Muslims ought to stay away from these major sins.

A Muslim should steer clear of all sins, major and minor ones. A faithful Muslim takes care of every utterance or deed, avoiding anything that makes him subject to the punishment of Allah and His Wrath.

The major sins are those acts which have been forbidden by Allah in the Qur'an and by His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Sunnah, and which have been made clear as forbidden by the actions of the first righteous generation of Muslims, the Companions of the Prophet. Allah Almighty says,

(If you avoid the major (part) of what you have been forbidden (to do), We will cancel out for you your (other) evil deeds and will admit you (to Paradise) with a noble entry) (An-Nisaa' 4:31)

In this verse, Allah Almighty has guaranteed the Garden of Paradise to those who avoid the major sins. And Allah Almighty also says,

(Those who avoid the greatest of sins and indecencies, and forgive when they are angry) (Ash-Shura 42: 37)

and (Those who avoid the greatest sins and indecencies, except for oversights, (will find that) surely your Lord is ample in forgiveness) (An-Najm 53: 32)

Allah's Messenger was also reported to have said,

"The five (daily) Prayers, Friday to Friday and Ramadan to Ramadan, make atonement for what has happened since the previous one, as long as major sins have been avoided." (Authenticated by Al-Albani)

It is therefore very important to determine exactly what the greatest vices, technically called "the major sins" (kaba'ir), are in order that Muslims should avoid them.

There is some difference of opinion among scholars in this regard. Some say these major sins are seven, and in support of their position they quote the hadith:

Avoid the seven major sins:

1. associating anything with Allah,
   
2. indulging in black magic and sorcery,
   
3. killing one whom Allah has declared inviolate without a just cause,
   
4. consuming the property of an orphan,
   
5. devouring riba (interest),
   
6. turning back in cowardliness when the Muslim army advances, and
   
7. slandering chaste women who are believers but indiscreet." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
   

`Abdullah ibn `Abbas said: "Seventy is closer to their number than seven," and indeed that is correct. The above hadith does not limit the major sins to those mentioned in it.

Rather, it points to the type of sins which fall into the category of major.

These include those crimes which call for a prescribed punishment (hadd), such as theft, fornication or adultery, and murder; those prohibited acts for which a warning of a severe punishment in the Hereafter is given in the Qur'an or the Sunnah; and also those deeds which are cursed by our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

These are all major sins.

Of course, there is a gradation among them, since some are more serious than others.

We see that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has included shirk (associating someone or something with Allah) among them, and from the text of the Qur'an we know that a person who commits shirk will not be forgiven and will remain in Hell forever.

Allah Most High says:

(Surely, Allah does not forgive associating anything with Him, and He forgives whatever is other than that to whomever He wills) (An-Nisaa' 4: 48)

Hence, the major sins are:

1. Associating anything with Allah (Includes believing in charms/ amulets/ talismans, etc) :

By that, it is understood that any act of thinking that any other being, real or imagined has the power to create or affect anything regarding our beings.

I can understand if Kaffirs do that for that's why they are Kaffirs in the first place.

The subject is compounded when those who claim to be Muslims @ non practicing ones at that, do so through their form of speech or thought expressed either in their actions or through their writings in any form.

There are also some Muslims who do acts of associating things or objects with Allah by way of wearing talismans, charms or amulets thinking that such things have the 'power' to do them good or harm.

We find so many examples of such acts of committing shirik to Allah in places such as restaurants or business offices where they place framed up 'ayats' or ' pendindings' on their walls or entrances.

I have seen both Malays and Indian Muslims do these at their restaurants, offices and even some residences.

I have tried to advice those whom I get to engage with in conversations and most simply try to change the subject and still remain adamant in having those framed 'talismans' be left alone ALTHOUGH they know and admit that it is haram.

I have even tried to get them to take off or cut the strings attached to their wrists but as usual, they will give all sorts of cock and bull excuses saying that they will do so later? Hehehehehe!

They don't give a shit about the halal or the haram aspect of such acts of shirik or khurafat.

To them, at the end of the day, the amount in the till is all that is important and they couldn't care less even if it was the Nation's Mufti who comes and advices them against such things!

If they could 'lubricate' the ulamaks into giving them a blanket approval to do such things, they wouldn't bat an eyelid over paying for such exemptions!

Talk about the foolhardiness of people nowadays who think that anything and everything can be 'slow talked' and settled as they wish?

Hehehehehe....you know the thinking that money buys you anything?

Same goes for anyone who thinks that there is another power besides Allah who can make their life good or bad?

Nothing of the sort! Life is what we make it out to be.

Doesn't mean that we can just do anything as we please in order to get what we want or need?

There are certain rules and regulations that we need to take into consideration.

2. Murder

3. Practicing magic

4. Abandoning solat (ritual Prayer)

5. Not paying zakat

6. Not fasting during the month of Ramadan without a valid excuse

7. Not performing Hajj, while being able to do so

8. Showing disrespect to one's parents

9. Severing relations with blood relatives

10. Committing adultery

11. Committing sodomy

12. Dealing in riba (interest)

13. Wrongfully consuming the property of an orphan

14. Lying about Allah or His Messenger

15. Running away from the battlefield

16. Deceiving the people that one rules and being unjust to them

17. Being proud and arrogant

18. Bearing false witness

19. Drinking alcohol

20. Gambling

21. Falsely accusing chaste women (i.e. of committing fornication or adultery)

22. Stealing from the spoils of war

23. Stealing

24. Committing highway robbery

25. Making false oath

26. Committing oppression

27. Earning ill-gotten gain.

28. Consuming what is unlawful.

29. Committing suicide

30. Lying frequently

31. Judging unjustly

32. Giving and accepting a bribe

33. Imitating the opposite sex (in dress, behavior, and the like)

34. Allowing one’s wife, daughters, etc. to display their beauty to men or conduct illicit sexual relations

35. Marrying a divorced woman in order to make her lawful for her ex-husband to remarry her after he irrevocably divorced her

36. Not protecting oneself or one's clothes from being contaminated with urine or excrement.

37. Showing off

38. Learning knowledge of the religion for the sake of this world and withholding that knowledge (i.e., not teaching people)

39. Betraying a trust

40. Recounting favors

41. Denying Allah's Decree

42. Listening to people's private conversations

43. Carrying gossip

44. Swearing

45. Breaking contracts

46. Believing in fortune-tellers

47. Behaving badly toward ones husband

48. Making statues

49. Lamenting, wailing, tearing the clothing, and doing other things of this sort when an affliction falls

50. Treating others wrongfully

51. Treating one's wife, servant, the weak, and animals badly

52. Offending one's neighbor

53. Offending and abusing Muslims

54. Offending people and having an arrogant attitude toward them

55. Trailing one's garment in pride

56. Wearing silk and gold (for men only)

57. Slaughtering an animal that has been dedicated to anyone other than Allah

58. To knowingly ascribe one's paternity to a man other than one's biological father

59. Arguing and disputing violently

60. Withholding excess water

61. Giving short weight or measure

62. Feeling secure from Allah's Plan

63. Offending pious people

64. Not praying in congregation but praying alone without an excuse

65. Persistently missing Friday Prayer without any excuse

66. Usurping the rights of the heir through bequests (to others)

67. Deceiving and plotting evil

68. Spying for the enemy of the Muslims against Muslim's interest

69. Cursing or insulting any of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam.

I will update the other details of sinful things that Muslims ought to avoid and advice others from when time permits me to do so.

Take care and May Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala bless us all. Ameen.