The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:
“Avoid the seven major destructive sins.” The people enquired, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! What are they? “He said:
- “To join others in worship along with Allah,
- to practice sorcery,
- to kill a life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause (according to Islamic law),
- to eat up (consume) Riba (usury),
- to eat up an orphan’s wealth,
- turning ones back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and
- to accuse chaste believing women, who never even think of anything touching their chastity.
– Narrated by Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه
(Source: Bukhari, No. 2766 | Muslim, No. 89)
From the hadith above, the prophet (ﷺ) warned us to avoid major destructive sins (Kaba’ir) which are not confined to the seven mentioned examples but also includes others Kabai’r (i.e. not performing the prayers). One may refer to Imam Zahabi’s book, titled “al-Kaba’ir” (the major sins), where he listed 70 major sins, to further read on it.
On the topic of Riba, the hadith entails the prohibition to deal with all types of Riba, either Riba Duyun (Riba in Loan Contracts) or Riba al-Bai’ (Riba in Sale Contract), Accounting it as a destructive sin. Furthermore, this injunction implies to all those who are associated with Riba dealings (such as the one who takes it, pays it, witnesses it and/or records it).
