Request for Question Clarification by
tutuzdad-ga
on
27 Nov 2006 12:04 PST
I hesitate to post this as the official answer yet because religion,
being so widely and variously interpreted, can often be construed to
mean different things to different people and there are differing or
even opposing views to most every theological position in most every
religious belief. I'm sure, no matter what position I were to take,
there will be opposition, which makes the question difficult if not
virtually impossible to answer. It is, I believe, the best answer
possible, but that of course is not for me to determine. Taking that
into account, please examine this:
As in many organized religions in Islam anyone can be forgiven for any
sin so long as he sincerely repents, changes his ways and makes good
any offenses he has committed against others. There are two exceptions
to this rule:
1) If an unrepentant or unbelieving person dies without the
aforementioned corrections he is considered lost and condemned.
2) If a person commits the crime of ?shirk? he will be condemned.
The first sin speaks for itself. In most religions anyone who finds
himself outside the religion at his death is in danger of condemnation
or damnation. The second sin though is a bit more complicated. In it?s
simplest form ?shirk? is to acknowledge any other God (kind of God,
type of God, version of God, etc) as equal to, comparable to or
greater than Allah. Islamic texts establish in a number of references
(only a few examples of which I have posted below) that a person who
dies in shirk is doomed:
"Verily whosoever sets up partners in worship with God, then God Has
forbidden paradise for him and the fire will be his abode" (The Holy
Qur'an, Chapter 5, Verse 72)
Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He
forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with
Allah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed. (An-Nisaa' 4:48)
Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as
Allah has made sacred, except for just cause, nor commit fornication,
and any that does this (not only) meets punishment. (But) the Penalty
on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell
therein in ignominy. Unless he repents, believes and works righteous
deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful] (Al-Furqan 25:68-70).
According to Islam Allah is said to be merciful to all repentant
sinners no matter what their sins may be (if they repent and change),
but clearly where dying outside of Islam is concerned (atheism in most
religions is generally considered unforgivable) and dying in shirk (a
sin for which Allah ?forgiveth not?) is concerned, these are held to
be the two most heinous sins in Islam.
Now for the complicated part:
The crime of shirk comes in a variety of forms. The very word has
become part of the English lexicon and has become synonymous with the
act of neglecting or avoiding a responsibility.
Shirk is most commonly understood to mean ?polytheism? but in Islam
there are major and minor shirks (Shirk-al-Akbar and Shirk-e-Asghar,
respectively). In addition, within these there is Shirk by
Association, Shirk by Negation, Shirk by Humanization and Shirk by
Deification. One must study each of these issues separately to get a
basic overview of what they consist of. Fundamentally, shirk can be
committed by improperly, insincerely or disrespectfully worshipping,
praying, believing, referring to Allah, referring to other Gods as
gods, carrying out religious acts, and a host of other errors. I
recommend you read these articles for the basic premise of these
unforgivable ?crimes?:
WHAT IS SHIRK?
http://www.allaahuakbar.net/shirk/index.htm
THE TRUE CALL
http://www.thetruecall.com/home/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=208
Essentially, abstaining from shirk is the subject matter of the entire
Qu?ran and absolutely necessary in order for anyone to be (or become)
a devout Muslim and enter into paradise. To do otherwise is to die in
sin (in shirk) and to perish to eternal damnation without hope of
forgiveness.
Certainly, as with most all religions, there are those who have
various individual interpretations and views of Islam that may differ
with the statements I?ve made however what I?ve tried to present to
you is a basic orthodox view shared by many. Given the fact that there
are many "answers" to your comlpex question depending on whom you ask
and what they belief is accurate, it is now incumbent upon you to let
me know if this is in fact a suitable answer.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher
