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What is Al-Kabā'ir (The Major Sins)?
Al-Kabā'ir, The Major Sins, is a book by Imam al-Dhahabi, the 13th–14th-century scholar known for Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ, the large biographical dictionary of Islamic scholarship. The book discusses the major sins, prohibitions, and things that are forbidden: what Allah and His Messenger forbade in the Quran and the Sunnah, together with the teachings of the righteous predecessors. It answers one question: what exactly are the major sins? The question matters because Allah promises in His Book that whoever avoids the major sins will have the minor sins forgiven.
Al-Dhahabi's method is a catalogue. Each major sin is named exactly, and the warnings against it from the Quran and from the Prophet are recorded faithfully, one after another. The book opens by quoting the verses that promise forgiveness of minor sins to those who avoid the major ones, and the hadith that the five daily prayers, one Friday to the next, and one Ramadan to the next are expiations for what lies between them, as long as the major sins are avoided. That is why, al-Dhahabi says, it is necessary to investigate what the major sins are. Throughout the catalogue the door of repentance is held open.
Is there an English audiobook of The Major Sins?
Yes. Joyful Muslims publishes the complete Al-Kabā'ir — The Major Sins as an English audiobook (about 7.5 hours), translated from the Arabic, with a word-synced bilingual transcript. It is al-Dhahabi's catalogue of the major sins, each named exactly with its Quranic and prophetic warnings, and the door of repentance held open throughout.
Is it free to listen?
The whole library is open to everyone. Every member gets five hours of listening free each month; Joyful+ removes the time limit.
How long is it?
About 7.5 hours (7h 28m). It works through the major sins one by one, with the Quranic and prophetic warnings for each, and keeps repentance in view throughout.
Last updated 2026-09-11
Inside the book.
Chapters
Word-synced with the narrator.
The first three minutes are transcribed here. In the app, the Living Manuscript scrolls through the entire book in rhythm with the audio — Arabic alongside English.
Living Manuscript
Listen to the full book in the app for the complete Living Manuscript.
The full, word-synced transcript in Arabic and English is in the app.
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