Quran Garden

Are you committing sins that Allah would not forgive?  Do you the sins that Allah would not forgive, even for Muslims?  In today's Tafsir, we will explore how some people cast themselves out of God's mercy, and investigate if there is any glimmer of hope for them.  The next 10 minutes could save you and your family from Hellfire.  Sit back and listen. 

Session 560

Chapter 4

Verse 18

But of no avail is the repentance of those who commit evils until, when one of them is visited by death, he says, "Indeed now I repent." Nor those who die, and they are disbelievers.  We have prepared a painful torment for them.  (Chapter 4: Verse 18)

In Aya 17, God clarified the vastness of His mercy and all the sinners who are eligible for it.  He says, "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." But God's forgiveness is not a free-for-all.  Some people do not deserve or even qualify for it.

Listen carefully to the following two sentences.  In Aya 17, God says, "With God is the acceptance of repentance for those who commit an evil act," while in Aya 18, He says, "But of no avail is the repentance of those who commit evils." Did you notice the difference?  One mentions "an evil act" in the singular, while the other says "evils" in the plural. 

Most of us have a particular area of weakness we need to address and may occasionally give in and commit a misdeed while our faith remains strong in otherwise.  Here, I would like to turn your attention to the fact that good people who have a weakness for a specific sin often overcompensate for their lapse by intensifying their efforts in acts of worship and goodness.  You see such individuals who, realizing their fault, immerse themselves in goodwill.  If your faith is healthy, yet you commit a sin, Allah may instill a sense of remorse in you, prompting you to undertake more good deeds like building mosques, schools, and providing for the needy.  This highlights that you cannot trick God or get away with anything—if you indulge in one aspect, Allah will create a burning desire within you to excel in other areas, benefiting the divine plan.  

This brings us back to the verse.  More specifically, the difference between a single "act of evil" and many "evils." Those whose repentance is not accepted are individuals who wandered so far from the path by committing many sins in different areas.  Why?  Because indulging in different sins means that you are not actively resisting your one area of weakness but have made a conscious choice to pamper every whim and desire that crosses your mind, delaying repentance until the moment of death. 

Some people forgo repentance altogether, going as far as attributing the good deeds in their lives to worldly organizations.  We have seen many ignorant individuals throw out religion and attribute goodness to movements such as the Freemasons.  Freemasonry is superficially engaged in acts benefiting society.  However, the hidden agenda of its top members serve Zionist aims.  Some people join or praise the Freemasons without understanding their ulterior goals and merely participate in superficial good deeds.  We say to such individuals: Look to your faith—Doesn't Islam prescribe and strongly encourage such good deeds and much more?  Why attribute them to Freemasonry instead of performing them as Islamic teachings?

Other organizations like "The Rotary Club," whose members take pride in belonging, saying, "I am a Rotary member."  When asked why, they reply that our organization promotes cooperation, compassion, and kindness.  But Islam does not forbid these values!  So why practice such goodness under "Rotary" and not as acts of your faith?  

Those who stray from the path and harbor antagonism against Islam are like a man who, when asked what he desires, deliberately defies God and says, "I wish to break my fast on a day of Ramadan with a glass of wine, purchased with money I earned from selling a stolen pig." The man mocks the Ramadan fast and wants to break it, which is forbidden, with wine, which is prohibited, using the proceeds from a pig—a forbidden animal—that he acquired by theft.  In clear defiance to his creator, He chose an act forbidden four times over!  Would Allah accept this person's repentance?  He says,

But of no avail is the repentance of those who commit evils until, when one of them is visited by death, he says, "Indeed now I repent."

At the moment of death, cowardice sets in, and people's defiance vanishes.  Why don't you maintain your stance to the end, tough guy!?  Because at the moment of truth, one can no longer deceive his or herself.   Sadly, repentance is no longer accepted because it comes at a time when the person is incapable of action.  It is tantamount to mocking Allah.

Yet, even in this situation, our Lord offers a glimmer of hope to the person who gave the Shahada testimony of faith: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger."  In the verse under study, Allah says, " But of no avail is the repentance of those who commit evils until, when one of them is visited by death, he says, "Indeed now I repent." Nor those who die and they are disbelievers," in essence, distinguishing the sins of the believer from the disbeliever.  The believer receives punishment proportional to his sins, but Allah respects this person's declaration of faith; hence, such a believer is not condemned for eternality.  

For the sinful believer, punishment is equal to his sins, but ultimately, he or she will be moved from Hellfire into Paradise.  Thus, at the end of the aya, God didn't state that they would dwell eternally in Hell; instead, He mentioned: "We have prepared a painful torment for them," indicating for both categories—the believer and the disbeliever—that punishment aligns with the scope of their misdeeds and the underlying foundation of faith.

Tune in next week as Allah addresses Muslim men and warns against mistreating women in marriage, divorce, and even after death.  Hit the subscribe button and notification bell so you do not miss any future Tafsir.