The 7 Big Sins in Islam: Something to Think About
As-salamu alaykum! I wanted to share something that's been on my mind from the teachings of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). These are seven major sins from sahih hadith in Bukhari and Muslim, and they really make you reflect, especially when you look at the world today. 1. Shirk, or putting partners with Allah. This one hits close because it's where Christians went wrong with their belief in Jesus as divine, but they're still called People of the Book since their original message got changed over time. It's the worst-if you die on that path without repentance, it's eternal hellfire. 2. Witchcraft or sorcery. That's messing with jinn, whether you know it or not, to twist how things play out in your life. 3. Killing someone without right. Just taking an innocent life unlawfully. 4. Riba, or dealing with interest. This one's a huge deal. It's making money from money in a guaranteed way, like how banks work with interest on debts or someone buying houses just to rent them out for profit. Over time, it makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. But there's a difference: if you're stuck paying it, like a student loan for an education or a mortgage for a family home just to have stability, you're not the one taking advantage-you're the one being taken from. The Prophet (SAW) went further and cursed not just the one receiving interest, but the payer, the one writing it down, and even the two witnesses, all equally guilty (Sahih Muslim 1598). You can see this playing out now. Elon Musk is a trillionaire when just a decade ago Bill Gates had "only" $75 billion. The middle and lower classes are getting squeezed-look at housing costs, they've shot up so much that anyone without old wealth or a super high salary can barely afford a place to live. Everyone needs shelter, so maybe this is our generation's big test from Allah: how will Muslims come together to avoid riba and support each other in housing security? We live in a time of greed, chasing comfort and status. Even imams might justify it when they see donations rising because the community's caught up in riba, and they go against the Quran and sunnah. Then they wonder why young people can't afford to get married, since marriage has turned into a lavish party contest instead of just fulfilling half our faith. Without resources or family backing, you push marriage off and off. It's riba that often opens the door to so many other sins. 5. Taking money from an orphan's inheritance unjustly. 6. Running away from the battlefield when Muslims are fighting disbelievers. 7. Accusing a chaste, innocent Muslim woman of something she didn't do. It's heavy stuff, but we need to talk about these things. May Allah help us stay away from these sins and guide us all. JazakAllah khair.