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Q&A · Repentance & Sin

Do Ramadan, Hajj and the five daily prayers wipe out major sins, or only minor ones?

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The five daily prayers, Jumuʿah to Jumuʿah, and Ramadan to Ramadan are an expiation for what is between them, so long as the major sins are avoided" — so the default is that these acts erase minor sins, while major sins require a specific, sincere tawbah. Hajj is spoken of even more strongly: "Whoever performs Hajj and commits no obscenity or transgression returns like the day his mother bore him," and on this basis a group of scholars held that an accepted Hajj may, by Allah's grace, expiate even major sins. The safe and agreed position is not to rely on that: repent specifically from every major sin, and treat the prayers, Ramadan and Hajj as a mercy that cleanses what remains. In every case, rights owed to other people (debts, stolen property, slander) are not waived by worship — they must be returned or pardoned.

Evidence — the daleel
Sahih Muslim 233 ṢaḥīḥSahih al-Bukhari 1521 ṢaḥīḥSahih al-Bukhari 2449 Ṣaḥīḥ
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Informational, not a personal fatwa. Consult a qualified scholar for rulings on your situation.

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