The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about the great sins He said, "They are:-- (1 ) To join others in worship with Allah, (2) To be undutiful to one's parents. (3) To kill a person (which Allah has forbidden to kill) (i.e. to commit the crime of murdering). (4) And to give a false witness."
The Four Major Sins
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was asked about the great sins and enumerated four paramount transgressions that incur Allah's severe displeasure.
Shirk: Associating Partners with Allah
The foremost sin is shirk - attributing partners to Allah in worship. This violates the fundamental Islamic principle of tawhid (divine unity) and is the only sin Allah may not forgive if one dies upon it without repentance.
Disobedience to Parents
Being undutiful to parents ranks second only to shirk, highlighting the immense honor Islam gives to parental rights. This includes disrespect, neglect, or causing them distress after their lifelong care.
Unlawful Killing
Murdering a soul without legal justification destroys societal security and violates Allah's sanctity of life. The Quran emphasizes that killing one person is like killing all humanity.
False Testimony
Giving false witness corrupts justice systems, leads to wrongful judgments, and can cause irreparable harm to innocent people. It represents a betrayal of truth and social responsibility.
Scholarly Commentary
These four sins represent foundational violations of divine rights (huquq Allah) and human rights (huquq al-'ibad). Scholars note this hadith doesn't exhaust all major sins but highlights particularly grave ones that undermine religious, familial, social, and judicial foundations.
The ordering signifies priority - beginning with offenses against Allah, then against those who gave us life (parents), then against human life itself, and finally against justice and truth.