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There are
other verses concerning this question:
i)
"Surely God forgives sins altogether...."133
ii)
"God forgives not that aught should be with Him associated; less
than that he forgives to whosoever He will."134
iii) "If
you avoid the heinous sins that are forbidden to you, We will
acquit you of your evil deeds."135
iv) "And
who so rebels against God and His Messenger, for him there
awaits the Fire of Gehannam; therein they shall dwell forever."136
In the first
verse God did not stipulate any condition for forgiveness, and
in verse iv He did not stipulate any condition for the abiding
punishment for those who rebel against Him and His Messenger, so
both verses provide a general statement on the question. But,
in verse ii, and in verse iii, he imposed repentance as a
condition for His forgiveness, and he also said, "Yet I am
All-forgiving to him who repents."137
The
difference of opinion over this problem arose with regard to the
Will of God concerning forgiveness of sins lesser than
polytheism (shirk). The opinion of Jabir b. Zaid was that "God
has told us about His will regarding forgiveness. he said that
He wills to forgive for repentance: 'Yet I am All-forgiving to
him who repents.'"138
As the Qur’an states that those who rebel against God and His
Messenger shall dwell forever in hell-Fire, there is no reason
why they should not do so, unless they repent, as is explained
above. For repentance only can save them from eternal
Hell-Fire.
However, the
Mu'tazilites adopted the same view and they were known for it by
the title (ahl al-wad wa al-waid).
With regard
to 'intercession' (shafa'ah), Jabir b. Zaid reported a number of
Traditions from the Prophet concerning the people who deserve
intercession. Jabir stated clearly that intercession is not for
sinners who had not repented before death.139
As for the
'creation' of the Qur’an, Ibadhis, as has already been
explained, held three different opinions, one of them being that
the Qur’an is created. They regarded this problem as one of
those on which they can differ, out of personal judgement.
Therefore, it is not one of the basic dogmas on which they
should take a specific view as is the case with the Mu'tazilites.
The possibility of Mu'tazili influence in this matter has
already been mentioned. It appeared that this possibility
cannot be denied, since the Ibadhis had not discussed the
question from this angle before it was raised by the
Mu'tazilites.
Although the
Ibadhis and Mu'tazilites held the same views on those doctrines
mentioned above, the fact remains that the Ibadhis formed their
views on those questions at an earlier stage, and they were
based on Traditions reported from the Prophet, or on opinions of
some of the Companions regarding the tafsir of certain Qura'nic
verses which dealt with some of those doctrines.
On the other
hand, the Ibadhis opposed strongly some basic views of the
Mu'tazilites, i.e. on Divine decree, the Divine will, and the
position between two positions.
With regard
to the first two views, concerning the Divine will and Divine
decree, Ibadhis held that God is the creator of man and his
actions, and man commits his action. As for the Divine will,
Ibadhis held that everything which happens in this world, be it
good or bad, is willed by God. Both views were adopted by the
Ash'arites.
The
Mu'tazilites evolved the doctrine of the position between two
positions (al-manzilah baina al-manzilatain) for the state
between faith (iman) and polytheism (shirk). They refused to
regard the major sinner a believer (mu'min) as the Murji'ites
did, and also refused to regard him 'infidel-ingrate' and
regarded him as fasiq (evil doer) in a position between two
positions, meaning that he is neither a believer nor an
infidel. Ibadhis distinguished their attitude regarding this
matter by the two following principles:
1) The
position between two positions implies the position of hypocrisy
between faith and polytheism. This attitude was in opposition
to the Murji'ites who refused to regard the major sinner as
anything other than a believer; and against the Kharijites who
regarded all those who commit major sins as polytheists.
2)
There is no position between two positions; meaning that there
is no position between faith (iman) and infidelity (kufr). To
them, those who do not fulfil the teachings of the religion are
'infidels-ingrate' (kuffar al-ni'am). This attitude was
directed against the Mu'tazili view on this matter. For Ibadhis,
the terms, fisq, nifaq and kufr al-ni’mah are all the same, and
they mean hypocrisy. he who fills this category is neither a
believer, nor a polytheist, but an 'infidel-ingrate', or a
hypocrite like the Hypocrites of the time of the Prophet. |
