What Happens If You Have Committed a Sin in Islam?

By Quran Schooling | 30 May 2020

Islam is the way of life. It not only tells us about religious duties but also depicts the way of living a successful life. Whether it is social life, political life, family life, or professional life, Islam sketches out the way to lead a successful life. Almost every Muslim tries to follow Islam up to the extent one can. But no matter how pious a person is, or how many teachings of Islam one follows, it does not make us an angel (in the sense of purity). People do commit sins in their life. Some keep themselves at an arm’s length from doing the things forbidden in Islam. While some do not take care of it much.

But the question is, what happens to the people who sin in Islam? Are all sins forgiven in Islam? If yes, then how? There are a lot of people who think that they cannot be forgiven because they have committed a sin. Thus, they become used to wrongdoings without even considering repentance. This is a misconception. You should keep abreast of religious teachings about the people who commit sins. That is exactly why I am writing this post. Here, you will come to know about the true meaning sin, its degrees and how you will be able to rinse your sins off yourself.

What is Sin?

Before we dig deep into the repentance and the degrees of sins, it is important to know the basics. You should know the exact definition of sin. So that you can differentiate between an unethical action and a sin. So, what exactly is a sin?

In the religious context, sin means to do something against the divine law. In the Islamic context, sin is anything that goes against the commandments of Allah. The breach of laws and norms made by Allah is considered a sin in Islam. On the day of judgment, Allah weighs the good and bad deeds of a person. If your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds (sins), you will go to Jannat (Heaven) and vice versa. So your sins are used as a tool to determine whether you are going to be in Jannat or in hell.

Degrees of Sins in Islam

All sins are not equal. Some are minor while some are grave in nature. There are different words that are used in Islam for varying degrees of sins. Here are the five different degrees of sins mentioned in the Quran according to their severity in nature.

1) Dhanb

Dhanb is used for the heinous sins which are committed against God. Dhanb is considered a great sin. It is a type of sin that is punishable after death. The Quran states that if you do not commit these evil sins, your other sins (which are less severe in nature) will be forgiven.

2) Ithm

Ithm is an unlawful deed that is committed intentionally. Dhanb can be committed intentionally and unintentionally. But ithm is a sin that is committed deliberately. Ithm is also used in the meanings of haram, doing an unlawful act, taboo, consumption of something that is forbidden in Islam.

3) Khati’ah

Khati’ah is a lesser sin than ithm. It is considered as a moral lapse or a minor mistake. Nevertheless, the word Khati’ah is used frequently with ithm in the Quran. In this sense, some scholars think that Khati’ah is also a grave sin.

4) Jurm

The word Jurm is normally considered to be the synonym of the word dhanb. It is because Jurm is used to describe the same sins as the word dhanb describes.

5) Junah/Haraj

Junah and Haraj are considered the sins of the same nature as ithm is considered to be. It is a type of sin that wants to give punishment to the person who committed it. These words have been used in place of ithm in many places in the Holy Quran.

Can the Sins Be Forgiven in Islam?

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, if you have committed a sin, what to do next. Can your sin be forgiven or you will be punished at any cost? Many people have a misconception that their sin cannot be forgiven and they will be punished no matter how ashamed they are about what they have done.

It is a misconception because you can be forgiven for the sins you have committed. But you need to have repentance on what you have done. If you are really ashamed of your wrongdoings, you can ask for forgiveness from Allah. If you have harmed any other person, you will have to ask for forgiveness from that person then come to Allah for rinsing your sins off.

Conditions of Tawba (Repentance) In Islam?

When a person asks for forgiveness from Allah, one is usually forgiven. But there are some conditions that are needed to be fulfilled. Here are the conditions that are needed to be fulfilled if a person really wants to be forgiven.

If you fulfill all the above-mentioned conditions, chances are that Allah will forgive you for what you have done in the past.

Which Sin is Never Forgiven?

Although Repentance helps you to forgive all the sins. Yet, there is a sin that cannot be forgiven. If you do the shirk, it is never forgiven. Allah never forgives Shirk. Other than that, every sin is pardonable. Shirk means to give someone the same status as we give to Allah. In simple words, treating anything equal to Allah is shirk. It is not forgivable.

The Ultimate Solution to Avoid Sins

Although it is not very difficult or almost impossible to live a life without committing any sin, yet you can certainly avoid doing them in many ways. You should get closer to Allah by learning the Quran. It will help you figure out what to do and should you abstain from. By following the teachings of Islam, you will be able to avoid a lot of sins. You can learn Quran online if you do not want to do it in an easier way. You will be learning from well qualified Quran teachers when you learn Quran online. Our learning quran online guide helps you through each step of the process.

This is what happens when you commit sin in Islam