's wearing silk and gold 

57. A slave's running away from his master 

58. Slaughtering an animal which has been dedicated to anyone other than Allah 

59. To knowingly ascribe one's paternity to a father other than one's own 

60. Arguing and disputing violently 

61. Witholding excess water 

62. Giving short weight or measure 

63. Feeling secure from Allah's Plan 

64. Offending Allah's righteous friends 

65. Not praying in congregation but praying alone without an excuse 

66. Persistently missing Friday Prayers without any excuse 

67. Unsurping the rights of the heir through bequests 

68. Deceiving and plotting evil 

69. Spying for the enemy of the Muslims 

70. Cursing or insulting any of the Companiions of Allah's Messenger

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 70 Major sins in Islam

Major and Minor Sins According to Quran and Sunnah

in Islam, a sin is defined as any act which contradicts the commandments or Will of Allah (the One God, the Creator). Some sins are regarded as major, while others are considered minor. What are the differences between the two?

Major Sins in Islam

Some scholars assert that there are seven major sins, based on the following narration (hadith) by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Avoid the seven noxious things: associating anything with Allah, magic, killing one whom Allah has declared inviolate without a just case, consuming the property of an orphan, devouring usury, turning back when the army advances, and slandering chaste women who are believers but indiscreet." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Other scholars cite evidence that Islam's major sins are actually much greater in number. These religious scholars define major sins as acts which are expressly forbidden in the Qu'an or by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), or for which there is a haddpunishment under Islamic law. A hadd punishment is a punishment specified by Allah in the Qur'an.

Under this definition, the list of major sins includes (but is not limited to) the following acts:

• Worshiping others, or associating partners with Allah (shirk)
• Believing in superstition, fortune telling, and astrology (includes believing in horoscopes and palmistry,etc)
• Using magic or sorcery
• Committing murder
• Committing suicide
• Bearing false witness
• Committing adultery or fornication
• Cheating, stealing, and lying
• Charging or paying interest or usury (riba)
• Consuming pork or alcohol
• Consuming the wealth of an orphan
• Not fasting for Ramadan
• Not observing daily prayers
• Not paying zakat (annual charity)
• Gambling
• Oppression and unjust leadership
• Bribery, betraying trusts and breaking contracts
• Backbiting and slandering
• Breaking the ties of kinship
• Disobeying or not honoring one's parents

Minor Sins in Islam

Minor sins are acts which are displeasing to Allah but for which no specific punishment or severe warning has been issued. In this case, a Muslim's conscience and heart help him to know that an act is sinful.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about." (Muslim)

Minor sins are not, however, to be taken lightly, as disobeying Allah is always a serious matter. Allah says: “You counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great.” (Qur'an 24:15)

Minor sins can easily lead someone to commit a major sin, and repeatedly committing a minor sin will change its status to that of a major sin. Furthermore, habitual sinning causes a Muslim to lose faith and disregard the commandments of Allah. In the Qur'an, Allah says: “Nay, their hearts have been sealed by the sins they have accumulated.”(Qur'an 83:14).

Forgiveness and Expiation in Islam

Scholars agree that while good deeds and extra acts of worship help expiate minor sins, they won't compensate for major sins. Instead, a Muslim must make sincere repentance for major sins by showing genuine remorse, praying for Allah's Mercy and Forgiveness, and avoiding that sin in the future.

Only a person who avoids major sins will have good deeds such as charity, praying, or fasting accepted as expiation for minor sins. Allah says: “If you shun the great sins which you are forbidden, We will do away with your small sins and cause you to enter an honorable place of entering.” (Qur'an 4: 31)

Shirk, however, is the one sin which Allah will not forgive. "Verily, Allah forgives not that partners be set up with Him (in worship) but He forgives other than that to whom He pleases; and whoever sets up partners with Allah (in worship), he has indeed invented an enormous wrong." (Qur'an 4:48)

Remembrance of Allah

A Muslim should strive at all times to remember Allah, as this helps him refrain from sins of the tongue, heart, mind and hands. As Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid advises, "The Muslim should not look at how small or great the sin is, rather he should look at the greatness and might of the One Whom he is disobeying."

Let's make sincere repentence from Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala to forgive our major sins which we were not aware of. We should also pray that Allah SWT Save us from committing the major sins. Last but not least, we all should strive to do as much Zikr (Remembrance of Allah) as possible to draw close to the Almighty Allah. Insha Allah and Aameen!