Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (181)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(48) “Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating anything with Him, but He forgives anything less than that for whomever He wills. Whoever associates anything with Allah has indeed fabricated a tremendous sin.”

The Exalted informs us that He does not forgive anyone who associates any created being with Him, but He forgives sins less than polytheism (1), whether minor or major, whenever He wills to forgive them and His wisdom dictates their forgiveness.

Allah has established many causes through which sins less than polytheism may be forgiven, such as good deeds that erase sins; afflictions that expiate them in this world, the intermediate realm, and on the Day of Resurrection; believers’ prayers for one another; and the intercession of those permitted to intercede. Above all of these is His mercy, of which He has made the people of faith and monotheism most deserving.

Polytheism, however, is entirely different. The polytheist has barred against himself the gates of forgiveness and closed the gates of mercy before him. Acts of obedience without monotheism do not benefit him, nor do afflictions avail him in any way. On the Day of Resurrection, they will have “no intercessors and no close friend.”

⦗182⦘

For this reason, the Exalted says, “Whoever associates anything with Allah has indeed fabricated a tremendous sin”; that is, he has committed an enormous crime. What injustice could be greater than that of one who equates a created being—made from dust, deficient in every respect, inherently needy in every way, and possessing no power to bring benefit or harm, death, life, or resurrection even to itself, much less to its worshipper—with the Creator of all things, who is perfect in every respect, inherently independent of all His creatures, and in whose hand lie benefit and harm, giving and withholding? Every blessing enjoyed by any created being comes from Him, the Exalted. Can any injustice be greater than this?

For this reason, He has decreed that whoever commits it will abide eternally in punishment and be deprived of reward: “Indeed, whoever associates anything with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and his abode is the Fire.” This noble verse applies to one who has not repented. As for one who repents, Allah forgives his polytheism and all lesser sins, as the Exalted says: “Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins’”—that is, for whoever repents to Him and turns back to Him.

(1) In manuscript B: “that.”

﴿٤٨﴾ ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا﴾ . يخبر تعالى: أنه لا يغفر لمن أشرك به أحدا من المخلوقين، ويغفر ما دون الشرك (١) من الذنوب صغائرها وكبائرها، وذلك عند مشيئته مغفرة ذلك، إذا اقتضت حكمتُه مغفرتَه. فالذنوب التي دون الشرك قد جعل الله لمغفرتها أسبابا كثيرة، كالحسنات الماحية والمصائب المكفرة في الدنيا، والبرزخ ويوم القيامة، وكدعاء المؤمنين بعضهم لبعض، وبشفاعة الشافعين. ومن فوق ذلك كله رحمته التي أحق بها أهل الإيمان والتوحيد. وهذا بخلاف الشرك فإن المشرك قد سد على نفسه أبواب المغفرة، وأغلق دونه أبواب الرحمة، فلا تنفعه الطاعات من دون التوحيد، ولا تفيده المصائب شيئا، وما لهم يوم القيامة ﴿مِنْ شَافِعِينَ * وَلا صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ﴾ . ⦗١٨٢⦘ ولهذا قال تعالى ﴿وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا﴾ أي افترى جرما كبيرا وأي ظلم أعظم ممن سوى المخلوق -من تراب الناقص من جميع الوجوه الفقير بذاته من كل وجه الذي لا يملك لنفسه- فضلا عمن عبده -نفعًا ولا ضرًّا ولا موتًا ولا حياة ولا نشورًا- بالخالق لكل شيء الكامل من جميع الوجوه الغني بذاته عن جميع مخلوقاته الذي بيده النفع والضر والعطاء والمنع الذي ما من نعمة بالمخلوقين إلا فمنه تعالى فهل أعظم من هذا الظلم شيء؟ ولهذا حتم على صاحبه بالخلود بالعذاب وحرمان الثواب ﴿إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ﴾ وهذه الآية الكريمة في حق غير التائب وأما التائب فإنه يغفر له الشرك فما دونه كما قال تعالى ﴿قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا﴾ أي لمن تاب إليه وأناب.

(١) في ب: ذلك.