The person is asking with regards to the hadeeth, ‘there is no obedience to creation and disobedience to Allaah’..

Q.​The person is asking with regards to the hadeeth, ‘there is no obedience to creation and disobedience to Allaah’. If a person goes to hajj without a permit, does it fall under this category?

A.​The shaykh said no, rather what it falls under is the statement of Allaah (azza wa jall) in the Qur’aan; ‘Obey Allaah, obey the messenger and those in authority from amongst you’. So if the rulers and those in authority, if they give an order which has a benefit for the ummah, it has a general benefit for the ummah then it is obligatory that we obey them. But it is not permissible for us to obey them if they order us to perform a sin or if they prevent us from performing something which is obligatory. So if they order us to perform a sin we do not obey them and if they prevent us from performing something obligatory we likewise do not obey them.

Shaykh Saalih Muhammad al-Luhaydaan (May Allaah preserve him) (Kitaab-ut-Tawheed Class, Q&A Session 06-10-2012, Riyadh)

The individual is asking how do we know what is a major sin?

Q.​The individual is asking how do we know what is a major sin?

A. ​The shaykh said major sins are for example that which Allaah tabaarak ta wa ta’aala, informs us the punishment for whoever performs it will be the hell fire. Likewise that which the Prophet (Sallaahu alayhi wa sallam) informed us that whoever does this action they will be distant from the mercy of Allaah, or whoever does this action will be cursed by Allaah. These are certain things which inform an individual that a sin is a major sin. You have the hadith where the Prophet (Sallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘abstain from the seven major sins’. However the Prophet Sallaahu alayhi wa sallam did not mean that there are only seven. He sallaahu alayhi wa sallam in that hadith mentioned seven but did not say that they are the only major sins. The proof for that is ibn Abbass (RadiAllaahu anhumma). He was asked are there only seven? He said they are closer to seventy then seven. So there is no specific number of the amount of major sin there are.

Shaykh Saalih ibn Muhammad al-Luhaydaan (May Allaah preserve him) (Kitaab-ut-Tawheed Class 01.12.12) Riyadh.

The individual is asking if I swear by my father’s life is this considered from major shirk?

Q.​The individual is asking if I swear by my father’s life is this considered from major shirk?

A.​The shaykh said no doubt it is considered from shirk. Swearing by the like of your parents it is considered from shirk. But if you swear by the like of your parents because you have a great, tremendous amount of reverence for them then this is major shirk. But if you do it out of kindness, not out of reverence rather kindness, and you are of the impression this is something to show respect to your parents then this is minor shirk. But this is not something you should be lackadaisical towards. This is not something you should be lackadaisical towards.

The shaykh said it’s possible that a person continues to commit minor shirk and their heart becomes accustomed to it, so they no longer distinguish between what is minor and what is major. They no longer distinguish between the truth and the falsehood. So that which a person should do, they should abstain from both the major and minor shirk. The individual should increase in the remembrance of Allaah so that no one has a place with Allaah in the individual’s heart. So no one has a place with Allaah in the individual’s heart. So he does not have reverence for anyone the way he does for Allaah azza wa ja’al.

Shaykh Saalih ibn Muhammad al-Luhaydaan (May Allaah preserve him) (Kitaab-ut-Tawheed Class 01.12.12) Riyadh.