Islamic Rulings -
Living Shariah Verdicts
Islamic Questions & Answers
Will Allah forgive us for shirk?
Can we repent from shirk? How do we repent. Is there
any special prayers we must offer (any duas)?.
Praise be to Allah.
Shirk is the greatest of sins, because Allah has told
us that He will not forgive the one who does not
repent to Him from it, but in the case of lesser sins
the matter is subject to His will: if He wills, He
will forgive the one who meets Him with that sin
unrepented for, and if He wills, He will punish him.
This means that we should fear shirk greatly, as it is
so serious before Allah.
Fath al-Majeed, p. 58.
Hence we must repent from all kinds of shirk, whether
it is major shirk or minor shirk. If a person repents
sincerely then Allah will accept his repentance and
forgive him his sins.
After mentioning shirk in the verse in which He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And those
who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allah”
[al-Furqaan 25:68]
and stating that its people will abide forever in
Hell, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Except
those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism),
and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change
their sins into good deeds, and Allah is
Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Furqaan 25:68-70]
Repentance from shirk means giving it up and
submitting to Allah alone, regretting one's neglect of
Allah’s rights and resolving never to go back to it.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say to
those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from
disbelief), their past will be forgiven”
[al-Anfaal 8:38]
“If they cease” means, give up their kufr, by
submitting to Allah alone with no partner or
associate. Tafseer al-Sa’di.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said:
“Islam
destroys that which came before it”
– i.e., of sins. Narrated by Muslim 121.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) said that the gate of repentance remains
open so long at the death rattle has not reached a
person’s throat. He (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said:
“Allah will
accept His slave’s repentance so long as the death
rattle has not yet reached his throat.”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3537; see also Sahih al-Jaami’,
1425.
Whoever commits major shirk that puts a person beyond
the pale of Islam must repent sincerely from that, put
his actions straight and correct his intention. It is
also prescribed for him to do ghusl after repenting,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) commanded Qays ibn ‘Aasim to do that when he
became Muslim. (Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi
and al-Nasaa’i; classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Sakan.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/317
With regard to minor shirk, the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned us
against it, fearing that his ummah might fall into it.
He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The
thing I fear most for you is minor shirk.”
(Narrated by Ahmad, 23119. al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah (951): its isnaad is jayyid). And he said:
“Shirk among you is more subtle than the sound of the
footsteps of an ant on a rock. Shall I not tell you of
something which, if you do it, it will take that away
from you, both minor and major forms of it. Say:
Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana
a’lam wastaghfiruka lima laa a’lam (O Allah, I seek
refuge with You from associating anything with You
knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for that of
which I am unaware).”
Sahih al-Jaami’, 2876.
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