Stern Divine warning against committing a sin and then falsely accusing an innocent person of it

Committing sin is always viewed negatively not only in communities and societies but also Divinely. However, the gravity of the act of a sinner gets multiplied if the sinner throws blame on an innocent to evade justice and punishment of his act. Islam, like all Divine religions strictly prohibits committing sin and cautions against throwing the blame on others. 

Today we share Ayah 112 of Surah 4. An-Nisa of Al Qur'an which delivers a stern warning against committing a sin and then falsely accusing an innocent person of it — one of the Qur’an’s strongest verses on justice, responsibility, and false accusation.

وَمَنۡ يَّكۡسِبۡ خَطِيۡٓـئَةً اَوۡ اِثۡمًا ثُمَّ يَرۡمِ بِهٖ بَرِيۡٓـئًـا فَقَدِ احۡتَمَلَ بُهۡتَانًا وَّاِثۡمًا مُّبِيۡنًا 

“But whoever commits a fault or a sin, then throws it upon an innocent person, has indeed burdened himself with a false accusation and a manifest sin.” — Surah An-Nisā’ 4:112

Historical Context (Why This Verse Was Revealed)

This verse was revealed regarding a real incident in Madinah wherein a a Muslim man committed theft and to escape punishment, he planted the stolen item in the house of a Jewish man. Some Muslims defended the thief because he was “one of them.” And they even tried to convince the Prophet ﷺ that the Jewish man was guilty.

Before the revered Prophet ﷺ could give out a verdict, Allah revealed verses 4:105–112 to: (1) Declare the Muslim guilty, (2) Clear the innocent man, even if not from own fraternity, (3) Condemn false accusation and (4) Strictly warn against tribal or emotional bias

This shows Islam stands for justice even if it is against Muslims themselves.

Explanation of the Verse (Phrase by Phrase)

• “Whoever commits a fault or a sin…” - This includes: (1) Minor sins (mistakes, negligence) and (2) Major sins (theft, lying, betrayal). This shows Islam teaches personal responsibility.
• “…and then casts it upon an innocent person…” - This means: (1) Blaming someone who did not commit the crime, (2) Framing someone, (3) Lying to escape punishment, (3) Destroying someone’s reputation - This is considered worse than the original sin.
• “…has burdened himself with a false accusation…” - A false accusation is one of the gravest sins in Islam because: (1) It destroys lives, (2) Ruins reputations, (3) Causes injustice and (4) Breaks trust in society. In Arabic, this is buhtān بُهْتَان — a lie so serious that it shocks the listener.
• “…and a manifest (clear) sin.” - This means (1) The sin is obvious, (2) No excuse will stand and that (3) Allah Himself condemns it - It is a public moral crime, not a private mistake.

Ibn Kathir, the 14th century Arab Islamic exegete, historian and scholar. An expert on tafsir (Quranic exegesis), tarikh (history) and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), he is considered a leading authority on Sunni Islam, explains that this verse sets a general and severe rule of conduct. The core of his explanation emphasizes the gravity of a false accusation: 

• Doubled Sin: A person who commits a misdeed (khati'ah - minor fault, or ithm - major sin) and subsequently attributes it to an innocent individual commits a grave offense.
• Burden of Falsehood: This action doubles the offender's punishment, as they not only bear the weight of their original sin but also the additional, significant burden of lying and slandering an blameless person.
• Manifest Sin: The verse uses the term "manifest sin" (ithmam mubinan) to highlight that this is an obvious and great transgression in the sight of Allah. 

Key Moral Lessons from This Verse

• ✅ Islam is based on justice, not loyalty, even if the accused is: (1) Muslim, (2) member of one's own family or a friend, (3) Powerful or an elite position holder, Justice must be upheld.
• ✅ False accusations are worse than many sins: Islam treats: (1) Slander, (2) False blame and (3) Framing others, as major sins, even if done to protect oneself.
• ✅ You carry the sin you commit. Islam rejects:  (1) Blame-shifting, (2) Victim-blaming, Collective guilt, for Every soul answers for itself.
• ✅ Allah defends the innocent, even if:  (1) People lie, (2) Society supports the wrongdoer, The victim is weak or a minority - Allah exposes the truth.

Connection to Modern Life

In our lives, we come across many acts of blame game, both at individual and state level where innocents are made scapegoats for the crimes committed by strong and powerful individuals both within and outside the official corridors to save their skin and come out of the crises clean. But they forget that that they are Divinely watched all the time and will not be forgiven.

This verse applies directly to: (1) False accusations on social media, (2) Framing people in courts or politics, (3) Character assassination, (4) Workplace blame games, (5) False rape or harassment claims, (6) Defaming religious or ethnic groups - Islam condemns all of it.

In nutshell, this verse teaches one of Islam’s greatest principles:

⚖️ Justice is sacred — even against yourself.

🛑 Lying to escape blame is a double crime.

🤲 Allah always defends the innocent.

There is nothing in our lives that Islam has no answer to. It is only us that remain aloof to Quranic injunctions and Divine commandments due to which we are heedless and commit acts which are tangent to the Islamic teachings. Remember, every man is responsible for his own acts - even if one succeeds in throwing the blame on others as is usually done in the courts cleverly articulated by the lawyers, one would be caught in the end, not only in this world but in the hereafter on the Day of Judgement when no lawyer would come forward to plead our case. Time is now to steer our lives as Islam leads us to and always stand true to our acts and actions. 

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.

You may refer for more Selected Verses from Surah 4. An-Nisa (The Women) already published

You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.

For more Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. .

You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

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Responding to lies / Misinformation about Islam: There is no concept of sin in Islam and therefore no need for forgiveness

When I came across this misconception about Islam, I just wondered how naïve is that someone who phrased this lie about Islam. It seems that this lie has been coined without reading Qur'an and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which are replete with the concept of repentance and forgiveness.

Not going by an Muslim reference, but quoting straight from Wikipedia the concept of sin, repentance and forgiveness:

The Islamic concept of repentance for any sins and misdeeds is called tawba. It is a direct matter between a person and God, so there is no intercession or formal, ecclesiastical confession to a religious leader.

However, There is also no concept of original sin in Islam, thus the need for atonement, or ecclesiastical confession.

Unlike the concept of original sin and Jesus dying on the cross for the forgiveness of original sin of his followers, the concept of sin and asking forgiveness in Islam is a matter exclusively between the sinner and Allah, no one else in between. The concept of original sin in Christianity stems from the sin committed by Adam, and Eve, and thus  each child that is born carries that sin. 

The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 (the story of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden), in a line in Psalm 51:5 ("I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me"), and in Paul's Epistle to the Romans, 5:12-21 ("Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned").

This belief began to emerge in the 3rd century, but only became fully formed with the writings of Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD), who was the first author to use the phrase "original sin" (Latin: peccatum originale). Influenced by Augustine, the councils of Carthage (411–418 AD) and Orange (529 AD) brought theological speculation about original sin into the official lexicon of the Church.

Here we would like to share the verses from Surah 2. Al Baqarah (The Cow), wherein it is clearly stated that upon seeking forgiveness from Allah, Adam was forgiven, these no question arises about that sin carried forward by every newly born:

(2:36) But Satan caused both of them to deflect from obeying Our command by tempting them to the tree and brought them out of the state they were in, and We said: “Get down all of you; henceforth, each of you is an enemy of the other, and on earth you shall have your abode and your livelihood for an appointed time.”

(2:37) Thereupon Adam learned from his Lord some words and repented and his Lord accepted his repentance for He is Much-Relenting, Most Compassionate.

(2:38) We said: “Get you down from here, all of you, and guidance shall come to you from Me: then, whoever will follow My guidance need have no fear, nor shall they grieve.

(2:39) But those who refuse to accept this (guidance) and reject Our Signs as false are destined for the Fire where they shall abide for ever.” 

Read the explanation of these verses from our earlier post: Surah Al Baqarah - The Cow: 2nd Chapter of Qur'an (Exegesis - Introduction) 

Thus in Islam, there is no such concept of original sin and each child is born pure without of any sins. It is that child's later part of life when he falls prey to evil and commits sins. And for that Allah has kept the door of acceptance of the repentance of the sinner and forgiving him, if the sinner so prayeth. 

Yet, man is always exposed to machination of the Satan and liable to fall prey to sins. and it is here, the Divine mercy comes in which assures a sinner not to despair for Allah is there to make amends for him and the harm done to him by falling prey to the evil forces.

If a man commits a sin, he is directed to repent immediately and then seek forgiveness from Allah. And Allah promises umpteen number of times that if His servant asks for forgiveness after sincere repentance, He would certainly forgive him.

This concept of forgiveness and repentance is spread all over the Qur'an and is given due importance in Hadith and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad so that one should advantage of fathomless mercy of Allah to start afresh after repenting and seeking forgiveness of Allah. In fact, the word(s) "forgiveness" appears 76 time(s) in 74 verse(s) in Quran (in Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation). 

"And those who having done something to be ashamed of or wronged their own souls earnestly bring Allah to mind and ask for forgiveness for their sins and who can forgive sins except Allah? And are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done." (3:135) 

We have already shared a number of posts on the concept of repentance and forgiveness, the links to which are given below. Instead of repeating these, those wanting to know more and clear their misconception that there is no concept of forgiveness in Islam should clear their doubts, rather than listening to lies about Islam from others and falling prey to disinformation about Islam:

• And hasten to the forgiveness of your Lord, and paradise (Surah 3. Al-i'Imran:133)
• Remember Allah Instantly if you sin and implore forgiveness (Surah 3. Al-i'Imran:135)
• And whoever does evil, but seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (Surah 4. An-Nisaa:110)
• Allah's acceptance of repentance is only for those who commit evil and then soon repent (Surah 4. An-Nisaa:17-18)
• Seek forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance - Surely Allah is Ever Merciful, Most Loving (Surah 11 Hud verse 90)
• Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day of Reckoning  (Surah 14. Ibrahim:41)
• Allah will forgive those who guard their chastity and remember Him much (Surah 33. Al-Ahzab:35)
• The Verse of Mercy: Those who have committed excesses should not despair of Allah's Mercy - Surely Allah forgives all sins (Surah 39. Az-Zumar:53)
• Our Lord! Forgive those who repent and follow Your Path (Surah 40. Al-Mu'min:7)
• Surely your Lord is abounding in forgiveness (Surah 53. An-Najm:32)
• Believers, turn to Allah in sincere repentance; for He may expunge your evil deeds (Surah 66. At-Tahrim:8)

The Prophet of Islam Muhammad once said: "He who seeks repentance (from the Lord) before the rising of the sun from the west (before the Day of Resurrection), Allah turns to him with Mercy."

So let no one deceive about Islam by lies, misinformation and disinformation. Islam provides the easiest access to Allah without any intermediary to speak to Him, repent one's sins and seek forgiveness.

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.

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.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

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.

You may read more posts on countering / responding to lies / misinformation and disinformation about Islam: The Rebuttal: Countering disinformation being spread about Islam (Reference Page)

You may also refer to our reference page on Repentance and Forgiveness for more on the subject.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Resource References: | Original Sin | Islamic views on Sin |

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More