To attain happiness, a core principle is the avoidance of major sins combined with a sincere effort to live a righteous life,
To attain happiness, a core principle is the avoidance of major sins combined with a sincere effort to live a righteous life, seek knowledge, and practice regular repentance. This approach is rooted in Islamic teachings that emphasize God-consciousness (Taqwa) and lead to inner peace and contentment.
Practical Steps to Avoid Major Sins and Achieve Happiness
Recognize the Harm of Sin: Understand that sins, both major and minor, harm your heart, body, and soul, creating a sense of loneliness and anxiety that detracts from true happiness.
Seek Knowledge: Learn what constitutes major sins in Islam and the wisdom behind their prohibition. Knowledge clarifies the reality of sin, helping you to consciously avoid it and resist Satan's attempts to make it appear attractive.
Strengthen Faith (Iman): Regularly renew your faith through reading the Quran, attending lectures, and engaging in acts of worship. A strong, active faith acts as a shield against sin and helps you maintain focus on the right path.
Practice Patience and Self-Restraint: Resisting temptation requires inner strength and patience. Fight desires, control impulses, and restrain yourself in tempting situations. This builds spiritual discipline and earns great reward.
Perform Obligatory Duties Diligently: Consistently performing the five daily prayers, fasting Ramadan, and other obligatory acts of worship are essential, as neglecting them is considered a major sin.
Surround Yourself with Righteous Companions: Stay around good friends who uplift you, remind you of Allah, and support your efforts to avoid sin. Righteous companionship helps create an environment conducive to spiritual growth.
Engage in Good Deeds: Actively fill your days with good deeds, such as charity, helping others, smiling, and performing dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Good deeds help to remove minor misdeeds and strengthen your heart.
Practice Sincere Repentance: If you do fall into sin, never delay repentance (tawbah). Sincere repentance involves:
Stopping the sin immediately.
Feeling deep regret for the wrongdoing.
Having a strong, sincere intention never to return to that sin.
Seeking forgiveness from Allah.
Make Supplication (Dua): Constantly turn to Allah in prayer, asking for strength, guidance, and protection from sins. Trusting in Allah's plan frees you from worry and brings tranquility to the heart.
By following these principles, you align your actions with Allah's guidance, which leads to inner peace, a deep sense of purpose, and lasting happiness in both this life and the Hereafter.
Major sins in Islam (Kabā'ir) are grave offenses for which severe punishment is warned in the Quran or Sunnah, with scholars often highlighting a core group of Seven Major Sins, including Shirk (associating partners with Allah), murder, magic/sorcery, consuming orphan's wealth, usury (riba), slandering chaste women, and fleeing the battlefield; however, other significant sins like disobedience to parents, adultery, and failing to pray are also considered major, with some traditions listing up to 70 sins, emphasizing those that carry specific punishments or severe warnings.
The Seven Heinous Sins (often cited from a Hadith):
Shirk: Associating partners with Allah (the gravest sin).
Magic/Sorcery (Sihr): Practicing black magic or witchcraft.
Murder: Killing someone without just cause.
Consuming the wealth of an orphan: Misusing property under your care.
Devouring Riba (Usury/Interest): Engaging in interest-based transactions.
Fleeing the Battlefield: Retreating from battle against disbelievers.
Slandering Chaste Women: Falsely accusing innocent, believing women of adultery.
Other Widely Recognized Major Sins:
Disobedience to Parents: Being undutiful or mistreating them.
Adultery/Fornication (Zina): Illegal sexual intercourse.
Homosexuality: An act considered a major sin in some interpretations.
False Testimony: Bearing false witness.
Drinking Alcohol: Consuming intoxicants.
Theft: Stealing property.
Despair from Allah's Mercy: Losing hope in God's forgiveness.
Feeling Safe from Allah's Plan: Becoming complacent about punishment.
Not Praying (Salat): Persistently missing prayers, especially congregational ones.
Gradation: Sins have different levels of severity, with some being worse than others.
Scholarly Views: While the core sins are agreed upon, the exact number (seven, seventeen, seventy) varies by scholarly interpretation, with Imam Al-Dhahabi's list of 70 being influential.
Definition: A major sin is generally an act explicitly warned against with severe punishment in the afterlife or this world.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has described seven of the major sins as the most grievous ones in the sight of Allah, and advised people to refrain from them at all costs. He has specifically referred to these as the “sever destroyers” or “seven fatalities” recorded in a famous tradition which is as follows.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Avoid the seven great destructive sins.” The people inquired, “O Messenger of Allah, what are they?” He replied:
“To join others in worship along with Allah;
To kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause;
To eat up an orphan’s wealth;
To show one’s back to the enemy and flee from the battlefield at the time of fighting;
To accuse chaste women who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.” (Bukhari 2,766)
To attain happiness, a core principle is the avoidance of major sins combined with a sincere effort to live a righteous life,
