“Avoid the seven destructive sins

Arabic text

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «اجْتَنِبُوا السَّبْعَ الْمُوبِقَاتِ»، قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ وَمَا هُنَّ؟ قَالَ: «الشِّرْكُ بِاللهِ، وَالسِّحْرُ، وَقَتْلُ النَّفْسِ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ، وَأَكْلُ الرِّبَا، وَأَكْلُ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ، وَالتَّوَلِّي يَوْمَ الزَّحْفِ، وَقَذْفُ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ».

Translation

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Avoid the seven destructive sins” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, what are they?” He said: “Associating partners with Allah; magic (sorcery); killing a person whose killing Allah has prohibited except by legal right; consuming usury; devouring the property of an orphan; fleeing from the battlefield; and slandering chaste, innocent, and believing women.”

Explanation

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commands his Ummah to shun seven ruinous crimes and sins. When asked about them, he outlined them as the following: First: associating partners with Allah by taking anyone or anything as a peer and equal to Him and by devoting any act of worship to other than Allah Almighty. He began with polytheism because it is the gravest sin. Second: magic, which includes knots, incantations, treatments, and making smoke, affects the bewitched person's body, causing him to die or fall ill, or it causes separation between husband and wife. It is the work of the devil and mostly cannot be performed except through polytheism and pleasing the evil spirits by doing any of the things they like. Third: killing a person whose killing Allah has prohibited except by a legal cause implemented by the ruler. Fourth: consuming usury by taking it or any other form of benefit. Fifth: encroaching upon the property of a child whose father died before he reaches puberty. Sixth: fleeing the battle with the disbelievers. Seventh: accusing chaste and noble women of adultery, as well as accusing men.

Benefits

• Major sins are not limited to seven, but these seven are singled out due to their graveness and danger.
• It is permissible to kill a person in legal retribution, for apostasy, or for committing adultery after getting married, with this being carried out by the legitimate ruler.

Topics

• Virtues and Manners
• Jurisprudence of Ethics
• Heart-Softeners and Sermons
• Blameworthy Morals
• Condemning Sins