Today we share the 32nd ayat / verse of Surah 53. Surah An-Najm which promises Allah's infinite mercy and displeasure:
The Verse:
اَلَّذِيۡنَ يَجۡتَنِبُوۡنَ كَبٰٓـئِرَ الۡاِثۡمِ وَالۡفوَاحِشَ اِلَّا اللَّمَمَؕ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الۡمَغۡفِرَةِؕ هُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِكُمۡ اِذۡ اَنۡشَاَكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَاِذۡ اَنۡتُمۡ اَجِنَّةٌ فِىۡ بُطُوۡنِ اُمَّهٰتِكُمۡۚ فَلَا تُزَكُّوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَكُمۡ ؕ هُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقٰى
(53:32) on those who avoid grave sins and shameful deeds, even if they may sometimes stumble into lesser offences. Surely your Lord is abounding in His Forgiveness. Very well is He aware of you since He produced you from the earth, and while you were still in your mothers' wombs and not yet born. So do not boastfully claim yourselves to be purified. He fully knows those that are truly Godfearing.
This verse emphasizes several key concepts related to sin, repentance, and the knowledge of Allah. Let’s break it down:
Key Themes of the ayat / verse
This verse can be broken down in two parts: Mercy and Warning for boasters.
- Avoidance of Major Sins and Immoralities:
- The verse speaks of people who avoid major sins (kabā’ir) and immoralities (fahshā’). Major sins are those whose prohibition is clearly stated in the Quran and Sunnah (e.g., polytheism, murder, theft, adultery, etc.), while minor sins are those which may not lead to eternal punishment if repented for.
- Avoiding major sins is emphasized as a virtue, and those who do so are rewarded with Allah's forgiveness.
- Commitment of Slight Sins:
- The verse acknowledges that even the righteous might still commit slight sins (sagha’ir). These are minor infractions, but they don’t necessarily result in severe consequences if one seeks repentance.
- The key here is that minor sins are more easily forgiven, and their impact can be mitigated by good deeds and seeking forgiveness.
- Allah’s Forgiveness:
- The verse underscores the vastness of Allah's forgiveness: "Indeed, your Lord is vast in forgiveness."
- Allah is capable of forgiving sins, whether they are major or minor, and He is aware of the conditions of His creation — from the moment of conception to how we behave in life.
- That is, the forgiveness for the one guilty of minor sins is not for the reason that a minor sin is no sin, but for the reason that Allah Almighty does not treat His servants narrow-mindedly and does not seize them on trifling faults; if the servants adopt piety and abstain from major sins and indecencies, He will not seize them for their minor errors and will forgive them magnanimously on account of His infinite mercy.
- The Righteousness of Allah’s Judgment:
- This is the the second and the core of the above quoted verse.
- Allah knows us intimately, from the moment of creation to our life on earth. Thus, no one can claim to be pure or perfect; only Allah knows who is truly righteous and who is not.
- That is everyone should realize who they are and what their status is. A creature first created from water and mud and then from a trivial drop of fluid does not deserve to think of himself as an elevated being and demand any privilege. This is said to them because the addressees were the custodians of the House of God and the progeny of Abraham (sws) and Ishmael (sws) and because of this had false notions the way Muslims of today have such false notions. These Muslims by regarding themselves to be a forgiven nation have forsaken all responsibilities related to their faith and deeds.
- This reminds us to avoid pride or self-righteousness, as ultimate judgment rests with Allah alone.
References from the Quran on Major and Minor Sins
1. Major Sins (Kabā’ir):
- Surah An-Nisa (4:31):
- “If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden, We will expiate from you your evil deeds and admit you to a noble entrance.”
- This verse speaks about how avoiding major sins leads to forgiveness from Allah.
- Surah Al-Furqan (25:68-70):
- “And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever does that will meet a penalty.”
- “The punishment will be multiplied for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated.”
- These verses list some of the major sins, including polytheism (shirk), murder, and adultery.
2. Forgiveness for Minor Sins
- Surah Al-Ahzab (33:5): “Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of creatures. Their reward with their Lord will be gardens of perpetual residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him.”
- Minor sins are expiated through good deeds and seeking forgiveness from Allah. The believer who strives to avoid major sins is promised Allah’s forgiveness for the smaller missteps.
3. Repentance and Allah's Mercy
- Surah Az-Zumar (39:53): "Say, 'O My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own actions, do not despair of Allah's mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'"
- This verse stresses that Allah's mercy is encompassing and that no sin is too great to be forgiven if one repents sincerely.
Hadiths on Major and Minor Sins
- 1. Hadith on the Avoidance of Major Sins:
- Sahih Muslim: The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Whoever avoids the major sins and immoralities, Allah will forgive his minor sins."
- This Hadith clearly ties forgiveness of minor sins to the avoidance of major sins.
- 2. Hadith on the Expiation of Minor Sins:
- Sahih Bukhari: The Prophet (PBUH) said: “When a servant of Allah commits a sin, a black spot is placed upon his heart. If he repents, stops sinning, and seeks forgiveness, the heart is polished clean; otherwise, the spot increases until it covers his entire heart.”
- This hadith highlights that minor sins can lead to spiritual impurity, but with repentance, they are expiated.
- 3. Hadith on Purification of the Heart:
- The following hadith is for those with corrupted hearts.
- Sahih Muslim: The Prophet (PBUH) also said: “Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body, which, if it becomes good (reformed), the whole body becomes good; but if it becomes corrupt, the whole body becomes corrupt. That piece of flesh is the heart.”
- This illustrates the central role of the heart in both the avoidance of sin and the attainment of forgiveness. A sincere heart leads to the avoidance of major sins and repentance for minor ones.
Lessons from 53:32 and Other References
- Importance of Avoiding Major Sins: The verse teaches us to avoid the major sins, which are clearly forbidden in Islam. These sins have serious spiritual consequences, and avoiding them is a mark of a righteous person.
- Allah's Mercy: The vastness of Allah’s forgiveness is emphasized. Even if a person commits minor sins, they can always seek forgiveness, and Allah will forgive those who are sincere in their repentance.
- Humility and Purity of Heart: The verse ends with a reminder not to claim purity for oneself, as Allah alone knows who is righteous. This teaches humility, recognizing that only Allah can judge the purity of one’s heart.
- Forgiveness through Repentance and Good Deeds: Minor sins can be forgiven through repentance and good deeds. The Quran and Hadiths encourage maintaining good character, praying, fasting, and giving charity to purify the soul.
In conclusion, Surah An-Najm (53:32) is a reminder of the importance of avoiding major sins, the vastness of Allah’s mercy, and the need for humility. It ties closely with other Quranic verses and Hadiths, reinforcing the concepts of repentance, spiritual purification, and avoiding self-righteousness.
The verse also warns those who do good deeds of charity, chivalry and acts that are expressive of outwardly humility and kindness while their hearts are corrupted. Here they are reminded that Allah is well aware of what resides in one's hearts and for what reason they do good things. If intentions are pure, the reward will be enormous. But if intentions are otherwise, remember Allah cannot be deceived.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
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