The nine major sins

Taysala ibn Mayyas said, "I was with the Najadites [Kharijites] when I committed wrong actions which I supposed were major wrong actions. I mentioned that to Ibn 'Umar. He inquired, 'What are they?" I replied, 'Such-and-such.' He stated, 'These are not major wrong actions. There are nine major wrong actions. They are: associating others with Allah, killing someone, desertion from the army when it is advancing, slandering a chaste woman, usury, consuming an orphan's property, heresy in the mosque, scoffing, and causing one's parents to weep through disobedience.'

Ibn 'Umar then said to me, 'Do you wish to separate yourself from the Fire? Would you like to enter Paradise?' 'By Allah, yes!' I replied. He asked, 'Are your parents still alive?' I replied, 'My mother is.' He said, 'By Allah, if you speak gently to her and feed her, then you will enter the Garden as long as you avoid the major wrong actions.'"  

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