avoid major sins and shameful deeds, except for minor lapses. Indeed, your Lord is vast in forgiveness.”

Allah Most High also says:

“And those who avoid major sins and shameful deeds, and who forgive when they are angry.”

And Allah Most High says:

“They will say, ‘Woe to us! What is this record that leaves nothing, small or great, without counting it?’”

And Allah Most High says:

“Everything, small or great, is written down.”

The gravest of the major sins is associating partners with Allah, followed by unlawful killing, then unlawful sexual intercourse. As Allah Most High says:

“And those who do not invoke another god besides Allah, nor kill a soul whom Allah has forbidden to be killed except with right, nor commit unlawful sexual intercourse”—to the end of the verse.

Unlawful sexual intercourse is graver than drinking wine when the two are comparable in extent—for example, committing unlawful sexual intercourse once and drinking wine once. But if we suppose that one man committed unlawful sexual intercourse once, while another habitually drinks wine, the latter’s sin may be graver than the former’s. Likewise, someone who committed unlawful sexual intercourse once and repented would be better than someone who persists in drinking wine.

Similarly, if a wine-drinker invites others to drink, he bears the sin of his own drinking as well as a share of the sin of those he invited. Likewise, when drinking is accompanied by listening to pipes, certain forbidden drinking practices, or the like, these aggravate the sin of drinking. A sin becomes more grievous through repetition, persistence, and the other sins accompanying it.

Likewise, if we suppose that someone committed unlawful sexual intercourse while fearing Allah and dreading His punishment, whereas the wine-drinker drinks heedlessly and frivolously, without being mindful of Allah, then the latter’s sin would be greater in this respect. Thus, sins may be accompanied by factors that mitigate them, and they may be accompanied by