رَّبِّ اَعُوۡذُ بِکَ مِنۡ ھَمَزٰتِ الشَّیٰطِیۡنِ ۙ واَعُوۡذُ بِکَ رَبِّ اَنۡ یَّحۡضُرُوۡن ؕ۔
بِسۡمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِۙ۔
The Major Sins.
Certain actions become ingrained in a person's nature and ultimately destroy both their social and family lives. Allah Almighty has categorized such deeds as The Major Sins. Although these actions do not directly wound one's faith—as disbelief or forbidden acts do—they certainly weaken it. Those who commit the major sins lose their dignity in this world and, in the Hereafter, will stand among the guilty in the presence of Allah Almighty.
1. Accusation / Allegation (Tohmat).
Falsely accusing chaste women or men of adultery is termed *tuhmat* (slander). The Quran strongly condemns such slander. God declares: do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.
The Quran prescribes a severe punishment for making a false accusation (Tuhmat), which underscores the gravity of the offense. God declares: "And those who level baseless accusations against chaste women—and then fail to produce four witnesses—inflict upon them a punishment of eighty lashes, and never again accept their testimony. Such are the disobedient."
وَيۡلٌ لِّـكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةِ ۙ ﴿۱﴾
Woe to every (kind of) Allegation, Calumny and-backbiting.
وَالَّذِيۡنَ يَرۡمُوۡنَ الۡمُحۡصَنٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَاۡتُوۡا بِاَرۡبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ فَاجۡلِدُوۡهُمۡ ثَمٰنِيۡنَ جَلۡدَةً وَّلَا تَقۡبَلُوۡا لَهُمۡ شَهَادَةً اَبَدًا ۚ وَاُولٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ الۡفٰسِقُوۡنَ ۙ ﴿۴﴾
Q-24:04And those who falsely accuse chaste women and then fail to produce four witnesses—flog them with eighty lashes and never accept their testimony thereafter. Such people are defiantly disobedient.
اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ يُحِبُّوۡنَ اَنۡ تَشِيۡعَ الۡفَاحِشَةُ فِى الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِيۡمٌۙ فِى الدُّنۡيَا وَالۡاٰخِرَةِؕ وَاللّٰهُ يَعۡلَمُ وَاَنۡـتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۱۹﴾
Q-24:19Indeed, those who love to see immorality spread among the believers will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And God knows, while you do not know.
وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَـيۡسَ لَـكَ بِهٖ عِلۡمٌ ؕ اِنَّ السَّمۡعَ وَالۡبَصَرَ وَالۡفُؤَادَ كُلُّ اُولٰۤٮِٕكَ كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡـُٔوۡلًا ﴿۳۶﴾
Q-17:36Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—about all of these you will be questioned.
2. Calumny / Slander (Buhtan).
Calumny is an act in which a person commits a crime or a wrong and then falsely accuses another innocent person of it. Allah Almighty counts this among the major sins. One will have to bear the burden of this sin in the Hereafter.
وَمَنۡ يَّكۡسِبۡ خَطِيۡٓـــَٔةً اَوۡ اِثۡمًا ثُمَّ يَرۡمِ بِهٖ بَرِيۡٓــًٔـا فَقَدِ احۡتَمَلَ بُهۡتَانًا وَّاِثۡمًا مُّبِيۡنًا ﴿۱۱۲﴾
If anyone commits a crime or a sin and then casts the blame upon an innocent person, he has committed slander and incurred a grave sin.
وَيۡلٌ لِّـكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةِ ۙ ﴿۱﴾
Q-104:01Woe to every (kind of) Allegation, Calumny and-backbiting.
3. Gheebat' (backbiting).
Speaking about a believer behind their back regarding their physical attributes, character, financial status, or children—in a manner they would dislike (even if the statement is true) or causes them disrepute in society is termed 'Gheebat' (backbiting). In the sight of God, the backbiter is like a person eating the flesh of his own dead brother. God punishes this grave sin with disgrace in this world, and a painful torment awaits the offender in the Hereafter.
وَيۡلٌ لِّـكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةِ ۙ ﴿۱﴾
Woe to every (kind of) Allegation, Calumny and-backbiting.
يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اجۡتَنِبُوۡا كَثِيۡرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ ؗ اِنَّ بَعۡضَ الظَّنِّ اِثۡمٌ وَّلَا تَجَسَّسُوۡا وَلَا يَغۡتَبْ بَّعۡضُكُمۡ بَعۡضًا ؕ اَ يُحِبُّ اَحَدُكُمۡ اَنۡ يَّاۡكُلَ لَحۡمَ اَخِيۡهِ مَيۡتًا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوۡهُ ؕ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ ﴿۱۲﴾
Q-49:12O you who believe, avoid much suspicion, for some suspicion is sinful. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite each other. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would detest it. So, fear God. Indeed, God is Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful.
4. Telling lies.
Lying is a human tendency whose roots run deep within society. Its consequences are destructive not only at the individual level but also at the social level. This reaches its peak when people swear by God to support their lies—as if taking His name gives them license to deceive. Indeed, such people are in denial of God. They may gain a small benefit in their daily lives, but in the Hereafter, they deserve a painful punishment.
God says! The devils continue to descend on a man who lies.
وَلَا تَقُوۡلُوۡا لِمَا تَصِفُ اَلۡسِنَـتُكُمُ الۡكَذِبَ هٰذَا حَلٰلٌ وَّهٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّـتَفۡتَرُوۡا عَلَى اللّٰهِ الۡكَذِبَؕ اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ يَفۡتَرُوۡنَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ الۡكَذِبَ لَا يُفۡلِحُوۡنَؕ ﴿۱۱۶﴾ مَتَاعٌ قَلِيۡلٌ وَّلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِيۡمٌ ﴿۱۱۷﴾
And do not fabricate lies with your tongues, saying, “This is lawful and that is forbidden,” so as to invent falsehood against God. Indeed, those who fabricate lies about God will not succeed. (116) These (people) gain a little benefit from this world, but for them is a painful punishment. (117)
هَلۡ اُنَبِّئُكُمۡ عَلٰى مَنۡ تَنَزَّلُ الشَّيٰـطِيۡنُؕ ﴿۲۲۱﴾ تَنَزَّلُ عَلٰى كُلِّ اَفَّاكٍ اَثِيۡمٍۙ ﴿۲۲۲﴾
Q-26:221-222Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend? (221) They descend upon every sinful liar. (222)
5. poetry.
Poetry that promotes misguidance, obscenity, immorality, or opposes Islamic teachings—or that corrupts belief and creates doubt— will be severely punished.
God places a curse upon poets; consequently, they are often seen wandering aimlessly through the valleys. Their homes are frequently devoid of provisions, and they must wait for social gatherings to enjoy fine food. In short, poetry is a pursuit fraught with misfortune, wherein the poet himself remains unable to practice what he preaches.
يُّلۡقُوۡنَ السَّمۡعَ وَاَكۡثَرُهُمۡ كٰذِبُوۡنَؕ ﴿۲۲۳﴾ وَالشُّعَرَآءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الۡغَاوٗنَؕ ﴿۲۲۴﴾ اَلَمۡ تَرَ اَنَّهُمۡ فِىۡ كُلِّ وَادٍ يَّهِيۡمُوۡنَۙ ﴿۲۲۵﴾ وَاَنَّهُمۡ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ مَا لَا يَفۡعَلُوۡنَۙ ﴿۲۲۶﴾
They listen to them, and most of them are liars. And the poets are followed only by those who are misguided. (224) Have you not seen how they wander distracted in every valley? (225) And what they say, they themselves do not do. (226)
6. Bribes: giving and taking not acceptable.
In Islam, buying justice and bribing those in authority are prohibited. Both giving and taking bribes are sinful acts.
وَلَا تَاۡكُلُوۡٓا اَمۡوَالَـكُمۡ بَيۡنَكُمۡ بِالۡبَاطِلِ وَتُدۡلُوۡا بِهَآ اِلَى الۡحُـکَّامِ لِتَاۡکُلُوۡا فَرِيۡقًا مِّنۡ اَمۡوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالۡاِثۡمِ وَاَنۡـتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿۱۸۸﴾
And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, nor offer it to those in authority (as a bribe) in order to wrongfully consume a portion of other people’s wealth while you know.
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