Allah The Exalted — Page 91
All a h the Exalted 9 Whoso will have done the smallest particle of ill will also see it. Here there is no contradiction for the ill that is mentioned here is the ill in which a person persists and from which he does not repent. The Holy Qur’ a n repeatedly affirms that remorse and repentance, and non-insistence upon evil, and asking for forgiveness procure forgiveness of sins. Indeed, it is said that God loves those who repent, as in the verse: 86 That is: God Almighty loves those who repent and loves those who strive to purify themselves from sin. In short, to punish every sin is contrary to the forgiveness and mercy of God Almighty, for He is Master and is not like a magistrate. He has named Himself Master in the very first S u rah of the Holy Qur’ a n where it is said: He is M a lik-i-Yaum-id-D i n , that is to say, He is the Master of punishment and reward and it is obvious that no one can be called Master unless He has authority to do both, that is to say, to punish when He wills and to forgive when He wills. [Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, R uha n i Khaz a ’in, Vol. 23, pp. 23-24] According to the principle of the A ry a s, their Permesh- war cannot be called M a lik for he has not the power to bestow what he has as a pure bounty or gift, while the donee has no right to it. He who is the owner of property has the authority to bestow any portion of it on anyone he chooses, but the A ry a s believe that Permeshwar can nei- ther forgive sins nor can He bestow anything on anyone as a gift or bounty, because if He does either He would 86 al-Baqarah, 2:223 [Publisher]