Hadith Text & Reference

The Prophet [SAW] said: "The major sins are: Associating others with Allah, disobeying parents, killing a soul (murder) and swearing a false oath knowingly."

Reference: Sunan an-Nasa'i 4011 | The Book of Fighting [The Prohibition of Bloodshed]

Scholarly Commentary

This profound hadith enumerates four of the gravest sins in Islam, known as al-Kaba'ir (the major sins). The Prophet ﷺ specifically highlights these four to emphasize their severity and warn the ummah against them.

Shirk (Associating others with Allah): This is the greatest of all sins, as it violates the fundamental principle of Tawhid. It is the only sin Allah may not forgive if one dies upon it.

Disobeying Parents: Following shirk, this is among the worst sins due to the immense rights parents hold over their children. Their disobedience is directly linked to ingratitude toward Allah.

Murder (Killing a Soul): The sanctity of human life is paramount in Islam. Unjustified killing violates Allah's trust and disrupts social order. This hadith appears in "The Book of Fighting" to emphasize that even in warfare, innocent life remains sacred.

False Oath: Knowingly swearing falsely by Allah's name demonstrates extreme disrespect for the Divine and undermines trust within society. It combines lying with taking Allah's name in vain.

Legal & Spiritual Implications

These sins require sincere repentance (tawbah) and abstention. Scholars note this list is not exhaustive but representative of the most severe transgressions.

The placement in "The Book of Fighting" serves as a crucial reminder that even during conflict, Islamic ethics prohibit murder and emphasize the gravity of taking human life unjustly.