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MAJOR SINS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
By: Syed Yasin Ali
The major sins are those acts which have been forbidden by Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta‘ala) in the Holy Qur’an and by His Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) in his Hadith.
The translation of a relevant verse from the the Holy Qur’an is:
If you avoid the major sins which you have been forbidden, We will cancel out for you your (other) evil deeds and admit you (to Paradise) with a noble entry. (An-Nisaa’, 4:31)
Therefore, Allah the Almighty has guaranteed Paradise to those who avoid the major sins. It is very important for a Mu’min (believer) to avoid these types of sins, since they carry a lot of punishment.
According to a Hadith of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), there are seven major sins (kaba’ir). Anyone who commits these sins will be punished in the Hereafter unless there is true repentance. In a Hadith, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) says, “Avoid the seven noxious things”, and after saying this, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) mentions them, “ascribing partners to Allah, magic, killing a person without a just reason, consuming the property of an orphan, consuming usury, fleeing from battle when the army is advancing, and slandering chaste women.” (Muslim)
Among the mentioned sins, committing shirk (ascribing partners to Allah) is the most punishable act. According to the Qur’an, a person who commits shirk will not be forgiven and will remain in hell forever, as we learn from this verse:
Surely, Allah does not forgive (the sin of) ascribing partners to Him, and He forgives whatever is other than that to whomsoever He wills. (Surah An-Nisaa’, 4:48 and 4:116)
Shirk is the greatest sin because it violates belief in the Oneness of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta‘ala). We need to believe that Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta‘ala) is One, the only One who deserves our worship.
There are also many kinds of other sins that are highly punishable like gambling, consuming intoxicants, lying, stealing and committing suicide. But there are also many sins that we commit everyday without knowing that these sins are punishable as well, since they displease Allah the Almighty. The following are some of these kinds of sins which we don’t pay much attention to.
1. Disobeying our parents.
2. Giving false testimony.
3. Engaging in bribery.
4. Cursing others.
The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, “Abusing a Muslim is evil and fighting him is disbelief.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari).
5. Harming neighbours.
According to a Hadith, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, “A person who is not safe from his neighbour’s mischief will not enter Paradise.” (Sahih Al- Bukhari).
6. Men wearing silk and gold.
The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, “Men who wear silk and gold will have no portion (of Heaven) in the Hereafter.” (Sahih Muslim).
7. Not praying in congregation and praying by yourself without an excuse.
The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, “Whoever hears the call to Prayer and doesn’t come to Prayer, there is no Prayer for him except for the one who had a valid excuse.” (Al-Bukhari).
8. Spying on Muslims.
9. Believing in soothsayers, psychics and astrologers.
The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, “Whoever goes to a fortune teller and asks him about something will not have his Prayer accepted for forty nights.” (Sahih Muslim).
We can avoid all kinds of sins by praying five times a day, reciting the Holy Qur’an, observing the five pillars of Islam and by keeping ourselves busy with the remembrance of Allah (zikr). By observing these duties, we leave very little room for sins to occur. We should also go to the masjid regularly and we should keep good company. Thus, these sins don’t have any influence on us.
But true repentance is the key to avoiding sins. Whenever we commit a sin, we should beg for forgiveness from Allah the Almighty and we should vow not to repeat them again. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta‘ala) forgives the sins of those who repent, as we learn from this verse of the Holy Qur’an:
Except those who repent and believe and do good deeds. Such will enter Paradise, and they will not be wronged in any way. (Surah Maryam, 19:60).
We commit sins everyday. But we should try to avoid the major sins that are very displeasing to Allah. We should repent for the sins that we commit and we should beg Allah’s forgiveness. We should also do good deeds in order to wipe out our sins.
We should also have a good understanding about Islam through the Qur’an and Hadith. Thus, we will know the sins and the unlawful deeds that displease Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta‘ala) and will be able to avoid them.
Dhu’l Hijjah 1421, February 2001