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Islam
is the religion of mercy and kindness, the religion of tolerance and
ease. Allah has not burdened this Ummah with more than it can bear.
Whatever good it does, it will be rewarded for it; and whatever evil
it does, it will have to bear the burden of that sin, as Allah
Almighty says:
[Allah
burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good)
which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has
earned.]
(Al-Baqarah 2:286)
Allah
has spared the Muslims any difficulty or hardship in all that He has
enjoined upon them. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
[He
has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islamic Monotheism to mankind
by inviting them to His religion of Islam), and has not laid upon you
in religion any hardship.]
(Al-Hajj 22:78)
Every
sin that a Muslim commits because he makes a mistake, or forgets, or
is forced to do it, is forgiven by Allah, as Allah says:
[Our
Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error.]
(Al-Baqarah 2:286)
The
Muslim will be brought to account for what he does deliberately, not
for what he does by mistake, as Allah says:
[And
there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake,
except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend.]
(Al-Ahzab 33:5)
Allah
is Kind and Merciful. He sent Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him) with ease and the tolerant monotheism:
[Allah
intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult
for you.]
(Al-Baqarah 2:185)
The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Religion is very
easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able
to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to
be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be
rewarded” (Al-Bukhari).
Satan
is man's greatest enemy. He makes him forget the remembrance of his
Lord (dhikr)
and makes his sin attractive to him, as Allah says:
[Shaytan
(Satan) has overpowered them. So he has made them forget the
remembrance of Allah. They are the party of Shaytan (Satan). Verily,
it is the party of Shaytan that will be the losers!]
(Al-Mujadalah 58:19)
What
one’s own nafs
(self) says has been forgiven by Allah, the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said: “Allah has forgiven my Ummah for
thoughts that cross their minds, so long as they do not speak of them
or act upon them” (Muslim).
Whoever
commits a sin that is then concealed by Allah, is not permitted to
speak of it because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
said, “All of my Ummah will be fine except those who commit sin
openly” (Muslim).
If
a person commits a sin then repents, Allah will accept his repentance:
[Your
Lord has written (prescribed) mercy for Himself, so that if any of you
does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good
deeds (by obeying Allah), then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.]
(Al-An`am 6:54)
Allah
is Generous and Kind; He multiplies the reward for good deeds and
forgives bad deeds, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
said, narrating the words of his Lord: “Allah has decreed good
deeds and bad deeds.” Then he explained that: “Whoever intends to
do a good deed then does not do it, Allah will write it down as one
complete hasanah
(good deed); if he intends to do
it then he does it, then Allah will write it down as between ten and
seven hundred good deeds, or more. Whoever intends to do a bad
deed, then he does not do it, Allah will write it down as one complete
hasanah;
if he intends to do it then he does it, Allah will write it down as
one sayyi’ah (bad
deed)” (agreed upon).
*
Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.islam-qa.com
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