Sins, Tawbah & Dhikr
Sins, Tawbah & Dhikr
The major sins Allah warned about, how to repent, His vast mercy, and the proven virtues of dhikr.
Major sins and their warning
- Allah promises: if we avoid the major sins, He will wipe away our smaller sins (An-Nisa 4:31).
- The Prophet ﷺ named seven destroying sins: associating partners with Allah, magic, killing a soul unjustly, eating riba (interest), eating an orphan’s wealth, fleeing from the battlefield, and slandering chaste believing women (Sahih al-Bukhari 2766).
- He ﷺ called associating partners with Allah, disobeying parents and false witness among the greatest of major sins (Sahih al-Bukhari 5976).
- Arrogance is grave: one with even a mustard seed’s weight of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise (Sahih Muslim 91a). Wronging people is forbidden — Allah forbade oppression for Himself and among us (Sahih Muslim 2577a).
Evidence
إِن تَجۡتَنِبُواْ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنۡهَوۡنَ عَنۡهُ نُكَفِّرۡ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَنُدۡخِلۡكُم مُّدۡخَلٗا كَرِيمٗا
If you avoid the major sins which you are forbidden, We will remove from you your lesser sins and admit you to a noble entrance [into Paradise].
وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَدۡعُونَ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ وَلَا يَقۡتُلُونَ ٱلنَّفۡسَ ٱلَّتِي حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا يَزۡنُونَۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٰلِكَ يَلۡقَ أَثَامٗا
And those who do not invoke[1037] with Allāh another deity or kill the soul which Allāh has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.
Translator’s notes
[1037] Or "worship."
اجْتَنِبُوا السَّبْعَ الْمُوبِقَاتِ ". قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَمَا هُنَّ قَالَ " الشِّرْكُ بِاللَّهِ، وَالسِّحْرُ، وَقَتْلُ النَّفْسِ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ، وَأَكْلُ الرِّبَا، وَأَكْلُ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ، وَالتَّوَلِّي يَوْمَ الزَّحْفِ، وَقَذْفُ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ الْغَافِلاَتِ
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Avoid the seven great destructive sins." The people enquire, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What are they? "He said, "To join others in worship along with Allah, to practice sorcery, to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, (according to Islamic law), to eat up Riba (usury), to eat up an orphan's wealth, to give back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and to accuse, chaste women, who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.
أَلاَ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِأَكْبَرِ الْكَبَائِرِ ". قُلْنَا بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ " الإِشْرَاكُ بِاللَّهِ، وَعُقُوقُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ ". وَكَانَ مُتَّكِئًا فَجَلَسَ فَقَالَ " أَلاَ وَقَوْلُ الزُّورِ وَشَهَادَةُ الزُّورِ، أَلاَ وَقَوْلُ الزُّورِ وَشَهَادَةُ الزُّورِ ". فَمَا زَالَ يَقُولُهَا حَتَّى قُلْتُ لاَ يَسْكُتُ
Narrated Abu Bakra:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said thrice, "Shall I not inform you of the biggest of the great sins?" We said, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)" He said, "To join partners in worship with Allah: to be undutiful to one's parents." The Prophet (ﷺ) sat up after he had been reclining and added, "And I warn you against giving forged statement and a false witness; I warn you against giving a forged statement and a false witness." The Prophet kept on saying that warning till we thought that he would not stop.
لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ كِبْرٍ " . قَالَ رَجُلٌ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثَوْبُهُ حَسَنًا وَنَعْلُهُ حَسَنَةً . قَالَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاسِ
It Is narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), observed:He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise. A person (amongst his hearers) said: Verily a person loves that his dress should be fine, and his shoes should be fine. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Verily, Allah is Graceful and He loves Grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contempt for the people.
How to repent: the conditions
- Stop the sin now.
- Truly regret it, and resolve sincerely not to return to it. Allah asks for a sincere repentance (At-Tahrim 66:8).
- If the sin took someone’s right — money, honour or anything else — return it or ask them to forgive you.
- Do not delay: Allah accepts a servant’s repentance until the soul reaches the throat at death (Jami at-Tirmidhi 3537, hasan). Those who remember Allah after a sin and seek forgiveness are praised in the Quran (Aal-e-Imran 3:135).
Evidence
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوۡبَةٗ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمۡ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَكُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ يَوۡمَ لَا يُخۡزِي ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥۖ نُورُهُمۡ يَسۡعَىٰ بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَبِأَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتۡمِمۡ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَآۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ
O you who have believed, repent to Allāh with sincere repentance. Perhaps[1709] your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allāh will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent."
Translator’s notes
[1709] i.e., it is expected or promised.
وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَٰحِشَةً أَوۡ ظَلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ ذَكَرُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمۡ وَمَن يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَلَمۡ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ
And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allāh and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allāh? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَا لَمْ يُغَرْغِرْ
Ibn `Umar narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:“Indeed Allah accepts the repentance of a slave as long as (his soul does not reach his throat).”
Allah’s mercy and the fruits of tawbah
- Never despair: Allah forgives all sins for the one who returns to Him (Az-Zumar 39:53).
- For the one who repents, believes and does good, Allah replaces evil deeds with good ones (Al-Furqan 25:70). Good deeds remove bad deeds (Hud 11:114).
- Allah is more pleased with His servant’s repentance than a traveller who finds his lost camel in the desert (Sahih Muslim 2747a; Sahih al-Bukhari 6308).
- The Prophet ﷺ himself sought Allah’s forgiveness more than seventy times a day (Sahih al-Bukhari 6307) — and a hundred times a day (Sahih Muslim 2702a).
Evidence
۞قُلۡ يَٰعِبَادِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh forgives all sins.[1354] Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
Translator’s notes
[1354] For those who repent and correct themselves.
إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلٗا صَٰلِحٗا فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ ٱللَّهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمۡ حَسَنَٰتٖۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا
Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allāh will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allāh Forgiving and Merciful.
وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ طَرَفَيِ ٱلنَّهَارِ وَزُلَفٗا مِّنَ ٱلَّيۡلِۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡحَسَنَٰتِ يُذۡهِبۡنَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِۚ ذَٰلِكَ ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلذَّـٰكِرِينَ
And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.
لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ كَانَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ بِأَرْضِ فَلاَةٍ فَانْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فَأَيِسَ مِنْهَا فَأَتَى شَجَرَةً فَاضْطَجَعَ فِي ظِلِّهَا قَدْ أَيِسَ مِنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ فَبَيْنَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِذَا هُوَ بِهَا قَائِمَةً عِنْدَهُ فَأَخَذَ بِخِطَامِهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْفَرَحِ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ عَبْدِي وَأَنَا رَبُّكَ . أَخْطَأَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْفَرَحِ
Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him for repentance than this that one amongst you is upon the camel in a waterless desert and there is upon (that camel) his provision of food and drink also and it is lost by him, and he having lost all hope (to get tbat) lies down in the shadow and is disappointed about his camel and there he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of his nosestring and then out of boundless joy says: 0 Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight.
لَلَّهُ أَفْرَحُ بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ رَجُلٍ نَزَلَ مَنْزِلاً، وَبِهِ مَهْلَكَةٌ، وَمَعَهُ رَاحِلَتُهُ عَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ، فَوَضَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَنَامَ نَوْمَةً، فَاسْتَيْقَظَ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَتْ رَاحِلَتُهُ، حَتَّى اشْتَدَّ عَلَيْهِ الْحَرُّ وَالْعَطَشُ أَوْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ، قَالَ أَرْجِعُ إِلَى مَكَانِي. فَرَجَعَ فَنَامَ نَوْمَةً، ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ، فَإِذَا رَاحِلَتُهُ عِنْدَهُ
Narrated Al-Harith bin Suwaid:`Abdullah bin Mas`ud related to us two narrations: One from the Prophet (ﷺ) and the other from himself, saying: A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which, he is afraid, may fall on him; whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose and he just drives them away like this." Abu Shihab (the sub-narrator) moved his hand over his nose in illustration. (Ibn Mas`ud added): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than a man who encamps at a place where his life is jeopardized, but he has his riding beast carrying his food and water. He then rests his head and sleeps for a short while and wakes to find his riding beast gone. (He starts looking for it) and suffers from severe heat and thirst or what Allah wished (him to suffer from). He then says, 'I will go back to my place.' He returns and sleeps again, and then (getting up), he raises his head to find his riding beast standing beside him."
وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً
Narrated Abu Huraira:I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying." By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."
إِنَّهُ لَيُغَانُ عَلَى قَلْبِي وَإِنِّي لأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ فِي الْيَوْمِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ
Al-Agharr al-Muzani, who was one amongst the Companions (of the Holy Prophet) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:There is (at times) some sort of shade upon my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah a hundred times a day.
Proven virtues of dhikr
- “SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi” 100 times a day: sins forgiven even if like the foam of the sea (Sahih al-Bukhari 6405).
- “La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa ala kulli shay’in qadir” 100 times a day: the reward of freeing ten slaves, 100 good deeds written, 100 sins removed, and protection from Satan that day (Sahih al-Bukhari 6403).
- “SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi, SubhanAllahil-Azim” — two phrases light on the tongue, heavy on the scale, beloved to the Most Merciful (Sahih al-Bukhari 6406).
- “SubhanAllah, walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar” is dearer to the Prophet ﷺ than everything the sun rises upon (Sahih Muslim 2695). “Alhamdulillah” fills the scale (Sahih Muslim 223).
- “La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah” is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari 6409). Saying SubhanAllah 100 times earns a thousand good deeds or removes a thousand sins (Sahih Muslim 2698).
Evidence
مَنْ قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ. فِي يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ حُطَّتْ خَطَايَاهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مِثْلَ زَبَدِ الْبَحْرِ
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever says, 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi,' one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.
مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهْوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ. فِي يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ، كَانَتْ لَهُ عَدْلَ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ، وَكُتِبَ لَهُ مِائَةُ حَسَنَةٍ، وَمُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ مِائَةُ سَيِّئَةٍ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ حِرْزًا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ يَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ، حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ، وَلَمْ يَأْتِ أَحَدٌ بِأَفْضَلَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ عَمِلَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُ
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said," Whoever says: "La ilaha illal-lah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu-l-mulk wa lahul- hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir," one hundred times will get the same reward as given for manumitting ten slaves; and one hundred good deeds will be written in his accounts, and one hundred sins will be deducted from his accounts, and it (his saying) will be a shield for him from Satan on that day till night, and nobody will be able to do a better deed except the one who does more than he."
كَلِمَتَانِ خَفِيفَتَانِ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ، ثَقِيلَتَانِ فِي الْمِيزَانِ، حَبِيبَتَانِ إِلَى الرَّحْمَنِ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There are two expressions which are very easy for the tongue to say, but they are very heavy in the balance and are very dear to The Beneficent (Allah), and they are, 'Subhan Allah Al- `Azim and 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi.'"
لأَنْ أَقُولَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِمَّا طَلَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّمْسُ
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:The uttering of (these words):" Exalted is Allah (He is free from imperfection), all praise is due to Allah, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest," is dearer to me than anything over which the sun rises.
الطُّهُورُ شَطْرُ الإِيمَانِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ تَمْلأُ الْمِيزَانَ . وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ تَمْلآنِ - أَوْ تَمْلأُ - مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَالصَّلاَةُ نُورٌ وَالصَّدَقَةُ بُرْهَانٌ وَالصَّبْرُ ضِيَاءٌ وَالْقُرْآنُ حُجَّةٌ لَكَ أَوْ عَلَيْكَ كُلُّ النَّاسِ يَغْدُو فَبَائِعٌ نَفْسَهُ فَمُعْتِقُهَا أَوْ مُوبِقُهَا
Abu Malik at-Ash'ari reported:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Lillah (all praise and gratitude is for Allah alone) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Lillah fill up what is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one's faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Holy Qur'an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves.
فَإِنَّكُمْ لاَ تَدْعُونَ أَصَمَّ وَلاَ غَائِبًا ". ثُمَّ قَالَ " يَا أَبَا مُوسَى ـ أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى كَلِمَةٍ مِنْ كَنْزِ الْجَنَّةِ ". قُلْتُ بَلَى. قَالَ " لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari:The Prophet (ﷺ) started ascending a high place or hill. A man (amongst his companions) ascended it and shouted in a loud voice, "La ilaha illal-lahu wallahu Akbar." (At that time) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was riding his mule. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "You are not calling upon a deaf or an absent one." and added, "O Abu Musa (or, O `Abdullah)! Shall I tell you a sentence from the treasure of Paradise?" I said, "Yes." He said, "La haul a wala quwwata illa billah,"
أَيَعْجِزُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَكْسِبَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ أَلْفَ حَسَنَةٍ " . فَسَأَلَهُ سَائِلٌ مِنْ جُلَسَائِهِ كَيْفَ يَكْسِبُ أَحَدُنَا أَلْفَ حَسَنَةٍ قَالَ " يُسَبِّحُ مِائَةَ تَسْبِيحَةٍ فَيُكْتَبُ لَهُ أَلْفُ حَسَنَةٍ أَوْ يُحَطُّ عَنْهُ أَلْفُ خَطِيئَةٍ
Mus'ab b. Sa'd reported that his father told him that he had been in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that he said:Is one amongst you powerless to get one thousand virtues every day. Amongst those who had been sitting there, one asked: How one amongst us can get one thousand virtues every day? He said: Recite:" Exalted is Allah (He is free from imperfection) one hundred times for (by reciting them) one thousand virtues are recorded (to your credit) and one thousand vices are blotted out.
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