Assalamu alikum, today we will look at the definition of major sins and what ALLAH Subhanahu wataa’la says in the Quran. InshaAllah,in our future posts,we will discuss them one by one.
We are obliged to learn what the major sins are, so that Muslims may avoid them.
DEFINITION:
Major sins 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 to expiate his minor sins, whoever avoids the major sins.
Allah, the Almighty says,
“If you(but) eschew the most heinous of the things which you are forbidden to do, we shall remit your evil deeds, and admit you to a gate of great honour.” (An-Nisaa :31)
In this text, Allah, the Most High, also promises whoever avoids the major sins to admit him to Paradise.
Allah, the Almighty says,
“Those who avoid the greater sins and indecencies, and when they are angry even they forgive”
(Ash-Shura:37)
The Qur’an also states,
“Those who avoid great sins and indecent deeds, save lesser offences, verily thy Lord is ample in forgiveness.” (An-Najm:32)
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) 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.”
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 (Peace be upon him) saying,
“Avoid the seven heinous sins:
- Worshipping others with Allah,
- sorcery,
- taking a life which Allah has made sacred except in the course of justice,
- devouring usury,
- appropriating the property of the orphan,
- fleeing from the battlefield, and
- charging believing women, unmindful though innocent, with adultery.”
Reported by Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah and Ahmed.
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.
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 (Peace be upon him) is called a major sin.
We have to bear in mind that some major sins are more heinous than others. This is because the Prophet (Peace be upon him) has enlisted Shirk (worshipping others with Allah) though a polytheist will suffer eternal torture in Fire and will never be forgiven.
Allah, the Almighty, says,
“Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray.“
(An-Nisa:116)
