ٱلذُّنُوبَ

7:202.

14:11; 39:54; 61:13.

Commentary:

This verse embodies a refutation of the Christian doctrine of Atonement. The words remember Allah, mean that righteous persons are at once reminded of Allah whenever they happen to commit a sin. As a matter of fact though even good men may occasionally fall into sin, their hearts are not dead and they are always ready to repent. So if they happen to commit a sin, it is due only to a temporary lapse, and not because they love to indulge in sin. Thus so long as a man "remembers God" immediately after he commits a sin and feels sincere remorse and compunction at his evil deed, there is always time for his repentance to be accepted. But when he goes of sinning until he loses all sense of sin and ceases to feel compunction and remorse at his evil deeds, he loses the power to repent and is doomed, unless God should work some special change in him.

The words, and who can forgive sins except Allah? have been introduced as a parenthetical clause to exhort sinners to repent. They are not made to repent through fear, but by being reminded of Divine forgiveness. When God is Gracious and Forgiving, why should not man repent?

The words, do not persist knowingly, imply that whenever good men happen to commit an error, they do not try to justify their conduct, but frankly admit their mistake and then reform themselves. The verse does not, however, mean that a man should confess his sins to others. What is meant is that one should confess one’s guilt to oneself, i.e. one should feel that one has been in the wrong and should not proceed to defend one’s conduct when someone else, or, for that matter, when one’s own conscience reproaches one for one’s misdeeds. Those truly righteous never try to deceive themselves.

12:88; 15:57.

Commentary:

The present is one of the most beautiful verses of the Quran. It holds out a message of hope and good cheer to those who have wronged their souls. It encourages optimism and kills despair and despondency. It denounces and condemns pessimism because pessimism lies at the root of most sins and failures in life. Again and again the Quran gives a promise of Divine mercy and forgiveness. "Despair not of the mercy of Allah," it says, "for none despair of Allah’s mercy save the disbelieving people" (12:88). Again it says: "And who can despair of the mercy of his Lord save those who go astray" (15:57). There could be no greater message of solace and comfort for the grieved and the heavy-laden than this. The God of Islam is "Most Forgiving, full of mercy" (18:59). "He has taken it upon Himself to show mercy" (6:55). "His mercy encompasses all things" (7:157). Such is the God of Islam. He can and does forgive the sins of His servants and does not need the vicarious sacrifice of anyone for this purpose. He only requires a change of heart on the part of the sinner. According to Islam, the sinner is never beyond redemption. The Holy Prophet has beautifully explained this verse in one of his sayings, viz. من قال ھلک الناس فھو أھلکھم i.e. "He who says that the people have gone to ruin, it is he who, in fact, leads them to ruin" (Muslim).