“Does Allah Forgive
Shirk?” — A Further Addition
A Response to a Criticism
on the Qur’an by Mr. Jochen Katz
Following his original article, Mr. Katz
has made the following addition on the same
page:
I just came across
another verse in surat az-Zumar (39:53) where it is stated in general terms:Say: “O my Servants
who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of
Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful. — Sura 39:53Taking this statement
in its literal and absolute sense, it clearly contradicts to the first two
verses quoted above.
If my previous
explanation of the comparison of Al-Furqaan 25: 68 – 71 and Al-Nisaa
4: 48 and 116, is correctly understood, there should be absolutely no problem in
understanding the implication of the cited verse of Surah Al-Zumar.
Actually, if Mr. Katz had quoted the whole of the subject matter of Al-Zumar
39: 53 – 55, it would have been obvious that this verse is giving the same glad
tidings of forgiveness, as Al-Furqaan 25: 68 – 71, if a person repents
for his sins and corrects his behavior before the time that death over takes him
and thereby ends his test of life. Surah Al-Zumar 39: 53 – 54 read as:
“Say:
Servants of God, you that have sinned against your souls, do not despair of
God’s mercy, for God forgives all sins. It is He who is the Forgiving One, the
Merciful. Turn in penitence to your Lord, and submit to Him before His scourge
overtakes you; for then there will be none to help you. Follow the best of what
is revealed to you by your Lord before the scourge suddenly takes you when you
are heedless.”
The words: “…before His scourge
overtakes you; for then there will be none to help you” and “…before
the scourge suddenly takes you when you are heedless” obviously imply
— as was the case in the cited verses of Al-Furqaan — that God shall
forgive all sins if a person repents and corrects himself before the time that
death overtakes him. While the implication of the cited verses of Al-Nisaa
is that when the time of the test of this life has expired, and death has
overtaken a person, God may forgive anyone for any sin except shirk. Whoever,
knowingly, commits shirk and does not repent or correct his actions, he shall
never be forgiven.
It should also be of great interest for
the reader to note that the above is not only the teaching of the Qur’an, but
the same was taught by all the prophets of God. For instance, when Jesus (pbuh)
said that:
“The ax is already at the root of the
trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and
thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3: 10)
or that:
“Every tree that does not bear good
fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7: 19)
or that:
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned
in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out
his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin
and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13: 40 – 42)
or that:
His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his
threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the
chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3: 17)
he was referring to the sinners who did not repent or correct their actions
during the time they were given to tread on the earth.
And when Jesus (pbuh) said that:
“And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will
be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”
(Matthew 12: 31) [see Al-Nisaa 4: 48 and Al-Nisaa 4: 116]
or that:
I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of
men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will
never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3: 28 – 29) [see
Al-Nisaa 4: 48 and Al-Nisaa 4: 116]
it actually implied that God may forgive all sins in the hereafter — even if
the sinner had not repented or corrected his behavior — but He shall never
forgive the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit and then dies without
repentance and correction.
While in the Psalms, when David (pbuh) said:
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and
forget not all his benefits– who forgives all your sins and heals all your
diseases (Psalms 103: 2 – 3) [see Al-Furqaan 25: 68 – 71 and Al-Zumar
39: 53]
it implied that God forgives “all sins” — without any exception —
after which a person repents and corrects his behavior.
I hope this explanation shall clarify the
issue.
© Copyright October 1999. All Rights
Reserved with the Author
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