"The Messenger of Allah said: 'No one who commits Zina is a believer at the moment when he is committing Zina; no one who steals is a believer at the moment when he is stealing; no one who drinks wine is a believer at the moment when he is drinking it; but repentance is available to him after that.
The Book of Cutting off the Hand of the Thief - Sunan an-Nasa'i
This profound hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i addresses the relationship between major sins and faith, emphasizing that certain grave offenses temporarily suspend the state of complete faith (iman) while they are being committed.
Scholarly Commentary on the Hadith
The scholars explain that this hadith does not mean the person becomes a complete disbeliever when committing these sins, but rather that the perfection of faith leaves them during the commission of these major transgressions. The believer's faith is diminished and incomplete at that moment.
Imam an-Nawawi states that the majority of scholars understand this as referring to the perfection of faith, not its complete absence. The person remains a Muslim but their faith is severely deficient during the act of disobedience.
The Three Major Sins Mentioned
Zina (unlawful sexual intercourse): This violates the sanctity of marriage and family structure that Islam strongly protects.
Theft: This transgresses against others' property rights and disrupts social security, which is why Islam prescribes severe punishments for it when certain conditions are met.
Drinking Wine: This impairs the intellect that Allah has honored humanity with and leads to numerous other sins and social harms.
The Mercy of Repentance
The most beautiful aspect of this hadith is its conclusion: "but repentance is available to him after that." This demonstrates Allah's infinite mercy and the door of repentance remaining open for the sinner who sincerely turns back to Allah.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains that this shows Islam's balanced approach - it warns severely against major sins while simultaneously encouraging hope and return to Allah through sincere repentance (tawbah).
Legal and Spiritual Implications
This hadith serves as both a spiritual warning and legal principle. Spiritually, it reminds believers of the gravity of these sins. Legally, it establishes that the commission of these sins doesn't automatically take someone out of the fold of Islam, but requires proper legal procedures for establishing guilt and applying punishments.
The scholars emphasize that this understanding prevents both extremism in declaring Muslims as disbelievers due to sins, and laxity in treating major sins as insignificant matters.