Allah said that He,
﴿لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ﴾
(forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship),) meaning, He
does not forgive a servant if he meets Him while he is associating partners with
Him,
﴿وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ﴾
(but He forgives except that) of sins,
﴿لِمَن يَشَآءُ﴾
(to whom He wills) of His servants. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said that
the Messenger of Allah said,
«إِنَّ اللهَ يَقُولُ: يَا عَبْدِي
مَا عَبَدْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي، فَإِنِّي غَافِرٌ لَكَ عَلى مَا كَانَ فِيكَ، يَا عَبْدِي
إِنَّكَ إِنْ لَقِيتَنِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ خَطِيئَةً مَا لَمْ تُشْرِكْ بِي، لَقِيتُكَ
بِقُرَابِهَا مَغْفِرَة»
(Allah said, "O My servant! As long as you worship and beg Me, I will forgive you,
no matter your shortcomings. O My servant! If you meet Me with the earth's fill
of sin, yet you do not associate any partners with Me, I will meet you with its
fill of forgiveness.'') Only Ahmad recorded this Hadith with this chain of narration.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said, "I came to the Messenger of Allah and he
said,
«مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ قَالَ: لَا إِلهَ
إِلَّا اللهُ ثُمَّ مَاتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، إِلَّا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّة»
قلت:وإن زنى وإن سرق؟ قال:
«وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَق»
. قلت: وإن زنى وإن سرق؟ قال:
«وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ ثَلَاثًا»
، ثم قال في الرابعة:
«عَلَى رَغْمِ أَنْفِ أَبِي ذَر»
("No servant proclaims,`There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,' and dies
on that belief, but will enter Paradise.'' I said, "Even if he committed adultery
and theft'' He said, "Even if he committed adultery and theft.'' I asked again,
"Even if he committed adultery and theft'' He said, "Even if he committed adultery
and theft.'' The fourth time, he said, "Even if Abu Dharr's nose was put in the
dust.'') Abu Dharr departed while pulling his Izar and saying, "Even if Abu Dharr's
nose was put in the dust.'' Ever since that happened, Abu Dharr used to narrate
the Hadith and then comment, "Even if Abu Dharr's nose was put in dust.'' The Two
Sahihs recorded this Hadith Al-Bazzar recorded that Ibn `Umar said, "We used to
refrain from begging (Allah) for forgiveness for those who commit major sins until
we heard our Prophet reciting,
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ
بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ﴾
(Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship),
but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills;), and his saying,
«أَخَّرْتُ شَفَاعَتِي لِأَهْلِ الْكَبَائِرِ
مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»
(I have reserved my intercession on the Day of Resurrection for those among my Ummah
who commit major sins.)'' Allah's statement,
﴿وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ
افْتَرَى إِثْماً عَظِيماً﴾
(and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous
sin.) is similar to His statement,
﴿إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾
(Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.) In
the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Ibn Mas`ud said, "I said, `O Messenger of Allah!
Which is the greatest sin' He said,
«أَنْ تَجْعَلَ للهِ نِدًّا وَهُوَ
خَلَقَك»
(To make a rival with Allah, while He Alone created you.)''
﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى
الَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَآءُ وَلاَ يُظْلَمُونَ
فَتِيلاً - انظُرْ كَيفَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الكَذِبَ وَكَفَى بِهِ إِثْماً
مُّبِيناً - أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ نَصِيباً مِّنَ الْكِتَـبِ يُؤْمِنُونَ
بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّـغُوتِ وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ هَـؤُلاءِ أَهْدَى مِنَ
الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ سَبِيلاً - أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَمَن يَلْعَنِ
اللَّهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ نَصِيراً ﴾
(49. Have you not seen those who claim sanctity for themselves Nay, but Allah sanctifies
whom He wills, and they will not be dealt with injustice even equal to the extent
of a Fatil.) (50. Look, how they invent a lie against Allah, and enough is that
as a manifest sin.) (51. Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the
Scripture They believe in Jibt and Taghut and say to those who disbelieve, "These
people are better guided on the way, '' than the believers.) (52. They are those
whom Allah has cursed, and he whom Allah curses, you will not find for him (any)
helper.)