forgiving

[HOPE]

Peace,

Is there a nuanced difference between maghfirati and afinna as in 3:134?

Thanks

[Sardar Miyan]

  There is no mention of Isteghgar of Afoo in 3:134 but Maghferat in 3:135. Isteghesgar mean accepting repentance while Afoo means Forgiveness or Elimination of sins. These are Allah's Words. Acceptance of repentance & Forgiving are different expressions but the result is same. Allah know best

[HOPE]

Salaam brother,

In 3:133, al-muttaqeen seek ways to get  Maghfiratin/ forgiveness from the Lord; I assumed maghfirati would be to forgive  But the next verse talks about Al-Muhsineen who pardon   wal-ʿāfīna

Different words of action for different grades of people: muttaqeen and muhsineen.  My view is that  the latter do everything the former do and then more.   Former will forgive when he is wronged for different reasons maybe one of them is to get into the Paradise, so there is an exchange of benefits.  Whereas the muhsineen lovingly pardons to attain higher consciousness.

I wanted to know the slight difference between these verbs of forgiving and pardoning if it makes sense to you.

[optimist]

In 3:133, al-muttaqeen seek ways to get  Maghfiratin/ forgiveness from the Lord;

Salaam,

The meaning of Maghfirat is "protection" and "forgiveness" is not an apt translation.  It is seeking protection from Allah that is what is mentioned in the verse.

Ghafoor - (Ghain-Fa-Ra):

One of the Attributes of Allah is that He is the one who provides Maghfirah.

Ghafrun is to make someone wear something which would protect him from filth or dirt (Moheet).  As such it has basic meaning of covering and protecting. It also means to conceal or put cover;  Ghafaral mata’aa fil wi’aa’ee  means he put valuables in a utensil and then concealed (thereby protecting) it (Tajul Uroose).   Al-Mighfaru and al-ghifaratu: armour built from iron rings that is worn underneath the main armor and which covers the shoulders and neck so that the wearer can be kept safe from any attack of a sword or spear etc.   Al-Ghifaratu is a bandage which women usually wear over the head to protect the head-covering from getting spoiled by the oily hair. Al-Jamm’ol-Ghafeer is that helmet which covers the entire head and thus protects it.

So this makes the meaning of Maghfirah to mean protection. When a nation travels on a wrong track, the effects of evil-deeds start appearing. But anytime before a people perish or get closer to destruction, Allah the Almighty has provided alternate ways for it to recover. If a people leave the wrong path, come back and undo the wrong (this is called Taubah), and then start going on the correct path, the positive deeds not only undo or cure the damage done, but also start giving healthy results. So it not only protects them from evil-effects, but also provides them nourishment for further growth. This is the Maghfirah of that nation.  Accordingly, author of Moheet writes that Istighf'ar means to desire correction and protection from a damaging or mischievous thing by undertaking positive actions. Maghfirah also means to save a person from the punishment which has become due on account of his misdeeds (Moheet).   The process of reforming ones wrongs is called ‘taubah’.

Maghfirah is usually translated as forgiveness. The Quranic Law of Requital, however, entirely negates the very conception of forgiveness. Every human action, according to this Law, has a natural and logical outcome.  Positive deeds strengthen his "self" and he remains immune from the effects of the destructive forces. This state can only be achieved by performing constructive deeds continuously.   With reference to the natural Law of Return, every deed has a result.  Wrong deeds produce wrong results and good deeds produce delightful results.  The act of blessing forgiveness of a wrong deed with a wrong result is a meaningless thing.  The concept is produced by the monarchy system where the king used to forgive the crime or faults of his subjects.   The Quranic reward for good deeds is the environment of Jannat.  This can only be achieved through good deeds and not through some benevolence.   The Quran says that good deeds create a force within a person that protects him from evil forces.  This is quranic meaning of maghfirat of Allah.

Allah is Merciful i.e. by following His laws this sort of energy can be created and it is incumbent upon the momins that they continue to do this istighfaar, i.e. do good deeds that create this protective force within themselves. As such the Quran says maghfirat in 2:221 and ghufraan in 2:285. These words mean protection and sanctuary.  Ghaafir in 7:155, ghafoor in 7:153 and ghaffar in 20:82 would mean one who provides protection with the difference that ghaafir is a verbal noun or gerund and ghafoor and ghaffar are nouns of exaggeration. 

We see that a weakened man is quickly attacked by some disease than others.  This means that this man's protective or defensive forces have become weak hence he  cannot fight the germs successfully.  The first prerequisite, therefore, for the prevention of disease is one's internal resistance; that is to say, his body should have sufficient internal strength to withstand an attack by forces detrimental to its health. If, however, the attack proves too strong and the person falls ill, his resistance must be strengthened so as to prevent the disease from taking a fatal turn and to effect its cure. This preventive and curative process would be called Maghfirah.

Faithful compliance of the Laws of Allah gives man sufficient strength to resist the destructive forces in life. But if he should ever fall into error and be guilty of infringing these Laws, and his personality should consequently be weakened, the remedy would lie in good conduct calculated to recuperate and strengthen his personality and save him from the harmful effects of his lapse. This is called Maghfirah.

[HOPE]

Peace Optimist,

Thanks for the lengthy explanation.  I believe 'Forgiveness' fits better than 'protection'.How will you get into Allah's protection without doing anything?  How am I going to vie with others for His protection.? Couple of verses prior, the subject was on riba. That and other shortcomings, if I repent which means to turn around, then I can hope for His forgiveness.  Seeking protection from the satan and all the others listed in Al-Falaq are conditions or situations which I'm not 100% responsible for.  I do not need to apologize for the evil of the envier when he envies.  But if I exploit you regarding your money, the crime is mine .

[optimist]

Salaam!

You asked;

How will you get into Allah's protection without doing anything?  The question is not clear to me. Did I say we can get protection without doing anything?   Do you imply we can get Allah's forgiveness without doing anything?

How am I going to vie with others for His protection?  The answer is simple.  Compete with each other to leave the erroneous path, and to get involved in positive deeds and actions which will not only undo or cure the damage done, but also start giving healthy results.  Can you tell me how am I going to vie with others for His forgiveness?   Is it to start competing each other for the number of times to ask forgiveness?  Please explain.

Also, kindly give some respect to the linguistic meaning I quoted above.

Regards,
Optimist

[HOPE]

salaam Optimist,

We are defining the same thing with different terminology.  What you describe as protection, I describe it as repentance.  You get forgiveness after repenting.  Forgiveness covers past; protection is for future.  You seek forgiveness for something you have already committed.

[optimist]

just to make a point clear.....

verse 20:82 states "But, surely, I am  لَغَفَّارٌ  to him who repents and believes and does virtuous deeds, then sticks to guidance.'   Therefore, Magfirat is available only to those who leave erroneous path and do virtuous deeds and also  remain steadfastedly on that right path and only then will the results of their previous misdeeds be erased.  Continuously getting involved in positive deeds and constructive actions, and consistently remaining on the right path will minimize the evil results of misdeeds and additionally it will create a force within a person that protects him from evil forces.  In other words, apart from protecting one from the evil-effects (of the wrongful deeds done),  it will give one sufficient strength to resist the destructive forces in life. 

I respect your comments also.

Assalamu alaikum

Optimist

[HOPE]

Salaam brother,

Your points are clear but my mind isn't.  Afuw, Ghafoor, Ghaffar are Divine attributes.  What you are saying is that Ghaffar conveys forgiveness and insulation from sinning.  I wonder now if it is why the Shia imams are believed to be masum because they are insulated or protected?

Where does Afuw fit in.  Is this redemption?  Is ghaffar keeping the errant soul on the al-mustaqeem (lateral level) and al'Afuw brings ascension because of deletion ?

How does this compare to human behavior? 3:134 wal-ʿāfīna the people Are these the muhsineen, do they forget and forgive for the sake of God?

[optimist]

Where does Afuw fit in. 

Afwun literally means to give something up, to obliterate.   Afa unhu means allowed him to go without punishment.  In verse 42:40 after stating the principle that the punishment should always be befitting the crime, Quran goes on to state that wamun afa wa aslaha fa-ajruhu alal laah, which means if the prosecutor forgives and in this way paves the way  for the reform of the criminal then Allah will repay such a person.   Thus justice means repentance or reform and vengeful punishment is awarded only when there is no chance of reform and right conduct from the part of the criminal.  Similarly, after relating the mistakes of children of Israel in sura bakarah it is said “summa afauna unkum”, which means overlooking or forgiving whereby paving the way for reformation and right conduct. 

Assalamu alaikum

Regards
Optimist