Sin and Remorse
Islam is the divine system sent down by Allah Almighty to regulate our life on earth. This system places specific commandments on us as well as certain prohibitions. Following its commandments and abstaining from its prohibitions balances one’s inner life, establishes order in one’s social life, and prevents the degeneration of life on earth. All deeds and words our religion calls “haram” (forbidden) and tells us not to do, or stay away from, are sins. Sins not only harm the ones who commit them but also affect others in many cases.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Allah the Exalted has laid down certain duties which you should not neglect, and has put certain limits which you should not transgress, and has kept silent about other matters out of mercy for you and not out of forgetfulness, so do not seek to investigate them.” (at-Tabarani, Hakim)
Anas bin Malik’s (radiyallahu anh) mother Ummu Sulaym (radiyallahu anha) said to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), “O Messenger of Allah! Give me advice,” and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Leave all sins; this is the best migration. Continue doing what is compulsory; this is the best jihad. Remember Allah Almighty much; this is the best way for a servant to come before Him.” (Tabarani)
Major Sins
We learn from the Qur'an and Sunnah that sins can be “major” or “minor,” depending on their severity.
Allah Almighty says, “If you avoid the major sins which you are forbidden, We will remove from you your lesser sins and admit you to a noble entrance [into Paradise].” (An-Nisa, 31)
Major sins are those deeds forbidden in our religion for which Allah Almighty punishes one in this world and further torments them with fire in the Hereafter. A major sin is a deed that has been explicitly forbidden with a strong and clear statement.
The degree of a sin depends on the severity of the transgression and the responsibility of the person who commits it. A sin can be major if it persists over a long time or has major consequences.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) described some major sins as “destroyers” since they have been clearly forbidden. A person who knowingly and persistently commits them does not love Allah Almighty enough and does not fear Him enough.
Undoubtedly, the biggest of the major sins is associating partners with Allah Almighty. A person with such a belief is clearly a “kafir” (disbeliever), while one who commits any of the other major sins is called a “fasiq” (sinner). Such people are Muslims as long as they do not deny what they do is forbidden. The gate of repentance is open to them.
Scholars of Islam have described the major sins in various ways. According to Ibn Masud (radiyallahu anh), a Companion of the Prophet, the major sins are associating partners with Allah Almighty, giving up hope in Him, and feeling safe from His punishment.
According to Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anh), a Companion of the Prophet, the major sins are as follows:
• Every action forbidden by Allah Almighty
• Every deed that is a rebellion against Allah Almighty
• Every act for which Allah Almighty promised a curse or wrath
Ibn Abdussalam (rahmatullahi alayh) stated: “There is no commonly accepted definition of major sins. Major sins are deeds that have been clearly forbidden in the verses of the Qur'an or hadiths. The problem is to discount them and commit sins like they are nothing.”
Imam Qurtubi (rahmatullahi alayh) said:
“Every sin that has been deemed a major sin by the Qur'an, Sunnah, and the consensus of the community of Muslims, for which there is a major legal punishment and for which there is stern prohibition, is a major sin. According to this, for a sin to be major there must be a curse, torment, and threat mentioned in the Qur'an and hadiths.”
A Prescription Medicine
Bayazid al-Bistami (quddisa sirruhu) was taking a walk with his murids one day when they happened by a mental asylum. They started to converse with the doctors. One doctor was giving them information about which medicines could be used to cure specific illnesses. After receiving all this information, the great wali asked the doctors:
“You have named the cures for every illness, but what is the cure for the ailment called sin?”
After a moment of silence, one of the patients humbly asked for permission to speak:
“May I say what the cure is if the awliya allows it?”
Bayazid al-Bistami (quddisa sirruhu) granted him permission upon hearing his sincere request. The man said:
“The cure for the ailment of sin is thus. You need to mix the tawbah root with istighfar leaves, place them in the mortar of heart and grind them with the pestle of tawhid. After sifting it through the sieve of conscience, knead it into a dough with your tears and bake it with the fire of ashq. Add a bit of mahabbah honey into the mix and eat in small servings day and night using the spoon of contentment.”
After this astonishing description, Bayazid al-Bistami (quddisa sirruhu) said:
“Truly astounding! So, they brought you here thinking you were mentally ill.” With that, he turned and left.
This cure is still valuable and highly effective today and can be prescribed for those afflicted with sin.
Minor Sins
Minor sins are referred to in the Qur'an as “lamam” or “sayyiah.” These are the sins other than major sins for which there is a legal punishment or threat of hellfire. Major sins call for legal punishment in this world. Other mistakes, errors, or faults are minor sins. It is also a minor sin to decide to commit a major sin or to begin a major sin. A person who continuously commits minor sins or takes pride against Allah Almighty with a minor sin disregards Islam’s prohibitions. This is a major sin for which the forgiveness promised in the ayah quoted above is not available.
Minor sins can be deleted with repentance or good deeds. They can also turn into major sins due to various reasons. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “There is no minor sin that does not grow in severity when being disregarded. There is no major sin that shrinks in severity when being repented for.” (Daylami) In another hadith, people are discouraged from seemingly minor sins.
“O Aisha! Abstain from seemingly minor sins! For there is a special servant of Allah who has been charged to watch for such sins.” (Ibn Majah, Ahmed bin Hanbal)
When one considers minor sins unimportant and persists in committing them, it makes one more prone to committing major sins. One must not be deceived by the lack of a clear prohibition for minor sins or the absence of a promise of curses or hellfire for those who engage in them. A minor sin can easily turn into a major one for the reasons stated above. Due to this, one must try to abstain from all sins, whether minor or major, by considering the greatness of Allah Almighty, against Whom a sin is committed.
The Compassion of the Great Ones
One of the disciples of the great wali Abu Uthman al-Hiri (quddisa sirruhu) named Abu Amr relates the following account:
“I came to know Abu Uthman al-Hiri (quddisa sirruhu) and attended his sohbah continuously. I abandoned my errant ways. I repented for my sins and decided to never commit them again. However, I relapsed into my sinful life after a while. I ended up in unseemly situations. Because of the embarrassment, I couldn’t face my murshid. I eluded him, not to be seen. But one day, I suddenly ran into him. There was no chance for me to avoid him, and yet the person before me, this unbelievably gentle ocean of mercy, told me these words in pity:
- My son, don’t keep company with the enemies when you aren’t pure and sinless! They will notice the flaws in you and rejoice in the knowledge of it. And when you are sinless and pure, they will be stricken with grief. If you have to sin, come to us so that we may endure your burden. This way, you will keep the enemy from achieving satisfaction. Come to us so that we may find a solution to your problems and shoulder the weight of your troubles with all our vigor.
As my mentor was saying these things to me, he imparted in me such spiritual gifts that no desire was left in me for the sins that had so taken hold of me. With his himmah, his benevolent aid, I managed to make tawbah with genuine intention. I never left his side after that.
Which Are Major Sins?
There are different views on what sins are major sins. It is difficult to determine the number of major sins. There are different numbers mentioned in different hadiths. The environment in which a sin is committed can also be a factor in this categorization. Many verses in the Qur'an and hadiths mention major sins.
Ibn Masud contemplated the verses about major sins and came to some conclusions. When asked about major sins, he responded:
“Read the chapter of Nisa from the beginning to the 31st verse. Every sin that is prohibited by Allah Almighty in this part of the chapter of Nisa is a major sin.”
Abu Talib al-Makki said: “Based on various hadiths, it is clear that the number of major sins is seventeen. Counting major sins mentioned in multiple hadiths yields this number. They are the following:
Four of the major sins are deeds of the heart:
• Associating partners with Allah Almighty
• Persisting in committing sins and rebelling against Him
• Giving up hope of His mercy and forgiveness
• Feeling safe from His punishment and wrath
Four are deeds of the tongue:
• Bearing false witness
• Falsely accusing a free, grown, and innocent Muslim woman of adultery
• Falsely swearing
• Magic
Three are deeds of the stomach:
• Drinking alcohol
• Unjustly spending the money of an orphan
• Knowingly spending interest money
Two are deeds of the reproductive organ:
• Adultery
• Homosexuality
Two are deeds of the hand:
• Murder
• Theft
One is a deed of the foot:
• Desertion during war
One is a deed of the whole body:
• Rebelling against one’s parents
An Islamic scholar once said: “Just like it was not revealed which night is the Night of Power, or what time of Friday is the time that prayers are accepted, the number of major sins has not been revealed. The reason is to keep people between hope and fear so that those who miss these will not despair and those who catch these will not feel safe.”
The Effects of Sins
Sins are openly described as illnesses of the heart. Each sin committed leaves a negative effect on the human heart. The hearts of those who ignore this effect and continue in their sinful ways will eventually die or, as described in the Qur'an, “his sin has encompassed him”.
A person cannot attain the love of Allah Almighty, truly understand Islam or what it means to be a Muslim, or taste the sweetness of faith without cleaning themselves with repentance. Sins lead to the interruption of the love and mercy of Allah Almighty and invoke His torment. Sins bring loss and pity. Sins embarrass one in this world and put one in agony in the Hereafter.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has warned all of us:
“When a believer commits a sin, a black dot appears in his heart. If he repents, it goes away, and the heart shines again. If he does not repent and continues to sin, the darkness increases and covers the entire heart. This is the meaning of staining of the heart as expressed in the verse, “But no! In fact, their hearts have been stained by all (the evil) they used to commit!” (Mutaffifin 83/14) (Muslim, Tirmidhi)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) also said:
“Goodness is the beauty of one’s character. Sin is something that bothers your heart and something that you don’t want others to know.” (al-Bukhari, Muslim)
Stand Against the Sins, Not the Sinner
Abu’d-Darda (radiyallahu anh), one of the Noble Companions, saw a group of people cursing a sinner one day. He said to them:
“If you’d seen this person stranded at the bottom of the well, would you not try to help him?” They said:
“Of course, we would.” In response, Abu’d-Darda (radiyallahu anh) said:
“Then praise Allah who protects you from ending up like him rather than cursing your brother.”
They said, “Then you are not angry with him.”
Abu’d-Darda (radiyallahu anh) said, “I don’t condemn him but his actions. The moment he abandons his iniquitous ways, he is my brother once more.”
For the Heart to Awaken
The friends of Allah and the righteous scholars select the heart as their first target. They concentrate all their efforts on resurrecting and awakening it. They always keep this goal in mind. These days, however, people have directed their attention from their hearts to their appearance and stomachs. Since the sins committed by the heart cannot be seen, people are now more concerned about the sins committed by using their bodies.
For example, murder, alcohol, lying, and adultery are among the major sins. A believer abstains from such visible sins more than from sins of the heart, such as carrying a grudge, envy, pride, ostentation, love of this world, discontentment with Allah’s ordainment, and heedlessness. But the sins of the heart are far more dangerous than the sins of the body since they damage one’s faith, prevent one’s good deeds from being accepted, and destroy their rewards. Most invisible sins lead one to polytheism (associating partners with Allah), hypocrisy, and disbelief. The sins of the heart are always present, putting one in constant danger. Visible sins are temporary. A person cannot continuously murder others or drink alcohol without pause. But one can harbor envy continuously or exhibit pride around the clock. And a flashy person is capable of constantly showing off. If the love of this world and greed are not properly treated, they hurt the heart and cover it for a lifetime. It is difficult to detect the sins of the heart and to wash your hands of them. For this reason, people who have mended their hearts and found contentment with Allah Almighty are few and far between.
While visible sins committed by the body can be cleansed with sincere repentance and asking for forgiveness, those dwelling in the heart can only be cleansed with repentance and asking for forgiveness, as well as spiritual training. It is difficult to both detect and leave the sins of the heart. Due to this, it is vital to recognize sins of this type and to abstain from them. The heart is the starting point for worshipping and loving Allah Almighty. The outer appearance of someone who neglects their heart is not important to Him.
Tasawwuf training, with its primary purpose of rectifying the heart and cleaning a person’s inner world, is essential for this reason.
The great scholar Ibn Abidin writes in his famous work Raddu’l-Mukhtar as follows:
“Learning to be sincere, recognizing pride, envy and ostentation is compulsory for everyone. It is also compulsory for everyone to learn to recognize and abstain from pride, stinginess, grudges, deceptiveness, wrath, animosity, greed, boasting, treason, objecting to the truth, hardness of the heart, and having long expectations. As Imam Ghazali notes, nobody is completely free from these illnesses. Therefore, a person who suffers from one of these illnesses must learn to recognize and find treatment for this illness. This is only possible by knowing what these illnesses are, their symptoms, and how they can be treated. A person who cannot recognize evil is doomed to fall into it.” (Ibn Abidin, Raddu’l-Mukhtar)
The great wali Abu’l-Hasan al-Shadhali said: “A person who has not received spiritual knowledge and training will commit major sins without knowing and dies as such.”
Ibn Allan as-Siddiqi (rahmatullahi alayh) notes that the sins one commits without being aware of them are ones like pride, boasting, and belittling others.
Sweet Tongue, Poisonous Needle
A person commits a minor or major sin because of their lack of awareness of one’s responsibility to Allah Almighty. Major sins destroy the rewards of all good deeds except the five pillars of Islam. Such a person may go to Hell, and such is the situation of one who transgresses against themselves. Allah Almighty warns us:
“But no! Those who commit evil and are engrossed in sin will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.” (Al-Baqarah,81)
“So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast (from the sky), and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allah would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.” (Al-Ankabut, 40)
“Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who were before them? They were greater than them in strength and in impression on the land, but Allah seized them for their sins. And they had not from Allah any protector.” (Al-Mumin, 21)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Abstain from seven deadly sins.” The Companions asked: “O Messenger of Allah! What are they?” He replied:
“To join partners in worship with Allah; to practice sorcery; to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause; to eat up interest (riba), to eat up the property of an orphan; to give one's back to the enemy and fleeing from the battle-field at the time of fighting and to accuse chaste women who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers." (al-Bukhari, Muslim)
Shaykh Sadi Shirazi said: “Sin is like a bee. Its mouth is sweet, but its needle is poisonous.”
Although He Was Scorned
Abu Ali al-Thaqafi (quddisa sirruhu), a great wali, recounts:
One day, I saw a coffin moving along on the shoulders of three men and a woman. I approached them, placed my shoulder under the corner the woman supported, and helped carry the coffin to the graveyard. After performing the janaza prayer, we buried the body. Then I said to the people gathered there:
- Was there no one among your neighbors other than this woman to help you?
- There were others, but they all looked down on this deceased person.
- What was his offense?
- He was a great sinner.
We left the area. I felt pity for that man who’d passed away. That night, I had a dream. In that dream, someone came to me, and his face glowed bright like a full moon. He was also wearing precious clothes and was smiling broadly. I asked:
-Who are you?
-I’m the one whose janaza prayer you performed and buried. I was scorned by other people, but my Rabb showed me mercy in my final moments. Now, I’m surrounded by the blessings of this mercy.
Taking Sins Seriously
A believer always considers their sins to be daunting and imposing in magnitude and consequence. People of weak faith can commit many major sins but regard them as simple and unimportant. They never even think of asking for forgiveness from Allah Almighty.
All the prophets, Honorable Companions, and great awliya have viewed even their smallest mistakes big and repented with great remorse, asking Allah Almighty for forgiveness.
What humble servants like us should do is continuously repent and ask for forgiveness for our sins and mistakes. We should not believe we can freely sin because our sins are forgiven when we repent. We should be persistent in our repentance.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) pointed to this important fact:
“A believer views his sin like a mountain and is afraid that the mountain will fall and crush him. A sinner, on the other hand, views his sin like a fly on his nose that will immediately fly away.” (al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi)
Ubadah bin Sabit, Abu Said al-Hudri, and a few other companions of the Prophet said:
“You commit sins, and you see them smaller than a strand of hair. But we would consider them major sins during the time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Some of these are words that nullify one’s faith.”
The great wali Fudayl bin Iyad (quddisa sirruhu) said:
“When a person sees his sin small, that sin reaches becomes in the esteem of Allah Almighty. When a person sees his sin big, that sin becomes small in the esteem of Allah Almighty.”
Hasan al-Basri said: “If a person sees their sin as small, they will not consider it important. Then that sin becomes a major sin. If a person sees their sin as big, asks for forgiveness for that sin, hides it from others, and repents for it, then that sin becomes a minor sin.”
Can One Be Without Sin?
We are all human. By our nature, we can do good as well as evil. We have the freedom of choice between truth and falsehood. Our Creator has given us this ability. He wants us to worship Him, believe in Him, and abstain from rebelling against Him. We were created, put on this earth, and given countless gifts in order to worship Him and attain eternal bliss in the Hereafter.
As humans, we are in continuous spiritual growth and face difficulties, tests, gains, and losses on our journey from birth to resurrection.
For a believer in this growth process, sin is both a test and a factor that strengthens one’s faith. When a believer sins or makes a mistake due to carelessness or error, he leaves this sin and seeks refuge in his Lord. For such a person, sins are a reminder and a tool for renewal and awareness. The following hadith points to an essential fact in this regard:
“By the One in Whose Might hand my soul is, were you not to commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and then seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah would forgive them". (Tirmidhi, Ahmed bin Hanbel)
This hadith does not encourage one to sin; rather, it tells us that we are weak against sins because we are human. It invites believers to ask for forgiveness and repentance after they sin and lets them know that Allah Almighty accepts repentance. Compared to committing a sin, persisting in sin and not repenting are worse.
Overconfidence
There was once a man who would worship a lot. He lived in a cave and spent his time in worship. It was said his prayers could cure the ill. The king’s daughter had lost her mind. He sent her to this worshipper, hoping she would be healed. The shaytan whispered to the worshipper:
“What a beautiful girl! Besides, there is no risk since she is insane.” When the worshipper looked at her, the shaytan further confused him, leading him to adultery. Then the shaytan continued:
“Look, the girl may gain her sanity in the future and tell her father about what happened. The only way out is to kill her. When you kill her, you can bury her in such-and-such place. When her father asks, you can say she asked for your permission to leave and walked away. That will be the end of it.”
The worshipper did as the shaytan advised. Thereafter, the shaytan put his nefarious plans in motion and revealed the girl’s burial place to her father. Consequently, the worshipper was caught and brought to the gallows. In the man’s last moments, the shaytan’s whispers returned:
“If you prostrate to me, I will save you.” Fearing for his life, the worshipper did as told, and thus, he lost both his life and his iman.
The Medicine of Repentance
The most effective way to abstain from sin, turn away from it, and cleanse oneself from it is to first block the paths that lead to sin, feel remorse, leave the sin, repent and remember the word one has given to Allah Almighty. If a person still sins, one should cleanse one’s self by repentance and asking for forgiveness from Allah Almighty. Repentance is the return of a Muslim to Allah Almighty’s gate of mercy and forgiveness. In the Qur'an, Allah Almighty invites believers to repent firmly.
“O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent.” (Tahrim, 8)
Allah Almighty clearly stated that He will accept the repentance of those who repent.
“(They are) those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness and do not knowingly persist in sin—and who forgives sins except Allah?” (Ali Imran, 135)
“The Day He will assemble you for the Day of Assembly - that is the Day of Deprivation. And whoever believes in Allah and does righteousness - He will remove from him his misdeeds and admit him to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.” (at-Taghabun 9)
The Messenger of Allah gave good news to those who repent: “A person who repents from sin is like someone who has never sinned.” (Ibn Majah)
“All humans are sinners. The best of sinners are those who repent.” (Tirmidhi)
Yahya bin Muaz said: “O friends! I am not telling you to desert the world completely. I am telling you to desert sins. Deserting the world is an optional good deed, but deserting sins is compulsory for everyone. At this time, you need to do what is compulsory for you rather than doing an optional good deed.”
Turning Evil Into Good
A sinner cannot be said to be at the end of the road. There is a way back to Allah’s forgiveness as long as one draws breath. It is possible to leave sins behind and cleanse oneself from it.
When a believer commits a sin and then repents sincerely, he will be loved by Allah Almighty and gain His grace. The believer’s eyes will fill with tears, and his heart will tremble. He will bow his head and show humility. He will start to pray more and increase his good deeds. That way, he can produce some gain from his harmful foray into sin. Allah Almighty has promised to forgive the sins of those who sincerely repent and do good deeds and turn their sins into good deeds, as stated in the Qur'an:
“As for those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, they are the ones whose evil deeds Allah will change into good deeds. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (al-Furqan, 70)
The Prophet of Mercy, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), said: “The best of those who sin are those who repent.” (Ibn Majah)
This shows that repentance is the medicine for mercy. It is the invitation of Allah Almighty for His servant, the recipe of salvation and remedy for the heart’s serenity. Repentance is feeling remorse, asking for forgiveness, and returning to one’s master.
Allah Almighty treats His servants according to the faith and intention in their hearts. Whoever calls on Allah Almighty will not be denied. The ayah “Surely Allah loves those who always turn to Him in repentance and those who purify themselves” (Al-Baqarah, 222) and the hadith “Verily Allah Almighty loves His servant who was tried by sin and then repented” (Abu Yala) invite the servants to turn to Allah Almighty.
Siraceddin Önlüer
