Will Allah forgive our sins?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever 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.

There are many major sins the Holy Quran mentions by name like shirk, murder, magic, not performing prayers, not paying zakat, being undutiful to parents, riba (usury), etc.

Your question is: what sins will Allah not forgive?  The truth of the matter is that Allah forgives ALL sins!   No matter how grave and major the sins are; Allah forgives all sins.  There is not a single sin that Allah Subhanah does not forgive!  Our Lord and Creator is the All Merciful and All Forgiving!   Our Lord and Creator loves to forgive us our sins! 

But there is a small catch!   Allah has promised in the Holy Quran that He is willing to forgive all our sins, provided we do two things:

Ask for forgiveness (Taubah) from Allah, Alone!

And ask for this forgiveness before our death.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration: “The door of Taubah is open till death in at the throat of the person.”

WHATEVER a person might have done, Allah is willing to forgive him his sins; provided the person asks for forgiveness and turns to Allah in penitence (Taubah) before his appointment of death!  Our Lord is indeed the All Merciful, the All Forgiving!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqan verses 68-71: (The true servants of the Merciful are those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone; nor slay such life which Allah has made sacred, except for just cause (according to Shariah); nor commit adultery.  He who does these shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy.  Unless he makes ‘Taubah’ (repents), believes, and works righteous deeds, for then Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds.  For Allah is Very Forgiving, Very Merciful.   And whoever makes ‘taubah’ (repents) and does good deeds, has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion.

How Merciful is indeed our Lord and Creator!   If the sinner begs for repentance, believes in Allah and His Messenger (saws), and does righteous good deeds, Allah has promised, not only to forgive his sins, but also to change his evil deeds into good deeds!   In the above aayah, Allah says he will forgive even the major sins like shirk, murder and adultery.  Allah is indeed Very Forgiving, Very Merciful to his slaves.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 53: (O Prophet) say, “O my servants who have wronged their own souls!  Do not despair of Allah’s mercy!   Surely Allah forgives all sins.   He is the All Forgiving, All Merciful.”

Just give a little attention to the above blessed aayah of the Glorious Quran, and you will see how much love and compassion Allah has shown his believers.  He calls on us by saying: “O my servants who have wronged their own souls!”  He does not call us by saying, “O sinners”, or “O wretched people”, or “O murderers”, or “O adulterers”; but rather He calls the believers ‘My servants who have wronged their own souls’, by making some mistakes or committing some sins!  Allah goes on to say, “Do not despair of Allah’s mercy!”.   Glory be to Allah Alone, the Lord of the Worlds!   The All Merciful Himself advises us not to loose hope of His Mercy, for surely Allah forgives all sins!  Whatever you might have done, do not become disheartened of Allah’s Mercy and His Vast Forgiveness, for Allah is willing to forgive all our sins.  Our Lord is indeed the Most Merciful, All Forgiving!   Glory be to Allah Alone, the Lord of the Worlds!

Allah continues in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verses 54-60: Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you, and then you will get no help from anywhere.   And follow the best aspects of the Book (Al Quran) sent down by your Lord, before the scourge comes down upon you suddenly while you are unaware.  Lest afterwards someone should say, “Alas for the negligence I showed towards Allah!  Indeed I was among those who mocked.”  Or: “Would that Allah had shown me guidance so that I too would have been among the righteous.”  Or when he sees the torment: “Would that I could get another chance so that I also should be among the doers of good!”  (And then he should get this answer): “Why not!  My Revelations did come to you; but you denied them and showed arrogance, and you were among the disbelievers.”  You will see that on the Day of Resurrection, the faces of those who have invented falsehood against Allah, will be blackened.  Is not there enough room in Hell for the arrogant?

‘Taubah’ literally means returning to Allah in repentance.   When one commits a sin, he in fact, goes away from Allah and His guidance. When one realizes that he has committed a sin, and becomes repentant, he turns back to His Lord and asks for forgiveness; this is called ‘Taubah’.

When one wants to make ‘taubah’ and turn back to Allah in repentance, he must have the following four qualities:

He has to be ashamed and repentant at the sin he has committed because he has betrayed the commandments of His Lord and Creator.

He must leave the sin immediately.

He must make a honest intention and promise that he will not repeat the sin in the future.

If the sin committed was such, that he has taken the right of somebody, then he must return that right back to the person concerned, or ask the person to forgive him.  

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verses 17-18: However, note it well that Allah’s acceptance of repentance is for those people only, who commit an evil in ignorance, and then repent of it soon after this.   Allah again turns kindly to such people, for Allah is All Knowing, All Wise.  But there is no repentance for those people who persist in their evil deeds until the dying hour comes to anyone of them; then he says, “Now I repent.”   Nor is repentance for them who die as disbelievers; for such people, We have prepared a painful torment.

It is true that the pilgrimage of Hajj is such a great deed, that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration: "Whoever performs Hajj to this House (Ka`ba) and does not approach his wife for sexual relations, nor commits sins (while performing Hajj), he will come out as sinless as a newly-born child."

But one does not have to wait for Hajj to make ‘taubah’, for if one does true ‘taubah’, Allah will forgive all his sins:  provided he makes ‘taubah’ before his death.  

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 31: If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall remit your small sins and admit you to a place of honor (i.e. Paradise).

The only sin that Allah has specifically promised in the Holy Quran that he will not forgive is if someone dies while he was involved in the heinous sin of ‘shirk’ (associating or invoking other beings with Allah).   ‘Shirk’ is undoubtedly the greatest sin in Islam, and Allah forgives even this sin, if one makes ‘taubah’ during his lifetime and mends his ways.  But if one dies while he is involved in ‘shirk’, then Allah has made Paradise haraam for him.

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.

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.

The issue with sins is that most societies and mankind in general are unanimous in categorizing sins and virtues.   Murder, theft, adultery, fornication, intoxication, gambling, cheating, etc. are considered sins in all societies and religions.  Truth, charity, obedience, good manners, praying, etc. are unanimously considered virtues in all societies and religions, including Islam.   

But the people who commit this heinous sin of ‘shirk’, seldom realize that they are committing it.   Shaitaan makes this sin so fair-seeming to them, that they think they are only invoking or bowing down in prostration to these beings in respect and reverence, whereas, in fact, they are deeply involved in the act of ‘shirk’.   If one reads the Holy Quran with understanding, he will realize that almost all the communities that were destroyed by Allah, were destroyed because they were all involved in ‘shirk’.  It was not that they did not believe in Allah, but they had made idols and objects in remembrance and reverence of their pious and holy men who had passed away, and in time began invoking them as gods.   They all believed that Allah Alone was their Creator, their Provider, their Sustainer.   They all believed that Allah Alone gave life and ordained death.   But they used to invoke these other idols and objects to get a little closer to Allah; and this is precisely what Allah has termed ‘shirk’ in the Holy Quran.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verse 2-3: So worship Allah Alone, making your religion His exclusively.  Beware!  Religion is the exclusive Right of Allah.  As for those who have taken other ‘auliyas’ (guardians) with Allah (and justify their this conduct by saying): “We serve them only that they may bring us closer to Allah.”   Allah will surely judge between them concerning all that in which they differ.   Allah does not show guidance to any liar and denier of the Truth.

Today,  unfortunately,  a lot of muslims are involved in the act of ‘shirk’,  but they do not realize the enormity of the matter.   Muslims today do not bow down to idols, but they bow down at the graves of their pious and holy men who have passed away!   Muslims today do not invoke idols, but they invoke human beings, dead in their graves, or even alive!   Muslims today erroneously think that some pious people and holy men, if served devotedly, will be able to help take them out of the fire of Hell, on the Day of Judgement!  All these acts are nothing but manifestations of the heinous crime of ‘shirk’, and Shaitaan has made these monstrous deed fair-seeming to them.   A lot of muslims are involved in these and other acts of ‘shirk’, without even realizing it!

The Only Being Who deserves our ‘sajdah’, our invocation, our worship and the Only Being who will have all the Power of Decision on the Day of Judgement, will be the All Mighty, All Powerful, Allah, Alone!  

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 46 Surah Ahqaf verses 4-6: Prophet, say to them, "Have you ever seen them with open eyes those whom you invoke instead of Allah? Show me what they have created in the earth? Or have they any share in the creation and control of the heavens? Bring me a Book revealed before this, or produce some remnant of knowledge in support of your beliefs if you are truthful." And who could be further astray than the one who invokes, instead of Allah, those who cannot answer him till the Day of Resurrection. Nay, they are even UNAWARE THAT THEY ARE BEING INVOKED. And when all mankind shall be gathered together (on the Day of Qiyamah), they (the so called leaders and intercessors) will become enemies of those who invoked them and they will DISOWN THEIR WORSHIP!!!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraf verse 190-196: How foolish are these people!  They associate with Allah partners who do not create anything, but are themselves created!   Who cannot help them nor have the power to help themselves!   If you invite them to follow the Right Way, they will not follow you!   It will be all the same for you whether you call them or keep silent.  Those whom you invoke with Allah are MERE SERVANTS OF ALLAH LIKE YOU!  Just invoke them, and if what you say of them be true, they will answer your prayers!   Have they feet that they should walk with them?   Or have they hands that they should hold with them?   Or have they eyes that they should see with them?   Or have they ears that they should hear with them?   Tell them, O Mohammed, “Call up the partners you have set up, and then all of you sit down together and plot against me, and give me no respite.  My Protector and Helper is Allah, Who has sent down this Book (Al Quran), and, it is He who protects the righteous people.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 20-21: All the other beings, whom the people invoke with Allah, create nothing!  Nay, they are themselves created.  They are DEAD, not living, and they do not at all know themselves when they shall again be raised to life!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 66-68: On the Day their faces are rolled about on the Fire, they will say, “Would that we had obeyed Allah and His Messenger!”  And they will say, “O our Lord, we obeyed our CHIEFS and our GREAT MEN, and they led us astray from the Right Path.   O our Lord, give them a double chastisement and curse them severely”.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anam verse 94: (And Allah will say), “So, you have come before Us all alone, as We created you at first. Now, you have left behind all that We gave you in the world.   Now We do not see with you those ‘shufa’a’ (intercessors), who, you believed, had a share in moulding your destinies!  All the relations between you and them have been cut off, and all those, in whom you trusted, have left you in the lurch.”

The All Merciful, All Wise Allah, has sent us the Glorious Quran for our guidance.   If one takes out some time in his 30 or 40 or 60 years of this life to read and understand the Holy Quran, he will realize from the guidance of the Glorious Quran, the concept and all the manifestations of this heinous crime of ‘shirk’.    The Glorious Quran was not revealed to mankind so that we could recognize murder and adultery and cheating as major sins!   It was revealed as a mercy and guidance by our Lord and Creator, so that we are made aware of the unseen, and to warn us how Shaitaan employs his tools in leading mankind astray from the worship of One God, and invites us to commit this heinous crime of ‘shirk’.  

In almost all cases where muslims are involved in ‘shirk’, you will realize that one thing is common between all of them:  almost all of them are away (or kept away) from the clear guidance of the Holy Quran!   Either they have not read the Quran with understanding themselves, or their leaders and clergy have warned them not to read the clear aayahs of the Glorious Quran with understanding!   Because once you read the clear aayahs of the Holy Quran with understanding, you will immediately realize what the All Wise, All Knowing Allah is guiding you towards, and that means the closure of all the well-decorated shops of these self-made leaders and the self-proclaimed holy men!

Thus it is in their interest that you never understand the Holy Quran, and it is in your interest that you read and understand the clear guidance and teachings of the Glorious Quran at least once in your lifetime!  Then, you can decide yourself which path you want to follow … the Straight Path of the Holy Quran, or the path made by some self-proclaimed holy men!  

May Allah guide us to read and understand the Holy Quran.   May Allah give us the wisdom to recognize all the manifestations of this heinous sin of ‘shirk’, so that we can stay far away from it.   May Allah help us and guide us to follow the Siraat al Mustaqeem (Straight Path of Islam).

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 and well wisher in Islam,

 Burhan