What is your opinion regarding Ibn Hazm's statement that the Prophets do not commit either major or minor sins?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner: All right, our Shaykh, regarding the attribution of sins to the Prophets, Ibn Hazm mentioned in the fourth volume of his book "Al-Milal" that some scholars said they do not commit major sins, and that some scholars said that sins, in the case of the Prophets, are minor sins. So he prefers the view that they are neither major nor minor sins, and naturally he brings evidence... So what do we know of your opinion on this matter?
The Shaykh: We need to understand first of all what major sins are; the concept is clear. What are minor sins? It is not clear what that means.
The questioner: I mean, some of the scholars said.
The Shaykh: Do not repeat what you said.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Say what he means by minor sins, where he denied them?
The questioner: Ah, I mean the minor sins that are understood by us.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner: The ones that are less than major sins.
The Shaykh: All right, so what is the meaning of Adam's sin?
The questioner: Adam is mentioned—for example—regarding our master Adam (peace be upon him).
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner: Then he brings another proof that this, or this disobedience, was due to forgetfulness from Adam or [Taha 20:115].
The Shaykh: This is a deviation from the question, first of all. What is this sin, according to what you quoted, is it not major nor minor, what is it?
The questioner: The apparent meaning of the verses is that.
The Shaykh: No, it is not its apparent meaning to him; it is to him.
The questioner: To him, it is not major nor minor.
The Shaykh: My brother, do not repeat the words, do not repeat the words. I am only asking: he says this, so what does he say about the verse?
The questioner: He says about the verse that its apparent meaning is that it is a major sin, and the sin is major.
The Shaykh: All right, is it a major sin? Is it not minor? If it is not minor, then what is it? Yes.
The student: Telephone.
The Shaykh: Yes, open the door and put a cordless telephone.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: We need to understand first of all what major sins are; the concept is clear. What are minor sins? It is not clear what that means.
The questioner: I mean, some of the scholars said.
The Shaykh: Do not repeat what you said.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Say what he means by minor sins, where he denied them?
The questioner: Ah, I mean the minor sins that are understood by us.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner: The ones that are less than major sins.
The Shaykh: All right, so what is the meaning of Adam's sin?
The questioner: Adam is mentioned—for example—regarding our master Adam (peace be upon him)
And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred
وَعَصَى آدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَىThe Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner: Then he brings another proof that this, or this disobedience, was due to forgetfulness from Adam
And he forgot
فَنَسِيَbut he forgot; and We found not in him determination.
فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًاThe Shaykh: This is a deviation from the question, first of all
And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred
وَعَصَى آدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَىThe questioner: The apparent meaning of the verses is that.
The Shaykh: No, it is not its apparent meaning to him; it is to him.
The questioner: To him, it is not major nor minor.
The Shaykh: My brother, do not repeat the words, do not repeat the words. I am only asking: he says this, so what does he say about the verse?
The questioner: He says about the verse that its apparent meaning is that it is a major sin, and the sin is major.
The Shaykh: All right, is it a major sin? Is it not minor? If it is not minor, then what is it? Yes.
The student: Telephone.
The Shaykh: Yes, open the door and put a cordless telephone.
The questioner : ... .
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.