Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

AOA.Dear brother Burhan,i have a question which is quite confusing to me. we all know that Allah swt will not forgive the violation of Haqooq-ul-Ibaad unless or until the oppressed himself forgives it ,other than these Haqooq ,Allah swt may ,if He pleases , forgive any sin related to Haqooq-ul-Allah , but Shirk is a violation of Allah`s rights and Allah swt has clearly declared in the Holy Quran that He will not forgive the sin of Shirk...although commiting Shirk is not the violation of haqooq-ul-ibaad ?????????? Please reply in detail. and do pray for me that Allah swt may forgive me for asking such kind of question. 

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Answer:

Allah will not forgive huqooq ul ibaad

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: and do pray for me that Allah swt may forgive me for asking such kind of question. 

My beloved sister in Islam, there is absolutely no restriction and no sin in Islam if one asks any number or types of questions to sincerely increase one’s knowledge in the deen. Islam is the approved Way of Life ordained by Allah Subhanah, and it is only by asking, seeking and gaining knowledge, can one satisfy one’s heart with the Truth and Guidance of Al-Islam. Thus never ever hesitate or be apologetic in posing any question in the deen of Islam if your intention is indeed to seek knowledge and abide by the clear guidance and teachings of Allah Subhanah and His Messenger (saws).

It is the right of every believer to seek knowledge in this beautiful deen of Truth, and it is the duty of the God-fearing scholar to sincerely and politely answer the question posed, to the best of his ability.

Allah Subhanah has made it binding upon the believers Huqooq-Allah (the rights due to Allah Subhanah) and huqooq-ul-ibaad (the rights due to Allah’s creation or His slaves).

Amongst all the rights due to Allah Subhanah, Allah Subhanah has Decreed that He may, if He so Wills, forgives any short-comings of His believing slaves in fulfilling these rights towards Him; but He will never ever forgive one who dies in the state of ‘shirk’, or associating other gods with Allah Subhanah! That is the Decree Allah Subhanah has made binding upon Himself!!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72:Whoever commits ‘shirk’ (invoking anything with Allah), Allah shall forbid for him Paradise, and Hell shall be his abode. And for such wrong doers there will be no one to help.

Allah says in the Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48:Shirk (associating other deities with Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever He pleases, sins other than this. For whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie and commits the most heinous sin

The heinous and unforgivable sin of ‘shirk’ is the one inviolable act, which Allah Subhanah has promised He will never forgive!

But the statement which you have quoted, that : ‘Allah swt will not forgive the violation of Haqooq-ul-Ibaad unless or until the oppressed himself forgives it ,other than these Haqooq ,Allah swt may ,if He pleases , forgive any sin related to Haqooq-ul-Allah’ is not the general ‘usool’ or foundation of the state of forgiveness of the Merciful Lord.

It is in keeping with the epitome of Justice of Allah Subhanah, that He has Decreed that only the one who has been wronged has the right to forgive the one who has wronged him or usurped his rights.

On the Day of Judgement, if one had short-comings in giving his due rights to his fellow human being (huqooq-ul-ibaad), and he did not seek repentance for his short-comings in delievering his ‘huqooq ul ibaad’ before his death; Allah Subhanah will take the good deeds of the person who wronged his brother, and transfer them to the account or scales of the one who was wronged! Thus Allah Subhanah will not Himself forgive the one who usurped the rights of other human beings, but will do Justice and recompense the one who was wronged with the deeds of the oppressor. Thus, Allah Subhanah will hold every individual accountable for his own deeds on that Inevitable Day of Justice!

But if one who has wronged his fellow human being and usurped his rights unjustly from the ‘huqooq-ul-ibaad’, but subsequently sought sincere repentace in his lifetime from Allah Subhanah; Allah Subhanah, in His Magnanimity and Grace will accept the repentance of the person and forgive him; and will recompense, from Himself, the one who was wronged.

A hadith recorded by Ahmad, Abu Nu'aym, Al-Bazzar, and At-Tabarani from the Prophet (saws) says: "The debtor will be summoned before Allah on the Day of Judgement. Then Allah will ask him: 'O Son of Adam ! Why did you incur debt and infringe on others ' rights? ' The man would reply: 'My Lord! You know I took it, but I neither abused nor lost it. It was stolen or fumed in a fire or lost its value.' Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, will say: 'My slave has told the truth, and I am more entitled (than anyone else) to settle his debt.’ Then Allah will issue a command and something will be placed on his scales causing his good deeds to outweigh his bad ones. And so, by Allah's Grace, he will enter Paradise'."

But ‘shirk’ is that one inviolable abomination and supreme violation amongst all the ‘huqooqs’, which Allah Subhanah has chosen never to forgive on the Day of Judgement! This is the ‘usool’, foundation, or pre-condition The All-Mighty Lord and Creator has Decreed upon Himself never to forgive!!!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan