Quran Garden

In the second part of our mini-series about repentance (Tawba), we dive into God's knowledge and wisdom, which make forgiveness fair and possible.  Learn how Allah pierces the veils of the past, present, and future to forgive and help you improve your life.  If you want to move past your sins, you have come to the right place.  Let’s get started

Session 559

Chapter 4

Verse 17

a continuation

With God is the acceptance of repentance for those who commit an evil act out of ignorance, then repent promptly.  It is such whose repentance God will accept, and God is all-knowing, all-wise.  (Chapter 4: Verse 17)

Let's study the phrase, "With God is the acceptance of repentance for those who commit an evil act out of ignorance." We ask, does the believer initiate repentance, which God then accepts?  Or does God open the door for repentance first?  To find the answer, we start with the 118^th verse of chapter 9.  God says,

He turned to them in mercy in order for them to repent.  God is the Ever Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Allah established Tawba first, allowing us to repent, which He then accepts.  There are three steps here: The first is God instituting repentance for His servants—it is not something we came up with—.  Allah knows His creation best, and He is aware that we may give in to our whims and sin every now and then.  This is implied in the phrase, "He turned to them in mercy." As a second step, we, the sinners, have the chance to repent, which is implied in the phrase "in order for them to repent." The third and final step is the acceptance from Allah, for He is "the Ever Forgiving, the Most Merciful."

I want you to appreciate the love and beauty hidden within God's words, "With God is the acceptance of repentance." Say that you owed a large sum of money and were struggling to repay the creditor.  The debt is now a heavy burden, casting a long shadow on everything you do.  Then, a wealthy friend comes forward to the creditor and says, "His debt is with me.  You only deal with me for payment." How happy would you be to be relieved of this burden by a friend willing to settle your debt?  Allah the All-Merciful undertook the acceptance of repentance and did not assign it to anyone else.  You do not have to confess to a clergyman or hope an angel would forgive you.  You deal with the Lord of Mercy directly because "With God is the acceptance of repentance," and as long as you turn to Him quickly after sin, "it is such whose repentance God will accept."

The verse ends with, "God is all-knowing, all-wise." Man-made laws often fail because legislators lack insight into the circumstances of the past, present, and future.  They legislate today, only to amend the law tomorrow when new circumstances arise, or flaws in the original law become apparent.  Lawmakers cannot know every conceivable state of the people they govern.  Most matters are unseen to them. 

In general, there are three barriers to the unseen: the first is the past, as many of us are unaware of events that happened before our birth and can only read about a few in history books.  These past events are veiled from us through the passage of time.  God says, addressing our beloved Muhammad,

You were not present on the western side when We revealed the commandments to Moses, nor were you among the witnesses.  (28:44)

And in another chapter,

This is an account of things beyond your knowledge that We reveal to you: you were not present among them when they cast lots to see which of them should take charge of Mary, you were not present with them when they argued.  (3:44)

Prophet Muhammad was not alive at the time of Moses or Mary, peace be upon them.  He was also an illiterate man who could not read history, nor did he ever sit with a teacher to learn about past events.  Thus, when he, peace be upon him, recites the Quran narrating events veiled by the past, it offers another proof that the knowledge came from Allah, who alone can pierce the veil of time.

The second barrier to the unseen is that of the present.  This veil isn't due to time but place.  I'm aware of what's happening in my room, building, and town but unaware of events elsewhere.  Technology, such as television, has partially pierced this veil, but we also learned that reporters often have agendas and do not always give you truthful information.  More importantly, the barrier of the present isn't just about location but also pertains to the human mind.  A person talking to you face-to-face may be hiding his or her intentions.  God says,

Have you not seen how those who have been forbidden to hold secret conversations go back afterwards and hold them, and conspire with one another in what is sinful, hostile, and disobedient to the Messenger?  When they come to you they greet you with words God has never used to greet you, and say to themselves, "Why does God not punish us for what we say?" Hell will be punishment enough for them: they will burn there- an evil destination. (58:8)

In this Aya, Allah reveals to the Prophet what his enemies were harboring internally.  They would have loudly objected if these thoughts had not existed in their heads.  God, the Almighty, can see through all barriers of location and thought.

Lastly, the third barrier is the future.  It is veiled from all of us regardless of place, time, or smarts.  God says,  

Their forces will be routed and they will turn tail and ?ee.  (54:45)

This verse was revealed in Mecca when the early Muslims were few, oppressed, and unable to defend themselves.  When Omar ibn Al Khattab heard it, he wondered loudly: "What army?" He saw the Muslims persecuted daily and could not assemble in a small group, let alone put together a force to face Qurayish, the largest Army in Arabia.  But Prophet Muhammad was not talking to the believers about the means available now, but about the Lord of the means.  The battle of Badr proved the authenticity of God's words: "Their forces will be routed and they will turn tail and ?ee." Could Muhammad have predicted Quraysh's defeat?  No, but Allah conveyed the future to him as a validation of the Prophet's truthfulness.  Allah, who declared it years in advance, is the creator and knower of all events of all times.

We find another example in Waleed ibn al-Mughira, a formidable fighter and man of great stature in Quraysh.  God says,

We shall brand him on the snout!  (68:16)

Years later, at the Battle of Badr, Al-Waleed was struck on the nose with a sword, as God foretold.  Such occurrences validated the Prophet's message and strengthened the companion's faith because when the event came to fruition, it affirmed the larger truths concerning death, resurrection, Paradise, and Hellfire. 

This brings us back to the verse under study.  Allah concludes the Aya with, "God is all-knowing, all-wise." Nothing is hidden from Him: not the past, present, future, or the thoughts whirling in your head.  God's knowledge is complete, absolute, and eternal.  But knowledge is not enough!  Wisdom is needed to place things in their rightful place and time.  Allah is the all-wise.  Such knowledge and wisdom are critical for the matter of repentance, as only Allah determines who deserves it and who does not.

Just as God assured forgiveness to those who "commit an evil act out of ignorance, then repent promptly," He also promised to withhold it from others.  Tune in next week as we explore those who are cast out of God's mercy.  Do not miss a single Tafsir session: subscribe and hit the notification bell.