The greatest seven sins in Islam!

The Prophet (pbuh) instructs us to avoid seven great destructive sins and warns us from committing them. These sins are destructive because they destruct their doers in the worldly life and in the hereafter too.

 “Avoid the seven sins that doom a person to Hell.” We said: What are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Associating others with Allah (shirk); witchcraft; killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden us to kill, except in cases dictated by Islamic law; consuming orphans’ wealth; consuming riba; fleeing from the battlefield; and slandering chaste, innocent women.”   Our prophet (pbuh) said

Shirk

The greatest of these sins is shirk (associating others with Allah), which leads to doom with no hope of redemption, and if a person dies in this state he will abide in Hell for all eternity. 

Allah Almighty says: {Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away}

“And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), as it was to those (Allah’s Messengers) before you: "If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers”

Witchcraft

All kinds of magic (e.g. illusions, acts of devils after endearing the self to them by committing the sins to have their help in harming the hearts and the bodies by the will of Allah or using chemical substances to change pictures and the characteristics for planting fear) are great evil and grave sin.

The majority of the scholars agreed upon counting magic as disbelief and considering the person who learns it as an infidel, because Allah Almighty says: {They followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of Sulaiman (Solomon). Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic}

Killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden us to kill.

This is a serious crime of which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him”

Killing a soul, or murder, is one of the most serious of crimes, but it is a major sin of a lesser degree than shirk (associating others with Allah). It is a major sin like fornication/adultery, theft and so on. The one who does that is not a disbeliever unless he regards it as permissible to do that. Hence Allah, may He be glorified, says concerning him:

“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him”

Consuming Riba (usury)

This refers to dealing with riba which Allah has prohibited. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says concerning it (interpretation of the meaning): “Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba”  “O you who believe! Fear Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Ribaa (from now onward) if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger”. Consuming Riba is a major sin which it is essential to avoid.   

Also, He Almighty gave a notice of war to the usurers if they did not give up what remained from usury; He Almighty says: {O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Riba (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. (278) And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums)

Consuming the wealth of an Orphan

“And do not approach the property of an orphan, except in the way that is best, until he reaches maturity.”

 The orphan is the person who lost his father in his childhood and did not grow up to the maturity. Islam cared for orphans’ properties and rights and assigned for every orphan someone to be responsible for his growing up, education, developing his money and training him to be able to care for his own affairs. Allah has warned those who eat the properties of the orphans by His saying: {Verily, those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, they eat up only fire into their bellies, and they will be burnt in the blazing Fire!}

Fleeing the battlefield

Fleeing from the battlefield. When the Muslims meet the disbelievers in battle, the one who flees and deserts his brothers on the day of battle, when the disbelievers march against the Muslims or the Muslims march against the disbelievers – the one who flees and deserts his brothers is subject to this stern warning (interpretation of the meaning): “unless it be a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own)” [al-Anfaal 8:16] that is, unless he is recruiting to prepare himself, bring his weapon and put on his armour in preparation for fighting, which does not do any harm, or he is moving from one detachment to another, or from one rank to another, or from one group to another, as part of a plan against the enemy.

 Accusing a believing woman of Adultery

Chastity is the essence of humanity’s honor. Accusing the chaste woman who never even think of anything touching chastity and is good believer destroys the family institution, tears the unity of the community, spreads evil between people, degrades the nation’s honor and plants hatred and grudge between

Thus Allah (swt)  has issued a stern warning against making accusations against chaste women, as He says: “Verily, those who accuse chaste women”, i.e., those who refrain from immoral actions, “who never even think of anything touching their chastity”, and such things would never cross their minds, “and are good believers — are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter.”