Qur'ani, Sunnah na makubaliano ya Maswahaba na Wanazuoni wameamua kile kinachounda dhambi kubwa au dhambi ndogo. Allah ~ amesema: (Mkiepuka madhambi makubwa ambayo mmekatazwa kuyafanya, Tutakufutieni madhambi yenu madogo, na Tutakuingizeni mahali pa heshima (yaani Peponi))' na (Wale wanaoepuka madhambi makubwa na fawahish (uzinzi), isipokuwa makosa madogo. Hakika Mola wenu Mlezi ni Mwingi wa Msamaha Mkubwa.)2 Mtume ﷺ alisema: "Swala tano za kila siku, na kutoka Ijumaa moja hadi Ijumaa nyingine ni kafara (ya dhambi zilizofanyika kati yake), ikiwa dhambi kubwa hazitafanywa."3 Vitendo hivi vya kufuta dhambi vina daraja tatu: Kwanza, vinaishia kufuta dhambi ndogo tu, kwa sababu ya udhaifu wake na udhaifu wa uaminifu wa vitendo (yaani, havitekelezwi kwa kujitolea kikamilifu kwa sababu ya uzembe fulani katika utekelezaji), hivyo hufanya kazi kama dawa dhaifu, ambayo si yenye ufanisi mkubwa katika kupambana na ugonjwa. Pili, vinapinga dhambi ndogo, na haviwezi kufikia kiwango cha kupinga dhambi kubwa. Tatu, vina nguvu za kutosha kufuta dhambi ndogo na bado vina nguvu fulani ya kufuta baadhi ya dhambi kubwa. Mtume ﷺ alisema: "Je, nisikujulishe kuhusu dhambi kubwa zaidi kati ya dhambi kubwa?" Wakasema: "Ndiyo, ewe Mjumbe wa Allah." Akasema ﷺ: "Kumshirikisha Allah katika ibada; kuwa mwasi kwa wazazi; kutoa ushahidi wa uongo na ushahidi wa uwongo."4 Mtume ﷺ alisema: "Epukeni mambo saba yanayoangamiza." Watu wakauliza: "Ewe Mjumbe wa Allah! Ni yapi hayo?" Akasema ﷺ: "Kumshirikisha Allah katika ibada; kufanya uchawi; kuua roho ambayo Allah ameiharamisha, isipokuwa kwa haki (kwa mujibu wa sheria ya Kiislamu); kula riba; kula mali ya yatima; kugeuka nyuma kwa adui na kukimbia uwanja wa vita, wakati wa mapigano; na kuwashutumu wanawake safi, ambao hawawazi chochote isipokuwa usafi, na ni waumini wema." 5 Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ alisema: "Nilimwuliza Mtume ﷺ: 'Ni dhambi gani kubwa zaidi mbele ya Allah?' Akajibu: 'Kwamba umfanyie Allah mshirika, ilhali Yeye peke yake ndiye aliyekuumba.' Nikasema: 'Hakika hiyo ni dhambi kubwa.' Kisha nikauliza: 'Ni ipi inayofuata?' Akasema ﷺ: 'Kumuua mwanao kwa hofu kwamba atashiriki chakula chako pamoja nawe.' Nikauliza: 'Ni ipi inayofuata?' Akasema ﷺ: 'Kuzini na mke wa jirani yako.' 1 Ndipo Allah ~ akateremsha: ( ... na wale ambao hawamwombi Allah mungu mwingine yeyote, wala hawaui roho ambayo Allah ameiharamisha isipokuwa kwa haki, wala hawazini ... 2"

The Qur'an, Sunnah and consensus of Companions and Scholars have determined what constitutes a major or minor sin. Allah ~ said: (If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall expiate from you Your small sins, and admit you to a noble entrance (i.e. Paradise))' and (Those who avoid great sins and fawahish (illegal sexual intercourse), except the small faults. Verily, your Lord is of Vast Forgiveness.)2 The Prophet :_;i said: "The Five (daily) prayers, and from one Friday Prayer to (the next) Friday Prayer is an expiation ( of the sins committed in between them), if major sins are not committed. "3 These expiating deeds have three degrees: First, they are confined to expiating small sins, because of their weakness and the weakness in the sincerity of the deeds (i.e. not implemented with utmost devotion because of some slackness in the performance), and so they act like weak medicine, which is not very effective in resisting the ailment. Second, they resist small sins, and are not able to reach the level of resisting great sins. Third, they are powerful enough to expiate small sins and still possess some power to expiate some great sins . The Prophet ~ · said: "Shall I not inform you of the biggest of the great sins?" They said: "Yes, 0 Messenger of Allah" He ~ said: "To join partners in worship with Allah; to be undutiful to one's parents, to give a forged statement and a false witness."4 The Prophet ~ said: "A void the seven great destructive sins." They (the people) asked: "O Messenger of Allah! What are they?" He :i said: "Joining partners in worship with Allah; practicing sorcery; killing a life which Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamic law); eating up usury (Riha), eating up the property of an orphan; turning one's back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield, at a time of fighting; and accusing chaste women, who never even think of anything except chastity and are good believers."5 Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ said: "I asked the Prophet ~ : ' What is the greatest sin in the Sight of Allah?' He ~ replied: 'That you set up a rival unto Allah, though He Alone created you.' I said: 'That is indeed a great sin.' Then asked: 'What is next?' He ~ said: 'To kill your son, lest he should share your food with you.' I asked: 'What is next?' He ~ said: 'To commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbour' 1 so Allah ~ sent down: ( •.. and those who invoke not with Allah any other god, nor kill such life as Allah has made sacred except for a just cause, nor 2

(kufanya zinaa haramu) "Wanazuoni wametofautiana kuhusu idadi ya madhambi makubwa: Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ amesema: "Ni manne." Abdullah bin Umar ~ amesema: "Ni saba." Abdullah bin Amru bin Al-'As amesema: "Ni tisa." Wengine wamesema: "Ni kumi na moja, au hata sabini..." Abu Talib Al-Makki alisema: "Nimekusanya kauli za Maswahaba na kugundua kwamba madhambi ni: Manne ya moyoni: Kumwabudu mwingine asiye Allah ~ (ushirikina); kuendelea kufanya dhambi; kukata tamaa na Rehema ya Allah; kujiona salama dhidi ya Mpango wa Allah (Adhabu). Manne ya ulimi: kutoa ushahidi wa uongo; kuwashutumu wanawake waumini wema; kuweka nadhiri za maafa; kufanya uchawi. Matatu ya tumbo: kunywa pombe (vinywaji vya kilevi); kula mali ya yatima; kula riba. Mawili ya sehemu za siri: kufanya uzinifu; kufanya vitendo vya ushoga. Mawili ya mikono: kuua bila haki; kuiba mali ya mwingine. Moja la miguu: kukimbia uwanja wa vita. Moja la mwili mzima: kuwa mwasi kwa wazazi wake." Wale wanazuoni ambao hawakupanga madhambi makubwa wamesema: "Madhambi makubwa ni kila kitu kilichokatazwa na Allah ~ katika Qur'an; ilhali madhambi madogo ni yale yaliyokatazwa na Mtume ~ -" Wengine wamesema: "Kitendo chochote kilichoamriwa kiadhibiwe duniani au Akhera ni dhambi kubwa, na kile ambacho hakifuatiwi na adhabu iliyobainishwa katika Sheria ya Kisasi, kwa mfano, huchukuliwa kuwa dhambi ndogo." Wengine pia wamesema: "Kitendo chochote kinachosababisha Allah na Mtume Wake kumlaani mtendaji wake ni dhambi kubwa." Pia imesemwa: "Dhambi kubwa ni kila kilichotajwa tangu mwanzo wa Surat an-Nisa' hadi Aya isemayo: (Mkijiepusha na madhambi makubwa mliyokatazwa kuyafanya, Tutakufutieni maovu yenu (madogo))."

commit illegal sexual intercourse) " The scholars have differed over the number of the great sins: Abdullah bin Mas'ud ~ stated: "There are four." Abdullah bin Umar ~ stated: "There are seven." Abdullah bin Amru bin Al- ' As stated: "There are nine." Others have said: "There are eleven, or even seventy . .. " Abu Talib Al-Makki said: "I have gathered the statements of the Companions and found that the sins are: Four of the heart: Worshipping others besides Allah ~ (polytheism); insisting on committing a sin; despair of the Mercy of Allah; feeling safe from the Plan of Allah (Punishment). Four of the tongue: g1vmg false witness; accusing chaste believing women; making calamitous vows; practicing sorcery. Three of the stomach: Drinking wine (alcoholic drinks); consuming an orphan's property; consuming usury. Two of the private parts: committing adultery; committing homosexual acts. Two of the hands: killing unlawfully; stealing another's property. One of the feet: running away from the battlefield. One of all the body: being undutiful to one's parents." Those scholars who did not categorize great sins have said: "Great sins are everything forbidden by Allah ~ in the Qur' an; while small sins are those forbidden by the Prophet ~ -" Others have said: "Any act which is ordained to be punished in this world or in the Hereafter is a great sin, and that which is not followed by a punishment defined in the Law of Equality, for example, is regarded as a small sin." Others have also said: "Whatever act, resulting in Allah and His Messenger cursing its performer, is a great sin." It was also said: "A great sin is everything mentioned from the beginning of Surat an-Nisa' until the Verse: (If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall expiate from you your (small) sins) " 3

Wale ambao hawakugawanya dhambi katika ndogo na kubwa wamesema: "Dhambi zote – kwa kuzingatia ukweli wa kumwasi Allah waziwazi na kukataa Amri Zake – ni dhambi kubwa." Wanathibitisha kauli yao kwa ukweli kwamba Allah ~ hadhurika kwa dhambi za waja Wake, iwe ndogo au kubwa; zote ni vitendo vya kumwasi Yeye, na Yeye ~ haathiriwi nazo. Wamesema kwamba mtu hapaswi kuangalia udogo au ukubwa wa dhambi kwa nafsi yake, bali anapaswa kuzingatia Ustahiki na Ukuu wa Mola wake, ambaye ameimwasi.

Those who did not divide sins into small and great ones have said: "All sins - considering the fact of boldly disobeying Allah and rejecting His Commands - are great sins." They justify their statement with the fact that Allah ~ is not harmed by the sins of His servants, whether they are small or great; they are all acts of disobedience to Hirn, and He ~ is not affected by them. They have said that a person should not look at the smallness or the greatness of the sin, in himself, but should consider the Worthiness and the Greatness of his Lord, whom he has disobeyed.