The ruling on one who dies upon a major sin while ignorant of it

The question: The listener Awad Farah sent a question saying: Is a person excused by ignorance if he commits an act that constitutes disbelief, which is a major sin, indeed one of the greatest? Please guide us on this topic, and how do we compare this with the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Nisa:48]?
Answer: He is not excused for committing sins while he is among the Muslims, as he has the ability to ask the scholars and seek understanding. He is not excused by being lenient. He must repent to Allah for that and hasten to repent from the sin. The sin varies: if it is disbelief, such as calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the dead, insulting the religion, or abandoning prayer, then he must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and hasten to repent, and Allah accepts the repentance of those who repent. But if the sin is not disbelief, such as smoking, drinking intoxicants, or consuming usury or interest, these are sins, so it is obligatory for him to hasten to repent, seek forgiveness, feel remorse, abandon the sin, and resolve not to return to it. If he dies while in that state, he is under the will of Allah, just as He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:: [Surat al-Nisa: 48], if he dies while in sin, dying while consuming usury or interest, or dying while drinking intoxicants, but he is a Muslim who prays and is a Muslim, then he is under the will of Allah. Or if he dies while being undutiful to his parents, or if he dies while having committed unlawful sexual intercourse, or something similar, he is under the will of Allah. If Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) wills, He forgives him; and if He wills, He punishes him according to the magnitude of the sin he died upon, if he was not repentant, if he did not repent. But if he repented, then repentance wipes out what came before it, and praise be to Allah, because the one who repents has no sin. But if he died while committing unlawful sexual intercourse without repenting, or while being undutiful to his parents without repenting, or while drinking intoxicants without repenting, or something like that, then he is under the will of Allah. If Allah (Mighty and Majestic) wills, He forgives him out of His grace and His kindness (Mighty and Majestic); and if He wills, He punishes him according to the magnitude of the sin he died upon. After the punishment and purification, Allah takes him out of the Fire into Paradise if he died a Muslim who affirmed the oneness of Allah. Only the disbelievers remain in the Fire eternally. But this one who entered the Fire because of his sin, if he is punished with the punishment that Allah willed for him, Allah takes him out of the Fire into Paradise because of his affirmation of the oneness of Allah and his faith with which he died. Only the disbelievers remain in the Fire eternally. We ask Allah for well-being.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good and do you good.