Quran Garden

Did you know that if you steer clear of major sins, Allah promises to forgive everything else?  But there are some conditions!  Join us in the next 10 minutes as we explore Aya of Surah An-Nisaa together.  Let's begin.    

Session 583

Chapter 4

Verse 31

If you avoid the major sins you have been forbidden, We shall absolve you of your minor misdeeds and let you in through the entrance of honor.  (Chapter 4: Verse 31)

This is one of eight verses Ibn Abbas—may God be pleased with him—referred to when he said, "In Surat An-Nisaa, there are eight Ayat for the nation of Muhammad.  They are better than what the sun rises and sets upon." In session 578, we covered these verses in detail starting with God's declaration: "God wants to clarify to you," followed by "God wants to turn towards you," "God wishes to lighten your burden," and now, "If you avoid the major sins you have been forbidden, We shall absolve you of your minor misdeeds."  These are wonderful Ayat, and it is well worth your time to revisit session 578.

To "avoid" isn't just about not doing something.  It involves staying away from everything about it that might tempt you.  In essence, you close the door shut on the allure and imagined appeal of the act.  For example, you should not only abstain from drinking alcohol, but also stay far away from bars, liquor stores, and any place where alcohol is served.  When it comes to sex, do not even look at the opposite sex or your screen because if you see something you like, your hormones will rise and make life more difficult.

These blessed verses are better than what the sun rises and sets upon because they protect you from the pitfalls of free choice that drag you into sin.  Allah blessed you with the gift of choice, and with every blessing comes a responsibility.  Had humans been driven purely by instinct like plants or animals, they would not have had to bear the burden of choice.  Our challenges come from our uniqueness, specifically, our intellect and freedom of choice.  Other creatures function instinctively and enjoy the comfort of certainty.

God says,

We offered the Trust to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, yet they refused to bear it and were afraid of it; humankind undertook it- they have always been inept and foolish.

(33:72)

God, however, did not grant us freedom in all matters.  He kept many in His hand.  For example, you have no control over the day of your birth or the time of your death.  You cannot control accidents or diseases that strike your body.  The matters Allah left under your control are matters of belief and actions.  You can choose what to believe in and what to do each day.

This beautiful Ayat from Surah An-Nisaa reassures us that we have a merciful, loving Lord, who forgives even when we make poor choices.  He opens the door for repentance, eases burdens, and forgives minor misdeeds.  Why?  So you and I do not despair or suffer from our poor choices.  God understands human weakness and the tough decisions we face each day between immediate desires and the postponed rewards of self-control.  Allah aims to illuminate your path, guide you, lift your burdens, and clear your record if you steer away from major sins.

Some people ask: Why did Allah grant us free choice if He knows that we will sin?  We answer that Allah wants you to turn to Him out of love, not compulsion.   

In the opening verses of Surah An-Nisaa, God laid down instructions about personal integrity, wealth, treatment of orphans, sexual relations, prohibitions against murder, and theft.  However, He doesn't want these commandments to seem so daunting that you lose hope in fulfilling them.  God reassures you that if you avoid major sins, there is abundant mercy.  From one prayer to the next, one Friday prayer to the next, and from one Ramadan to the next, Allah cleanses your sins.  These acts serve as atonement for the sins that have happened between them.  However, there are two conditions:

1.  You must avoid the major sins.

2.  You should not persistently commit minor sins.

Ibn Abbas narrated that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "There is no such thing as a major sin when there is repentance, and there is no such thing as a minor sin when there is insistence." Why is it important to avoid even minor sins?  Because you may not live till the next prayer, next Friday or Ramadan.  Do not assume you can sin now and simply repent later.  This is tantamount to mocking Allah.  He graciously let prayers and rituals cleanse minor sins, but you should never take your Lord's grace for granted. 

To "absolve" is to set the person free from an obligation or the consequences of their guilt.  To "absolve you of your minor misdeeds" means that your sins will not result in any punishment.  We find another term used in the Quran concerning good deeds.  God says,

If any of you revoke your faith and die as disbelievers, your deeds will be nullified in this world and the Hereafter, and you will be inhabitants of the Fire, there to remain.  

(from 2:217)

Without proper faith, even your good deeds are nullified and will earn you zero reward.  On the other hand, faith will absolve you from minor sins and eliminate punishment.  Expiation clears punishments just as nullification removes rewards.  Which would you choose? 

Some people criticize Islam and ask: How come Allah does not reward the disbelievers who have done outstanding services for humanity?  Is it conceivable that a person who created a medicine that saved millions of lives would not benefit on the Day of Judgment?  Could he or she end up in Hellfire if they are disbelievers?  We answer that God is fair.  You earn your reward from the one you work for.  If you work as an engineer for BMW and design a great new safety feature, would you expect to get a salary from Mercedes-Benz or Pepsi?  Of course not, that is not who you worked for.  

Let's apply this concept to great inventors who happen to be disbelievers.  Did they come up with all these inventions while keeping God in mind?  Or was humanity, money, and fame their goal?  If they worked for humanity, then they have received their fair reward: University halls are named after them, statues, books commemorating their work, and some earn great wealth.  They will receive no reward from Allah for those actions because they performed them without regard to Him.  Allah will say to them on the Day of Judgment, "You did such and such for fame, and fame you got."  God says,

And We shall turn to the deeds they have done and scatter them like dust.

(25:23)

This advice applies equally to Muslims!  Those who build mosques to see their names displayed on marble plaques should reconsider.  If you genuinely seek reward from Allah, you should remove these plaques and conceal your deeds.  Allah loves for the person who gives charity to do so quietly, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said regarding the seven kinds of people who will be sheltered under God's shade: "A man who gives charity and conceals it such that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given."  Why?  Because when you give charity publicly, you are exposing the poor recipient.

God says, "If you avoid the major sins you have been forbidden, We shall absolve you of your minor misdeeds." To "avoid" means to keep your distance.  It's said, "So-and-so avoided me," meaning he crossed to the other side of the road when he saw me from afar.  When Allah commands you to "avoid" something, it is a stricter order than if he commanded you not to do it!  How?  We answer that avoiding a sin means staying far away from anything and everything that leads to it, making temptation less likely.  God says in the 30^th verse of chapter 22,

Avoid the repugnance of idols, and avoid false and frivolous talk.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "The lawful is clear, and the unlawful is clear, and between them are doubtful matters many people do not know.  Whoever avoids the doubtful, protects his religion and honor.  And whoever falls into the doubtful, will also fall into the unlawful, like a shepherd who grazes too close to forbidden pastures, nearly grazing in them.  Indeed, every king has a sanctuary, and the sanctuary of Allah on earth is His prohibitions.  Verily, in the body is a piece of flesh which, if upright, the entire body is upright, and if corrupt, the entire body is corrupt.  Verily, it is the heart."

God says,

You who believe, intoxicants and gambling, idolatrous practices, and divining with arrows are repugnant acts- Satan's doing- shun them so that you may prosper.  (5:90)

Keep away from gatherings where wine is present because seeing others drinking joyfully may entice you.  When you avoid even being near alcohol or its settings, you safeguard yourself against temptation.  Thus, avoidance surpasses prohibition.  Some Muslims justify drinking by claiming no explicit ban exists.  To them we say: understand that Allah associated drinking with idolatry, saying, "You who believe, intoxicants and gambling, idolatrous practices, and divining with arrows are repugnant acts." Is there any stronger prohibition than this?!

Join us next week as we answer the most critical question for you and your family: What are the major sins in Islam?  Click the subscribe and bell icons so you do not miss it.