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_001.jpg) We finished part 1 of this article by suggesting that if a person
truly believes there is no god but God, he or she should accept Islam immediately.
We also put forward that Islam is the religion of forgiveness. No matter how
many sins a person may have committed, he or she never becomes unforgivable. God
is the oft Forgiving, Most Merciful and Quran stresses these attributes more than
70 times.
“And to God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is
in the earth. He forgives whom He wills, and punishes whom He wills. And God is
oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Quran 3:129)
There is however, one sin that God will not forgive and
that is the sin of ascribing partners or associates to God. A Muslim believes
that God is One, without partners, offspring, or associates. He is the only
One worthy of worship.
“Say (O Muhammad), He is Allah, (the) One. Allah-us-Samad
(The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor
drinks). He begets not, nor was He begotten; And there is none co-equal or
comparable unto Him.” (Quran 112)
“Verily, God forgives not that partners should be set up with
Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills.”
(Quran 4:48)
It may seem strange to say that God is the Most Merciful,
and stress that Islam is the religion of forgiveness while also saying that there
is one unforgivable sin. This is not a strange or unreliable concept when you
understand that this grave sin is only unforgivable if a person dies without
repenting to God. At any time, up until a sinful person draws his last breath
he or she may turn sincerely to God and ask for forgiveness, knowing that God
truly is the Most Merciful Oft Forgiving. Sincere repentance assures God’s
forgiveness.
“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from
disbelief), their past will be forgiven.” (Quran 8:38)
Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, said: “God will
accept His slave’s repentance so long as the death rattle has not yet reached
his throat.”
Prophet Muhammad also said, “Islam destroys that which came before it (sins)”.
As discussed in the previous article, often when a
person is contemplating accepting Islam they are confused by or even ashamed of
the many sins they may have committed over their lifetime. Some people wonder
how they can ever be good, moral people when in the shadows lurk their sins and
crimes.
Accepting Islam and pronouncing the words known as the Shahada
or testimony of faith, (I testify “La ilah illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu
Allah.”),
wipes a person’s slate clean. He or she becomes like a newborn baby,
completely free from sin. It is a new beginning, where one’s past sins can no
longer hold a person captive. There is no need to be haunted by past sins. Every
new Muslim becomes unburdened and free to live a life based on the fundamental
belief that God is One.
When a person is no longer held back by the fear that their
past sins or lifestyle prevents them from leading a good life, the path to
accepting Islam often becomes easier. Knowing that God can forgive anyone, of
anything, is certainly a comforting prospect. Never the less, understanding
the importance of not worshipping anything or anybody other than God is
paramount because it is the basis of Islam.
God did not create humankind except that they should
worship Him alone (Quran 52:56) and knowing how to keep that worship
pure and unadulterated is imperative. However, the details will often be
learned after a person has recognised the sublime truth of the way of life that
is Islam.
“And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from
your Lord (i.e. this Quran, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what
it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!”
Lest a person should say: “Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to God (i.e. I
have not done what God has ordered me to do), and I was indeed among those who
mocked.” (Quran 39:55-56)
Once a person has accepted the truth of Islam, thus accepting
that there is no god but God alone, there is time for him to learn about his
religion. There is time for him to understand the inspirational beauty and
ease of Islam, and to learn about all the prophets and messengers of Islam
including the last prophet, Muhammad. If God should decree that a person’s
life would end soon after accepting Islam it could be seen as a sign of the
mercy of God; for a person as pure as a newborn baby would be destined for
eternal paradise; by the mercy of God, and His infinite wisdom.
When a person is contemplating accepting Islam, many of
the barriers that he or she perceives are nothing more than illusions and
tricks from Satan. It is clear that once a person has been chosen by God,
Satan will do his upmost to lead that person astray and bombard them with small
whispers and doubts. The religion of Islam is a gift, and just like any other
gift it must be accepted, and opened before the true worth of its contents can
be revealed. Islam is a way of life that makes eternal bliss in the hereafter
an achievable dream. There is no god but God, the One the Only, the First and
the Last. Knowing Him is the key to success and accepting Islam is the first
step on a journey to the Hereafter.
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