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Please could you tell me which would be regarded the greater sin

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

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Please could you tell me which would be regarded the greater sin, Having another mans child to that of your husband or abortion.

 

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Answer:

 

Which is bigger zina or abortion

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Respected sister in Islam, ‘zina’ (fornication and adultery) and ‘abortion’ (the intentional killing of an innocent soul), both, without an iota of a doubt, are amongst the gravest and most heinous sins in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

 

Because both ‘zina’ and ‘abortion’ are abominations, one can only try to determine which amongst them is bigger in the sight of Allah Subhanah; and the way to determine that is to see what are the punishments prescribed for each in this world and the Hereafter. The harsher the punishment, the bigger the sin; the stronger and more emphasized the sin in the words of Allah and His Messenger (saws), the bigger the sin!

 

For example, the single biggest sin in the sight of Allah is considered the heinous crime of ‘shirk’ or associating, invoking, or worshipping others with Allah Subhanah! There is no bigger sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah than this one sin! Why??? Because Allah Subhanah has clearly declared in the Holy Quran that on the Day of Judgment, He may, if He so Pleases, forgives all sins, except this one sin of ‘shirk’! And He has declared that for people who die in the state of shirk, He has made Paradise ‘haraam’ for them! And He has also declared that whatever good deeds one might have done, if one dies in the state of shirk, all his good deeds will hold no weight on the Day of Judgment! No other sin has been declared as unforgivable, and no other sin carries the Judgment that Paradise is ‘haraam’ for the people who commit it….therefore, ‘shirk’ is considered the single biggest sin and crime in the sight of Allah Subhanah!

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72:

Whoever commits ‘shirk’ (invoking anything with Allah), Allah shall forbid for him Paradise, and Hell shall be his abode. And for such wrong doers there will be no one to help.

 

Allah says in the Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48
Shirk (associating other deities with Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever He pleases, sins other than this. For whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie and commits the most heinous sin

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 65-66:

If you commit ‘shirk’ all your works will be rendered vain and you will be among the losers. Therefore, you should worship Allah Alone, and be among His grateful servants.

 

Ref: the sin and punishment of Zina.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 32:

Do not even go near ‘zina’ (fornication or adultery) for it is a very indecent thing and a very evil way!

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Noor verse 2:

The woman and the man guilty of ‘zina’ (fornication), flog each one of them with a hundred stripes, and let not pity for them restrain you in regard to a matter prescribed by Allah; if indeed you believe in Allah and the Last Day! And let a section of the believers witness the punishment inflicted on them.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 4207 Narrated by Imran ibn Husayn

A woman from Juhaynah came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and she had become pregnant because of adultery. She said: ‘O Messenger of Allah (saws), I have done something for which (prescribed punishment) must be imposed upon me, so impose that.’ The Prophet (saws) called her master and said: ‘Treat her well, and when she gives birth bring her to me.’ He did accordingly. Then the Prophet (saws) pronounced judgment on her. Her clothes were tied around her and then he (saws) gave the order and she was stoned to death. He then prayed over her (dead body). Thereupon Umar said to him: ‘Allah's Apostle, you offer prayer for her although she had committed adultery!’ Thereupon he (saws) said: ‘She has made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy men of Medina, it would be enough. Have you found any repentance better than that she sacrificed her life for Allah, the Majestic?’

 

Thus, in light of the Quran and Sunnah the punishment for zina (fornication and adultery) is as follows:

Fornication: Flog both the guilty man and the woman with a hundred stripes in public.

Adultery: Stone both, the guilty man and the woman to death!

 

Ref: the sin and the prescribed punishment for ‘abortion’

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 140:

Most surely they became losers, who, in their folly and ignorance killed their own children; and made unlawful what Allah had provided them as sustenance, falsely ascribing prohibitions to Allah. Surely, they went astray and were not at all rightly guided.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 151 (part):

You should not kill your children for fear of poverty; for We provide sustenance for you and will provide sustenance for them also.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 31:

Do not kill your children for fear of want; for it is We Who provide for them, and for you as well. Indeed, their killing is a heinous crime!

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 93:

93 If one kills a believer intentionally his recompense is Hell to abide therein (for ever): and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him!

 

 

Beloved Sister, because the heinous crime of ‘abortion’ is generally done by or with the consent of the very people (mother/father) who are the absolute closest benefactors and guardians of the innocent soul, there is none to demand justice or retribution for the killing of the innocent soul in the life of this world! But Allah is our witness sister, on the Day of Judgment, that innocent soul will receive full and complete justice and retribution in the Presence of the Lord Most Majestic.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 81 Surah Takweer verses 7-9:

7 When the souls are sorted out (on the Day of Judgment);

8 When the female (infant) buried alive is questioned

9 For what crime she was killed?

 

Although there is no prescribed punishment in Shariah Law for the heinous and abominable crime of ‘abortion’ in the life of this world, from the guidance of the Glorious Quran it would be absolutely safe to assume that those who intentionally take the life of an innocent soul will have an extremely severe accounting in the Presence of their Lord Most Majestic, Most Supreme on that Inevitable Day of Judgment!

 

Your Question: Please could you tell me which would be regarded the greater sin, Having another mans child to that of your husband or abortion. 

Beloved Sister in Islam, because the punishment for the crime of ‘abortion’ is not as clearly defined in Shariah like the punishment for ‘zina’; one cannot say with conviction which amongst these two heinous crimes is bigger.

 

In our humble opinion, and it is only our opinion: the crime of ‘abortion’ or the intentional taking of the life of an innocent soul would be considered bigger than the abomination of ‘zina’…..and Allah Alone Knows Best.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan


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