The difference between major sins and minor sins

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Ibn al-Qayyim
(may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sins may be divided into minor sins and
major sins, according to the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah, the consensus
of the early generations, and how they are regarded by scholars. End quote.

Madaarij as-Saalikeen
(1/315)

Once we know
what major sins are, then we will know what minor sins are.

There are
various scholarly views concerning the definition of major sins, after
establishing the fact that they are not limited to the seven (mentioned in a
well-known hadith).

Al-Haafiz said:

It was said that
the major sin is that for which the doer is subject to a warning of
punishment in a text of the Qur’an or Sunnah.

Ibn ‘Abd
as-Salaam said: I have not come across any definition of major sin that
could be completely free of some flaws. The best is to define it as any sin
that could indicate that the level of negligence of the one who commits it
is like the level of negligence of one who commits the least of the major
sins mentioned in the texts. Some defined it as any sin that is accompanied
by a warning of punishment or being cursed.

Ibn as-Salaah
said: Major sins have indications such as: the stipulation of hadd
punishments for such acts; a warning of punishment in Hell and the like in
the Qur’an or Sunnah; a description of the doer as an evildoer; and mention
of a curse upon the one who does it.

Ismaa‘eel
al-Qaadi narrated, with a sound chain of narration from al-Hasan al-Basri,
that the latter said: Every deed concerning which Allah, may He be exalted,
warned the doer of Hell is a major sin.

One of the best
definitions is that given by al-Qurtubi in al-Mufhim: Every sin
concerning which a text of the Qur’an or Sunnah, or scholarly consensus,
states that it is a major sin or a grave sin, or mentioned a severe
punishment for it, or decreed a hadd punishment for it, or denounced it in
the strongest terms, is a major sin.

Based on that,
one can check the texts and see where mention is made of a warning of
punishment or curse, or a deed is described as evildoing, in the Quran and
saheeh or hasan hadiths. We may add to that cases where the text of the
Qur’an or the saheeh or hasan hadith state clearly that an act is a major
sin. Al-Haleemi said in al-Minhaaj: There is no sin but it is either
minor or major. A minor sin may become a major sin when there is something
to indicate that, and a major sin may become a faahishah (shameful,
abhorrent deed) by the same token. For example, killing a soul unlawfully is
a major sin, but if someone kills an ascendant (parent or grandparent) or a
descendant (child or grandchild) or a relative, or he kills someone in the
Haram (sanctuary), or during the sacred months, then it is a faahishah. Zina
(unlawful sex) is a major sin, but if it is with a neighbour’s wife or a
mahram (close relative) or during the month of Ramadan, or in the Haram,
then it is a faahishah.

Stealing less
than the threshold amount [that is, less than the value of stolen goods at
which the hadd punishment of amputating the hand becomes due] is a minor
sin, but if the one from whom it is stolen possesses nothing else and losing
it will lead to him becoming vulnerable, then it becomes a major sin.

End quote from
al-Haafiz.

See: Tafseer
Ibn Katheer (2/285-286].

Shaykh al-Islam
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the major sins
mentioned in the Qur’an and hadith: is there a definition by which one may
recognise them?

He replied:

The best of the
views concerning this issue is that which was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas and
was mentioned by Abu ‘Ubaydah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others. It is the view
that the minor sin is that for which no punishment is specified in this
world or the hereafter. This is similar to what was said by those who say
that it is a sin that is not subject to a hadd punishment in this world. And
it is similar to what was said by those who say that any sin concerning
which mention is made of a curse, divine wrath or warning of Hell is a major
sin. And it is similar to what was said by those who say that the minor sin
is that concerning which there is no hadd punishment in this world, and no
warning of punishment in the hereafter – that is, a specific warning such as
a warning of Hell, divine wrath or curse.

Similarly, every
sin concerning which the doer is warned that he will not enter Paradise or
even smell the fragrance of Paradise, or it was said concerning it that the
one who does it is not one of us, or the one who does it is a wrongdoer –
all of these are major sins. End quote.

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa
(11/650-652). See also Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (11/658-659); Madaarij
As-Saalikeen by Ibn al-Qayyim (1/315-327)

There is a
report which appears to limit the major sins to seven:

Al-Bukhaari
(2767) and Muslim (89) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“Avoid the seven sins that doom a person to Hell.” It was said: What are
they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Associating others with Allah (shirk);
witchcraft (sihr); killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden us to
kill, except in cases dictated by Islamic law; consuming riba; consuming
orphans’ wealth; fleeing from the battlefield; and slandering chaste,
innocent women.”

At-Tabaraani
narrated in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat (5709) from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (may
Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The major sins are seven: associating
others with Allah (shirk); killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden us
to kill, except in cases dictated by Islamic law; slandering chaste women;
fleeing from the battlefield; consuming riba; consuming orphans’ wealth; and
going back to living in the desert like Bedouin after having migrated (hijrah).”

Classed as hasan
by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (4606)

But this is not
intended to limit the number of major sins to seven.

Al-Haafiz said
in al-Fath:

At-Tabari
narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that it was said to him: The major sins are seven.
He said: They are more than seven plus seven. According to another report
from him: They are closer to seventy. According to another report: They are
closer to seven hundred. His words may be interpreted as emphasising that
the hadith is not to be understood literally as meaning that there are only
seven. End quote.

There are three
points to which we should pay attention and be aware of:

Firstly:

Persisting in a
minor sin may make it a major sin.

Al-Qaraafi said:
A minor sin does not undermine a person’s integrity or make him an evildoer,
unless he persists in it, in which case it becomes a major sin.… There is no
minor sin if one persists in it, and there is no major sin if it is followed
by prayer for forgiveness, as the early generations said… What they mean by
prayer for forgiveness is repentance fulfilling all the necessary
conditions, not asking for forgiveness whilst persisting in the sin and not
intending to give it up. End quote.

Al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah
(34/156)

Ibn al-Qayyim
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Persisting in a
minor sin may incur a burden of sin equivalent to a major sin or even more.
End quote.

Ighaathat al-Lahfaan
(2/151)

Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

If a person
persists in a minor sin and that becomes his habit, then it becomes a major
sin because of persisting in it, not because of the deed in and of itself.
Talking to a woman on the phone for the purpose of pleasure is haraam, but
it is not a major sin. However, if a person persists in doing that and it
becomes his main focus to call these women and talk to them, then it becomes
a major sin. Persisting in a minor sin makes it a major sin because of
persisting in it, because persisting in a minor sin indicates that one is
heedless of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, or that one does not
care about the prohibitions of Allah. End quote.

Liqa’ al-Baab
al-Maftooh
(5/172)

Secondly:

Thinking lightly
of minor sins leads to doom. Ahmad (3808) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn
Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Beware of these sins that
are regarded as insignificant, for they will accumulate until they destroy a
man.”

The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave a likeness of such
deeds: the likeness of “people who stopped to camp in the wilderness, and
they wanted to prepare some food, so one man went and brought a stick, and
another man brought a stick, until they had gathered a huge pile and lit a
fire, and whatever they put in the pot was cooked as a result.”

Classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Targheeb (2470).

See also the
answer to question no. 22422.

Avoiding major
sins is an expiation for minor sins.

No one is free
of sin in his daily life, whether that sin has to do with the relationship
between him and his Lord, or between him and other people. So let him strive
to purify his record constantly, and let him know that if he keeps away from
sins that could lead to doom, major sins and sins that could doom a person
to hell, Allah may forgive him for small faults other than that. Allah, may
He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“If
you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall remit from
you your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise)”

[an-Nisa’ 4:31]

“Those
who avoid great sins) and Al-Fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)
except the small faults, verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness”
[an-Najm 53:32].

Al-Haafiz Ibn
Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Al-Khattaabi
said: What is meant by small faults is what Allah, may He be exalted,
mentioned in the verse “Those
who avoid great sins) and Al-Fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)
except the small faults”;
this is what is overlooked. In the other verse He said: “If
you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall remit from
you your (small) sins”.
From the two verses we understand that the small faults are minor sins, and
that they may be remitted or expiated if one avoids major sins.

End quote.

And Allah knows
best.