The major sins are associating partners with Allah, undutifulness to parents, murder, and intentional false oath

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrates the major sins, whose perpetrators are given a severe warning in this world and the Hereafter. The first of them is "associating partners with Allah": This is to devote any form of worship to other than Allah and regard anyone as equal to Allah in His peculiar traits, including His divinity, lordship, names, and attributes. The second among them is "undutifulness to parents": Anything that causes hurt to one's parents, whether by word or deed and not showing kindness to them. The third among them is "murder": without right, like killing by way of oppression and aggression. And the fourth is "the intentional false oath": This is to take a false oath while knowing it to be false. It is called that (in Arabic: ghamūs) because it dips (taghmis) its perpetrator in sin or Hellfire.

Lessons

• There is no expiation for the intentional false oath due to its severity and magnitude, yet it requires repentance.
• The Hadīth mentions these four major sins only to show the gravity of their sinfulness, and it does not list all major sins.
• Sins are divided into major and minor. Major sins are every sin that entails a worldly penalty, like the prescribed punishments and curses, or a threat regarding the Hereafter, such as the threat of entering Hellfire. There are different levels of major sins, some more severe than others regarding prohibition. Minor sins are the sins other than the major ones.