Hadith on 7 Major Sins in Islam
In a hadith that was narrated by the two Shaykhs, al-Bukhari and Muslim, and recorded in as-Sahihayn, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) detailed the seven sins that doom a person to Hell. He said: “Avoid the seven sins that doom a person to Hell.” “What are they, O Messenger of Allah?” we questioned. He said: “Associating others with Allah (shirk); witchcraft; killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden us to kill, except in cases dictated by Islamic law; consuming orphans’ wealth; consuming riba; fleeing from the battlefield; and slandering chaste, innocent women.”
Let’s learn more about these 7 major sins in Islam.
7 major sins in Islam
1. Shirk
The worst of these 7 major sins in Islam is shirk (associating others with Allah), which results in eternal punishment in Hell if a person dies in this position and has no chance of being saved. Allah Almighty says:
“Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers.” [al-Maidah 5:72]
“It is not for the Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah), to maintain the Mosques of Allah (i.e. to pray and worship Allah therein, to look after their cleanliness and their building, etc.), while they witness against their own selves of disbelief. The works of such are in vain and in Fire shall they abide.” [at-Tawbah 9:17]
“And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), as it was to those (Allah’s messengers) before you: “If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.” [az-Zumar 39:65]
2. Witchcraft
Witchcraft entails shirk since it involves worshipping the jinn and enlisting their assistance to lead people astray. It is the second worst sin of the 7 Major Sins in Islam.
The person who uses the jinn to hurt people and worships them rather than Allah is said to be a witchcraft practitioner. He sometimes causes them harm with his words, deeds, and blowing on knots; other times, he achieves this by creating delusions to the point where anything may be perceived as something it is not, such as Allah, may He be praised, said with reference to Pharaoh’s sorcerers (reading of the context):
“…their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast.” [Ta-Ha 20:66]
“So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic.” [al-A’raf 7:116]
And they may accomplish this by creating illusions to make things appear to be something they are not. A person might be perceived as something other than what they actually are, a rock might be perceived as an egg, a rope or stick might be perceived as a snake, and so on. Such a person is among the unbelievers, and if their guilt is established by a judge, the Muslim authority is obligated to have the witchcraft practitioner put to death.
Because of the severity of their evil and the threat they posed, Amir al-Muminin ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to his governors in greater Syria and elsewhere, ordering them to murder any witchcraft practitioner, male or female.
Also Read: Types of Jinn in Islam
3. Killing
Killing a soul that Allah forbade us from doing so. It is the third major sin of the 7 Major Sins in Islam. This grievous offense is described by Allah as follows (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him.” [an-Nisa 4:93]
One of the most serious crimes is murder, which is also one of the most serious sins, yet it is less serious than shirk (associating others with Allah). It is a serious sin, comparable to adultery, theft, and other sins. Unless they feel that it is acceptable to do so, those who act in such a manner are not unbelievers. Thus, Allah, may He be praised, declares the following of him:
“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him.” [an-Nisa 4:93]
If he thinks the punishment is acceptable, he will remain in it indefinitely; if not, he will remain there for a while, but it will eventually cease. The time that Muslims who commit sins will spend in Hell will be there for a while, but it will come to an end. The disbelievers’ stay will continue indefinitely. “Avoid the seven sins that doom a person to Hell.”, advised the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). ” What are they, O Messenger of Allah?” we questioned. He said: “Associating others with Allah (shirk); witchcraft; killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden us to kill, except in cases dictated by Islamic law…”
In cases where there is a good reason to execute the criminal, such as banditry, where the criminal tries to harm travelers by seizing their wealth on the road, beating them up, or killing them – he is to be executed because of his great evil – execution is mandated by Islamic law. Other cases include the execution of a person who kills another when both parties are of equal standing and the previously married adulterer by stoning.
4. Consuming riba
Consuming riba is the act of engaging in exploitative gains (usury), which Allah forbade. Regarding it, Allah, may He be praised and honored, declares the following (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba.” [al-Baqarah 2:275]
“O you who believe! Fear Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Riba (from now onward) if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger.” [al-Baqarah 2:278]
Consuming riba is a serious sin that must be avoided. It is one of the 7 Major Sins in Islam.
5. Using up orphans’ wealth
The person who is an orphan is one who lost his father when he was a young child and has not yet reached puberty. Orphans need to be treated with kindness, their money protected, allowed to flourish, and handled with care. Because the orphan is helpless and he has transgressed against him by consuming his money, the person who destroys the orphan’s wealth and consumes it illegally receives a strong warning. He is the target of this strong warning, yet he is not a nonbeliever; rather, he is a sinner as long as he does not think that is acceptable.
Also Read: Rights of Orphans in Islam (Rights of Yateems)
6. Abandoning the Battlefield
The one who flees and deserts his brothers on the day of battle, whether the disbelievers are marching against the Muslims or the Muslims are marching against the disbelievers, will receive this stern warning (interpretation of the meaning): “unless it is a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own)” [al-Anfal 8:16] That is, unless he is enlisting to get ready for battle by bringing his weapon and donning his armour, which is harmless, or he is switching from one detachment to another, or from one rank to another, or from one group to another as part of a strategy against enemy.
7. Falsely accusing innocent believing women
One of the seven sins that damn one to Hell and for which one is deserving of eighty lashes is slandering chaste women, which is equivalent to accusing them of Zina (adultery or fornication), by saying: She committed Zina, or She called someone to commit Zina, but he is lying. As Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes” [an-Nur 24:4]. Slandering chaste men or women is a serious offense, but the Qur’an refers to women because it is more common for women to be accused of such things. However, if someone falsely accuses a chaste man of having committed Zina, he is required to provide four witnesses or face receiving eighty lashes.
Also Read: How to Stop Zina in Islam
These are the 7 major sins in Islam that send a person to Hell. We pray to Allah to keep us secure. We hope you learned everything about the 7 Major Sins in Islam. May Allah increase you in knowledge. Read more Islamic Blogs and Articles. Or Check out our social media for daily Islamic reminders.
