Quran Garden

Session 463

Chapter 3

Verse 135

They are those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves, remember God and seek forgiveness and do not knowingly persist in sin –who forgives sins except God?  (Chapter 3: Verse 135)

In this verse, we continue with the characteristics of the people who will earn Paradise.  

An evil deed means a major sin.  Let's take the example of the archers in the Battle of Uhud who left their positions against the Prophet's orders.  It was a vile sin, but does it mean they abandoned their faith?  No, they are Muslims who made mistakes but are still within the folds of faith.  It was a major sin for those who encouraged the believers to leave their positions and a minor one for those who followed them down the mountain.

Take note of the accuracy of the Quranic expression about those who "remember God and seek forgiveness."  It helps us understand that the person who sins does so only when he or she forgets about God.  Why?  Because you would not dare to sin while thinking about standing before Allah to answer for your actions.  Could you sin while visualizing the punishment of Hellfire?  Likewise, you would not neglect your prayer if you have Paradise on your mind.  As soon as you picture the wondrous rewards Allah prepared for the righteous, you would rush to do good.  God says, "They are those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves, remember God and seek forgiveness." So, whoever repents has God present in his or her heart. 

The scholars differed over the meaning of the phrase "evil deed," translated from the Arabic فـ?حِشَةً (Fahisha).  Some say it means any major sin, while others believe that Fahisha refers exclusively to adultery.  We look to our beloved Muhammad for the answer.  He, peace be upon him, said, "There is no major sin if you seek forgiveness, and there is no such thing as a minor sin if you insist and persist." The Messenger of God teaches you not to disregard any sin and say, "This is not a big deal," because minor sins snowball into big problems if you make a habit out of them.    

Here we should ask, why did God say, "those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves"?  Isn't sin and wronging one's self the same thing?  Shouldn't the verse have read "those who, upon committing an evil deed and wronging themselves"?  We answer that Allah used the conjunction "or" because He wants to teach us a crucial difference between the two.  Let's clarify.  A person who commits an evil deed –such as adultery or theft– satisfies him or herself; The sexual lust is extinguished, and the desire for the stolen item is satisfied.  Such benefits are short-lived but a benefit nonetheless.  Always remember that the price to pay for this fleeting benefit is an everlasting punishment in the Hereafter.  God says in verse 77 of Chapter 4:

Little is the enjoyment in this world, the Hereafter is far better for those who are mindful of God: you will not be wronged by as much as the fiber in a date pit.

On the other hand, a person who wrongs him or herself commits a sin without gaining any benefit.  For example, a man testifies in court and lies to save his boss.  This man achieved nothing for himself except loading it with the terrible punishment of the Hereafter.  It is bad enough to sell your Hereafter for worldly gain but even worse to sell it for someone else's worldly gain. 

The verse continues, " seek forgiveness and do not knowingly persist in sin –who forgives sins except God?"  To sin is to violate a directive of faith: Islam gives you a command, but you do not implement it, or it alerts you to a prohibition, and you violate it.  Nothing is called a sin unless God identifies it as such.  We say that there is no prohibition except with a text and no punishment without a prohibition.  

Let me explain.  When you hear the words "sin" and "punishment," you immediately think that a crime was committed.  But there is something else I would like you to think about: before sin and crime, there must be laws and teachings that specify which acts are criminal and sinful.  There is no sin without a text.  A person cannot be punished except by a pre-existing law clarifying what is considered a crime.  You cannot randomly arrest people and say, "We decided that what you were doing is a punishable crime." Rather, it is necessary to pass laws, give warnings, and present a clear text explaining criminal behavior.  Only then can punishment be exercised.  Put simply: there is no punishment without a crime, no crime without a law, and no law without a text.  God says:

Whoever accepts guidance does so for his own good; whoever strays does so at his own peril.  No soul will bear another's burden, nor do We punish until We have sent a messenger.  (17:15)

God informs and sends ample signs and messengers first, and only after repeated warning does the punishment fall.  He says:

Just like the custom of Pharaoh's clan and those who were before them, who denied Our signs.  So Allah seized them for their sins, and Allah is severe in retribution.  (3:11)

Allah also teaches us how to recover from sin and get a fresh start.  He says, "They are those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves, remember God and seek forgiveness and do not knowingly persist in sin –who forgives sins except God?" How do you seek forgiveness?  Is it enough to say, "I ask God's forgiveness for what I did," and move on?  No, that is not enough!  You must be resolute to never commit that sin again. 

But God knows that we are human, and our resolve may weaken; we may fall into the same sin again.  That it is OK as long as it was not premeditated.  In other words, you cannot ask God for forgiveness while saying to yourself, "I know I will do it again, and I can always come back and ask for forgiveness." By doing so, you are mocking your Lord.  What's more detrimental is the fact that you may never get the chance to seek forgiveness before death strikes.