Do evil deeds overcome the good ones?

Praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah.

Disbelief, polytheism, and apostasy erase all good deeds. Almighty Allah says: "But if they had joined in worship others with Allâh, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them." [Surat Al-An`am: 88]. The Almighty says: "If you join others in worship with Allâh, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers." [Surat Al-Zumar: 65].

As for the major sins — other than polytheism, disbelief, and apostasy —, they do not erase all the good deeds and do not prevent the acceptance of deeds, but they may erase some good deeds as the amount of those bad ones when they are weighed (on the Day of the Recompense). When the good deeds of a person overweigh his bad ones, a person is rewarded with heaven, but when his bad deeds overweigh the good deeds, a person will be punished as was reported in the Hadith that Al-Bukhari recorded in “Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.” `Abdullah ibn `Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "There are two qualities or characteristics which will not be maintained by any Muslim without entering Paradise. While they are easy, those who act upon them are few. It was said to him: What are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: One should say: "Allah is the Greatest " ten times after every Salah, "Praise be to Allah" ten times and "Glory be to Allah" ten times. That makes them a hundred and fifty on the tongue, but one thousand and five hundred on the scale. I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) counting them on his hands. When he went to bed, he would say: "Glory be to Allah" thirty-four times, "Allah is Most Great" thirty-three times, and “Praise be to Allah” thirty-three times, for that makes them a hundred on the tongue and a thousand on the scale. Which of you commit two thousands and five hundred bad deeds in a day and a night?! The people asked: O Messenger of Allah, how could a person do not keep to them? He replied: The Devil comes to one of you during his Salah and reminds him with such and such, and a person forgets to keep to them." [Al Albany said: it is authentic].

This Hadith indicates that good deeds and bad deeds are weighed and some of them erase the other.

Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on his soul) was asked about a Muslim who does an act entails that a palace will be built for him in heaven and he will have trees with his name on, then he commits sins enough to throw him in Hell, how his name will be recorded in heaven while he will be in hell?

He answered: "If he repents his sins sincerely, Allah will forgive him and will not deprive him of the promise He gave. However, if a person does not repent, his good and bad deeds are weighed and if his good deeds overweighed his bad ones, he will be rewarded. If he commits bad deeds enough to throw him in Hell then commits good deeds, his bad deeds will be erased. And Allah knows best."

A person must know that persistence on committing sin, especially the major sins, is the main reason for a bad end.

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "When a believer commits a sin, a black spot is made in his heart and when he repents his sin and seek the forgiveness of Allah, his heart will be back white again. However, if a person continues to commit sins without seeking forgiveness, the black spots increase in his heart and that is the meaning of Allah’s saying: “Nay! But on their hearts is the Rân (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn. [Surat Al-Mutaffifin: 14]. [Sheikh Shu`ayb Al-Arna’ut said: its chain of narration is strong].

Some Predecessors said: sins are the first step to disbelief as fever is the first step to death.

It was reported in Musnad Ahmad on the authority of `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al-`Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said while he was on the pulpit: "Show mercy to others, you will have mercy. Forgive others to be forgiven. Woe to Aqma` Al-Qawl, woe to those who persist on what they do while they know.” [Sheikh Shu`ayb Al-Arna'ut said: its chain of narration is good].

Imam Al-Munawy said in “Faydul Al-Qadir”: "There will be severe punishment for those who do not understand the ordinances of Shari`ah and do not abide by its disciplines. Aqma` is the plural form of Qim`: The utensil that is made for filling utensils with narrow openings. He equated between the people who do not understand the ordinances and do not abide by with Aqma` that they do not benefit of the things that are pour in them, so speech passes by them as the liquid passes by Aqma`. Az-Zamakhshary said: “Aqma` Al-Qawl is a metaphor that means: the people who listen but do not understand."