He—may Allah be pleased with him—was asked:

Which is a greater sin before Allah: drinking wine or committing sexual indecency? Or are they equal?

What are the major sins concerning which Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:

“If you avoid the major sins you are forbidden, We will expiate your lesser sins and admit you to a place of honour”?

What, then, are these major sins, and what are the lesser sins?

He—may Allah be pleased with him—replied:

All praise is due to Allah. “Major sins” are those for which a punishment is prescribed in this world or in the Hereafter. These include unlawful sexual intercourse, theft, and falsely accusing someone of unlawful sexual intercourse, which carry prescribed legal penalties in this world. They also include sins carrying punishments in the Hereafter—that is, specific threats of punishment—such as sins that incur Allah’s wrath and curse, or Hell, or exclusion from Paradise. Examples include sorcery, deliberately swearing a false oath, fleeing the battlefield, mistreating one’s parents, giving false testimony, drinking wine, and similar acts. This is what has been reported from Ibn ‘Abbās, Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and other scholars.

Allah Most High says:

“If you avoid the major sins you are forbidden, We will expiate your lesser sins and admit you to a place of honour.”

And Allah Most High says:

“Those who