Minor sins (saghair: the meaning, the distinction from grave sins, examples, and the view that all sins are grave)

In the scholars' various definitions a minor sin is one not ended by a curse, anger or fire; one lying between the earthly and the other-worldly limit; one with neither a penalty in this world nor a threat in the next; or one the law dislikes with a lesser prohibition. ¹ A grave sin is what is purely unlawful and carries a pure penalty by a decisive text; another view is that it is what carries a legal penalty or is threatened with the Fire, a curse or anger, which is the better view. Lamam is near approach to sin; some say it is the minor sins, or committing a minor sin once and not repeating it. ²

Most early scholars and jurists hold that sins divide into grave and minor, and that minor sins are forgiven when grave ones are avoided. They cite the Qur'an, al-Nisa' (4:31), and the saying that the five prayers and the Friday to Friday and Ramadan to Ramadan are expiations for what lies between them when grave sins are avoided. ² Others say all sins are grave, and only some are called minor in comparison with greater ones: lying with a foreign woman is grave compared with a glance, and minor compared with fornication. ²

Some scholars list among minor sins a forbidden glance, a kiss, a flirtatious gesture, and touching a foreign woman; abandoning a Muslim for more than three days; much quarrelling unless the rights of the law are kept in view; looking into people's houses; sitting among the wicked to keep them company; and backbiting, except to scholars and bearers of the Quran. ³

A minor sin becomes grave through persistence and habit, through treating the sin lightly, or through delight in it and boasting of it, counting the ability to do it a blessing, and forgetting that it is the cause of misery. ³

The Sheikh divides sins into major and minor, and names major sins of the eyes, of the heart, of the private parts and of the belly (his view) ⁴. The Sheikh says that one should not look at the smallness of a sin but at the greatness of the One who is disobeyed (his view) ^{5 6}. He says that no minor sin remains minor when it is persisted in, and that no major sin is beyond God's forgiveness when it is followed by seeking forgiveness (his view) (needs_source: the wording in the transcript is garbled and needs checking against the recording) ⁷.

The Sheikh says that a small sin becomes great when one persists in it ⁸. He says that the scholars divide sins into minor and major, and that minor faults (lamam) are lighter than major sins ⁹. He relays a saying to the effect that there is no minor sin with persistence ¹⁰.