"You do some deeds that seem in your eyes as thinner than hair (unimportant) while we used to consider those deeds during the life-time of the Messenger of Allah as destructive sins." Will you explain the hadith above?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Hz. Anas narrates:

"You do some deeds that seem in your eyes as thinner than hair (unimportant) while we used to consider those deeds during the life-time of the Messenger of Allah as destructive sins." [Bukhari, Riqaq 32]

EXPLANATION:

1. The hadith above shows that the religious sensitivity weakened among Muslims even when the Companions were alive. There are similar complaints by Hz. Aisha and other Companions. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated in various hadiths that this weakening would take place. One of the hadiths in Bukhari is as follows:

"Righteous people will be taken away one after another until only the dregs of people will remain like the sediment of barley or dates. Allah will have no esteem for them."

In another hadith in Bukhari, it is stated that no scholars and righteous people will remain in the course of time and that people will make ignorant people their leaders.

2. Hz. Anas advises us to avoid sins that seem unimportant. He states that they seriously avoided minor sins with the blessings of the lessons they received from the Messenger of Allah in the Era of Bliss. As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah states the following:

"Beware of minor sins like a people who descend into the bottom of a valley, so one comes with a stick and another with a stick until they have fire to cook their bread. Verily, when a person is held accountable for these minor sins, they will destroy him."

Ibn Battal says, "Minor sins become major sins when they increase." It is stated in some narrations that the Companions regarded minor sins as major sins during the Era of the Messenger of Allah. It is narrated that Abu Ayyub al-Ansari said,

"A person does good deeds and does not care about minor sins by depending on his good deeds. When he encounters Allah, he sees that those minor sins have surrounded him. Another person commits sins but he always fears his sins. When he encounters Allah, he feels secured from His penalty."

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