I was with the Najdāt (a group from the sect of Khawārij) and I committed sins that I see as nothing but among the major sins. I mentioned that to Ibn ʿUmar, and he said, “What are they?” I said such-and-such. He said, “These are not among the major sins. They are nine: (1) associating partners with Allah, (2) killing a soul, (3) fleeing from the battlefield, (4) falsely accusing a chaste woman, (5) consuming usury, (6) consuming the wealth of an orphan, (7) committing sacrilege in the Sacred Mosque, (8) the one who mocks, and (9) making one’s parents weep because of disobedience.”

Ibn ʿUmar said to me, “Do you dread the Fire and love to enter Paradise?” I said, “Yes, by Allah.” He said, “Is your father alive?” I said, “I have my mother.” He said, “By Allah, if you speak gently to her and feed her, you will surely enter Paradise, so long as you avoid the major sins.”

كُنْتُ مَعَ النَّجَدَاتِ، فَأَصَبْتُ ذُنُوبًا لاَ أَرَاهَا إِلاَّ مِنَ الْكَبَائِرِ. فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: مَا هِيَ؟ قُلْتُ: كَذَا وَكَذَا. قَالَ: لَيْسَتْ هَذِهِ مِنَ الْكَبَائِرِ، هُنَّ تِسْعٌ: (١) الإِشْرَاكُ بِاللَّهِ (٢) وَقَتْلُ نَسَمَةٍ (٣) وَالْفِرَارُ مِنَ الزَّحْفِ (٤) وَقَذْفُ الْمُحْصَنَةِ (٥) وَأَكْلُ الرِّبَا (٦) وَأَكْلُ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ (٧) وَإِلْحَادٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ (٨) وَالَّذِي يَسْتَسْخِرُ (٩) وَبُكَاءُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ مِنَ الْعُقُوقِ.

قَالَ لِي ابْنُ عُمَرَ: أَتَفْرَقُ النَّارَ وَتُحِبُّ أَنْ تَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ؟ قُلْتُ: إِي وَاللَّهِ! قَالَ: أَحَيٌّ وَالِدُكَ؟ قُلْتُ عِنْدِي أُمِّي. قَالَ: فَوَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَلَنْتَ لَهَا الْكَلاَمَ وَأَطْعَمْتَهَا الطَّعَامَ لَتَدْخُلَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ مَا اجْتَنَبْتَ الْكَبَائِرَ.

He said: “And lower for them the wing of humility out of mercy.” (Isra 17:24) He said: Do not withhold from them anything they love.

قَالَ: ﴿وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ﴾ [الإسراء ٢٤] قَالَ: لاَ تَمْتَنِعْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَحَبَّاهُ.