Condemning Sins

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed his Companions about the gravest of the major sins and mentioned these three: 1. Associating partners with Allah: This is to devote any form of worship to other than Allah and regard anyone as equal to Allah in His divinity, lordship, names, and attributes. 2. Undutifulness to parents: This is any hurt to one's parents, whether by word or deed, and not showing kindness to them. 3. False statement, which includes perjury: Every false and untrue statement intended to detract from the one about whom it is made by taking his property, damaging his honor, and the like. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated the warning about the false testimony to highlight its hideousness and evil consequences for society, so much that the Companions wished that he would be quiet out of compassion towards him and disliking what would annoy him.

1. The gravest sin is associating partners with Allah, as he puts it at the forefront of the major sins and the greatest one among them. This is confirmed by the verse: {Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but forgives anything less than that for whom He wills. Whoever associates partners with Allah has indeed committed a grave sin.}
2. The rights of parents are significant, as he coupled them with the rights of Allah Almighty.
3. Sins are divided into major and minor. Major sins are every sin that entails a worldly penalty, like the prescribed punishments and curses, or a threat regarding the Hereafter, such as the threat of entering Hellfire. There are different levels of major sins, some of which are more severe than others in terms of prohibition. Minor sins are the sins other than the major ones.

صحيح البخاري (3/ 172) (2654)، (8/ 4) (5976)، (8/ 62) (6273-6274). صحيح مسلم (1/ 91) (87). عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام صلى الله عليه وسلم (ص257) (380). شرح النووي على مسلم (2/ 81). الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام لإسماعيل الأنصاري (2/ 149). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام للبسام (ص703). أعلام السنة المنشورة لاعتقاد الطائفة الناجية المنصورة، لحافظ بن أحمد الحكمي (ص111).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that there was a man among those who came before us who suffered a wound and, because of his discontent and impatience with the pain, he took a knife and cut his hand, hastening his death. The bleeding did not stop until he died. Allah Almighty said: My slave hastened to bring about his demise; I have forbidden Paradise for him.

1. The merit of patience in the face of affliction and refraining from complaining about pains, so as not to lead to something worse.
2. Narrating stories of the past nations that contain goodness and lessons.
3. Ibn Hajar said: It underscores abidance by Allah's rights and His mercy toward His creation, as He has forbidden them from taking their own lives, for souls belong to Allah.
4. The prohibition of engaging in actions that lead to taking one's own life, along with a severe warning against this.
5. Ibn Hajar said: This indicates that he cut himself intending to die, not intending of treatment that would most likely be beneficial.

صحيح البخاري (4/ 170) (3463). صحيح مسلم (1/ 107) (113). فتح الباري، لابن حجر (3/ 227). شرح النووي على مسلم (2/ 127). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لعبد الله البسام (ص651).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrates the major sins, whose perpetrators are given a severe warning in this world and the Hereafter. The first of them is "associating partners with Allah": This is to devote any form of worship to other than Allah and regard anyone as equal to Allah in His peculiar traits, including His divinity, lordship, names, and attributes. The second among them is "undutifulness to parents": Anything that causes hurt to one's parents, whether by word or deed and not showing kindness to them. The third among them is "murder": without right, like killing by way of oppression and aggression. And the fourth is "the intentional false oath": This is to take a false oath while knowing it to be false. It is called that (in Arabic: ghamūs) because it dips (taghmis) its perpetrator in sin or Hellfire.

1. There is no expiation for the intentional false oath due to its severity and magnitude, yet it requires repentance.
2. The Hadīth mentions these four major sins only to show the gravity of their sinfulness, and it does not list all major sins.
3. Sins are divided into major and minor. Major sins are every sin that entails a worldly penalty, like the prescribed punishments and curses, or a threat regarding the Hereafter, such as the threat of entering Hellfire. There are different levels of major sins, some more severe than others regarding prohibition. Minor sins are the sins other than the major ones.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 137) (6675). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 408). رياض الصالحين للنووي (ص125) (337). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (5/ 610). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص964).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) provided an example for two types of people: First type: The righteous companion and friend who guides others to Allah and to what pleases Him and helps others obey Him. His example is like that of the musk seller who will either give you some thereof, or you will buy from him, or you will smell and get from him a pleasant fragrance. Second type: The evil companion and friend who turns others away from the path of Allah and helps them commit sins, the one whom you see doing evil deeds and you receive criticism for being in his company. His example is like that of the blacksmith who blows his fire and either burns your clothes with the flying sparks of fire or you get a nasty smell from being close to him.

1. Exemplification is permissible to make it easier for the listener to grasp the meaning.
2. Encouraging and urging people to accompany the righteous and the doers of good and avoid the doers of evil and those with bad morals.

صحيح البخاري (7/ 96) (5534). صحيح مسلم (4/ 2026) (2628). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 431). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 339). شرح النووي على مسلم (16/ 178).

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commands his Ummah to shun seven ruinous crimes and sins. When asked about them, he outlined them as the following: First: associating partners with Allah by taking anyone or anything as a peer and equal to Him and by devoting any act of worship to other than Allah Almighty. He began with polytheism because it is the gravest sin. Second: magic, which includes knots, incantations, treatments, and making smoke, affects the bewitched person's body, causing him to die or fall ill, or it causes separation between husband and wife. It is the work of the devil and mostly cannot be performed except through polytheism and pleasing the evil spirits by doing any of the things they like. Third: killing a person whose killing Allah has prohibited except by a legal cause implemented by the ruler. Fourth: consuming usury by taking it or any other form of benefit. Fifth: encroaching upon the property of a child whose father died before he reaches puberty. Sixth: fleeing the battle with the disbelievers. Seventh: accusing chaste and noble women of adultery, as well as accusing men.

1. Major sins are not limited to seven, but these seven are singled out due to their graveness and danger.
2. It is permissible to kill a person in legal retribution, for apostasy, or for committing adultery after getting married, with this being carried out by the legitimate ruler.

صحيح البخاري (4/ 10) (2766). صحيح مسلم (1/ 92) (89). شرح صحيح البخارى لابن بطال (8/ 489). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، للشيخ صالح الفوزان (ص201).

This Hadīth reports the reason why the first son of Adam will share a part of the guilt or responsibility of all the blood that is spilled subsequent to him. The name of the killer is said to be Qābīl (Cain) and the victim Hābīl (Abel), but this was not reported with an authentic chain of transmission. Qābīl killed his brother Hābīl out of envy towards him. They are the first killer and victim among the children of Adam, so Qābīl is responsible for part of the sin of all the blood that is spilled after him because he was the first to commit murder, and everyone who murders after him has followed his example regardless of the means that they use.

تطريز رياض الصالحين، فيصل بن عبد العزيز المبارك، تحقيق: عبد العزيز بن عبد الله آل حمد، دار العاصمة للنشر والتوزيع، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى 1423هـ، 2002م. دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين، محمد علي بن البكري بن علان، اعتنى بها: خليل مأمون شيحا، دار المعرفة، بيروت، الطبعة: الرابعة 1425هـ. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، أبو زكريا محيي الدين النووي، تحقيق ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، الطبعة: الأولى 1428هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين برئاسة حمد بن ناصر العمار، كنوز إشبيليا، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى 1430هـ. صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423هـ.

A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, what if a man comes to me wanting to take my money? He said: You are not required to submit to him and give him your money. He said: What if he fights with me? He said: You are permitted to fight him. He said: What if he kills me? He said: Then you would be a martyr. He said: What if I kill him? He said: He deserves to be punished in Hellfire on the Day of Judgment.

1. An-Nawawi said: Defending one's womenfolk is obligatory without disagreement. As for defending oneself to the point of killing, there is a difference of opinion in our school and others; whereas, defending one's wealth is permissible but not obligatory.
2. The Hadīth is evidence that knowledge precedes action, as this Companion asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about what was required of him before acting.
3. One should follow a gradual approach in repelling an aggressor—by advising him or calling for help—before resorting to fighting him. But if it starts fighting, the aim should be to repel him, not to kill him.
4. The blood, wealth, and honor of a Muslim are inviolable.
5. An-Nawawi said: Know that martyrdom is of three categories. The first is the one killed in battle against the disbelievers due to one of the causes of the fighting. This person has the rulings of martyrs both in the Hereafter and in worldly terms, meaning he is not to be washed or prayed over. The second is considered a martyr in terms of reward only, not in worldly rulings—such as the one who dies of a stomach illness, the one who dies in a plague, the one who dies under a collapsed building, the one killed while defending his wealth, and others whom authentic Hadīths have referred to as martyrs. Such a person is washed and prayed over, yet he receives the reward of martyrs in the Hereafter, though not necessarily equal to the reward of the first category. The third is someone who, for example, stole from the war booty or committed similar acts, and for whom narrations have come denying him the title of martyr, even if he was killed in battle against the disbelievers. This person has the rulings of martyrs in the worldly sense—so he is not washed or prayed over—but he does not receive the full reward of martyrs in the Hereafter.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 124) (140). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (2/ 449). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 936). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (5/ 389).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that it is hoped for the Muslim sinner to be pardoned and forgiven by Allah except for the one who declares his sin out of boastfulness and rudeness. Such a person does not deserve pardon as he sins at night, then, although Allah conceals his sin, in the morning, he tells others of committing such-and-such sin the night before. He spends his night screened by his Lord, but he removes Allah's screen in the morning and exposes himself.

1. The hideousness of publicizing sin after being concealed by Allah Almighty.
2. Publicizing sins entails spreading immorality among Muslims.
3. Whomever Allah screens in this life, He will screen in the Hereafter, which is a manifestation of Allah's extensive mercy towards His slaves.
4. Whoever is afflicted with a sin must cover himself and repent to Allah.
5. The terrible guilt of those who publicize sins on purpose and who, therefore, miss the chance of being forgiven.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 20) (6069). صحيح مسلم (4/ 2291) (2990). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (3/ 15). منار القاري شرح مختصر صحيح البخاري، لحمزة قاسم (5/ 251). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 329). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 255).