Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 68
68 “Hearken! [The biggest sin is] setting up equals to Allah and [then] disobedience of parents [and neglect of duty to them]” Leaving the cushion, he was leaning against, and sitting up in an aroused manner, he said with great force, “Hearken! And lying,” He repeated it so many times that we wished he had left it off at that [and not strained himself so much]. ( S S S S a hih hih hih hih al-Bukh a a a a r i i i i , Book of Witnesses, Chapter: What is said about perjury) Explanatory Notes In this forceful Hadith, in enumerating cardinal sins, the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has selected the three aspects which are fundamental in spiritual and moral ethics. These three aspects are: 1. Rights of Allah, 2. Rights of His servants, and 3. Inner discipline of the soul. The biggest sin is Shirk, i. e. , setting up to God, our Creator as well as our Master, a partner or equal who is neither our creator nor our master. Shirk is thus a combination of both treason and rebellion. In truth, it is an extreme act of treachery to cultivate such beings as have nothing to do with our existence, or survival, against the One Being who created us and provided us all the means necessary for our mundane, as well as our spiritual progress. It is also the most felonious type of treason to turn away, in revolt from allegiance, to the