What Are the Seven Major Sins?
Islam considers 70 acts to be major sins, called kaba'ir, some of which parallel the principles behind Christianity's seven deadly sins. These 70 acts can largely be categorized into seven categories, or seven major sins. As with any religious text, the holy book of Islam, the Quran, is open to interpretation. Islamic scholars like Shaykh Ahmad Hendricks have worked to interpret and narrow the list down to the worst. Hendricks' shortened list of 17 acts fall under seven major sin types, many of which parallel one of either the Ten Commandments or Seven Deadly Sins in Christianity.
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Sins of the Heart
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The first sin on most lists of kaba'ir is the sin of idolatry. In Islam, Allah is the highest power and authority and to worship any gods or idols before him is considered an unforgivable sin. Similarly, the first two commandments in Christianity are to have no other gods before God and not to make any carvings or idols for worship. Islam also commands consistent faith in Allah's mercy and awareness of his divine cunning while forbidding persistent transgression. These four sins are known as sins of the heart.
Sins of the Tongue
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Islam's sins of the tongue relate to spoken sins and include: bearing false witness, which is also one of the Christian Ten Commandments; defaming a woman of good standing; taking an oath that directly or indirectly undermines or circumvents justice; and participating in black magic or sorcery. In some interpretations of Islam, this final sin against sorcery includes any attempt to change perceptions or harm a person through words.
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Sins of the Stomach
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Muslims are forbidden by Allah from consuming alcohol or any other intoxicants. Additionally, to consume or take the wealth of orphans or to consume, accept or pay interest (called "riba" in Arabic) is considered a sin. While these sins are largely applied to food (so stealing food from orphans is a sin, and understandably so), interpretations of the Quran usually forbid charging or paying interest on financial loans.
Sins of the Private Parts
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Islam's sins relating to sexuality have their parallels in Christian beliefs too. Fornication ("zina") outside of marriage as well as anal sex, ("liwat") with either a man or a woman, are forbidden of Muslims. Similarly in Christianity, lust is one of the seven deadly sins and is considered an inordinate interest in the pleasures of the body, and adultery is forbidden in the Ten Commandments.
Sins of the Hand
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Islam's two key sins of the hand are straightforward and are similar to Christianity's sixth and eighth commandments: murder and theft. Both are very serious sins in both major religions with very little or no exceptions to make them justifiable.
Sin of the Feet
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One of Islam's final two major sins, as interpreted by Hendricks, is running from battle when you are confronted by the enemies of Muslims. Many Islam scholars extend this sin to include not just warfare but interpret it as a requirement that Muslims consistently stand up for their faith in the face of nonbelievers.
Sin of the Body
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The final major sin, the sin of the body, is disrespect for one's parents, a concept many Christians will recognize as the fifth commandment.
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