Sins are Major and Minor – Shaykh Fawzaan
إِن تَجۡتَنِبُواْ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنۡهَوۡنَ عَنۡهُ نُكَفِّرۡ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَنُدۡخِلۡكُم مُّدۡخَلًا كَرِيمًا
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
Allah’s statement contains a clear indication that sins are of different types: major and minor. Whoever avoids the major sins, Allah will pardon and forgive their minor sins. This is a promise from Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
وَنُدۡخِلۡكُم مُّدۡخَلًا كَرِيمًا
and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise). An-Nisa’ 4:31
This too is a promise from Allah. Within this verse lies a refutation of the methodology of the Khawarij and the Mu’tazilah, who claim that the perpetrator of a major sin exits the fold of Islam. In contrast, the methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah is the truth—balanced, far removed from extremism, negligence, exaggeration (ghuloo) and transgression in the religion.
ٱلَّذِينَ يَجۡتَنِبُونَ كَبَٰٓئِرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِۚ
Those who avoid great sins (see the Quran, Verses: 6:152, 153) and Al-Fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) except the small faults, verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness. An-Najm 53:32
This verse is one of the evidences that sins are categorised as major and minor.
كَبَٰٓئِرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ
Major sins; refers to the various acts of disobedience which reach the level of a major sin.
Al-Fawahish is the plural of Faahishah and refers to sins that are especially abhorrent and repulsive.
His statement – the Most High – إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَۚ (except the small faults) refers to minor sins, which are expiated through various means, including:
• Abstaining from major sins, as mentioned in the verse.
• Performing the five daily prayers.
• Enduring calamities that befall a person—such as illness, disease, grief, and the loss of loved ones.
• Even something as small as a Muslim being pricked by a thorn, as is reported in the Hadith.¹
All of these affairs expiate minor sins, this is from the favours of Allah.
Additionally, He the Most High, said in another verse in Surah ash-Shoora,
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَجۡتَنِبُونَ كَبَٰٓئِرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡفَوَٰحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُواْ هُمۡ يَغۡفِرُونَAnd those who avoid the greater sins, and Al-Fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.), and when they are angry, they forgive Ash-Shura 42:37
This verse is another proof that sins are distinguished as major and minor.
Shaykh Fawzaan’s Sharh Kitab Al-Kabaa’ir pgs. 13-15
- Bukhari 5640, Muslim 2572
