Do Daily Prayers Erase Your Sins?
The Expiation of Sins Through Daily Prayers, Friday Prayer, and Fasting: Major vs Minor Sins
Summary
This lecture discusses a hadith (Hadith 1149) from Sahih Muslim regarding the virtues of Friday (Jumu'ah) and how the five daily prayers, Jumu'ah prayers, and Ramadan fasting serve as expiation for sins. The speaker explains that this expiation applies specifically to minor sins, provided that a person refrains from major sins. The lecture clarifies the distinction between major and minor sins in Islamic jurisprudence, establishing that major sins are those with specific punishments mentioned in Islamic law (either in this life or the hereafter), while minor sins are those without such specified punishments. The speaker emphasizes that this categorization is not meant to minimize minor sins, but rather to contrast them with more serious transgressions that require repentance.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
Alhamdulillah. Continuing in as we are in the day of Jum on Jum. We usually read in the portion of regarding the virtues and merits of the day of Jum. This is chapter 210 from regarding the merits of the day of Jum.
[Silence]
Ramadan. Hadith number 1149 on the authority of Abi who narrates that the prophet sallall.aii Wasam said, "The five daily prayers and one J to the next and one Ramadan to the next act as an expeation for what is between them of sin, provided major sins are avoided.
[Silence]
He then.
[Silence]
So here we have a condition. The prophet sallallah.aii alaihi wasallam placed the condition is that these great acts of worship five daily prayers Ramadan fasting Ramadan and Juma that they act as an expeation of sin provided under the condition that major sins are avoided. Major sins are refrained from. And so because of the way that the narration is structured, the majority of the scholars of Islam have explained this narration and other narrations it, other narrations similar to this with the same theme. as being an expeation for minor sins. As being an expeation for minor sins. Why? Why minor sins? Why are they not an expeation for major sins? Number one, major sins are forgiven by way of repentance. A person has to repent from them. Number two, major sins are what invalidates the action of these ma of these major acts of worship. Meaning if a person engages in major sin, these acts of worship do not act as an expeation of sin. And so to say that a person is simultaneously committing major sin and refraining from major sin, this is impossible. The person is either committing major sin or not. And so the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam tells us here that these acts of worship, the five daily prayers, one Ramadan to a next, one to a next, they act as an expeation. If a person provided a person refrains from major sin, the act of refraining is a type of worship. What is the reward of one who refrains is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgives for him his sin. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in that which translates to and if you all refrain from the major sins or prohibitions written upon you, we will in return expedate and forgive you your remaining sin. And so the real big question here is what is major sin? What is minor sin? Wasam.
[Silence]
Jam. And so the real question is what is a major sin? Because if we are able to identify a major sin, we can then understand what a minor sin is. We know from the Quran that sins are categorized into two categories. In this respect, in this regard, major and minor. Minor does not mean that they are something to scoff at or thumb one's nose at. A sin is a sin. It is a disobedience against the creator. However, it is minor contrasted to its major counterpart. This is why this wording is used. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that that those who are guaranteed forgiveness are those who refrain from major sin and indecency. major sin and wrongdoing except for those minor infractions. We even have this in law. Where has law gotten this from? It has gotten this from the law of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala throughout the millennia that even here in this country from a judicial standpoint that crime is described as being that which is a misdemeanor and that which is a felony. misdemeanor and felony. In Islamic law, it is major and minor. So the question is again, what is a major sin? Major sin has been debated amongst the scholars of Islam. It has even been debated amongst the companions. However, the most settled upon opinion is the opinion of Ib and that is that major sin is any sin that has a particular punishment. attached to it. Any sin that has a particular punishment.
[Silence]
And so every sin that has a particular punishment, what does that mean? It's not just generally prohibited. It has a particular punishment either in this life or the hereafter in this life such as some kind of violence against its perpetrator, some kind of physical punishment such as execution or stoning or cutting or what have you, or a monetary punishment such as the one who withholds zakia. They are to be fought against until they concede and then half of their wealth is to be taken as punishment. Right? Etc. In the case of a zena, fornication, that the person is to be living elsewhere out of his out of his city, out of his native land for a year or a person gets a particular title such as this person is considered a fess if they do it. This person is considered un untrustworthy if they do it. for instance, meaning those who accuse innocent people. They have a particular punishment with Allah. They're referred to as a f or there is a particular punishment in the hereafter such as Allah will not look at them nor speak to them on the day of judgment nor purify them of their sin etc. So any sin, any prohibition that when it is done its doer earns himself a particular punishment, this is considered a major sin. Anything that does not meet this criteria is considered a minor sin. So one of the virtues of the day of Ju is that a person who refrains from these major sins one to the next acts as an expeation of all sin between them. Alhamdulillah.