"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, which sin is most grievous?' He said: 'Setting up a rival to Allah while it is He that created you.' I said: 'Then what?' He said: 'Killing your child so that he will not eat with you.' I said: 'Then what?' He said: 'Committing adultery with your neighbor's wife.'"
Hadith Text & Reference
"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, which sin is most grievous?' He said: 'Setting up a rival to Allah while it is He that created you.' I said: 'Then what?' He said: 'Killing your child so that he will not eat with you.' I said: 'Then what?' He said: 'Committing adultery with your neighbor's wife.'"
Source: Sunan an-Nasa'i 4014 | The Book of Fighting [The Prohibition of Bloodshed]
Commentary on the Hierarchy of Sins
The Prophet ﷺ establishes a clear hierarchy of major sins, beginning with the gravest transgression against Allah's rights, followed by severe violations against human rights. This ordering is of profound legal and spiritual significance.
1. Shirk (Setting up rivals to Allah): This is the ultimate injustice, as it denies the Creator His exclusive right to worship. It corrupts the very foundation of faith (tawhid) and cannot be forgiven unless repented from before death. All other sins, however grave, are between the servant and Allah and may be forgiven by His mercy.
2. Killing One's Child: This is listed as the worst crime against humanity. The specific reason given—"so that he will not eat with you"—highlights the depravity of killing for base worldly motives like poverty, which demonstrates a complete lack of trust in Allah's provision (rizq). It violates the sacred trust of parenthood and destroys the family structure.
3. Adultery with a Neighbor's Wife: This sin combines two transgressions: the violation of marital sanctity (zina) and the betrayal of a neighbor's trust. The rights of a neighbor are immensely emphasized in Islam, making this act a double betrayal that shatters social harmony and family units.
Legal & Theological Implications
This hadith provides the foundational criteria for prioritizing legal rulings and spiritual counsel. Sins against Allah's divinity take precedence, followed by crimes that destroy human life and social fabric. A scholar must address a person's creed (aqidah) before focusing on their moral conduct.
The prohibition of killing children remains critically relevant, condemning modern practices like abortion for convenience, which falls under the same principle of ending a life for worldly concerns. The sanctity of life is a paramount Islamic value.