Page 104 - World Religions I - Islam

• Repentance and forgiveness.
o Forgiveness is promised, although one cannot know if he is forgiven until the Day of Judgement.
 "Say: 'O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of
Allah: for Allah forgives all sins; for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'" - Az-Zumar (The Troops)
39:53
 "Allah accept the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to
them will Allah turn in mercy, for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. Of no effect is the
repentance of those who continue to do evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, 'Now
have I repented indeed,' nor of those who die rejecting faith; for them have We prepared a
punishment most grievous." - An- Nisa' (Women) 4:17-18
 "But verily thy Lord - to those who do wrong in ignorance, but who thereafter repent and make
amends - thy Lord, after all this, is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." - An-Nahl (The Bee) 16:119 See
also the following Surahs: 4:64, 106, 110; 5:39; 9:80.
o Forgiveness is denied under the following conditions:
 Idolatry (or shirk).
• "God forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything
else, to whom He pleaseth. To set up partners with God is to devise a sin most heinous
indeed." - An-Nisa' (Women) 4:48
 When repentance is made on one's deathbed.
• "And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds, until when death comes
to one of them, he says: Surely now I repent; nor (for) those who die while they are
unbelievers. These are they for whom We have prepared a painful chastisement." - An-
Nisa' (Women) 4:18
 When one is coerced.
• "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to
make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their
hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned.
This shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a
grievous chastisement, except for those who repent before they fall into your power: in
that case, know that Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." - Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread)
5:33-34
 When repentance is sought on the Day of Judgement.
• "They will say: 'Our Lord! Our misfortune overwhelmed us, and we became a people
astray! Our Lord! bring us out of this (Hell fire). If ever we return (to evil), then shall we be
wrong-doers indeed!' He will say: 'Be ye driven into it (with ignominy)! And speak ye not
to Me!'" - The Mumenoon (The Believers) 23:106-108
o Muhammad claimed that if one's "amen" after prayer coincides with the angels', all sins will be forgiven.
 "The Prophet said, 'Say Amin' when the Imam says it and if the Amin of any one of you coincides
with that of the angels then all his past sins will be forgiven."6
o Only God has the power to forgive, but the Qur'an and the Hadith both advocate intercessory prayer
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for others.
 Muhammad was commanded to pray for the forgiveness of others.
• "It is part of the mercy of God that thou dost deal gently with them wert thou severe
or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee; so pass over (their
faults), and ask for (God's) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment).
Then, when thou hast taken a decision put thy trust in God. For God loves those who put
their trust (in Him)." - Al-Imran (The Family of Imran) 3:159 Muslim tradition accords
Muhammad with intercessory power in the Day of Judgement (Al-Bukhari 9:93:507),

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