The Unpardonable Sin

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The Greatest Injustice.Explanations from Mafuradat:

Among the verses being discussed the first verse declares that polytheism is a sin that will never be pardoned. As the verse says, “Verily God does not forgive that anything is associated with Him” but every other kind of sin may be forgiven. The meaning of this dialogue is that if all the great sins, injustices, evils etc are put to one side and polytheism on the other then the latter will prove to be heavier. So it is said as a reminder, “He who associates partners with God commits a great sin” Surah Furqaan Verse 68.

Some commentators feel that this verse is about the Jews who in trying to get the idolaters to help them accepted the viability of the idols and then even considered themselves as the chosen people who had already been forgiven. Even if this be the back ground of this verse’s revelation it will still encompass others and not be limited.

Some believe that this is about the idolaters (like Wahshi who killed Hazrat Hamza and his friends who after some time repented and wrote a letter to the Holy messenger saying, “we are sorry for what we did but we have heard from you that those who idolate, kill their souls and go against piety are not meant to be forgiven. Since we are enmeshed in these crimes we do not come to you. And it was at this time that the verse was revealed “but those who repent and believe and do good deeds.” (Surah Furqaan Verse 69)

The Holy Messenger wrote this article in reply to Wahshi and his friends. They said the matter is still very hard and it is possible that we may not be able to do good deeds. Then the verse that said God will not forgive polytheism but other than this (by His grace) all sins can be forgiven.

 The still made excuses and said, “It may be that we may not attain the permission of God and the verse was reveled “O slaves who have transgressed despair not from the mercy of God verily God forgives all things truly He is oft forgiving most merciful. (Surah Zumar Verse 53) The all read this verse and concerted to Islam (1)

Some commentators have said that among all the verses of the Qura’n this verse is the verse that gives hope because it says, “If one believer goes from this world he should not despair about God’s mercy but if he is faithless and an idolater then there is no salvation for him.

3. The words of the second verse are the same as those of the first with a little difference. It says, “And whoever associates any with God has indeed strayed far, far away (from the right path). The first had mentioned the great sin but here the verse speaks of a long waywardness. These two thing are interlinked because the greater the sin the further the person goes from God and he will be surrounded by sins. In the first verse it was the belief on polytheism and in the second verse it affects is most visible. It is certain that these effects will come from there only.

3. The third verse contains explicit commandment regarding polytheism and about those who deny God and the Messenger has been addressed, “Not only your revelations, but I sent revelations to all the apostles saying that if you resort to polytheism then all your deeds will be wasted and you will be among the losers.

It is a certain fact that neither the Messenger nor the other apostles resorted to polytheism but this style was adopted to enhance this issue and to make others reflect upon themselves and to convince them to audit their deeds and they were informed about the dangers of polytheism.

According to this verse a person may spend his entire life worshipping God and doing good deeds but if even on his deathbed becomes a polytheist and dies then all his good deeds will be erased. Shirk or polytheism is a fire which burns to cinder the total accumulation of a man’s good deeds. This is said in verse 18 of Surah Abraham “Their works are as ashes on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day so that they shall be able to get naught of what they have earned.”

The origin of “Layahbatana” is “Habat’ and means an animal which has over eaten and dies of sickness of gastro enteritis. And then it is used for a deeds which is seemingly good but internally bad and cannot be accepted totally (2)

The same meaning is recorded in Lisan-ol-Arab and Misbahol Loghata but Lisan 0l Arab has given the meaning of Habt as the drying up of the wells. Maqayis ol Loghata it meaning has been taken as vain and pain and the scars left by a wound are also termed as Habt.

Habt means the deeds and the manner in which they are done but this is not the proper place to discuss it.





(1) Tafsir Majmaul Bayan Vol.3 Page 56
(2) Mafuradat Raghib Origin Habt


The Greatest Injustice.Explanations from Mafuradat:
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