A List of the Greater Sins

In this post I present an authentic tradition that concisely states a list of the greater sins. There is not much that is implicit in this tradition. However, after posting it, I will highlight a one point that may readily be overlooked.

Arabic Text:

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَسَنِيِّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ص قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‏ 

دَخَلَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ وَ جَلَسَ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ - الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَ الْفَواحِشَ‏ (53:32) ثُمَّ أَمْسَكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا أَسْكَتَكَ قَالَ أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَعْرِفَ الْكَبَائِرَ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ يَا عَمْرُو أَكْبَرُ الْكَبَائِرِ الْإِشْرَاكُ بِاللَّهِ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ وَ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ(5:72)  وَ بَعْدَهُ الْإِيَاسُ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- إِنَّهُ لا يَيْأَسُ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكافِرُونَ(12:87) ‏  ثُمَّ الْأَمْنُ لِمَكْرِ اللَّهِ- لِأَنَّ اللَّه‏ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- فَلا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخاسِرُونَ(7:99) ‏  وَ مِنْهَا عُقُوقُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ جَعَلَ الْعَاقَ‏ جَبَّاراً شَقِيًّا(19:32)  وَ قَتْلُ النَّفْسِ‏ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ‏ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ(6:151)  لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- فَجَزاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خالِداً فِيها(4:93)  إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ وَ قَذْفُ الْمُحْصَنَةِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنْيا وَ الْآخِرَةِ وَ لَهُمْ‏ عَذابٌ عَظِيمٌ (24:23) ‏ وَ أَكْلُ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- إِنَّما يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ‏ ناراً وَ سَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيراً(4:10)  وَ الْفِرَارُ مِنَ الزَّحْفِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- وَ مَنْ يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ دُبُرَهُ‏ إِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفاً لِقِتالٍ‏ أَوْ مُتَحَيِّزاً إِلى‏ فِئَةٍ فَقَدْ باءَ بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ‏ وَ مَأْواهُ جَهَنَّمُ‏ وَ بِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ(8:16)  وَ أَكْلُ الرِّبَا لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبا لا يَقُومُونَ‏ إِلَّا كَما يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطانُ‏ مِنَ الْمَسِ‏(2:275)  وَ السِّحْرُ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- وَ لَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَراهُ ما لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلاقٍ(2:102) ‏  وَ الزِّنَا لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- وَ مَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذلِكَ‏ يَلْقَ أَثاماً يُضاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ وَ يَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهاناً(25:68-69)  وَ الْيَمِينُ الْغَمُوسُ الْفَاجِرَةُ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُون‏ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ‏ وَ أَيْمانِهِمْ‏ ثَمَناً قَلِيلًا أُولئِكَ لا خَلاقَ لَهُمْ‏ فِي الْآخِرَةِ (3:77)  وَ الْغُلُولُ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- وَ مَنْ يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِما غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ(3:161)  وَ مَنْعُ الزَّكَاةِ الْمَفْرُوضَةِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- فَتُكْوى‏ بِها جِباهُهُمْ وَ جُنُوبُهُمْ وَ ظُهُورُهُمْ (9:35) ‏ وَ شَهَادَةُ الزُّورِ وَ كِتْمَانُ الشَّهَادَةِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- وَ مَنْ يَكْتُمْها فَإِنَّهُ آثِمٌ قَلْبُهُ‏(2:283)  وَ شُرْبُ الْخَمْرِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ نَهَى عَنْهَا كَمَا نَهَى عَنْ عِبَادَةِ الْأَوْثَانِ وَ تَرْكُ الصَّلَاةِ مُتَعَمِّداً أَوْ شَيْئاً مِمَّا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ لِأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ مَنْ تَرَكَ الصَّلَاةَ مُتَعَمِّداً فَقَدْ بَرِئَ مِنْ ذِمَّةِ اللَّهِ وَ ذِمَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ نَقْضُ الْعَهْدِ وَ قَطِيعَةُ الرَّحِمِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- أُولئِكَ لَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ (13:25)  قَالَ فَخَرَجَ عَمْرٌو وَ لَهُ صُرَاخٌ مِنْ بُكَائِهِ وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ هَلَكَ مَنْ قَالَ بِرَأْيِهِ وَ نَازَعَكُمْ فِي الْفَضْلِ وَ الْعِلْمِ.

                                                                                                            

English Translation:

Narrated by a number of our companions from Ahmed Ibn Mohamed Ibn Khaled from Abdel Azim Ibn Abdullah Al-Hassani who said: Abu Ja’far (peace be upon him) said to me: I heard my father say that he heard Abi Moussa Ibn Ja’far (peace be upon him) say:

Amr Ibn Obeid entered onto Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him). Upon greeting him and sitting down, he [Amr Ibn Obeid] recited this verse: “Those who avoid the greater sins and shameful deeds...” (53:32) and he stopped. Abu Abdullah said to him, “Why did you stop?”

[Amr said:] “I desire to know the greater sins from the book of Allah, the Most Glorious and exalted.”

He [The Imam] replied: Yes, Amr; the greatest of the greater sins is worshiping other than Allah for He says: “Whosoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the Paradise.” (5:72)

Following that is despair in the spirit [Ruh] of God, for God the Most Glorious says: “Verily, no one despairs of God’s spirit but those who have no faith.” (12:87)

Following that is feeling secure from God’s plan for God the Most Glorious says: “No one feels secure from the plan of God but those who are doomed.” (7:99)

From among the greater sins is disobedience to parents for God pronounces the disobedient child “Overbearing and miserable.” (19:32)

The taking of a life “which Allah forbids except in justice;” (6:151) Verily God the Most Glorious says, “His recompense is hellfire forever...” (4:93) until the end of the verse.

Also, slandering a virtuous woman, for Allah the Glorious says, “They are damned in this world and the afterlife and for them is a great punishment.” (24:23) 

Stealing the wealth of orphans, for God the Most Glorious says, “Verily, they swallow into their stomachs fire and they shall burn in hellfire.” (4:10)

Fleeing during battle, for God the Most Glorious says, “He who turns his back on them on such a day, unless it be in stratagem of war or to retreat to a troop of his own, he draws on himself the wrath of Allah and his abode is hell, an evil refuge indeed.” (8:16)

Usury, for God the Most Glorious says, “Those who swallow usury cannot rise up save as he arises, whom the devil hath prostrated by (his) touch.” (2:275)

Witchcraft, for Allah the Most Glorious says, “And they knew that the buyers of (magic) would have no share in the happiness of the Hereafter.” (2:102)

Adultery, because God the Glorious says, “Whosoever does so, the torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection and he will abide therein in disgrace.” (25:67-68)

Pledging God falsely for the sake of gain, for God the Most Glorious says, “Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's Covenant and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter.” (3:77)

Embezzlement, for Allah the Glorious says, “Whosoever embezzles will bring what he embezzled with him on the Day of Resurrection.” (3:161)

Withholding the decreed Zakat (alms-giving), for Allah says, “And their foreheads and their flanks and their backs will be branded therewith.” (9:35)

False testimony and the withholding testimony, for Allah says, “Whosoever hides it, verily his heart is sinful.” (2:283)

Drinking wine, for Allah has forbidden it as He has forbidden the worship of idols, turning away from prayers intentionally, or other obligatory deeds which God has decreed. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said, “He who forsakes prayer intentionally is neither protected by God nor protected by Messenger of God.”

Breaking contracts and cutting the ties of the womb (kinship), for Allah the Most Glorious says, “Theirs is the curse and theirs the ill abode.” (13:25)

[At that point] Amr left, wailing and weeping, saying, “May he be doomed who dares compete with you [the Imam] in righteousness and in knowledge.”

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Page 285, Tradition #24

One important point that must not be overlooked is that in this tradition the words of the Messenger of God are perceived similarly to the word of God. Clearly, the reason cannot be that God has not emphasized the significance of prayers in the Quran. Rather, the point that the Imam is showing to us is that the words of the Messenger of God and the words of God must be perceived, similarly.

Here’s the list of the Greater Sins according to this tradition:

1. Polytheism
2. Despair
3. Feeling secure from God’s plans
4. Disobedience to Parents
5. Murder
6. Slandering a virtuous woman
7. Stealing the wealth of orphans
8. Fleeing from the battle
9. Usury
10. Witchcraft / Magic
11. Adultery
12. False Oaths
13. Embezzlement
14. Withholding the Alms-giving
15. False testimony
16. Withholding testimony
17. Drinking wine
18. Turning away from prayers intentionally
19. Turning away from other obligatory deeds intentionally
20. Breaking contracts
21. Cutting the ties of the womb

Raising Obedient Children

Many a time we are reminded about the significance of the proper treatment of parents.  Undoubtedly, it is the duty of children to treat their parents with utmost respect and kindness.  It is the duty of children to be obedient to their parents as long as the parents’ expectations originate from and remain within the boundaries of Islam. 

            Children learn about obedience and respect, like everything else, from their environments, which include their parents.  For children to be obedient to their parents, it is important for the parents to teach their children to be obedient.  In simpler words, if parents expect to be obeyed by their children, they must teach their children how to be obedient. 

            Unfortunately, as many of us have most probably observed, many parents do not apply the most favourable methods in educating their children about obedience; either they are too strict on their children or too soft on them; either they place them in metaphorical prisons or completely abandon disciplining them.  The former method cultivates the rebellious nature of humans in those imprisoned children, and conversely, the latter method gradually removes any form self-control and self-discipline from those neglected children.

           

            Upon reflecting on this issue, we begin to realize the importance of seeking prophetic teachings on how to raise our children, or more specifically how to make them obedient. 

            In this post, I will present an Authentic tradition, which provides a short concise guideline on how to train our children to be obedient to us. In addition, it warns us about three groups that will remain far away from paradise.

            Let us hope and pray for God-conscious and prosperous children.

Arabic Text:

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ رِبَاطٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ رِبَاطٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص رَحِمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ أَعَانَ وَلَدَهُ عَلَى بِرِّهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ يُعِينُهُ عَلَى بِرِّهِ قَالَ يَقْبَلُ مَيْسُورَهُ وَ يَتَجَاوَزُ عَنْ مَعْسُورِهِ وَ لَا يُرْهِقُهُ وَ لَا يَخْرَقُ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ أَنْ يَصِيرَ فِي حَدٍّ مِنْ حُدُودِ الْكُفْرِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِي عُقُوقٍ أَوْ قَطِيعَةِ رَحِمٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الْجَنَّةُ طَيِّبَةٌ طَيَّبَهَا اللَّهُ وَ طَيَّبَ رِيحَهَا يُوجَدُ رِيحُهَا مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ أَلْفَيْ عَامٍ وَ لَا يَجِدُ رِيحَ الْجَنَّةِ عَاقٌّ وَ لَا قَاطِعُ رَحِمٍ وَ لَا مُرْخِي الْإِزَارِ خُيَلَاءَ

English Translation:

Some of our companions have narrated from Ahmed ibn Muhammad from Al Hasan ibn Rebat from Younos ibn Rebat from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) who has said: the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

“May Allah have mercy on whomever that encourages his son to obey him.”

I said: “How can he make him obey him?”

He said: “By accepting his good deeds and overlooking his bad, and not burdening him or scolding him; except when he trespasses the limits into disbelief by disobedience or cutting the ties of kinship.”

Then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “Paradise is good with a good scent as Allah created it to be good. Its good fragrance is smelled from a distance of two thousand years but it can't be smelled by neither the ungrateful son nor by the one who severs ties with his relatives nor by the one who arrogantly lets his lower wrapper touch the ground.”

Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 6, Page 50, Tradition #6

Parents of Mary, Mother of Jesus

This post is supposed to bring to our attentions a relatively short period in history.  It is meant to highlight for us the communication between Imran, Hannah the wife of Imran, peace be upon them, and God.  Although initially this post may not seem to contain any important or interesting points in it, after a better examination, we can infer the following points.

            Firstly, in this post, a few of Jesus’ miracles, which we often hear from Christians and are found in the Bible, are confirmed.  We, as Muslims, can now confirm and be certain that Jesus, peace be upon him, did indeed heal the blind and the leper, and did indeed resurrect the dead with God’s permission. 

            Secondly, we can notice that Imran’s wife’s name is Hannah.  Therefore, Hannah is the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus, peace be upon them all. 

            Thirdly, we can notice that, like Mary, Hannah also communicated with Allah, and Allah did respond to Hannah’s concern about her new-born child.

            Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, we learn from the following tradition that there is a direct connection between a man, his sons and his grandsons.  When God makes a promise to a man, or when an event is prophesized about a man, and it doesn’t happen to him, it could be because it may in fact happen to his sons or even grandsons. 

            Now, we could ask ourselves, is this tradition and the exposition of this family connection meant to hint towards the biological genetic connections between parents and offsprings?  I do not know if this is the case. However, if you are interested to research this matter further, keeping this tradition in mind could certainly come in handy.

            At the end, if there are any other points that you see in this tradition that I missed and did not notice, please do not hesitate to point them out in the comment section.

Now, without any further ado, I present to you the following Authentic tradition.

1)

Arabic Text:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى عِمْرَانَ أَنِّي وَاهِبٌ لَكَ ذَكَراً سَوِيّاً مُبَارَكاً يُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَ الْأَبْرَصَ وَ يُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَ جَاعِلُهُ رَسُولًا إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَحَدَّثَ عِمْرَانُ امْرَأَتَهُ حَنَّةَ بِذَلِكَ وَ هِيَ أُمُّ مَرْيَمَ فَلَمَّا حَمَلَتْ كَانَ حَمْلُهَا بِهَا عِنْدَ نَفْسِهَا غُلَامٌ فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْها قالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُها أُنْثى‏ (آل ‏عمران: 36)... وَ لَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنْثى‏ (آل‏ عمران: 36) أَيْ لَا يَكُونُ الْبِنْتُ رَسُولًا يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِما وَضَعَتْ (آل ‏عمران: 36) فَلَمَّا وَهَبَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِمَرْيَمَ عِيسَى كَانَ هُوَ الَّذِي بَشَّرَ بِهِ عِمْرَانَ وَ وَعَدَهُ إِيَّاهُ فَإِذَا قُلْنَا فِي الرَّجُلِ مِنَّا شَيْئاً وَ كَانَ فِي وَلَدِهِ أَوْ وَلَدِ وَلَدِهِ فَلَا تُنْكِرُوا ذَلِكَ

Farsi Translation:

ابو بصير گويد: امام صادق عليه السلام فرمود: خداى تعالى بعمران (پدرم مريم مادر عيسى عليه السلام) وحى كرد كه من بتو پسرى ميبخشم، سالم و مبارك كه باذن خدا كور مادر زاد و پيس را درمان كند و مردگان را زنده كند و پيغمبر بنى اسرائيلش قرار دهم، عمران اين مطلب را بهمسرش حنة كه مادر مريم است گزارش داد، چون بمريم حامله گشت، فكر ميكرد كه حملش پسر است، چون او را زائيد (و ديد دختر است) گفت: “پروردگارا من دختر زائيدم ...  و پسر مانند دختر نيست”  (3:36)يعنى دختر كه پيغمبر نميشود. خداى عز و جل (در باره او) ميفرمايد: “خدا بآنچه او زائيده داناتر است (3:36)”، سپس چون خداى تعالى عيسى را بمريم بخشيد، او همان پيغمبرى بود كه بعمران بشارت داده شده بود و باو وعده كرده بودند.

پس هر گاه ما در باره مردى از خاندان خود چيزى گفتيم. و در فرزند يا فرزند زاده او پيدا شد آن را انكار مكنيد.

English Translation:

Narrated by Mohamed Ibn Yehya from Ahmed Ibn Mohamed and Ali bin Ibrahim, from his father, narrated by all of these from Ibn Mahboub from Ibn Re’ab, from Abu Baseer from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him). He said:

“Allah the Almighty revealed to Imran, ‘I shall bestow upon you a pleasing, blessed male child who shall heal the blind and the leper and raise the dead in the name of Allah. We shall make him a prophet to the children of Israel.’ Imran notified his wife Hannah, the mother of Maryam. And when she became with a child she imagined the child would be a boy. When she gave birth to her (Maryam) she said, “O Lord, I have given birth to a girl child… A male is not the same as a female.” (3 :36) for a female cannot be a messenger [of Allah].   Allah the almighty said, “I know best what you have given birth to.” (3:36) When God the Almighty bestowed Jesus upon Maryam, he was the child foretold by Him to Imran and bestowed upon him.

Thus, when a thing is foretold about a man and it appears in his sons or grandsons [instead], do not deny it.”

 Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 535, Tradition #1