I was to write this article immediately after i wrote to Bakri Musa but was tied up with reading articles worth noting in my blog. I do respect Bakri Musa as a learned Man. He is a surgeon and live in US with I might assume his non Malay wife. You can read his blog here http://www.bakrimusa.com I have no problem with him. In fact the comment were meant for Malaysian Insider and although i try to post it on his blog it was later remove. He don't take too kindly to my harsh word.

This is the trouble with the so call intellectual Malays or the new elites, they don't take kindly to criticism yet they write articles without checking the facts. In Malaysia you must know how the government machinery works before you comment. To be fair his idea of the MTAB board sounds fair(Malaysian Tobacco Alcohol Board) but the implementation of it could never really happen.

Let's talk about Alcohol. As a Doctor and a Malaysian he should understand that we inherit the laws from the English and modified it according to our nation needs. So far it works well. Alcohol is divided in Malaysia into two types. Beverages and Hard Liquor. Selling of Alcoholic Beverages is not control. We still have toddy house run by the Customs in certain places like Klang. Alcoholic beverages like Beer, Samsu Shandy(yes it does contain alcohol you nitwit!)etc is sell openly and any coffee shop could sell it without having any license. Control for the Muslims is by the State Religious Authorities and not the police. So far we don't have any laws regarding it, Alhamdullilah! I hate when personal liberties is curtail!!! As far as i am concern, as a plural society we can't have one religious uniform law for all, it is ridiculous!!!!

Hard liquor is sold if you have the license to sell it. Today in the notice section of Star you can find a notice of a person who has apply for a license from City Hall to sell Liquor. Yes Hard Liquor cannot be sold without the consent of the Licensing and Excise Board of the respective Municipal, Town or City Council. And the License is only open for Non Muslims. Malays being Muslims are not allowed to hold the license and it has been in force for years!!! That is why in Shah Alam you will never have a pub ( or a cinema) because the City council would never approve it unless the Sultan say ok!! The Sultan, God bless him was the one responsible who gave the consent for Holiday Inn (now Quality Hotel) to have a disco thus a liquor license in 1987 if I am not mistaken!!! He says that Disco is good for your health for it provide you lot of exercise!!!! That was the end of no liquor in Shah Alam but only in Hotels!!!! Recently Dr Hassan Ali, the idiot State Assemblyman from who knows where, but he is the State exco for Islam in the State Government, went into crusade trying to shut down 7- eleven and hop it and stopping them for selling Alcoholic Beverages, (a 24 hours retail shop to stop selling Beer or soft liquor). I was stupidfied because Giant and Tesco, big hypermarket chain have to stop selling Beers!! It does not make sense but luckily the Groovy Sultan of Selangor decided to call Hassan Ali to the Istana. The rest is history!!!!

If you read the blog by M Bakri Musa now, he plays the liberal,OMG!!! how vain he is!!! I always quote a hadiths that say Alcohol was one of the 7 biggest sin for Muslims. I was wrong it was not in that hadiths. To Muslims there must be aware that the 'ayat' forbidding Muslims to consume Arak did not come in one commandment. It came gradually in fact there were 3 verses that touch on liquor. The last verse make it a sin for Muslim to consume!!!

Here is the hadiths i was saying which i make a mistake

There is some difference of opinion among scholars in this regard. Some say these major sins are seven, and in support of their position they quote the tradition: "Avoid the seven noxious things"- and after having said this, the propeht (SAW) mentioned them: "associating anything with Allah; magic; killing one whom Allah has declared inviolate without a just case, consuming the property of an orphan, devouring usury, turning back when the army advances, and slandering chaste women who are believers but indiscreet." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Tujuh Dosa-dosa Besar Yang Utama (In Malay)

(matan lihat dalam email)

Intisari:

a. Terdapat 7 dosa besar yang utama sebagaimana berikut:

1. Mensyirikkan Allah
2. Melakukan sihir
3. Membunuh manusia
4. Memakan harta anak yatim
5. Memakan harta riba
6. Melarikan diri daripada peperangan
7. Menuduh perempuan baik melakukan zina.

b. Di antara tujuh kesalahan utama ini, hanya dua sahaja yang jatuh dalam kategori hukuman hudud iaitu
kesalahan mensyirikkan Allah yang boleh membawa kepada hukuman murtad dan kesalahan qazaf iaitu
menuduh orang berzina.

c. Terdapat satu sahaja kesalahan yang boleh dikenakan hukuman qisas iaitu membunuh orang.

d. Semua kesalahan ini dijanjikan Allah dengan balasan neraka dan laknat.

I will try to explian my thoughts and idea why the hadiths does not mention liqour as a big sin but many Ulamak would come to the conclusion that it is a big sin which i shall reserve my comment.
Other scholars cite evidence that Islam's major sins are actually much greater in number.

These religious scholars define major sins as acts which are expressly forbidden in the Qu'an or by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), or for which there is a hadd punishment under Islamic law. A hadd punishment is a punishment specified by Allah in the Qur'an.

Under this definition, the list of major sins includes (but is not limited to) the following acts:

• Worshiping others, or associating partners with Allah (shirk)
• Believing in superstition, fortune telling and astrology
• Using magic or sorcery
• Committing murder
• Committing suicide
• Bearing false witness
• Committing adultery or fornication
• Cheating, stealing, and lying
• Charging or paying interest or usury (riba)
• Consuming pork or alcohol
• Consuming the wealth of an orphan
• Not fasting for Ramadan
• Not observing daily prayers
• Not paying zakat (annual charity)
• Gambling
• Oppression and unjust leadership
• Bribery, betraying trusts and breaking contracts
• Backbiting and slandering
• Breaking the ties of kinship
• Disobeying or not honoring one's parents

Minor Sins in Islam

Minor sins are acts which are displeasing to Allah but for which no specific punishment or severe warning has been issued. In this case, a Muslim's conscience and heart help him to know that an act is sinful.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about." (Muslim)

Minor sins are not, however, to be taken lightly, as disobeying Allah is always a serious matter. Allah says: “You counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great.” (Qur'an 24:15)

Minor sins can easily lead someone to commit a major sin, and repeatedly committing a minor sin will change its status to that of a major sin.

Furthermore, habitual sinning causes a Muslim to lose faith and disregard the commandments of Allah. In the Qur'an, Allah says: “Nay, their hearts have been sealed by the sins they have accumulated.” (Qur'an 83:14).

Forgiveness and Expiation in Islam

Scholars agree that while good deeds and extra acts of worship help expiate minor sins, they won't compensate for major sins. Instead, a Muslim must make sincere repentance for major sins by showing genuine remorse, praying for Allah's Mercy and Forgiveness, and avoiding that sin in the future.

Only a person who avoids major sins will have good deeds such as charity, praying, or fasting accepted as expiation for minor sins. Allah says: “If you shun the great sins which you are forbidden, We will do away with your small sins and cause you to enter an honorable place of entering.” (Qur'an 4: 31)

Shirk, however, is the one sin which Allah will not forgive. "Verily, Allah forgives not that partners be set up with Him (in worship) but He forgives other than that to whom He pleases; and whoever sets up partners with Allah (in worship), he has indeed invented an enormous wrong." (Qur'an 4:48)

Remembrance of Allah

A Muslim should strive at all times to remember Allah, as this helps him refrain from sins of the tongue, heart, mind and hands. As Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid advises on Islam-qa.com, "The Muslim should not look at how small or great the sin is, rather he should look at the greatness and might of the One Whom he is disobeying."

For related reading, see Sincere Repentance and Do Muslims Believe in Original Sin?

Sources:

• Islam-qa.com
• Islamonline.net
• Major Sins in Islam, Compiled and Translated into English by Muhammad Iqbal Siddiqi, International Islamic Publishers, New Delhi (1988).

The copyright of the article Major and Minor Sins in Islam in Quran & Hadith Studies is owned by Christine Benlafquih. Permission to republish Major and Minor Sins in Islam in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Quraan Prohibits Alcohol

Regarding Alcohol - The Holy Quraan states: "They ask Thee concerning Wine and Gambling, Say: In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." (Surah Al-Baqarah:219)

The Arabic word used in this text is Khamr which is applied to all intoxicating liquor or drug.

The Quraan further states in Surah Al-Maaidah verse 90: "O Ye who believe! Intoxicants and Gambling, Sacrificing to Stones, and (divination by) Arrows, are an abomination, of Satan's handiwork; Keep away from such, that Ye may prosper."