This glad tiding has been attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, mentioned Sahih Muslim in The Book of Purification as Hadith 552, given herein under:
Abu Hurairaؓ reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say: "The five (daily) prayers, and Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer, and Ramadan to the next Ramadan, are expiation of the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided."
Arabic Text:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقُولُ: «الصَّلَوَاتُ الْخَمْسُ، وَالْجُمْعَةُ إِلَى الْجُمْعَةِ، وَرَمَضَانُ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ،
مُكَفِّرَاتٌ مَا بَيْنَهُنَّ إِذَا اجْتَنَبَ الْكَبَائِرَ» .
Explanation of the Hadith:
This Hadith highlights the mercy of Allah and the purification that comes through regular acts of worship, particularly the daily prayers, the Friday prayer, and the fasting in Ramadan. These acts serve as a means for believers to erase minor sins and maintain spiritual cleanliness between these times, provided that the person avoids major sins.
- The Five Daily Prayers: Performing the obligatory prayers (Salah) five times a day is a fundamental act of worship in Islam. According to the Hadith, the prayers act as a purification for the believer, removing minor sins committed between the prayers. This implies that every time a Muslim prays, they are spiritually cleansed, with the exception of major sins.
- Friday Prayer (Jumu'ah): The weekly congregational prayer on Fridays holds a special status in Islam. The Hadith indicates that the Friday prayer serves as an expiation for the sins committed from one Friday to the next, as long as major sins are avoided. This highlights the significance of Jumu'ah in Islam.
- Ramadan: The month of Ramadan, where Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, is a time of intense worship and devotion. The Hadith points out that Ramadan to Ramadan acts as a purification for the sins committed in between these two months, as long as major sins are avoided. This emphasizes the spiritual benefits of fasting and the importance of self-reflection during Ramadan.
Condition: Avoiding Major Sins
The Hadith clearly states that this expiation of sins is conditional on avoiding major sins. Major sins, like shirk (associating partners with Allah), murder, theft, adultery, lying, and so on, require specific repentance (Tawbah) and cannot be erased merely by performing these acts of worship. Major sins are different from minor sins in terms of their severity, and they require sincere repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allah.
Quranic Reference to Support the Hadith
The concept of expiation of sins through good deeds is reinforced in the Qur'an, which mentions that acts of worship like prayer, fasting, and charity cleanse the believer from minor sins:
- The Five Daily Prayers and Expiation of Sins:
- Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:6): O you who have believed, when you rise to pray, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet up to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves."
- The daily prayers are not only acts of worship but also a means of purification for the soul. While the verse speaks about physical purification for prayer, the underlying spiritual significance is that the prayers themselves purify a person from the minor sins committed in their daily lives.
- The Friday Prayer (Jumu'ah) as Expiation:
- Surah Al-Jumu'ah (62:9): “O you who have believed, when the call to prayer is made on the day of Friday, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you if you only knew.”
- This verse emphasizes the significance of Jumu'ah and the need to focus on worship on Fridays, which aligns with the Hadith, indicating that the Friday prayer acts as an expiation for the sins of the week.
- Ramadan and Expiation of Sins:
- Surah Al-Baqarah (2:185): “Ramadan is the month in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days. And Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful.”
- The act of fasting in Ramadan is a means of spiritual purification. The Hadith specifically states that Ramadan expiates the sins committed in between the two Ramadans, and this is consistent with the Qur'an, which emphasizes the guidance and spiritual benefits that come from fasting during this holy month.
General Expiation through Good Deeds
- Surah At-Tawbah (9:103): "Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allah’s blessings] upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing."
- This verse speaks about charity and its purifying effects. While the specific context here is about zakat (obligatory charity), it illustrates the broader principle in Islam that good deeds can purify believers and expiate sins.
Allah’s Forgiveness and Mercy
- Surah Al-Furqan (25:70): “Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.”
- This verse highlights the general principle that repentance and good deeds can replace evil actions, which corresponds to the Hadith that certain actions like the five daily prayers, Ramadan, and Jumu'ah serve as expiation for minor sins.
The Hadith thus underscores the importance of consistent acts of worship like the five daily prayers, the Friday prayer, and the fasting in Ramadan, all of which serve to expiate minor sins. This aligns with various Qur'anic verses that describe how acts of worship purify a person and erase sins. However, the Hadith also stresses the importance of avoiding major sins, which require specific repentance, as these cannot be forgiven by these acts alone. This reinforces the idea that Allah’s mercy and forgiveness are accessible to those who maintain a relationship with Him through sincere worship and avoidance of sinful behavior.
May Allah help us to stay away from all forms of sins and acts that are tangent to the teachings of Islam and help us to do good deeds that He likes and loves us to do. Ameen
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Collections of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Rewards for more Hadiths on the subject
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
