Q: Kindly guide me if ayat 53 of surah 39 being read alone without combining with ayat 54 gives a wrong notion of unconditional forgiveness from Haq Ta’ala, which is actually not the case and reform towards right path and leaving of deliberate sinning is a must for expecting His forgiveness. When ayat 53 alone is recited or explained in public, it sort of copies other religions prevailing preaching that do what you may, God is merciful. Similarly our religion is being pushed into the same concept of continue living a life of sins but along with also pray and fast and do pilgrimages and everything will be forgiven.
A: This is a failure of not understanding the aayat in context and not understanding the circumstance of revelation. The circumstance of the revelation of this verse was that the people who were sincerely remorseful over the past wrongs that they had committed, they wished to know whether they will be forgiven after accepting Islam.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)