Fatwa ID: 07838
Written by Alimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Question:
Are minor sins haram?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Disobeying Allah (ﷻ) and opposing His Will is inherently sinful. Many scholars believe that any disobedience to Allah ﷻ constitutes a major sin (Kabirah), with distinctions between minor and major sins when compared, found as relative to each other. It is critical to understand that a minor sin (Saghirah), although may seem less severe, should not be taken lightly. Repeated or heedless committing of minor sins can escalate them to major sins.
According to the Quran and Sunnah, and as elaborated by respected scholars, major sins (kabairah) are defined by specific criteria’s; sins that incur fixed legal punishments (Hadd) in this life and the hereafter, sins with explicit curses (La’nah) mentioned in the Quran, or those for which a stern warning of Hellfire (Jahannam) is stated.
[Maariful Quran, Vol. 2, p. 406-410]
In Islamic jurisprudence, the distinction between major sins (kabair) and minor sins (saghair) are significant, yet both categories fall under the umbrella of actions that are considered haram or prohibited. Major sins are those explicitly mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah as being particularly severe and often come with specific warnings of divine punishment or prescribed earthly penalties. Examples include shirk (polytheism), zina (adultery), murder, sihr (black magic), and slandering chaste and believing woman.
In comparison, minor sins are less severe but are still haram and displeasing to Allah. They do not carry the same explicit warnings of punishment or specific penalties that major sins do, but they are not to be taken lightly. Repeatedly committing minor sins without seeking forgiveness can diminish a believer’s faith and potentially lead to committing major sins.
Allah ﷻ states:
“If you avoid the major sins forbidden to you, We will absolve you of your ˹lesser˺ misdeeds and admit you into a place of.” [Quran, 4:31]
The Quran does not state that minor sins are any less haram than major sins but rather that if one abstains from major sins then minor sins will be absolved based on one’s efforts to refrain from major sins.
Our Prophet Muhammad emphasised and demonstrated the importance of avoiding all sins, whether minor or major. It has been mentioned in the Quran and further emphasised by our Prophet that minor sins can be forgiven through the accumulation of good deeds through increasing acts of good deeds such as salah (prayer), sawm (fasting), and istighfar (seeking forgiveness). Numerous hadith encourage Muslims to stay away from all sins, to be vigilant about their actions, and to consistently seek forgiveness from Allah to maintain spiritual purity as our Prophet did.
In summary, while minor sins are less grave than major sins, nevertheless they are still considered haram and should be avoided. Believers are encouraged to repent and seek forgiveness for minor sins and engage in good deeds to offset and erase them.
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
وَذَكَرَهُ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، وَغَيْرُهُمَا، وَهُوَ أَنَّ الصَّغِيرَةَ مَا دُونَ الْحَدَّيْنِ: حَدِّ الدُّنْيَا وَحَدِّ الْآخِرَةِ، وَهُوَ مَعْنَى قَوْلِ مَنْ قَالَ مَا لَيْسَ فِيهَا حَدٌّ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَهُوَ مَعْنَى قَوْلِ الْقَائِلِ كُلُّ ذَنْبٍ خُتِمَ بِلَعْنَةٍ أَوْ غَضَبٍ أَوْ نَارٍ فَهُوَ مِنْ الْكَبَائِرِ.
ص130 – كتاب الفتاوى الكبرى لابن تيمية – مسألة في الذنوب الكبائر المذكورة في القرآن والحديث هل لها حد تعرف به – المكتبة الشاملة
الثَّالِثَةُ: اخْتَلَفَ النَّاسُ فِي الْكَبَائِرِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَصَدَ تَعْرِيفَهَا بِتَعْدَادِهَا وَذَكَرُوا فِي ذَلِكَ أَعْدَادًا مِنْ الذُّنُوبِ، وَمَنْ سَلَكَ هَذِهِ الطَّرِيقَةَ فَلْيَجْمَعْ مَا وَرَدَ فِي ذَلِكَ فِي الْأَحَادِيثِ، إلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا يَسْتَفِيدُ بِذَلِكَ الْحَصْرِ وَمِنْ هَذَا قِيلَ: إنَّ بَعْضَ السَّلَفِ قِيلَ لَهُ ” إنَّهَا سَبْعٌ ” فَقَالَ ” إنَّهَا إلَى السَّبْعِينَ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهَا إلَى السَّبْعِ “. وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقَ الْحَصْرِ بِالضَّوَابِطِ فَقِيلَ عَنْ بَعْضِهِمْ: إنَّ كُلَّ ذَنْبٍ قُرِنَ بِهِ وَعِيدٌ أَوْ لَعْنٌ، أَوْ حَدٌّ: فَهُوَ مِنْ الْكَبَائِرِ، فَتَغْيِيرُ مَنَارِ الْأَرْضِ: كَبِيرَةٌ لِاقْتِرَانِ اللَّعْنِ بِهِ وَكَذَا قَتْلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ، لِاقْتِرَانِ الْوَعِيدِ بِهِ وَالْمُحَارَبَةُ، وَالزِّنَا، وَالسَّرِقَةُ وَالْقَذْفُ، كَبَائِرُ، لِاقْتِرَانِ الْحُدُودِ بِهَا، وَاللَّعْنَةِ بِبَعْضِهَا. وَسَلَكَ بَعْضُ الْمُتَأَخِّرِينَ طَرِيقًا فَقَالَ: إذَا أَرَدْتَ مَعْرِفَةَ الْفَرْقِ بَيْنَ الصَّغَائِرِ وَالْكَبَائِرِ: فَأَعْرِضْ مَفْسَدَةَ الذَّنْبِ عَلَى مَفَاسِدِ الْكَبَائِرِ الْمَنْصُوصِ عَلَيْهَا فَإِنْ نَقَصَتْ عَنْ أَقَلِّ مَفَاسِدِ الْكَبَائِرِ، فَهِيَ مِنْ الصَّغَائِرِ وَإِنْ سَاوَتْ أَدْنَى مَفَاسِدِ الْكَبَائِرِ، أَوْ أَرْبَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَهِيَ مِنْ الْكَبَائِرِ، وَعَدَّ
ص273 – كتاب إحكام الأحكام شرح عمدة الأحكام – حديث ألا أنبئكم بأكبر الكبائر – المكتبة الشاملة
وَهَذَا الضَّابِطُ يَسْلَمُ مِنْ الْقَوَادِحِ الْوَارِدَةِ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ؛ فَإِنَّهُ يَدْخُلُ كُلُّ مَا ثَبَتَ بِالنَّصِّ أَنَّهُ كَبِيرَةٌ: كَالشِّرْكِ، وَالْقَتْلِ، وَالزِّنَا، وَالسِّحْرِ، وَقَذْفِ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ، وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْكَبَائِرِ الَّتِي فِيهَا عُقُوبَاتٌ مُقَدَّرَةٌ مَشْرُوعَةٌ، وَكَالْفِرَارِ مِنْ
ص130 – كتاب الفتاوى الكبرى لابن تيمية – مسألة في الذنوب الكبائر المذكورة في القرآن والحديث هل لها حد تعرف به – المكتبة الشاملة
(إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُم مُّدْخَلًۭا كَرِيمًۭا ٣١)
