Impact of Major Sins

When referring to disobeying His commandments, Allah (ﷻ, the Mighty and Sublime) says in the Glorious Quran: “You counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great.” [Surah Nur:15]

Our beloved Prophet (ﷺ, peace be upon him) said, "Beware of the minor sins which are often thought of as insignificant, for they are like a group of people who stopped in the bottom of a valley. One of them brought a stick, and another brought a stick, until they had gathered enough to cook their food. These minor sins, if a person is called to account for them, will destroy him." [Ahmad]. According to another report, he said: "Beware of minor sins, for they will pile up until they destroy a person." [Ahmad]

Minor sins are acts which are displeasing to Allah but for which no specific punishment or severe warning has been issued. In this case, a Muslim's conscience and heart help him to know that an act is sinful. We often don’t think much of our small disobediences, and are less conscious of refraining from them. However, minor sins can easily lead someone to commit a major sin, and repeatedly committing a minor sin will change its status to that of a major sin. Furthermore, habitual sinning causes a Muslim to lose faith and disregard the commandments of Allah.

Hence we should be just as mindful of not falling into minor sins as we are of abstaining from major sins. The statement of Ibn Masud (radiAllahu anhu) sums up the attitude that a believer should retain towards sinning, when he says, "The believer regards his sin as if he were sitting beneath a mountain which he fears may fall on him, whereas the sinner regards his sin as if a fly lands on his nose and he swipes it away."

May our Rabb, al-Ghafoor, forgive us our sins, both major and minor, which we may have indulged in knowingly or unknowingly, and cement our resolve to abstain from falling into disobedience towards Him through our frailties, Ameen.