The Book of Faith-09a
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The reciter: Amr ibn Muhammad ibn Bakir ibn Muhammad al-Naqid narrated to us, and Isma'il ibn Iliyyah narrated to us from Sa'id al-Jurayri, and Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakrah narrated to us from his father, who said: Sahih Muslim 87.
The Shaykh : His statement: The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed regarding the major sins: are they identified by counting or by definition? Some said they are identified by counting, and they counted them, following every hadith that mentioned the major sins, saying: "This is one of the major sins." According to this view, everything else is among the minor sins. Others said they are identified by definition, and they differed on what that definition is: is it, for example, that the doer is cursed, or that Allah is angry with him, or something similar? The most comprehensive view is what Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned, and others before him mentioned: that a major sin is what has a specific punishment prescribed for it, meaning a specific one. So whatever has a specific punishment prescribed for it is among the major sins. This is because prohibitions are divided into two categories: a category where the prohibition is mentioned, or it is said to be forbidden, or it is said to be not permissible, or something similar, without a specific punishment being mentioned for it. We say that these are minor sins; they are forbidden and minor.
And another category where a specific punishment is mentioned for it, or a specific description is given for it; these are among the major sins. Then they are not all equal; even among the major sins, there are greater ones, lesser ones, and intermediate ones. The evidence for this is the hadith of Abu Bakr, where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 88b And based on this, we say: Zina is among the major sins, because a specific punishment and a specific description were mentioned for it: And the one who commits zina is flogged one hundred lashes and stoned according to what the Shari'ah requires.
This is the best that has been said regarding the definition of a major sin. Then, as I told you, the major sins are divided into greater major sins, lesser major sins, and intermediate ones.
We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he observed: Should I not inform you about the most grievous of the grave sins? (The Holy Prophet) repeated it three times, and then said: Associating anyone with Allah, disobedience to parents, false testimony or false utterance. The Prophet was reclining, then he sat up, and he repeated it so many times that we wished that he should become silent.
كنا عند رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: ألا أنبئكم بأكبر الكبائر؟ ثلاثا الإشراك بالله، وعقوق الوالدين، وشهادة الزور - أو قول الزور - وكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم متكئا، فجلس فما زال يكررها حتى قلنا : ليته سكتThe Shaykh : His statement:
Chapter on the Explanation of the Major Sins
باب بيان الكبائرAnd another category where a specific punishment is mentioned for it, or a specific description is given for it; these are among the major sins. Then they are not all equal; even among the major sins, there are greater ones, lesser ones, and intermediate ones. The evidence for this is the hadith of Abu Bakr, where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Should I not inform you about the gravest of the major sins
ألا أنبئكم بأكبر الكبائر؟And do not approach zina. Indeed, it is a shameful act.
ولا تقربوا الزنا إنه كان فاحشةThis is the best that has been said regarding the definition of a major sin. Then, as I told you, the major sins are divided into greater major sins, lesser major sins, and intermediate ones.