Chapter I: Repentance
with God, to be disobedient towards parents, to kill and to break promise are major sins. The companions differed and fixed the major sins as four, seven, nine or eleven. Ibn Masud said that their number is four, Hazrat Ibn Omar said that they are seven.
Abdullah-bin-Amrsaid that they are nine. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said that they are seventy and the nearest of them is seven. A certain sage said : The sin for which there is the fire of Hell as a punishment is major sin. Some say that the number of major sins is not known as the blessed night or the auspicious moment of Jumma is not known. Abu Taleb Makki said that they are seventeen. He said : I have gathered them from Hadis and from Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masud, Ibn Omar and other companions. Out of them, four have connection with mind — (1) to set up partnership with God, (2) to do a sin repeatedly, (3) to be despaired of the mercy of God, (4) and not to fear the punishment of God. Four have got connection with tongue — (1) to depose falsely, (2) to slander a chaste woman, (3) to break promise and (4) to make sorcery. Three have got connection with stomach (1) to drink intoxicant, (2) to eat the property of an orphan, (3) and to enjoy interest with knowledge. Two have got connection with the sexual organ — (1) to commit fornication and (2) to cohabit with boys. Two have got connection with hands — (1) to kill (2) and to steal. One has got connection with leg— to flee away from fighting with the infidels. One has gotconnection with the whole body-to be disobedient to parents.
Comparison makes a sin major or minor. A thing becomes bigger in comparison with a small thing. Again a thing is called small when compared to a bigger thing than it. If a man lies with a strong woman in the same bed, his lying is greater than looking at her and smaller than fornication with her. Sins are divided into three — (1) sins which are known to be major, (2) sins known to be minor and (3) sins which Shariat has not fixed to be major or minor, Imam Gazzali said : the thing who stands as an impediment to God's knowledge is a major sin and the thing which ruins life and ruins the means of livelihood is a major sin.
Major sin has get three stages — (1) the thing which stands as an impediment in heart for preservation of Marfat, (2) the thing which stands as an impediment to the acquisition of God's knowledge or knowledge of the Prophet is infidelity or disbelief which is the greatest of all major sins. Ignorance is the screen
VoI-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 25