معنى اللمم The meaning of “small faults”

[أم أبي التراب]

معنى اللمم

The meaning of “small faults”

السؤال

قال الله تعالى "الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ"النجم/ 32 . ما معنى اللمم في هذه الآية الكريمة ؟.
الحمد لله
هذه الآية الكريمة في سورة النجم ، وهي تذكر صفات المحسنين الذين هم أهل الجنة ، قال الله تعالى "وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى * الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلا اللَّمَمَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ" النجم/31، 32 .
وقد اختلف المفسرون والأئمة في معنى اللَّمَمَ على أقوال ، منها :
1- روي عن جماعة من السلف : أنه الإلمام بالذنب مرة ، ثم لا يعود إليه ، وإن كان كبيرًا ، قال البغوي : هذا قول أبي هريرة ، ومجاهد ، والحسن ، ورواية عن ابن عباس .
2- وقال سعيد بن المسيب : اللَّمَمَ :هو ما ألم بالقلب . أي ما خطر عليه .
3- وقال الحسين بن الفضل : اللَّمَمَ : النظر من غير تعمد ، فهو مغفور ، فإن أعاد اللمم : فليس بلمم ، وهو ذنب .
4- وذهبت طائفة إلى أن اللَّمَمَ: ما فعلوه في الجاهلية قبل إسلامهم ، فالله لا يؤاخذهم به ، وذلك أن المشركين قالوا للمسلمين : أنتم بالأمس كنتم تعملون معنا ، فأنزل الله هذه الآية ، وهذا قول زيد بن ثابت ، وزيد بن أسلم .
5- وذهب جمهور العلماء إلى أن "اللَّمَمَ" هو صغائر الذنوب .
روى البخاري :6243: عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ : لَمْ أَرَ شَيْئًا أَشْبَهَ بِاللَّمَمِ مِمَّا قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الزِّنَا ، أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ لا مَحَالَةَ، فَزِنَا الْعَيْنِ النَّظَرُ ، وَزِنَا اللِّسَانِ الْمَنْطِقُ ، وَالنَّفْسُ تَمَنَّى وَتَشْتَهِي ، وَالْفَرْجُ يُصَدِّقُ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ وَيُكَذِّبُهُ" .
قَالَ الرَّاغِب : اللَّمَمَ: مُقَارَفَة الْمَعْصِيَة ، وَيُعَبَّر بِهِ عَنْ الصَّغِيرَة .
وقَالَ الْخَطَّابِيُّ : الْمُرَاد بِاللَّمَمَ مَا ذَكَرَهُ اللَّه فِي قَوْله تَعَالَى " الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلا اللَّمَمَ " وَهُوَ الْمَعْفُوُّ عَنْهُ . وَقَالَ فِي الآيَة الأُخْرَى "إِنْ تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ " فَيُؤْخَذ مِنْ الآيَتَيْنِ أَنَّ اللَّمَمَ مِنْ الصَّغَائِر وَأَنَّهُ يُكَفَّر بِاجْتِنَابِ الْكَبَائِر اهـ .
وذكر النووي رحمه الله كلام الخطابي ثم قال :
" هَذَا هُوَ الصَّحِيح فِي تَفْسِير اللَّمَم , وَقِيلَ : أَنْ يُلِمّ بِالشَّيْءِ وَلا يَفْعَلهُ , وَقِيلَ : الْمَيْل إِلَى الذَّنْب . وَلا يُصِرّ عَلَيْهِ , وَقِيلَ غَيْر ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَيْسَ بِظَاهِرٍ . وَأَصْل اللَّمَم وَالإِلْمَام الْمَيْل إِلَى الشَّيْء وَطَلَبَهُ مِنْ غَيْر مُدَاوَمَة . وَاَللَّه أَعْلَم " اهـ .
قال الحافظ :
وَمُحَصَّل كَلَام اِبْن عَبَّاس تَخْصِيصه بِبَعْضِهَا" يعني : تخصيص اللَّمَم ببعض الذنوب الصغار" , وَيَحْتَمِل أَنْ يَكُون أَرَادَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ جُمْلَة اللَّمَم أَوْ فِي حُكْم اللَّمَم . اهـ .
وروى الترمذي :3284: عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُما " الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلا اللَّمَمَ ". قَالَ : قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ" إِنْ تَغْفِرْ اللَّهُمَّ تَغْفِرْ جَمَّا وَأَيُّ عَبْدٍ لَكَ لا أَلَمَّا" . صححه الألباني في صحيح الترمذي .
قال في تحفة الأحوذي :
اخْتَلَفَت أَقْوَالُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي تَفْسِيرِ اللَّمَمِ ، فَالْجُمْهُورُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ صَغَائِرُ الذُّنُوبِ . . وَهو الظَّاهِرُ الرَّاجِحُ. اهـ .
وقال القرطبي رحمه الله :
‏"إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ" وهي الصغائر التي لا يسلم من الوقوع فيها إلا من عصمه الله وحفظه. اهـ .
وقال ابن جرير :
" وأولى الأقوال في ذلك عندي بالصواب قول من قال "إِلَّا" بمعنى الاستثناء المنقطع، ووجه معنى الكلام " الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلا اللَّمَمَ " بما دون كبائر الإثم ، ودون الفواحش الموجبة للحدود في الدنيا ، والعذاب في الآخرة ، فإن ذلك معفو لهم عنه ، وذلك عندي نظير قوله جل ثناؤه "إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُم مُّدْخَلًا كَرِيمًا" النساء/31 . فوعد جل ثناؤه باجتناب الكبائر ، العفو عما دونها من السيئات ، وهو اللمم الذي قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم "العينان تزنيان ، واليدان تزنيان ، والرجلان تزنيان ، ويصدق ذلك الفرج أو يكذبه" وذلك أنه لا حد فيما دون ولوج الفرج في الفرج ، وذلك هو العفو من الله في الدنيا عن عقوبة العبد عليه ، والله جل ثناؤه أكرم من أن يعود فيما قد عفا عنه ". اهـ
وقد ورد في السنة الصحيحة إطلاق اللَّمَم على من يعمل الذنوب المرة ونحوها ، ولم يداوم على ذلك .
وهو موافق لمعنى اللَّمَم في اللغة .
ففي حديث الإفك :
قَوْله صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ " إِنْ كُنْت أَلْمَمْتِ بِذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرِي اللَّه " رواه البخاري :2661، ومسلم :2770 .
قال النووي : مَعْنَاهُ : إِنْ كُنْت فَعَلْتِ ذَنْبًا وَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ لَكِ بِعَادَةٍ , وَهَذَا أَصْل اللَّمَم. اهـ .
وقد جمع السعدي رحمه الله في تفسيره بين المعنيين ، فقال :ص 976 :
" الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ " أي : يفعلون ما أمرهم الله به من الواجبات التي يكون تركها من كبائر الذنوب ، ويتركون المحرمات الكبار من الزنا وشرب الخمر وأكل الربا والقتل ونحو ذلك من الذنوب العظيمة "إِلا اللَّمَمَ" وهو الذنوب الصغار التي لا يصر صاحبها عليها ، أو التي يُلِم العبد بها المرة بعد المرة على وجه الندرة والقلة ، فهذه ليس مجرد الإقدام عليها مخرجًا للعبد من أن يكون من المحسنين ، فإن هذه مع الإتيان بالواجبات وترك المحرمات تدخل تحت مغفرة الله التي وسعت كل شيء ، ولهذا قال " إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ " فلولا مغفرته لهلكت البلاد والعباد ، ولولا عفوه وحلمه لسقطت السماء على الأرض ، ولما ترك على ظهرها من دابة ، ولهذا قال النبي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "الصَّلَوَاتُ الْخَمْسُ ، وَالْجُمْعَةُ إِلَى الْجُمْعَةِ ، وَرَمَضَانُ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ ، مُكَفِّرَاتٌ مَا بَيْنَهُنَّ إِذَا اجْتَنَبَ الْكَبَائِرَ " اهـ .
وليس معنى الآية الإذن لهم في ارتكاب "اللَّمَم" وهي الصغائر ، بل المعنى : أنهم يجتنبون الكبائر ، ثم ما وقع منهم من الصغائر - على سبيل الزلة والخطأ - فإنه يقع مغفورًا لهم باجتنابهم الكبائر .
والله تعالى أعلم .

المصدر: الإسلام سؤال وجواب

[أم أبي التراب]

The meaning of “small faults”

Question

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who avoid great sins and Al‑Fawaahish (illegal sexual intercourse) except the small faults…”
[al-Najm 53:32]
What is meant by the word lamam (translated here as “small faults”) in this verse?.

Answer




Praise be to Allaah. This verse appears in Soorat al-Najm, where Allaah describes the attributes of the doers of good who are the people of Paradise. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And to Allaah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done (i.e. punish them in Hell), and reward those who do good, with what is best (i.e. Paradise).
32. Those who avoid great sins and Al‑Fawaahish (illegal sexual intercourse) except the small faults, verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness”
[al-Najm 53:31-32]
The mufassireen and imams differed as to what is meant by lamam (translated here as “small faults”). Their views include the following:
1-It was narrated from a number of the salaf that it refers to committing a sin once, then not repeating it, even if it is a major sin. Al-Baghawi said: This is the view of Abu Hurayrah, Mujaahid and al-Hasan, and was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas.
2-Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyab said that it refers to what crosses one’s mind.
3-Al-Hasan ibn al-Fadl said: Lamam (“small faults”) refers to a look that is not deliberate, which is forgiven. But if a person looks again, this is no longer a small fault, rather it is a sin.
4-A group of scholars were of the view that lamam refers to what they did during the Jaahiliyyah, before they became Muslim, so Allaah will not take them to task for it. That is because the mushrikoon said to the Muslims: “Yesterday you used to do these things alongside us.” So Allaah revealed this verse. This is the view of Zayd ibn Thaabit and Zayd ibn Aslam.
5-The majority of scholars are of the view that lamam refers to minor sins.
Al-Bukhaari (2643) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I have never seen anything that explains lamam more clearly than what Abu Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Allaah has decreed for the son of Adam his share of zina (adultery), which he will inevitably commit. The zina of the eyes is looking, the zina of the tongue is speaking, the zina of the heart is wishing and longing, and the private parts will confirm that or deny it.”
Al-Raaghib said: Lamam means committing sin, and refers to minor sins.
What is meant by lamam is that which Allaah mentioned in the verse where He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who avoid great sins and Al‑Fawaahish (illegal sexual intercourse) except the small faults (lamam)…”
[al-Najm 53:32]
… which is forgivable.
And Allaah says in another verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall expiate from you your (small) sins (lamam)…”
[al-Nisa’ 4:31]
It may be understood from these two verses that lamam refers to small sins, which will be expiated by avoidance of major sins.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) quoted the words of al-Khattaabi, then he said:
This is the correct interpretation of the word lamam. And it was said that it means thinking of doing something but then not doing it; or an inclination towards sin but not persisting in it. And there are other views which are not clear. The basic meaning of the word lamam is an inclination towards something and seeking it, but not on an ongoing basis. And Allaah knows best.
Al-Haafiz said:
What may be understood from the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas is that the word lamam refers to specific minor sins, or it may be understood that these minor sins are one of the things meant by lamam.
Al-Tirmidhi (3284) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him): “If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall expiate from you your (small) sins…” [al-Nisa’ 4:31]. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When You forgive, O Allaah, You forgive a great deal, for who among Your slaves has not committed sin?” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
It says in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi:
The scholars differed concerning the meaning of lamam, but the majority are of the view that it refers to minor sins. This view appears to be correct.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“except the small faults” refers to minor sins which no one can avoid falling into except the one whom Allaah protects.
Ibn Jareer said:
The most correct view concerning this, in my opinion, is the view of those who say that “illa” (except) is istithna’ munqati’(an exception where the thing excluded is not of the same type as the things mentioned before the word illa). What is meant by the phrase “Those who avoid great sins and Al‑Fawaahish (illegal sexual intercourse) except the small faults” is faults that are less serious than major sins and immoral actions that incur hadd punishments in this world and punishment in the Hereafter. They will be forgiven for these small faults. In my view this is akin to the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall expiate from you your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise)”
[al-Nisa’ 4:31]
So in return for avoidance of major sins, Allaah has promised forgiveness for lesser sins, of which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The eyes commit zina, the hands commit zina, the feet commit zina, and the private parts confirm that or deny it.” That is because there is no hadd punishment for anything less than intercourse. This is forgiveness from Allaah in this world, whereby a person is let off the punishment, and Allaah is too generous to go back to something that He has forgiven. End quote.
In the saheeh Sunnah, the word lamam is used to refer to one who commits a sin once, but does not persist in it. This is in accordance with the meaning of the word lamam in Arabic.
In hadeeth al-ifk (the hadeeth which tells the story of the lie fabricated against ‘Aa’ishah) it says:
“If it so happened that you committed a sin (in kunti almamti bi dhanbin) then ask Allaah for forgiveness.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2661; Muslim, 2770.
Al-Nawawi said: What this means is: if you have a committed a sin which is not something that you usually do. This is the basic meaning of the word lamam.
Al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) reconciled between the two meanings in his Tafseer, where he says (p. 976):
“Those who avoid great sins and Al‑Fawaahish (illegal sexual intercourse)” means: they do the duties that Allaah has enjoined upon them, omission of which is a major sin, and they abstain from major forbidden actions such as zina, drinking alcohol, consuming riba, murder, and other major sins, “except the small faults”, i.e., minor sins in which a person does not persist, or which a person may do rarely. The fact that he may have done them does not mean that he is no longer regarded as a doer of good. If he also does the duties that are required of him and avoids haraam things, he will be forgiven by Allaah, Whose forgiveness encompasses all things. Hence Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“verily, your Lord is of vast forgiveness”
[al-Najm 53:32]
Were it not for His forgiveness, all lands and people would be doomed. Were it not for His pardon and forbearance, the heavens would fall upon the earth, and no creature would be left alive on the face of the earth. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The five daily prayers, from one Jumu’ah to the next and from one Ramadaan to the next, are an expiation for whatever (sins) come in between them, so long as you avoid major sins.”
The verse does not mean that we are given permission to commit small faults or minor sins. Rather what it means is that if we avoid major sins, then whatever minor sins we fall into by mistake will be forgiven because of that avoidance of major sins.
And Allaah knows best.


Source: Islam Q&A

[أم أبي التراب]

What are lamam (“small faults”)? And what is the ruling on a disobedient Muslim who repeatedly commits them?

Question

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who avoid great sins and Al‑Fawaahish (illegal sexual intercourse) except the small faults (lamam)…”
[al-Najm 53:32]
I know that lamam (translated here as “small faults”) means minor sins, such as looking, kissing and touching, and these sins will be forgiven by Allaah so long as major sins are avoided.
My question is: does this mean that a person will not be punished for these sins even in this world, if he repents from them then does them again, and repents again and goes back to them again? Will he not be punished by Allaah for committing these sins?.



Answer

Praise be to Allaah. In the answer to the question no. 22422 , The meaning of small faults’” we have discussed the different scholarly opinions on the meaning of the word lamam in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who avoid great sins and Al‑Fawaahish (illegal sexual intercourse) except the small faults (lamam)…”
[al-Najm 53:32]
The majority of scholars are of the view that lamam refers to minor sins.
This does not mean that a person may be negligent with regard to the matter of committing minor sins, rather persisting in minor sins makes them major sins, which means that they are no longer minor faults.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim:
The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) said that persisting in a minor sin makes it a major sin. It was narrated from ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Abbaas and others (may Allaah be pleased with them) that there is no major sin with prayers for forgiveness and no minor sin if one persists in it.
What this means is that a major sin may be erased by praying for forgiveness, but a minor sin may become a major sin if one persists in it. End quote.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (15/293):
Adultery is a major sin, but looking and touching are lamam (minor sins) which may be forgiven if one avoids major sin. But if a person persists in looking or touching, that becomes a major sin, and persisting in that may be worse than a small amount of major sin, for persisting in looking with desire, along with the connected feelings of mixing and touching, may be much worse than the evil of an isolated act of zina. Hence the fuqaha’ said concerning the witness of good character: he does not commit a major sin or persist in a minor sin… Indeed, looking and touching may lead a man to shirk as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allaah as rivals (to Allaah). They love them as they love Allaah”
[al-Baqarah 2:165]
The one who is in love becomes a slave to the one he loves. end quote.
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against being negligent with regard to minor sins, and said:
“Beware of minor sins, like a people who camped in the bottom of a valley, and one man brought a stick, another man brought a stick, and so on, until they managed to bake their bread. There are some insignificant sins which, once (they accumulate) and a person is questioned about them, they lead to his doom.”
Narrated by Ahmad, 2/223, from the hadeeth of Sahl ibn Sa’d (may Allaah have mercy on him). Al-Haafiz said: Its isnaad is hasan.
Ahmad (3803) narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Beware of minor sins, for they accumulate until they doom a man,” and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave a likeness of that: “Like people who camped in the wilderness, and one man brought a stick, another man brought a stick, and so on, until they accumulated a lot, then they lit a fire and cooked their food.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2687.
Ibn Maajah (4243) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: “O ‘Aa’ishah, beware of deeds that are regarded as insignificant, for they have a pursuer from Allaah.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
Al-Ghazaali said:
Repeatedly committing small sins has a great effect of blackening the heart. It is like the effect of water dripping onto rock, which will inevitably erode it, even though water is liquid and rock is solid. End quote.
The poet spoke well when he said:
Do not think of minor sins as insignificant, for mountains are made out of pebbles.
Secondly:
If a person repents from his sin, then it is forgiven and he will not be punished for it, either in this world or in the Hereafter. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4250. al-Haafiz said: Its isnaad is hasan; it was also classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
Al-Nawawi said:
The scholars (may Allaah be pleased with them) are agreed that repentance is accepted so long as the death rattle has not reached the throat, as it says in the hadeeth. There are three pillars or essential parts of repentance: the person must give up the sin, regret doing it, and resolve not to go back to it.
If a person repents from sin then goes back to it, that does not invalidate his repentance, and if he repents from one sin then commits another, his repentance is still valid. This is the correct view. End quote.
He also said:
If a person repeats the sin a hundred times or a thousand times or more, and repents each time, his repentance is accepted and his sin is erased. Even if he were to repent once after all these sins, his repentance would be valid. End quote.
In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in a hadeeth qudsi: “A person committed a sin and said, ‘O Allaah, forgive me my sin.’ Allaah said: ‘My slave has committed a sin, but he knew that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for sin.’ Then he committed the sin again and said: ‘O Lord, forgive me my sin.’ Allaah said: ‘My slave has committed a sin, but he knew that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for sin.’ Then he committed the sin again and said: ‘O Lord, forgive me my sin.’ Allaah said: ‘My slave has committed a sin, but he knew that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for sin. Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you.’” According to another report: “I have forgiven My slave, so let him do what he wishes.”
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The words “Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you” mean: so long as you sin then repent, I will forgive you.
Whatever the case, the mercy of Allaah is vast and His bounty is immense. Whoever repents, Allaah will accept his repentance. But the Muslim should not take the risk of committing sins because he may not be able to repent. What is mentioned in the hadeeth is for the purpose of explaining how great the mercy of Allaah is and how immense His bounty, not to encourage people to commit sin.
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 9231.
And Allaah knows best.

Source: Islam Q&A