The Difference Between Minor and Major Sins and the Enumeration of Major Sins
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
The questioner asks: Is there a difference between minor sins and major sins?
The Shaykh:
Yes, there is a clear difference. Major sins are not forgiven except through repentance, whereas minor sins are forgiven by means such as performing the obligatory acts and duties. Allah the Exalted said:[Hud 11:114] The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 233b And Ramadan to Ramadan is an expiation for what is between them, provided that major sins are avoided. So minor sins are expiated by good deeds, by good deeds, by obligatory acts, and by avoiding major sins. Whoever avoids major sins, Allah will expiate his minor sins [An-Nisa 4:31].
The questioner:
May Allah reward you. Are major sins limited to the seven destructive sins as mentioned in the hadith?
The Shaykh:
The major sins are numerous, but these seven destructive ones are the most severe of the major sins; otherwise, the major sins are many.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
The questioner asks: Is there a difference between minor sins and major sins?
The Shaykh:
Yes, there is a clear difference. Major sins are not forgiven except through repentance, whereas minor sins are forgiven by means such as performing the obligatory acts and duties. Allah the Exalted said:
And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds
وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِThe five (daily) prayers and one Friday prayer to (the next) Friday
الصلوات الخمس والجمعة إلى الجمعةIf you avoid the major sins which you are forbidden, We will remove from you your lesser sins
إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْThe questioner:
May Allah reward you. Are major sins limited to the seven destructive sins as mentioned in the hadith?
The Shaykh:
The major sins are numerous, but these seven destructive ones are the most severe of the major sins; otherwise, the major sins are many.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 31/10 شرح كتاب التوحيد / الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com (50:47)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.