Imam Al-Sadiq^-asws has outlined major sins from the Book of Allah^-azwj.

المناقب لابن شهرآشوب‏ دَخَلَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ عَلَى الصَّادِقِ ع وَ قَرَأَ إِنْ تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبائِرَ ما تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ‏ وَ قَالَ أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَعْرِفَ الْكَبَائِرَ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ يَا عَمْرُو

(The book) ‘Al Manaqib’ of Ibn Shehr Ashub –

Amro Bin Ubeyd entered to see Al-Sadiq^-asws and recited: If you shun the major sins which you are Forbidden from, [4:31]. And he said, ‘I would love to know the major sins from the Book of Allah^-azwj’. He^-asws said; ‘Yes, O Amro!’

Then he^-asws detailed it that the major sins are: –

ثُمَّ فَصَّلَهُ بِأَنَّ الْكَبَائِرَ الشِّرْكُ بِاللَّهِ- إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ

Association with Allah^-azwj – Allah does not Forgive if He is associated with, [4:48].

وَ الْيَأْسُ‏ وَ لا تَيْأَسُوا مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ‏

And the despair – and do not despair from Mercy of Allah; [12:87].

وَ عُقُوقُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ لِأَنَّ الْعَاقَّ جَبَّارٌ شَقِيٌ‏ وَ بَرًّا بِوالِدَتِي وَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّاراً شَقِيًّا

And disloyalty to the parents, because the disloyal is a tyrant, a wretch – And righteousness with my mother, and did not Make me tyrannous, wretched [19:32].

وَ قَتْلُ النَّفْسِ- وَ مَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِناً مُتَعَمِّداً

And killing the soul – And whoever kills a Momin intentionally, [4:93].

وَ قَذْفُ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ وَ أَكْلُ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ- إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوالَ الْيَتامى‏ ظُلْماً

And slandering the married (chaste) women and devouring wealth of the orphans – (As for) those who are devouring the wealth of the orphans unjustly [4:10].

وَ الْفِرَارُ مِنَ الزَّحْفِ‏ وَ مَنْ يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ دُبُرَهُ‏

And the fleeing from the march (army) – And the one who turns his back to them on that day [8:16].

وَ أَكْلُ الرِّبَا الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبا

And consuming the interest – Those who are consuming the interest [2:275].

وَ السِّحْرُ وَ لَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَراهُ‏

And the sorcery – And they had taught to the one who bought it, [2:102].

وَ الزِّنَا وَ لا يَزْنُونَ وَ مَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثاماً

And the adultery – nor are they committing adultery. And one who does that, indulges in sin [25:68].

وَ الْيَمِينُ الْغَمُوسُ‏ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَ أَيْمانِهِمْ ثَمَناً

And the false oath – Those who are taking for the Covenant of Allah and their own oaths, a small price [3:77].

وَ الْغُلُولُ‏ وَ مَنْ يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِما غَلَ‏

And the embezzlement – and the one who embezzles will bring what he had embezzled [3:161].

وَ مَنْعُ الزَّكَاةِ يَوْمَ يُحْمى‏ عَلَيْها فِي نارِ جَهَنَّمَ‏

And refusing (to pay) the Zakat – On the Day when these shall be heated in the Fire of Hell, [9:35].

وَ شَهَادَةُ الزُّورِ وَ كِتْمَانُ الشَّهَادَةِ وَ مَنْ يَكْتُمْها فَإِنَّهُ آثِمٌ قَلْبُهُ‏

And false testimony and concealing the testimony – And do not conceal the testimony, and the one who conceals it, so he is of a sinful heart; [2:283].

وَ شُرْبُ الْخَمْرِ لِقَوْلِهِ ع شَارِبُ الْخَمْرِ كَعَابِدِ وَثَنٍ

And drinking the wine due to his^-asws words: ‘Drinker of the wine is like a worshipper of the idols’.

وَ تَرْكُ الصَّلَاةِ لِقَوْلِهِ مَنْ تَرَكَ الصَّلَاةَ مُتَعَمِّداً فَقَدْ بَرِئَ مِنْ ذِمَّةِ اللَّهِ وَ ذِمَّةِ رَسُولِهِ

And neglecting the Salat, due to his^-asws words: ‘One who neglects the Salat deliberately, so he is free from the Responsibility of Allah^-azwj, and responsibility of His^-azwj Rasool^-saww’.

وَ نَقْضُ الْعَهْدِ وَ قَطِيعَةُ الرَّحِمِ- الَّذِينَ يَنْقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ‏

And breaking the pact and cutting off the kinship – Those who are breaking the Pact of Allah [2:27].

وَ قَوْلُ الزُّورِ- وَ اجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ

And the false words – and keep aside from the false words [22:30].

وَ الْجُرْأَةُ عَلَى اللَّهِ- أَ فَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّهِ‏

The audacity against Allah^-azwj: Are they feeling secure from the Plan of Allah? [7:99].

وَ كُفْرَانُ النِّعْمَةِ- وَ لَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذابِي لَشَدِيدٌ

And committing Kufr (ungratefulness) with the Bounties – and if you are ungrateful, then My Punishment is Severe” [14:7].

وَ بَخْسُ الْكَيْلِ وَ الْوَزْنِ‏ وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ‏

And being deficient in measuring and weighing – Woe be unto the fraudsters [83:1].

وَ اللِّوَاطُ- الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبائِرَ الْإِثْمِ‏

And the sodomy – Those who are shunning the major sins [53:32].

وَ الْبِدْعَةُ قَوْلُهُ ع مَنْ تَبَسَّمَ فِي وَجْهِ مُبْتَدِعٍ فَقَدْ أَعَانَ عَلَى هَدْمِ دِينِهِ

And the innovation – His^-asws words: ‘One who smiles in the face of an innovator, so he has assisted upon demolishing his religion’.

قَالَ فَخَرَجَ عَمْرٌو وَ لَهُ صُرَاخٌ مِنْ بُكَائِهِ وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ هَلَكَ مَنْ سَلَبَ تُرَاثَكُمْ وَ نَازَعَكُمْ فِي الْفَضْلِ وَ الْعِلْمِ‏

He (the narrator) said, ‘Amro went out and for him was screaming from his crying and he was saying, ‘He is destroyed, the one who looted your^-asws inheritance, and disputed you^-asws all regarding the merit and the knowledge!’’[1]

[1] Bihar Al Awaar – V 46, The book of History – Ja’far Al Sadiq^asws, Ch 7 H 4 a