Library Ethics Greater Sins Chapter 2 Greater Sins and Smaller Sins Some of the Greater Sins are Included in Others
Some of the Greater Sins are Included in Others
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Some of the Greater Sins are Included in Others
The Ahl ul-Bayt (a.s.) did not specify some of the sins because they come under a broad classification of a sin they have stated to be a Greater one. Hence they are not mentioned separately. AbÄ«d bin Zorara relates from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) that he said:
“The Greater Sins as mentioned in the book of ‘Ali (a.s.) are seven:
1) To disbelieve in the existence of Allah (S.w.T.).
2) To kill a believer wrongfully.
3) To disobey parents
4) Accepting usury when it is clear (obvious).
5) To wrongfully acquire any property belonging to orphans.
6) To flee from the battlefield in Jihad.
7) Reverting to disbelief after accepting Islam.
The narrator asked, “Are all these the Greater types of sins? “Yes”, The Imam (a.s.) replied. Then asked the narrator, “Which is the Greater sin, acquiring of a single Dirham (silver coin) from an orphan forcefully or neglecting prayers?” Imam (a.s.) replied,
“Neglecting prayers is comparatively a Greater sin.”
“Why did you not include the neglecting of prayers among the Greater Sins?” In reply Imam (a.s.) asked,
“What was the first Greater sin that I mentioned?” Disbelief in Allah.”
He said,
“The leaving of the prayers unattended is the same as disbelief.”
Hence he had not mentioned the neglecting of prayers as a separate Greater sin.
(Wasa’il ul-Shia).
It is clear from the foregoing discussion that there is no tradition from the Ma’sÅ«mÄ«n (a.s.) which limits the number of Greater Sins. Hence we can say that none of the traditions are fully comprehensive in listing the total number of Greater Sins.
However if we study the Sahifa of Abdul AzÄ«m Hasani carefully we can conclude that in the tradition related by UmrÅ« bin AbÄ«d, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has told about twenty one Greater Sins from the Holy Qur’an. UmrÅ« ibn AbÄ«d left the Imam’s assembly suddenly. Had he listened more patiently the Imam might have proceeded on the subject and enlightened him further.
I would like to inform the readers that I have explained in detail only those sins, which are the confirmed Greater ones. However it does not mean that all those sins which are not mentioned in this book are not Greater. Rather those sins, which are not established as the Greater ones are mentioned briefly.
It is not even confirmed that these are among the lesser sins. Hence pious people should exercise precaution and abstain even from these sins. There is always a possibility that the sin which we think to be small maybe a Greater one. We would be deceived only because its seriousness is not proved to us. We will now proceed towards the detailed explanation of the various sins that are confirmed as Greater Sins.
