Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 804 [Read full issue]
Paltry Sins
Sins are of varying degrees. One thing, though, is certain: every sin is potentially dangerous and harmful for the soul. The "smaller" sins in particular can be extremely dangerous because many have a tendency to downplay small sins and regard them as insignificant. Hence, the Prophet (peace be upon him) specifically warned all believers about those "insignificant" sins. He stated, "Be aware of the paltriest of sins. They are like a people who stop in a valley and one of them comes with one stick of wood and another with one more until their bread is well cooked [due to the intensity of the fire]. When the person is taken due to his paltry sins, they destroy him." [Tabarani, Baihaqi]
In other words, a person's small sins keep building up like twigs on a fire. After some time, even though each of the twigs is quite small in and of itself, the fire is big and can burn with great intensity.
Compiled From:
"Purification of the Soul" - Jamal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 404