Sin is ‘to act against the laws of God’. It is a revolt against spiritual ethics. It is such an activity from which everyone should refrain. The concept of sin is different in different religions. Similarly, every religion reckons different types of activities among sins.
The Jews divide sins into two major categories: personal and national. For them idol worship is a national sin. Christianity reckons seven personal sins. These seven are: gluttony, pride, lust, greed, anger, jealousy and laziness. Beside these sins, Christianity recognises some social sins as well. These are: politics without religion, wealth without earning, knowledge without ethics, trade without principles, science without humanism, joy without spiritualism, knowledge without ethics, worship without sacrifice etc. Christianity considers personal sins as major and social sins as minor ones.
The Hindu sociologist Manu, in his Manu Smriti, mentions five major sins: murder of a Brahmin, stealing, drinking, having sex with the wife of a teacher and having relations with those who have/had committed any of the above four sins. The Hindu mythological work Mahabharat refers to ten sins: violence (though Brahmins have and are still killing the Sikhs, Kashmiri Muslims, Christians and the so-called low castes), stealing, telling lies, abusing, backbiting, adultery, not keeping one’s word, thinking evil of the others, cruelty, expecting reward for charity.
Islam classifies all sins in two major categories: Kabira (major) and Sagira (minor). Among major sins, it reckons: having no faith in God, considering oneself free from God’s wrath, taking a false oath, practising witchcraft, drinking, levelling false accusation of adultery against a Muslim, to embezzle unclaimed property (property of a heir-less person), charging interest (on money), having affair with someone, stealing, murder, unnatural offence, fleeing battlefield during holy war, disobeying parents, committing minor sins time and again. Besides these 17 sins, there are several minor sins, which a Muslim must not commit.
In Sikh philosophy, there is no mention of sin as a concept, however, there are certain activities which fall in this category. For a Sikh, disobeying any of the ‘four prohibitions’ is a sin: cutting hair from any part of body, use of tobacco in any form, eating Halal (meat) and adultery. These four can be classified as “deadly” (major) sins. The other prohibitions, too, are sins in the sense of the dictionary meaning of the term. Some of these are as follows:
Having no faith in the Almighty is perhaps the greatest sin in Sikhism. Denying His existence, doubting His power, turning one’s back towards Him, challenging Him in any manner is a sin. A Sikh has an obligation to meditate upon His Name:
One who does not meditate His Name should better die of shame:(p. 1149)
Laziness/lethargy is an unSikh-like activity. A Sikh must get up early in the morning and meditate upon His Name:
He who calls himself a Sikh of the Great True Guru (Satguru)
Should rise early and meditate upon His Name
He should make efforts, early in the morning
Take shower and have ablution in the tank of Word (Amritsar)
By repeating the Name of the Almighty under Guru’s instructions.(p. 305-06)
Hurting feelings of others is also a sin for a Sikh. To hurt anyone’s feelings, using abusive language, inflicting, physical or mental pain on any one is a sin for a Sikh:
Nanak, by speaking dryly (ill), the soul and body become dry
Such a person is called most evil of the evil and evil is his reputation.
The sour-tongued person is discarded in the court of the Almighty
and evil one’s face is spat upon.(p. 473)
and
Utter thou not even a single harsh word, True Master abides among all.
Break not any one’s heart as all are invaluable jewels. (p. 1384).
Encroachment upon others’ rights too is a sin for a Sikh:
Nanak, another one’s right is swine for him (for Muslim) and cow for him (Hindu). (p. 141)
Ungratefulness has also been reckoned among major sins.
The perverse person is untrue to his salt (is ungrateful);
Does not feel indebted for the good done to him. (p. 143)
To quote Bhai Gurdas:
Ungrateful persons are the greatest burden on this earth.
They are worst of the worst.
(Bhai Gurdas Vaar 35, stanza 98).
Rebuking, suppressing and intimidating the weak, poor, wretched, helpless people too is also a sin in Sikhism:
One who haughtily strokes his beard on poor people
Will be burnt in the fear of hell (p. 199)
A Sikh must purgative him/herself from the five major vices: lust, anger, avarice, compassion (attachment) and ego. These five vices are obstacles in the way of spiritual journey of a Sikh.
The concept of sin involves two main points: 1. This is an activity that is done in contravention of the laws of nature, spiritual ethics, Almighty’s code of conduct, humanism etc. 2. This activity should have been done intentionally. An act committed without knowledge or intention is not a sin. If one knows that his/her act was against humanism, spiritual ethics, laws of God then it is really a sin. Revolt against ‘noble fear’ of God is the background of each and every sin. A person committing a sin usually considers himself a better judge of good and bad. In other words, he wishes to formulate his own code of conduct.
Some sins seem to be personal and others seem to be national. But, in reality, all the sins, in their background, have national ethics, which is based upon spiritual principles. Hence, every sin has spiritual basis. To save him/herself from committing sin, a Sikh must live Truthful life.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)