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98chapter twocooperation, mutual help, and assistance in order to achieve cohesionin whatever social unit we live, be it the unit of the family, a teamat work, or the state at large. Piety is achieved through knowledgeand fear of Allah, by doing what He has ordered and avoiding whatHe has forbidden. Good work consists of the deeds and righteousacts that are beneficial to our fellow brothers and sisters. One may,for example, strive for perfection at work or abstain from fraud intrade transactions; one may build a school, a mosque or a hospital;or one may simply pray, fast and perform all the other rituals. Theonly thing one should not do is only to pray or fast or only to buildmosques and nothing else. Surely, these actions alone do not reallyqualify as the righteous deeds that Allah wants us to do.What about this murderous tendency among so-called revivalists tocategorize every little transgression as a mortal sin?Those who avoid the greater crimes [kab§"ir al-ithm] and shameful deeds[ al-faw§Èish], and, when they are angry even then forgive. ( Al-Shår§42:37)If you (but) eschew the most heinous of the things [kab§"ir] which youare forbidden to do [m§ tuhaun a ], we shall expel out of you all the evilin you, and admit you to a gate of great honour. ( Al-Nis§" 4:31)Those who avoid great sins [kab§"ir al-ithm] and shameful deeds[ al-faw§Èish], only (falling into) small faults; verily your Lord is amplein forgiveness… ( Al-Najm 53:32)O you who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: Itmay be that the (latter) are better than the (former); nor let somewomen laugh at others: It may be that the (latter are better than the(former); nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each otherby (offensive) nicknames… ( Al-\ujur§t 49:11)O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicionin some cases is a sin; and spy not on each other behind their backs…( Al-\ujur§t 49:12)In these verses Allah tells us that there is a clear difference betweenan absolute taboo (Èar§m) and a prohibition that is not absolute (nahy).We hear that He prohibits us from spying on each other. We shallnot defame or be sarcastic to each other, nor shall we insult othersby offensive name-calling. We also notice that the text calls suspiciona sin ( al-ithm) and that in the first three verses the terms ‘greater sins’(kab§"ir al-ithm) and ‘shameful deeds’ ( al-faw§Èish) are used—sins that‘shall be avoided’. These are prohibited (nahy)—see 4:31 m§ tahaun a —but are not absolute taboos (Èar§m). We infer from this that there are