Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 44
en, On true repentence Allah doth. ان الله يغفر الذنوب جميعا indeed forgive all sins (39:54). . The Bible may hold the view that sins are never forgiven. We are not concerned here whether the Biblical thesis is correct or the Quranic thesis. What we are concerned with here is the Quranic stand on the point. The. Quran holds that repentance is followed by forgiveness. . Evidently, therefore, when sins have been forgiven, punishment is automatically waived. (12) The Holy Quran further says: ولمن خاف مقام ربه جنتان i. e. , Whoso has in his heart awe of the station of His Lord is awarded two heavens, one in this world and the other in thenext (55: 47). Now it that heaven in this world does not comprise worldly goods. If mundane goods were meant to be the award, there has been many a good man of God in a much inferior position in worldly circumstance than many a disbeliever. Even the common labourer in Europe today wears better and eats better than did the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). If heaven in this world stood for mundane gifts, then without the least question, the labourer of today's Europe is in heaven and the great reformers and saints, God forbid, are out of it. Heaven, therefore, means in this context spiritual tranquillity and its award means the seeking of His nearness. The word of whoso fears God is a favourite ولمن خاف مقام ربه جنتان Allah of Allah in this world and would be granted near association with Him in the next), clearly signifies that the capacity to attain nearness to God the Almighty inheres in every man. . If sin were hereditary in man, he could have no means of attaining access to God.