A Reminder On Mortal and Venial Sins.

[Abu Hafsat]

As-Salaam alaikum, 

In his book, 'Kitab al-Mustarshid (Book of the Traveller on the Right Road)', Sheikh Harith ibn Asad al-Muhasabi, may Allah be pleased with him, says:-

"Know, O my brother, that sins produce heedlessnes (ghafla) - that is, the sinner is forgetful of God and His Law - and heedlessnes produces hardness of heart, and hardness of heart leads to alienation from God, and alienation from God leads to Hell." 

Whether a sin committed is small (saghira) or big/great (kabira), both types are to be avoided. The Sheikh teaches that one cannot attain to the conquest of sin except by a sound purpose and a firm intention to combat desire, and by controlling one's inner self, for if the servant controls his/her inward self, he dominates his organs and he has knowledge of his own heart, and self-examination in what it desires becomes easy for him, by the leave of God, Most High, but if you lose control of your inward self, God's Command will seem hard to you, and your organs will go astray and your heart will be lost... and you find yourself unfit for self-examination. Therefore keep to what is lawful, control your tongue except in what will aid you in approaching God Most High.