Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

If a person(male) borns in a muslim family commits shirk unknowingly. What is the ruling on such a person? Are people who commit disbelief unknowingly considered kuffar? If he repents sincerely will Allah forgive him in the life after death.

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Commit shirk forgiven

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Ignorance of a law is not admissible as an excuse even in the courts of this world!  One cannot take drugs to a country which prohibits the entry of drugs in their country and say he is unaware of their laws therefore he should not be prosecuted…..the law of the land will be applied in full to this drug carrier, absolutely regardless of whether he was aware of the harsh penalties of the law for drugs carriers or not.

 

Similarly, in the Just and Supreme Court of the Lord Most Majestic, one will not be able to present an excuse that he committed the grave crimes and abominations of ‘shirk’ (associating other deities with Allah) or ‘kufr’ (disbelief) unknowingly! 

 

Thus brother, absolutely regardless of whether one commits the grave sins of ‘shirk’ or ‘kufr’ knowingly or unknowingly, without an iota of a doubt, one will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law in the Presence of their Lord Most High, Most Supreme!  Just as ignorance of the law is not admissible as an excuse in the courts of this world, we absolutely assure you from the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, that neither will ignorance of the Laws of Allah be admissible as an excuse in the Presence of the All-Knowing All-Wise Judge on that Inevitable and Tumultuous Day of Judgment.

 

Your Question: If he repents sincerely will Allah forgive him in the life after death . 

Whatever deeds one might have done in one’s past,  if one turns to Allah Subhanah in sincere Taubah and seeks forgiveness before one has met with one’s appointment of death, Allah Subhanah has promised in His Glorious Quran that He will forgive all the sins of such a believer, even if one has committed the gravest sins of all: ‘Shirk’ or ‘Kufr’. 

 

The conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:

• One is aware that he has sinned,  and feels sorry and ashamed at his sin.
• Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah that he will not repeat his sin again.
• Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness,  before he has met with his appointment of death.
• Is a believer and does righteous good deeds thereafter. 

 

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy!  Surely,  Allah forgives all sins.   He indeed is the All Forgiving,  All Merciful.   Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you;  for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who,  if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin,  remember Allah instantly,  and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings.  For who,  but Allah,  can forgive sins?   (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did.   These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah,  and with Gardens beneath which canals flow,  and they will reside therein forever!   How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs,  say: "Peace be on you!  Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy.  Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance,  and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct),  Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving,  Most Merciful."

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357        Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338        Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."

 

Allah Subhanah, in His Sublime and Infinite Mercy has left the doors of ‘taubah’ or repentance open for each individual until that individual meets with his/her appointment of death.  Thus absolutely regardless of the sins one might have committed in one’s past, even if they be as grave and as heinous as ‘shirk’ and/or ‘kufr’……if one turns unto their Lord and seeks sincere repentance for their sins before one comes face to face with one’s appointment of death, it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

 

Your Question: If he repents sincerely will Allah forgive him in the life after death

But if Allah forbid, one were to die without seeking sincere repentance from their Lord for their heinous and abominations of ‘shirk’ or ‘kufr’ ….. the Lord Most Majestic Most High has Declared in His Glorious Quran that He has made it incumbent upon Himself that He will never never ever forgive the doers of ‘shirk’ in ‘kufr’ in the Hereafter……He may, if He so Wills, turn in mercy and forgive those who might have died committing sins other than these, but He will never forgive one who dies in the state of ‘shirk’ in the Hereafter.  

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72:

Whoever commits ‘shirk’ (associating other deities with Allah),  Allah shall forbid for him Paradise,  and Hell shall be his abode.  And for such wrong doers there will be no one to help.

 

Allah says in the Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48

Shirk (associating other deities with Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever He pleases, sins other than this.  For whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie and commits the most heinous sin

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan