Explanation of the verse: “Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills”
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The reader: ...
The Shaykh : Now, we forgot to speak about the verse in the first chapter before this one,[An-Nisa 4:48].
[An-Nisa 4:48], the word “an” and what it entered upon are interpreted as a verbal noun, and the estimation is?
Association with Him. So, is this interpreted verbal noun like an explicit verbal noun such that we say that shirk (associating partners with Allah) is not forgiven even if it is minor, or do we say that the shirk intended here is major shirk that expels one from the religion?
There is hesitation in this, but the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) has a statement saying: “Indeed, shirk is not forgiven even if it is minor”, and based on this, repentance is necessary; one must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from this shirk that occurred from him.
And His saying:, it is possible that it means: other than, and it is possible that the intended meaning is meaning less, and this is the stronger opinion, meaning: what is less than shirk, Allah forgives it. And we said that so that it not be brought up to us as an objection: What do you say about the disbeliever whose disbelief is not shirk? It is known that the disbeliever whose disbelief is not shirk is not forgiven, because Allah conditioned the forgiveness for the disbeliever that he cease from his disbelief, [Al-Anfal 8:38] and this is better.
But if we say it means “other than,” it is said: the evidence indicates that disbelief that expels one from the religion is in the position of shirk. But if we say: what is less than that, meaning what is less, the objection does not apply to it.
The Shaykh : Now, we forgot to speak about the verse in the first chapter before this one,
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاءdoes not forgive association with Him
لا يغفر أن يشرك بهAssociation with Him. So, is this interpreted verbal noun like an explicit verbal noun such that we say that shirk (associating partners with Allah) is not forgiven even if it is minor, or do we say that the shirk intended here is major shirk that expels one from the religion?
There is hesitation in this, but the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) has a statement saying: “Indeed, shirk is not forgiven even if it is minor”, and based on this, repentance is necessary; one must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from this shirk that occurred from him.
And His saying:
He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
يغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاءwhat is less than
ما دونwhat is less than
ما دونSay to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them
قل للذين كفروا إن ينتهوا يغفر لهم ما قد سلفBut if we say it means “other than,” it is said: the evidence indicates that disbelief that expels one from the religion is in the position of shirk. But if we say: what is less than that, meaning what is less, the objection does not apply to it.