Major Sins in Islam
Major Sins in Islam are defined as what is forbidden by Allah and His Messenger in the Qur’an and the Sunnah in addition to what is narrated on the authority of early Muslims.
Allah, the Most high, promises whoever avoids the major sins to expiate his minor sins.
Allah, the Almighty says,
“If you avoid the major sins which you are forbidden, We will remove from you your lesser sins and admit you to a noble entrance [into Paradise].” – Quran 4:31
In this text, Allah, the Most High, also promises whoever avoids the major sins to admit him to Paradise.
Allah, the Almighty says,
And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive. – Quran 42:37
The Qur’an also states,
Those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, only [committing] slight ones. Indeed, your Lord is vast in forgiveness. – Quran 53:32
The Prophet (pbuh) said,
“The five prescribed Prayers, and from one Friday Prayer to another and from Ramadan to another entail forgiveness for what is between them as long as you do not commit the major sins.” – Reported by Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah and Ahmed.
We are obliged to learn about what the major sins are, so that Muslims may avoid them. Scholars of Sacred knowledge are of different opinions about the number of the major sins.
It is argued that they are only seven owing to the Prophet’s (pbuh) saying,
“Avoid the seven heinous sins: Worshiping others with Allah, sorcery, taking a life which Allah has made sacred except in the course of justice, devouring interest, appropriating the property of the orphan, fleeing from the battlefield, and charging believing women, unmindful though innocent, with adultery.” – Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.
Ibn Abbas holds that they are likely counted as seventy not seven. That is a good point of view because enumeration is not intended in the Hadith. (I.e it mentions these but doesn’t limit it at these. As Adultery gets the death penalty for example but is not mentioned in this Hadith.)
As a matter of fact, any sin entailing either a threat of punishment in the Hereafter explicitly mentioned by the Qur’an or Hadith, a prescribed legal penalty (Hadd), or being accursed by Allah or His Messenger (pbuh) is called a major sin. We have to bear in mind that some Major Sins in Islam are most heinous than another. This is because the Prophet (pbuh) has enlisted Shirk (worshiping others with Allah) though a polytheist will suffer eternal torture in Fire and will never be forgiven.
Allah, the Almighty, says,
Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom he pleases sins other than that. – Quran 4:116
List of 70 Major Sins in Islam
These Major Sins in Islam are sorted in order of severity by notable scholar Imam Al-Dhahabi in his famous book Al-Kaba’ir.
Ascribing Associates To Allah, The Most High (Shirk)
Killing A Human Being
Sorcery
Not Performing the Prayer
Not Paying Zakat
Breaking One’s Fast During Ramadan Without an Excuse
Not Performing the Hajj When Able to
Showing Disrespect to One’s Parents
Severing the Ties of One’s Relatives
Adultery
Sodomy
Accepting Interest Gain
Wrong Consuming an Orphan’s Property
Lying About the Prophet
Fleeing From the Battlefield
The Leader Who Misleads His Followers, the Tyrant and the Oppressor
Arrogance, Pride, Conceit, Vanity and Haughtiness
Bearing False Witness
Drinking Alcohol
Gambling (Qimar)
Accusing a Woman of Adultery
Misappropriating Spoils of War, Muslim Funds or Zakat
Theft
Highwaymen Who Menace the Road
The Engulfing Oath
Taking People’s Property Through Falsehood
Collecting Taxes Unjustly
The Consumption of Haram
Suicide
Telling Lies
The Dishonest Judge
Bribery
Women Imitating Men and Vice Versa
The Pimp and the One Who Permits His Wife To Fornicate
Marrying Solely to Return to the Previous Husband
Not Freeing Oneself of All Traces of Urine
Showing off in Good Work
Learning Sacred Knowledge for the Sake of this World or Concealing It
Breach of Faith
Reminding Recipients of One’s Charity to Them
Disbelieving in Destiny
Listening to the People’s Private Conversations
The Talebearer Who Stirs Up Enmity Between People
Cursing Others
Breaking One’s Promise or Pledge
Believing Fortunetellers and Astrologers
A Wife’s Rebellion Against Her Husband
Picture-making
Loudly Lamenting For the Dead or When Afflicted With an Adversity
Excess Against Others
Overburdening and Arrogance Against Others
Hurting One’s Neighbor
Reviling Muslims
Harming the Servants of Allah
Dragging the Hem of One’s Garment Out of Conceit
Men Wearing Silk or Gold
Fleeing of the Slave
Slaughtering in Other Than Allah’s Name
Falsely Claiming Someone is One’s Father
Arguing, Picking Apart Another’s Words, and Quarreling
Withholding Excess Water From Others
Stinting When Weighing or Measuring Out Goods and Similar Merchandise
Feeling Secure From Allah’s Devising
Despairing of the Mercy of Allah and Losing of Hope
Forgoing the Congregational Prayer to Pray Alone Without A Legal Excuse - (if there is an excuse praying alone is still rewarded but there is 27 times more reward for praying in in Jamaat)
Constantly Missing the Friday Congregational Prayer Without A Valid Excuse
Bringing Loss to the Bequest
Deception and Evil Schemes
Spying on the Muslims and Revealing Their Weaknesses
Disparaging the Companions of the Prophet
Major Sins lead to hell and should be avoided by both Muslims and Non-Muslims. If someone is not a Muslim that does not mean that they will be exempt from the punishments ascribed with each Sin in the Hereafter but it means they will be punished for disbelief or making partners with Allah before any of these which is far worse.
Therefore, we should try our best to avoid committing these Major Sins in Islam and even if we commit them, we should ask immediately for Allah’s forgiveness and try our best not to repeat them in the future.
May Allah guide us and protect us from all forms of evil.
Amin.
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