Praise be to Allah.
The Power of Repentance: Turning Major Sins into Good Deeds
If a person commits major and minor sins, it is still possible for him to be admitted to Paradise without being brought to account, if he repents and turns back to Allah. Allah, may He be Exalted, turns the bad deeds of the one who repents to good deeds, even if he committed polytheism, murder and adultery , as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated – Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.} [Al-Furqan 25:68-70]
All that the one who has committed sins has to do is repent and ask Allah, may He be Exalted, to accept his repentance and admit him to Paradise without bringing him to account.
The Fate of Unrepentant Sinners
As for the one who meets Allah with major sins from which he has not repented, then the matter is subject to the will of Allah: if He wills He will punish him, and if He wills He will forgive him, because Allah, may He be Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.} [An-Nisa’ 4:48]
Ibn Jarir At-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This verse makes it clear that everyone who has committed major sin is subject to the will of Allah: if He wills He will pardon him for it, and if He wills He will punish him for it so long as his major sin is not that of associating others with Allah (Shirk). (End quote from Tafsir At-Tabari, 8/450)
Admission to Paradise: The Role of Good Deeds and Forgiveness
In the answer to question no. 174528, we explained that the apparent meaning of the Shar`i evidence confirms that those who will be admitted to Paradise without being brought to account and without being punished are those who are foremost in good deeds, and not those who are moderate, let alone those who wrong themselves.
An example of that is the report narrated by Ahmad from Abu Ad-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say:
“Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {Then We caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants; and among them is he who wrongs himself, and among them is he who is moderate, and among them is he who is foremost in good deeds by permission of Allah} [Fatir 35:32]. As for those who are foremost in good deeds, they are the ones who will be admitted to Paradise without being brought to account. As for those who are moderate, they will be brought to account and given a light reckoning. As for those who wrong themselves, they are the ones who will be brought to account during the lengthy waiting period in the arena of gathering, then Allah will bestow His mercy upon them, and they are the ones who will say (interpretation of the meaning): {Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative – He who has settled us in the home of duration out of His bounty. There touches us not in it any fatigue, and there touches us not in it weariness [of mind]} [Fatir 35:34-35].
Who Will Enter Paradise Without Account?
It was narrated from `Ali ibn Abu Talhah, that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, commenting on this verse: They are the Ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Allah will cause them to inherit every Book that He sent down; He will forgive the wrongdoers among them, grant those among them who are moderate an easy reckoning, and those who were foremost in good deeds will be admitted to Paradise without being brought to account. (Narrated by Ibn Jarir At-Tabari in his Tafsir, 20/465)
It was narrated by Abu Wa’il, that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This Ummah will be divided into three thirds on the Day of Resurrection: one third will be admitted to Paradise without being brought to account; one third will receive an easy reckoning; and one third will come with great sins and Allah will say: Who are these? although He, may He be blessed and Exalted, knows best. The angels will say: These have come with great sins, but they did not associate anything with You. So the Lord will say: Admit them to My vast mercy. Then ‘Abdullah recited this verse (interpretation of the meaning): {Then We caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants.} [Fatir 35:32] (Narrated by Ibn Jarir At-Tabari in his Tafsir, 20/456)
If the one who has committed major sin meets Allah with it, without having repented, then he has wronged himself and he will be brought to account; his good deeds and bad deeds will be weighed up, and if his bad deeds outweigh his good deeds, then he will be one of the people of Hell, unless Allah pardons him.
He may be given an easy reckoning, in which Allah will make him admit his sins, then will pardon him.
Shaykh Hafidh Al-Hakami (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Question:
How can we reconcile the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the hadith, “It will be up to Allah; if He wills He will pardon him and if He wills He will punish him” with what is mentioned above, that the one whose bad deeds outweigh his good deeds will enter Hell?
Answer:
There is no contradiction between them, because whomever Allah wants to pardon, He will give him an easy reckoning, of which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said describing it: “One of you will be brought close to his Lord, may He be Glorified and Exalted, until He conceals him with His concealment, then He will say: Did you do such and such? He will say: Yes. Allah will say: Did you do such and such? And he will say: Yes, and He will make him admit his sins. Then Allah will say: I concealed your sin in the first world and I forgive you for it today.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
As for those who will enter Hell because of their sins, they will be the ones for whom the reckoning will be difficult. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Anyone whose record (of deeds) is questioned thoroughly will be punished.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) (End quote from A`lam As-Sunnah Al-Manshurah, 171)
Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said, discussing those who will enter Paradise without being brought to account:
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) describes them as those who adhere to the religion of Allah, seventy thousand, with each thousand bringing seventy thousand more.
The first of this believing Ummah will be the first of them to enter Paradise, like the moon on the night when it is full; they are the ones who strove against their whims and desires for the sake of Allah, and adhered to the religion of Allah, wherever they were, by doing obligatory duties and refraining from what is forbidden, and being foremost in doing good deeds.
Among their attributes is the fact that they never requested Ruqyah, were never treated with cautery, and did not believe in omens. (End quote from Majmu` Fatawa Ibn Baz, 28/60)
The Hadith states that they put their trust in their Lord, to the extent that they would do away with some of their needs, by putting their trust in Allah. This is because of their perfect trust in Him, and there is no doubt that whoever achieves perfect trust in Allah will not persist in any major sin.
In conclusion, whoever wants to enter Paradise without being brought to account, let him beware of major sins, and let him hasten to repent sincerely if he errs and falls into any such sin.
And Allah knows best.
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