37/3. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4012 — Seven Major Sins
Mentioning the Major Sins
Seven Major Sins in Islam: The Gravest Acts Named Here
Sunan an-Nasai : 4012
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4012
أَخْبَرَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هَانِئٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَرْبُ بْنُ شَدَّادٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ، عَنْ حَدِيثِ، عُبَيْدِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ أَبُوهُ، وَكَانَ، مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم - أَنَّ رَجُلاً قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْكَبَائِرُ قَالَ " هُنَّ سَبْعٌ أَعْظَمُهُنَّ إِشْرَاكٌ بِاللَّهِ وَقَتْلُ النَّفْسِ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَفِرَارٌ يَوْمَ الزَّحْفِ " . مُخْتَصَرٌ .
'Ubaid bin 'Umair Narrated from:
It was narrated from 'Ubaid bin 'Umair that : His father - who was one of the Companions of the Prophet [SAW] - told him: "A man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what are the major sins?' He said: 'They are seven; the most grievous of which are associating others with Allah, killing a soul unlawfully and fleeing (from the battlefield) on the day of the march.'" It is abridged.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4012In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 47English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4017
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4012
This abridged hadith begins with a man's direct question to the Prophet: what are the major sins? The Prophet answers that they are seven. In the portion preserved here, he names associating others with Allah, killing a soul without right and fleeing on the day of battle, describing these among the most grievous. Because the report is explicitly abridged, the explanation should not invent the four items that are not included in the supplied text. Its clear teaching is that shirk, unlawful killing and desertion in battle are major sins of great weight. The narration also shows the value of asking a clear question about right and wrong. Readers searching for the seven major sins hadith should note that this specific version gives only part of the list.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet stated that the major sins are seven.
- This abridged wording names shirk, unlawful killing and fleeing battle.
- Unlawful killing is directly described as one of the gravest acts.
- The missing parts of an abridged report should not be filled in without another cited narration.
