Avoid these seven sins that doom a person to Hell

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The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the seven sins that doom a person to Hell in a saheeh hadeeth that was narrated by the two Shaykhs, al-Bukhaari and Muslim, in as-Saheehayn, in which it was narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Avoid the seven sins that doom a person to Hell.” We said: What are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Associating others with Allah (shirk); witchcraft; killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden us to kill, except in cases dictated by Islamic law; consuming orphans’ wealth; consuming riba; fleeing from the battlefield; and slandering chaste, innocent women.”  

 1. The sin of Shrik.

The greatest of the sins in the eyes of Allah is associating partners with him. It leads to doom with no hope of coming out of it. The person who dies in a state of shrik will abide in hell for all eternity.

Allah says in Holy Quran. 

“Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers”

[al-Maa’idah 5:72]

“And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), as it was to those (Allah’s Messengers) before you: "If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers”

[az-Zumar 39:65].

“It is not for the Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah), to maintain the Mosques of Allah (i.e. to pray and worship Allah therein, to look after their cleanliness and their building, etc.), while they witness against their ownselves of disbelief. The works of such are in vain and in Fire shall they abide”

[at-Tawbah 9:17]. 

2. Witchcraft and Black Magic.

Witchcraft involves the shrik along with harming the creation of Allah and misguiding people.

The one who performs black magic and the one who seeks help in it will dwell in hell for all eternity if they die in this state. It causes harm to people and indicates that the person has no belief in Allah and hence seeks refuge in Jinns and magicians. 

Allah, may He be glorified, said concerning the sorcerers of Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning):

“…their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast”

[Ta-Ha 20:66]

“So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic”

[al-A‘raaf 7:116]. 

It was proven from Ameer al-Mu’mineen ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he wrote to his governors in greater Syria and elsewhere, instructing them to execute every practitioner of witchcraft, male or female, because of the great extent of their evil and the danger they posed. 

3. Murder.

Killing a soul or harming someone to the extent that a person dies and whom Allah has forbidden to kill is a serious crime, regarding which Allah says:

“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him”

[an-Nisa’ 4:93]. 

It is a major sin but a lesser a degree than shrik. It is a major sin like fornication/adultery, theft and so on. The one who does that is not a disbeliever unless he regards it as permissible to do that. Hence Allah, may He be glorified, says concerning him:

“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him”

[an-Nisa’ 4:93].

He will abide in that punishment forever if he regards it as permissible; if he does not regard it as permissible, he will abide therein for a long time, but it will come to an end. The stay of the sinners (among the Muslims) in Hell will be lengthy, but it will have an end. As for the disbelievers, their stay will have no end. 

4. Consuming Riba(interest)

This refers to the dealing with a trade that is based on riba.  Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says concerning it (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba”

[al-Baqarah 2:275]

“O you who believe! Fear Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Ribaa (from now onward) if you are (really) believers.

And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger”

[al-Baqarah 2:278].

Consuming riba or working in riba-based banks is a major sin which is very essential to avoid.

5. Consuming Orphans wealth.

An orphan is one who has lost his father at an early age and has not reached puberty yet. It is obligatory to every person to be kind to orphans, protect their wealth, make it grow and handle it with care. The one who spoils the orphan’s wealth and consumes it unlawfully is subject to a stern warning because the orphan is weak and he has transgressed against him and consumed his wealth. This stern warning is addressed to him, but he is not a disbeliever; rather he is a sinner, so long as he does not regard that as permissible. 

6. Fleeing from the battlefield. 

If there is a battle between Muslims and disbelievers and a Muslim person flees from the battlefield deserting his brothers and sisters that he is liable to stern punishment.

 “unless it be a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own)” [al-Anfaal 8:16] 

that is, unless he is recruiting to prepare himself, bring his weapon and put on his armour in preparation for fighting, which does not do any harm, or he is moving from one detachment to another, or from one rank to another, or from one group to another, as part of a plan against the enemy. 

7. Slandering chaste, innocent believing women. 

Slandering anyone in itself is a grave sin but Allah especially warns us against slandering a chaste woman, which means accusing them of Zina(fornication or adultery). They may say: so and so committed Zina or so and so-called someone to commit Zina but he is lying. This is one of the seven sins that doom one to Hell and for which one deserves to be given eighty lashes, as Allah, may He be exalted, says :

“And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes” [an-Noor 24:4]. 

Slandering chaste women is a major sin, as is slandering chaste men, but because such accusations are usually made against women, the text speaks of women. Nevertheless, if someone slanders a chaste man, and says that he committed Zina, he has to produce four witnesses or else be given eighty lashes. 

These sins are so evil and dangerous that a person engaged in them are certainly doomed to hell if they do not correct their ways and repent to Allah azawajal before death. 

We ask Allah to protect us and Guide us