Logic For Islamic Rules

Are Graver and Lighter Relative Terms?

Question: Some people say that the graver and lighter sins are comparable (ratio) that is, it is possible a sin is graver but in comparison to another sin it would be considered light. For example, theft is a graver sin but in comparison to intentional murder it is considered light. From the aspect of their comparability all the sins are eligible for forgiveness and remission. Because the Holy Quran says:

If you shun the grave sins we shall do away with your light sins.

Thus every sin that is shunned keeping in view a greater one will be forgiven but there is no sin greater than polytheism that if one shuns it one could be forgiven his polytheism.

On the basis of this one who has not made a partner to Allah will have all his sins forgiven.

Answer: In the reply to the previous the reply to this question has also become clear. Because as mentioned above the classification of sins into light and grave is an absolute clarification which is divided into two on the basis that some are those which are promised divine punishment or prohibited emphatically and some are not. They have not been classified due to their magnitude or on the basis of conjecture. And the captioned verse discusses this point and the conclusion derived from it is that if a Muslim refrains from one class of sins that is the grave sins, the Almighty Allah will forgive their sins of the second class, that are called

 Sayyat or Saghaer that is lighter. And there are two separate limits of the two different classes of sins and none of them can overlap. Therefore, shunning the grave sins cannot cause the other grave sins to be forgiven. It can only help in forgiveness of light sins, (In the background we should also remember that repeating light sins make them into grave sins).