سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 31
إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُم مُّدْخَلًا كَرِيمًا ﴿31﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall expiate from you your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِن
in
If
تَجْتَنِبُوا۟
tajtanibū
you avoid
كَبَآئِرَ
kabāira
great (sins)
مَا
mā
(of) what
تُنْهَوْنَ
tun'hawna
you are forbidden
عَنْهُ
ʿanhu
from [it]
نُكَفِّرْ
nukaffir
We will remove
عَنكُمْ
ʿankum
from you
سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ
sayyiātikum
your evil deeds
وَنُدْخِلْكُم
wanud'khil'kum
and We will admit you
مُّدْخَلًۭا
mud'khalan
(to) an entrance
كَرِيمًۭا
karīman
noble
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
31. If you avoid the major sins from which you are forbidden [52], We will remove from you your lesser misdeeds [53] and admit you to a place of honor.
[52]
Which Sins are Considered Major Sins:
The major sins mentioned in the Ahadith are as follows:
1. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Avoid the seven destructive sins." The Companions asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! What are they?" He said, "Associating partners with Allah, sorcery, killing a soul which Allah has forbidden without right, usury, consuming the wealth of an orphan, fleeing from the battlefield, and slandering chaste, innocent, believing women."
[مسلم، کتاب الایمان۔ باب بیان الکبائر و اکبرہا) (بخاری، کتاب المحاربین من اہل الکفرۃ والردۃ۔ باب رمی المحصنات]
2. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ says that I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "Which sin is the greatest in the sight of Allah?" He said, "That you set up a rival to Allah, though He alone created you." I said, "Indeed, that is a great sin. What is next?" He said, "That you kill your child for fear that he will eat with you." I asked, "Then what?" He said, "That you commit adultery with your neighbor's wife."
[بخاری، کتاب التفسیر۔ باب : __QUR_0__ ]
3. Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik ؓ says that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned the major sins, he said, "The major sins are: associating partners with Allah, killing without right, and disobeying parents." Then he said, "Shall I not tell you the greatest of the major sins? False statement (turning a lie into truth by trickery) or giving such false testimony."
[بخاری، کتاب الادب۔ باب عقوق الوالدین من الکبائر]
In short, the list of major sins is very long. To determine the major sins, the following points should be kept in mind:
1. Some sins become even more severe depending on the situation and context. For example, consuming people's wealth unjustly is a major sin, but consuming the wealth of an orphan is an even greater sin. Or selling goods by deceit is a sin, but selling goods by swearing a false oath becomes an even greater sin. Slandering ordinary women is also a major sin, but slandering innocent, unaware women becomes even more severe. Killing one's child is a major sin, but killing a child out of fear of poverty becomes an even greater sin. Similarly, adultery is a major sin, but if it is committed with one's mother, daughter, sister, or other mahram women, the sin becomes even more severe. Likewise, if a married man or woman commits adultery, the sin is more severe than if an unmarried man or woman does so. Similarly, committing adultery with a neighbor's wife is more severe than with another woman. Or if an old man commits adultery, it is more severe than if a young man does so, and if an old adulterer commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, his sin is three times greater than if he did so with another woman. The same applies to other sins.
2. Persistently committing a minor sin while considering it insignificant also makes it a major sin.
3. Any sin after which the doer is mentioned as being cursed by Allah, the angels, and all people, or only by Allah, or only by the Messenger, is also, according to its degree, a major sin.
4. Any sin about which it is mentioned that on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not look at the person, or will not speak to him, or will be angry with him, is also a major sin.
[53] That is, after avoiding major sins, Allah will forgive minor sins as they are and will not call one to account for them. But if one does not avoid major sins, then minor sins will also be taken into account along with them. It should be clear that the same subject is mentioned in Surah Najm, verse 32, and there, instead of "sayyi'at," the word "lamam" is used, which also means minor sins. According to the explanation of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ, "sayyi'at" or "lamam" refers to those minor sins that become a cause for major sins. For example, it is mentioned in a hadith that the Prophet ﷺ said, "The eye commits adultery, the ear also, the tongue also, and the hands and feet also. Then the private part either confirms it or denies it."
[بخاري، كتاب الاستيذان، باب زنا الجوارح دون الفرج]
That is, the adultery of the eye is looking at a non-mahram, the adultery of the feet is walking towards her, the adultery of the tongue is speaking to her lustfully, and the adultery of the soul is desiring adultery. Now, if adultery is actually committed, then the rest of the minor sins will also remain, but if one is saved from it, then these minor sins will be forgiven, provided that he also performs good deeds, for due to those good deeds, these minor sins are forgiven.
[52]
Which Sins are Considered Major Sins:
The major sins mentioned in the Ahadith are as follows:
1. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Avoid the seven destructive sins." The Companions asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! What are they?" He said, "Associating partners with Allah, sorcery, killing a soul which Allah has forbidden without right, usury, consuming the wealth of an orphan, fleeing from the battlefield, and slandering chaste, innocent, believing women."
[مسلم، کتاب الایمان۔ باب بیان الکبائر و اکبرہا) (بخاری، کتاب المحاربین من اہل الکفرۃ والردۃ۔ باب رمی المحصنات]
2. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ says that I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "Which sin is the greatest in the sight of Allah?" He said, "That you set up a rival to Allah, though He alone created you." I said, "Indeed, that is a great sin. What is next?" He said, "That you kill your child for fear that he will eat with you." I asked, "Then what?" He said, "That you commit adultery with your neighbor's wife."
[بخاری، کتاب التفسیر۔ باب : __QUR_0__ ]
3. Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik ؓ says that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned the major sins, he said, "The major sins are: associating partners with Allah, killing without right, and disobeying parents." Then he said, "Shall I not tell you the greatest of the major sins? False statement (turning a lie into truth by trickery) or giving such false testimony."
[بخاری، کتاب الادب۔ باب عقوق الوالدین من الکبائر]
In short, the list of major sins is very long. To determine the major sins, the following points should be kept in mind:
1. Some sins become even more severe depending on the situation and context. For example, consuming people's wealth unjustly is a major sin, but consuming the wealth of an orphan is an even greater sin. Or selling goods by deceit is a sin, but selling goods by swearing a false oath becomes an even greater sin. Slandering ordinary women is also a major sin, but slandering innocent, unaware women becomes even more severe. Killing one's child is a major sin, but killing a child out of fear of poverty becomes an even greater sin. Similarly, adultery is a major sin, but if it is committed with one's mother, daughter, sister, or other mahram women, the sin becomes even more severe. Likewise, if a married man or woman commits adultery, the sin is more severe than if an unmarried man or woman does so. Similarly, committing adultery with a neighbor's wife is more severe than with another woman. Or if an old man commits adultery, it is more severe than if a young man does so, and if an old adulterer commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, his sin is three times greater than if he did so with another woman. The same applies to other sins.
2. Persistently committing a minor sin while considering it insignificant also makes it a major sin.
3. Any sin after which the doer is mentioned as being cursed by Allah, the angels, and all people, or only by Allah, or only by the Messenger, is also, according to its degree, a major sin.
4. Any sin about which it is mentioned that on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not look at the person, or will not speak to him, or will be angry with him, is also a major sin.
[53] That is, after avoiding major sins, Allah will forgive minor sins as they are and will not call one to account for them. But if one does not avoid major sins, then minor sins will also be taken into account along with them. It should be clear that the same subject is mentioned in Surah Najm, verse 32, and there, instead of "sayyi'at," the word "lamam" is used, which also means minor sins. According to the explanation of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ, "sayyi'at" or "lamam" refers to those minor sins that become a cause for major sins. For example, it is mentioned in a hadith that the Prophet ﷺ said, "The eye commits adultery, the ear also, the tongue also, and the hands and feet also. Then the private part either confirms it or denies it."
[بخاري، كتاب الاستيذان، باب زنا الجوارح دون الفرج]
That is, the adultery of the eye is looking at a non-mahram, the adultery of the feet is walking towards her, the adultery of the tongue is speaking to her lustfully, and the adultery of the soul is desiring adultery. Now, if adultery is actually committed, then the rest of the minor sins will also remain, but if one is saved from it, then these minor sins will be forgiven, provided that he also performs good deeds, for due to those good deeds, these minor sins are forgiven.
