Class 3

‘Major Sins committed by not performing Deeds that are prescribed in Islam’

4) NOT PERFORMING THE PRAYER

Allah, the Most High, says,

{But after them there followed a posterity who missed Prayers and followed after lusts soon, then, will they face destruction, except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness.} (Maryam: 59-60)

Commenting on the above verses (Ayat), Ibn ‘Abbas said,

“Allah’s statement, “Who missed Prayers does not mean that they did not perform it at all but rather they did not perform it in its due time.”

Sa’id Ibn AI-Mussaiyyib, Imam of the Tabi’een (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “It is he who postpones the Dhuhr (Early Afternoon Prayer) until the time of Asr Prayer (Late Afternoon Prayer) and so are Maghrib (Sunset Prayer) until’ /sha’ (Evening Prayer), /sha until Fajr (Dawn Prayer) and Fajr until the sun rises. If someone dies persisting in such habits and does not repent to Allah, Allah promises to make him face Ghayy (destruction). But Ghayy may also be the name of a valley in the Hell whose bottom is so deep and tastes so bitter.

Allah, the Most High, says,

{So woe to the worshipers who are neglectful of their Prayer.} (Ma’un: 4-5)

Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas related, “I asked the Prophet ﷺ about the meaning of “the worshipers who are neglectful of their Prayer.’ He said, “It is the delaying of performing the Prayer in its definite time.” The word (Wayl) in the Ayah may refer to severe torture or it may be the name of a valley in the Hell. Were the whole mountains of the world brought in such valley it would melt because of severe heat. This is the abode of those who are not serious in Prayer unless they repent to Allah and regret for what they have done.

The Prophet ﷺ said,

“The covenant between us and them consists of the Prayer: Whoever leaves it has disbelieved.”( At- Tirmidhi)

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“Between a man and unbelief is the non-performance of the Prayer.” (Muslim)

“Whoever neglects the Prayer of ‘Asr (Late Afternoon Prayer) will have his deeds vain.”(Bukhari)

5) NOT PAYING ZAKAT

Allah, the Most High, says,

{And let not those who covetously withhold of the gifts which Allah hath given them of His Grace, think that it is good for them: Nay, it will be the worse for them: Soon it will be tied to their necks like a twisted caller, on the Day of Judgment. To Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with all that ye do.}

(AI-Imran: 180)

The Qur’an also states,

{And woe to those who pay not Zakat and who even deny the Hereafter. For those who believe and work deeds of righteousness is a reward that will never fail.} (Fussilat: 6-7)

The Prophet ﷺ said,

“A wealthy person who has got gold and silver, but does not pay the Zakat due on the same, (should know that) his gold and silver will be melted on the Day of Judgment and Converted into slabs which will then be heated in the fire of Hell, and then has sides, his forehead, and his back will be branded therewith. When these slabs will get cold, they will be heated up once more in the furnace of the Hell, the branding will be continued throughout the day, the duration of which will be equal to fifty thousand years, and the cases of all the people will have been decided by this time and they will be shown their way either to the Hell or to Paradise” (Reported by Muslim, Ahmad and An-Nisa’i)

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet ﷺ said,

“Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth will be made like a baldheaded poisonous male snake with two black spots over  ts eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, “I am your treasure ” Then he recited the following verse, {And definitely let not the ones who are miserly with what Allah has given them,’ no indeed, it is an evil (thing) for them. They shall have annulated (about their necks) whatever they were miserly with, on the Day of Resurrection and to Allah is the inheritance of the heavens and the earth,’ and Allah is Ever Cognizant of whatsoever you do} (AI-Imran: 180) [Bukhari]

In his commentary on Allah’s saying

{On the Day when it will be heated in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, -This is the (treasures) which ye hoarded for yourselves: taste ye, then the (treasures) ye hoarded} (Al- Tawbah: 35)

6) BREAKING ONE’S FAST DURING RAMADAN WITHOUT AN EXCUSE

It was related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said;

“Whoever breaks a fast during Ramadan” without an excuse or illness could not requite it by fasting a lifetime, were he to do so.” (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah & Abu Dawood)

Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said; “Principles of Islam are three: testifying that there is no god but Allah, prayers and fasting in Ramadan. Whoever misses anyone of them has disbelieved.” (Al Haithami)

We seek Allah’s refuge from them.

7) NOT PERFORMING HAJJ WHEN ABLE TO

The Prophet ﷺ said,  “Whoever can afford this journey to the sacred House, by provision and transportation and he does not make the pilgrimage, there is no blame if he dies as a Jew or a Christian. This is because Allah says, “Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to Allah -those who can afford the journey.” (Tirmidhi)

 Sa’id Ibn Jubair said, “If I have a wealthy neighbor who died without making pilgrimage, I would never pray over him.”

15) FLEEING FROM THE BATTLEFIELD

Unless enemies outnumber twofold of Muslims, a Muslim is not allowed to turn his back to them. Similarly, unless it is in a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own), a Muslim also is forbidden to flee from the battlefield. Allah the Almighty says,

{1f any do turn hi; back to them on such a day -unless it be in a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own) he draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and his abode is Hell, -an evil refuge (indeed).}(Al-Anfal: 16)

As shared earlier Prophet ﷺ said, “Avoid the seven destroyer’s, and He ﷺ  mentioned  “fleeing from the battlefield” in it.

36) NOT FREEING ONESELF OF ALL TRACES OF URINE

Almighty Allah says

{And thy garments keep free from stain!} (AI-Mudathir: 4)

On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said that the Prophet ﷺ passed by two graves and said,

“The two are being tormented, and not for anything excessive: one of them did not free himself of traces of urine, while the other was a talebearer.”(Bukhari)

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said also, “Purify yourselves from the remaining dirty after urination, for most of the torment in the grave is inflected because of inattention about this matter.”

Assuredly, the acceptance of prayer depends on purifying one’s clothing and body from dirty.

65) FORGOING THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER TO PRAY ALONE WITHOUT A LEGAL EXCUSE

The Prophet ﷺ said,

• “I have considered having a man lead people at prayer and going myself to those who stay back from attending the congregational prayer to bum their houses down upon them..”
• “If the people forgo the Friday Prayer, Allah will set a seal on their hearts for them to become heedless.”(Muslim) 
• “Whoever misses three Friday prayers without a legal excuse, Allah will set a seal on his heart.”(Abu Dawood)
• “Whoever misses the Friday prayer without a (legal) excuse or a danger will be accounted amongst the hypocrites in a record that cannot be erased or altered.”(Ahmad) 
• “Going to the Friday prayer is obligatory for every male who has reached puberty.”(Abu Dawood)

66) CONSTANTLY MISSING THE FRIDAY & CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER without a Valid Excuse

Allah Most High says,

{The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate, but they shall not be able. Their eyes will be cast down–ignomity will cover them, seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused).} (Al-Qalam: 42-43)

Ka’b Al-Ahbar said, this Ayah is only revealed concerning those who miss the congregational prayers. Sa’id Ibn Al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “Those people heard the call to prayer and did not respond while they were whole.”

In the aforementioned Ayah and hadith there is a severe warning waiting for those who miss the congregational prayer without excuse.

The Prophet ﷺ said,

“Whoever hears the caller to prayer and does not have a valid excuse that withholds him from responding. Someone asked what is an excuse, Messenger of Allah? He said. “Fear or sickness,” will not have his prayer accepted i.e., the prayer, which he performed at home.

At-Tirmidhi related on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) who was asked about a man who spends the day fasting and the night praying but he does not pray in a congregation. Ibn `Abbas answered, if he dies adhering to that, he will enter the Hell fire. “

Once, a blind man came to the Prophet ﷺ and submitted,

“0 Messenger of Allah, I have nobody to lead me to mosque, do I have a dispension to pray at home? Then the Prophet permitted him. But when he was going back the Prophet called him and asked, do you hear the call to prayer? The man replied, yes. “Therefore respond to it.” the Prophet said.”

The same hadith is reported by Abu Dawud as follows: Ibn Umm Maktum came to the Prophet ﷺ and

said,

“0 Messenger of Allah, there are large number of reptiles and beasts in Medina and I am blind, do I have a dispension to pray at home? Then the Prophet ﷺ  said, do you hear the words of the call to prayer (haiyaala salah, haiyaala salah). He said, yes.” The Prophet said, then you have to respond to.

Abu Hurairah said, it is better for one’s ears to be filled with molten lead than to hear the call to prayer and not answer it.”

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “The prayers performed by a neighbour of a mosque are not accepted except in the mosque.” Someone asked, who is a neighbour of a mosque? He replied, he who hears the call to prayer.” Ali also said, whoever hears the call to prayer and does not respond his prayer will not go further than his head except if he has an excuse.”

Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him said, whoever likes to meet Allah as a Muslim should keep on performing the five prayers when the call to them is issued. This is because, Allah has given your Prophet the traditions of guidance (Sunna) and they (the five prayers) belong to such traditions. If you pray at home as does the one who remisses the prayer, then you neglect the Prophet’s Sunna. If you neglect the Prophet’s Sunna you will be astray. Verily, none of us would miss the congregational prayer but a well-known hypocrite or a sick man. I remember that a man would be brought leaning on two men and put in the raw to attain its reward and escape the sins of missing it.”

Performing prayers in congregation is so great as mentioned in Qur’an Allah most high says, {Before this We wrote in the psalms, after the message given to Moses): “My servants the righteous, shall inherit the earth.} (AI-Anbiya’: 105)

The exegetes said that the righteous servants are those who perform the five prayers in congregation. In explaining Allah’s statement,

{And we record that which they leave behind.} (Yasin: 12)

The exegetes said, “What they leave behind” means then steps. The Prophet ﷺ said,

“Whoever purifies himself (makes his ablution) at home and then goes to one of the houses of Allah (mosque) to discharge his duty to Allah (to offer obligatory prayers) his one step towards a mosque wipes out a sin and another step rises his status”. If he continues sitting on prayer -carpet, after prayer is over, and he remains with ablutions, the angels beseech Allah for his blessings upon him and pray. /’ Allah! Forgive him! Allah have mercy on him.” (Muslim)