Quran Garden

Do you know the major sins in Islam?  Can you list all sixteen of them?  Do you have evidence from the Quran to support your answer?  If you want to learn about every major sin in Islam, you have come to the right place.  We have put together a fantastic mini-series that will dive into this crucial topic.     

Session 584

Chapter 4

Verse 31

a continuation

If you avoid the major sins you have been forbidden, We shall absolve you of your minor misdeeds and let you in through the entrance of honor.  (Chapter 4:Verse 31)

When you hear "Major sins," you intuitively understand that there must also be minor ones.  As you read the Quran, you will also discover even smaller sins called lamam, which are slight lapses in judgment.  God says,

To whoever avoids the major sins and indecencies – except for slight lapses – truly your Lord is vast in forgiveness.  (from 53:32)

The scholars have debated:  If you only focus on avoiding major sins, aren't you encouraging people to be careless about minor ones?  Wouldn't that –slowly but surely- cause corruption in society?  We answer: No!  Our beloved Muhammad gave us the cure.  He, peace be upon him, said, "There is no such thing as a major sin when there is repentance, and no such thing as a minor sin when there is insistence."  Remember this rule: Repeatedly committing small sins escalates them to major status.  Do not allow yourself to do sin–even lamam–claiming that it is nothing, for Allah only forgives your error, not your premeditated sin, regardless of how small.  He says,

With God is the acceptance of repentance for those who commit an evil act out of ignorance, then repent promptly.  It is such whose repentance God will accept, and God is all-knowing, all-wise.  (4:17)

Take note that deliberate acts are not included in Allah's forgiveness mentioned in Aya 17, only sins out of ignorance.  God says in the next verse,

But of no avail is the repentance of those who commit evils until, when one of them is visited by death, he says, "Indeed now I repent." Nor those who die, and they are disbelievers.  We have prepared a painful torment for them.  (4:18)

Which leads us to the most important question of all: What are the major sins?

This question troubled Amr ibn Ubayd, one of the most prominent scholars in Basra and a famous ascetic.  He demanded that identifying major sins requires clear evidence from the Quran, not scholarly interpretations and opinions.  Ibn Ubayd was a trusted source sought by the scholars of Basra for his knowledge, yet he did not feel comfortable answering this critical question.  So he approached Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, the great-grandchild of Prophet Muhammad, who was revered for his deep Quranic insights. 

After greeting Imam Ja'far, Ibn Ubayd recited the Aya, "To whoever avoids the major sins and indecencies – except for slight lapses – truly your Lord is vast in forgiveness," then he fell silent!  Imam Al-Sadiq asked, "Why did you stop, Ibn Ubayd?" He said, "I would love to know the major sin from God's book!" Al-Sadiq confidently replied: "Of course!" What a beautiful and comforting answer!  A man with profound knowledge of the Quran from the household of Muhammad is about to give us the answer to a significant question. 

Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq then said,

Associating partners with God, for Allah says: "God does not forgive the associating partners with Him: anything less than that He forgives to whoever He will, but anyone who joins partners with God has commited a tremendous sin." (4:48), and "If anyone associates others with God, God will forbid him from the Garden." (from 5:72)

He continued: Despairing of Allah's mercy, for Allah stated, "and do not despair of the mercy of God.  Only they despair of God's mercy who do not believe" (from 12:87)  

Note that the Imam is presenting each ruling accompanied by Quranic proof.  He continued: Feeling secure against God's plan for the Almighty says, "Do they feel secure against God's plan?  Only the losers feel secure against God's plan." (7:99)."

Fourth is being disobedient to one's parents, as Allah equates it to being an arrogant tyrant.  "and to show devotion to my mother.  He has not made me insolent or arrogant." (19:32)

Fifth is murder, "If anyone kills a believer deliberately, the punishment for him is Hell, and there he will remain: God is angry with him, and rejects him, and has prepared a tremendous torment for him." (4:93)

Next is slander against chaste believing women.  "Those who accuse honourable, chaste but unwary believing women are rejected by God, in this life and the next.  A painful punishment awaits them." (24:23)

Seventh.  Consuming usury: Allah says, "But those who take usury will rise on the Day of Resurrection like someone tormented by Satan's touch" (from Chapter 2:275).

Fleeing the battlefield, Allah says, "Anyone who turns his back on them that day, unless he is withdrawing to rejoin the fight or withdrawing to support another group, brings Allah's anger down upon himself.  His refuge is Hell.  What an evil destination!" (6:16).

Consuming the wealth of orphans, "Those who consume the property of orphans unjustly are actually swallowing fire into their own bellies: they will burn in the blazing Flame." (4:10)

Tenth: Committing adultery, "Those who never invoke any other deity beside God, nor take a life, which God has made sacred, except in the pursuit of justice, nor commit adultery.  Whoever does these things will face the penalties: their torment will be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and they will remain in torment, disgraced." (25:Verses 68 and 69).

Withholding or lying when called to testify.  God warns, "And do not conceal testimony; anyone who conceals it, his heart will indeed be sinful.  And Allah knows best what you do." (from Chapter 2:283).

The immersive oath, or 'Yameen Ghamoos' in Arabic.  When one swears by God about something done, though he knows it is not true, or denies it when he knows it was—such oath concerns past and present, rather than future events.  Allah says, "As for those who sell out God's covenant and their oaths for a small price, they will have no share in the life to come.  God will neither speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection; He will not cleanse them of their sins; agonizing torment awaits them." (3:77)

Embezzlement of the spoils of war.  God says, "It is inconceivable that a prophet would illegally withhold spoils of war.  And whoever does so, it will be held against them on the Day of Judgment.  Then every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and none will be wronged." (3:161)

Consuming Intoxicants because Allah equated their consumption to idol worship: "You who believe, intoxicants and gambling, idolatrous practices, and divining with arrows are repugnant acts- Satan's doing- shun them so that you may prosper." (5:90).

Abandoning prayer: God asks, "What drove you to the Scorching Fire?  They will reply: 'We were not of those who prayed." (74:42-43).

The sixtheenth major sin in Islam is: Breaking covenants and severing kinship, which Allah commands to maintain: He says, "Those who break their covenant with God after it has been confirmed, who sever the bonds that God has commanded to be joined, who spread corruption on the earth- these are the losers." (2:27).

You now have a comprehensive list of the major sins, each with evidence from the Quran as presented to us by Ibn Ubayd after seeking scholarly guidance from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, one of the most knowledgeable people of the Quran who ever lived.  Ja'far, may God be pleased with him, confidently responded with clear Qur'anic evidence and listed the major sins without hesitation, showing that this was a well-thought-out matter in his mind.  

Take note that these Ayat are not sequential from one Surah, but carefully selected from various parts of the Quran, demonstrating a believer's deep connection with God's book and its secrets. 

Would you like to deepen your connection with God's book?  If so, we ask two favors.  First, hit the subscribe button and notification bell, and second, share this valuable knowledge with at least one person you love.  Join us next week for the second part of this mini-series as we dive deeper into the topic of the major sins and explore them one by one.  May Allah bring the knowledge and blessings of the Quran into your heart.