O Allah! Great is Your Kingdom.
Allah's Kingdom is essential and real. Other sovereignties are conventional and temporary, but Allah's is permanent, unlimited, and endless. His Kingdom embraces hidden and apparent beings, as well as the apparent and hidden aspects of them. There is no kingdom but His Kingdom. All others are in need and have nothing of their own.
Allah's Argument and Proof is great and no one can compete with it. Wisdom, Prophet hood, the Qur’¡n, and the Imamate are His proofs by which He would reason with all the beings in the Resurrection Day, refusing their false excuses for committing sins and avoiding good deeds.
وَعَلاَ مَكَانُكَ
O Allah! Lofty is Your Being.
The Holy God has rightly praised Himself in the Holy Qur’¡n as:
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ.
Nothing like a likeness of Him. (42:11)
He is away from every fault and slip. He owns all the perfection and magnificence attributes. His attributes are the same as His Essence, and His essence is the same as His attributes. The Glorious Names and Lofty Attributes only belong to Him. The establishment of all the beings is by means of His Guardianship, His Mercy, His Power, His Will, and His Knowledge. His Power is above all other powers; His Might is above others' might. That's why His Being is Lofty and His Status is superior to everything.
وَخَفِىَ مَكْرُكَ
O Allah! Your Contrivance is hidden.
Contrivance means deceitfulness, about Allah's beings, which is used for deceiving others. Applying the word in this meaning to the Almighty Allah is not true, because it is the attribute of incapable and unwise human, and incapability and unwiseness does not involve the Holy Essence of Allah. His Holy Essence is wholly Knowledge, Might, Mercy, and Generosity. All the beings are in need of Him and He is the One Needless.
Contrivance, about the Almighty Allah, means chastisement and punishment. He would use it for those who deserve it, while they have no escape from it.
Allah's chastisement for those who commit sins arrogantly and ignorantly is in different ways. One step of it is in the form of graduation in which as the ignorant sinner increases his wrongdoing, Allah adds to his blessings, so that the servant's ignorance would be enhanced by the increased blessings. As a result the sinner would forget repentance. Then suddenly chastisement comes without the sinner's attention and awareness, entangling him, and making revenge from him. In fact, the sinner would face the hidden contrivance.
It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a.s):
إذَا أرَادَ اللهُ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً فَأذْنَبَ ذَنْباً أتْبَعَهُ بِنِعْمَةٍ وَيُذَكِّرُهُ الإسْتِغْفَارَ، وَإذَا أرَادَ بِعَبْدٍ شَرّاً فَأذْنَبَ ذَنْباً أتْبَعَهُ بِنِعْمَةٍ لِيُنْسِيَهُ الإسْتِغْفَارَ وَتَمَادَى بِهَا. وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ: سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ.
In fact, sometimes Allah wills to give a servant of Him blessings and goodness. That servant commits sins; Allah would give him blessings, and the servant becomes warned and repentant. Sometimes, on the other hand, He wills evil for a servant. Then He grants blessings to him after his wrongdoing, so the servant gets entertained by the blessing and hence more ignorant. He would thus forget repentance and his sins continue due to the blessings. This is the sense of Allah’s saying: 'We draw them near to destruction by degrees from whence they know not. (4:182)'[1]
وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُكَ
O Allah! Your Command is manifest.
Allah's Command is in the first place of genesis kind, by which all the beings were created and emerged in the world. Another kind of Allah's Command is the religious one by whose blessing the Holy Qur’¡n was revealed to the Prophet's heart. Another manifestation of Allah's religious Command is His Rules about the lawfulness and unlawfulness, which have been declared to all human beings by the prophets, heavenly Books and Imams (a.s).
وَغَلَبَ قَهْرُكَ وَجَرَتْ قُدْرَتُكَ
Your Dominance is overwhelming; Your Power is ever-operating.
Allah's Dominance and Power was explained in detail at the beginning of the book.
وَلا يُمْكِنُ الْفِرَارُ مِنْ حُكُومَتِكَ
And escape from Your Domain is impossible.
The Almighty Allah embraces all the things wholly and the beings entirely; nothing is outside His embracing Authority.
All the beings have come to existence by His Will, so He has been present before other beings and they continue existence by His Mercy and blessings. He is with all the creatures, and finally they would all return to Him. Hence He would exist after all the beings. How can the creatures escape from His Domain then?
An important valuable tradition reads: “Someone came to Imam °usayn (a.s) and said: 'I am a sinner, but cannot continue to be a sinner. So preach me!' Imam (a.s) stated:
إفْعَلْ خَمْسَةَ أشْيَاءٍ وَأذْنِبْ مَا شِئْتَ: لاَ تَأكُلْ مِنْ رِزْقِ اللهِ وَأذْنِبْ مَا شِئْتَ. أخْرُجْ مِنْ مَمْلَكَةِ اللهِ وَحُكْمِهِ وَأذْنِبْ مَا شِئْتَ. أطْلُبْ مَكَاناً لاَ يَرَاكَ فِيهِ اللهُ وَأذْنِبْ مَا شِئْتَ. وإذَا جَاءَكَ مَلَكُ المَوْتِ فَادْفَعْهُ عَنْكَ وَأذْنِبْ مَا شِئْتَ. وَإنْ سَاقَكَ مَلائِكَةُ العَذَابِ إلَى النَّارِ فَلا تَدْخُلْ فِيهَا وَأذْنِبْ مَا شِئْتَ.
'Do five things and then commit any sin you want! First, don't eat Allah's sustenance and commit sins. Second, Go outside the domain of Allah's Authority and commit sins. Third, go where Allah would not see you and commit sins. Fourth, when the death angel comes to you send him away and commit sins. Fifth, When the Hell angel wants to throw you into the Hell, don't enter it and commit sins.'[2]
If human wants to escape from anything he should escape from his own ignorance and go toward knowledge, from unknown to the apparent, and escape from the creatures to the Creator, so that he would benefit from worldly and heavenly advantages, divine paradise, and permanent prosperity. Such an escape is, in fact, from wrongdoing to common sense, from the world to the Hereafter, from the Hell to the Paradise, and at last from Satan to Allah.
اللَّهُمَّ لا أَجِدُ لِذُنُوبِى غَافِرًا وَّلا لِقَبَائِحِى سَاتِرًا وَّلا لِشَيٍْء مِّنْ عَمَلِىَ الْقَبِيحِ بِالْحَسَنِ مُبَدِّلاً غَيْرَكَ
O Allah! I find no forgiver of my sins, no concealer of my wicked acts, no transformer of any of my wicked acts into good acts but You.
The Forgiver of Sins
One of the attributes of the Compassionate Allah is the Forgiver. It means Allah would pardon humans' sins, provided that they truly repent from their previous wrongdoing.
The sinner should be hopeful of Allah's forgiveness Who would excuse his crimes if he avoids sins and be adorned with righteous deeds.
Hopelessness of Allah's Forgiveness is a major sin, which is doomed to chastisement, and according to the Holy Qur’¡n, equals disbelief:
إِنَّهُ لا يَيْئَسُ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الكَافِرُونَ.
Surely none despairs of Allah's Mercy except the unbelieving people. (12:87)
The Holy Qur’¡n declares to the sinners not to be desperate of Allah's Mercy, since Allah would forgive all the sins.
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِي الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.
Say: O my people who have been prodigal against yourselves, do not despair of God’s mercy; surely God forgives sins altogether; surely He is the All-forgiving, the All-compassionate. (39:53)
The Qur’¡nic verses like the ones below indicate that the Almighty would pardon the wrongdoing of every sinner.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ.
Allah is All-forgiving, All-compassionate. (2:173)
فَمَنْ تَابَ مِنْ بَعْدِ ظُلْمِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ.
But whoever repents after his wickedness and reforms himself, then surely Allah will turn him mercifully; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (5:39)
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ.
Be careful of your duty to Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving Merciful. (8:69)
One who repents from his previous sins, avoids major sins after repentance, does not insist on committing minor sins, compensates his delayed obligatory deeds, and recompenses people's property that is due on him would get completely subject to Allah's Mercy and Forgiveness.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a) lists the signs of a real repentant as follows:
أمَّا عَلاَمَةُ التَّائِبِ فَأرْبَعَةٌ: النَّصِيحَةُ للهِ فِي عَمَلِهِ، وَتَرْكُ البَاطِلِ، وَلُزُومُ الحَقِّ، وَالحِرْصُ عَلَى الخَيْرِ.
A repentant servant of Allah's has four signs; complete obedience of Allah in deeds and behaviors, leaving the untruth, sticking to the truth, and intense enthusiasm to do good.[3]
Imam `Al¢ (a.s) says:
مَا كَانَ اللهُ لِيَفْتَحَ عَلَى عَبْدٍ بَابَ الشُّكْرِ وَيُغْلِقُ عَنْهُ بَابَ الزِّيَادَةِ، ولاَ لِيَفْتَحَ عَلَى عَبْدٍ بَابَ الدُّعَاءِ وَيُغْلِقُ عَنْهُ بَابَ الإجَابَةِ، وَلاَ لِيَفْتَحَ لِعَبْدٍ بَابَ التَّوْبَةِ وَيُغْلِقُ عَنْهُ بَابَ المَغْفِرَةِ.
Allah is not to open up the doors of gratitude to His servant but close the doors of increased blessings. He is not to allow him to supplicate, but limit fulfillment of his supplication. And He does not intend to open the doors of repentance, but close the doors of His forgiveness.[4]
The Concealer of Wicked Acts
Among the important attributes of the Almighty Allah is concealing the wrongdoings of a servant who commits sins in private, not wanting anyone to know of his wicked acts.
The All-Merciful has called himself Sattar Al-'Uyub or the concealer of faults, so that His servants know that He would save their face in case they commit a crime. However if a sinner gets so much brash that he does wrong in public, saving his face before others would be meaningless.
It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (s.a) who said:
مَنْ تَابَ تَابَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأُمِرَتْ جَوَارِحُهُ أنْ تَسْتُرَ عَلَيْهِ وَبِقَاعُ الأرْضِ أنْ تَكْتُمَ عَلَيْهِ وأُنْسِيَتِ الحَفَظَةُ مَا كَانَتْ تَكْتُبُ عَلَيْهِ.
One who repents Allah would accept his repentance and order his organs to cover sins from his sight. He would order the earth segments to make him neglect his sins, and makes the Writers forget what they have written in that servant's letter of deeds.[5]
Mu'awiyat Ibn Wahab quotes Imam ¯¡diq (a.s) as saying:
إذَا تَابَ العَبْدُ تَوبَةً نَصُوحاً أحَبَّهُ اللهُ وَسَتَرَ عَلَيْهِ... يُنْسِي مَلَكَيْهِ مَا كَانَا يَكْتُبَانِ عَلَيْهِ، وَيُوحِي إلَى جَوارِحِهِ وَإلَى بِقَاعِ الأرْضِ أنْ اكْتُمِي عَلَيْهِ ذُنُوبَهُ؛ فَيَلْقَى اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حِينَ يَلْقَاهُ وَلَيْسَ شَيْءٌ يَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ.
‘If a servant repents sincerely, Allah would love him and cover his faults in the world and the Hereafter.’ I asked Imam Sadiq (a.s): ‘How will Allah cover them?’ Imam (a.s) replied: ‘He will make the two angels, in charge of that servant, forget all about his sins they have recorded, and will reveal to his body organs to do so. So the servant would meet Allah while there is no record of his sins.’[6]
In the Qur’¡nic exegesis book, Minh¡j al-¯¡diqin, we read:
On the Resurrection Day, the servant is brought before the Almighty, Who orders to place him in a dome. Then Allah would address that servant: 'My Servant! You benefited from My blessings for committing sins, and as I increased My blessings for you, you increased your wrongdoing.' So the servant bends his head from shyness. He is then addressed: 'My servant! At the same time as you committed sin I forgave you and removed all your sins.' Another servant is brought before Him afterwards and counted for his deeds until he becomes tearful. The Almighty says: 'My Servant! When you committed sins joyfully I did not embarrass you; how do I chastise you now that you are weeping? I forgive you and let you come into My Paradise!'
Transferor of Wicked Acts to Good Acts
Among the attributes of the Almighty is that when the servant repents and does good acts, He would transfer the servant's sins to virtuous acts.
إِلاَّ مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلاً صَالِحًا فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا.
Except him who repents, believes, and does a good deed; so these are they of whom Allah changes the evil deeds to good ones, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (25:70)
وَأَقِمْ الصَّلاَةَ طَرَفِي النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِنْ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى لِلذَّاكِرِينَ.
And keep up prayer at the two ends of the day and in the first parts of the night; surely good deeds take away evil deeds. (11:114)
Numerous facts are mentioned in important scientific and research-based books about transformation of wicked acts to good acts, some of which are philosophical, and some others mystical. But stating them all here requires a lot more space and time.
The authors of Tafs¢r Nemuneh say that transforming wicked acts to good ones has some exegeses, all of which can be acceptable.
When human repents from previous sins and renews his belief in Allah a great revolution occurs throughout his existence. It is because of this alternation that all his sins are transferred to good deeds. If he had committed murder in the past it would be replaced with defending the oppressed people and fighting the oppressors in future. If he were an adulterer previously, he would then become pious and chaste through repenting and getting regretful of his former sins.
After repentance, Allah would remove the servant's sins, out of Mercy, replacing them with good acts. Ab£-Dhar has narrated from the Messenger of Islam (s.a) who said:
يُحْشَرُ بَعْضُهُمْ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ فَيَأمُرُ اللهُ أنْ تُعْرَضَ صَغَائِرُ ذُنُوبِهِمْ وَتُسْتَرَ كَبَائِرُهَا. فَيُقَالُ لَهُ إنَّكَ فَعَلْتَ فِِي اليَوْمِ الفُلانِيِّ الذَّنْبَ الفُلاَنِيَّ فَيُقِرُّ بِذَلِكَ وَنَفْسُهُ تَضْطَرِبُ مِنَ الكَبَائِرِ الَّتِي سَيُسْألُ عَنْهَا، ثُمَّ يَأمُرُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أنْ تُبَدَّلَ سَيِّئَاتُهُ حَسَنَاتٍ. فَيَقُولُ: يَا رَبِّ: إنَّ لِي ذُنُوباً كَبِيرَةً ولاَ أرَاهَا.
On the Last Day, Allah orders to count for the servant's minor sins, and covering his major sins. He confesses to what he has committed of the minor sins, but he is afraid of his major sins. If Allah wills to have Mercy on him then, He would replace any sin of him with a good act. Therefore the servant professes: 'My Lord! I had committed many major sins that are not present today.'
Ab£-Dharr says: At this point, the Prophet (s.a) smiled in a way that his teeth appeared, then he recited this verse:
فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا.
These are they of whom Allah changes the evil deeds to good ones, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (25:70)[7]
The third possibility is that the sins are not the deeds the human does, rather the wicked effects of them on human soul and mind. When he repents, those wicked effects are removed from his soul, transforming to good effects; and this is the meaning of transformation of wicked acts to good acts.[8]
[1] Nafa¦¡t al-Layl: 81.
[2] Bi¦¡r al-Anw¡r: 75/ 126, Bab 20, tradition 7.
[3] Tuhaf Al-'Uqol: 18; M¢z¡n al-°ikmah: 2/ 638, Al-Tawba, tradition 2126.
[4] Nahj Al-Balagha: Hikmat 435.
[5] Bi¦¡r al-Anw¡r: 6/ 28, Bab 20, tradition 32.
[6] Al-K¡f¢, 2/ 436, Bab Al-Towba, tradition 12.
[7] Nour Al-Thaqalayn: 4/33.
[8] Tafsir Nemuneh: 15/ 160.
source : `Allamah Husayn Ansariyan
