Refresher & Advanced · Aqeedah Refresher

Faith and Divine Mercy in Islam

Explore beliefs about repentance, trials, guidance, and divine mercy.

6 questions · Hard · about 4 minutes

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6 questions, about 4 minutes.

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1. What happens to a believer who sincerely repents from sins before death?

  • Allah accepts sincere repentance, forgives him, and may turn his bad deeds into good deeds. (correct answer)
  • He must still be punished in Hell for those same sins.
  • He becomes a disbeliever because he committed sins.
  • He remains forever between Paradise and Hell.

Why

If a believer commits sins less than major shirk and sincerely repents before death, Allah accepts that repentance and he will not be punished for those sins in the Hereafter. Allah may also honour him by turning his bad deeds into good deeds. If a believer dies without repenting from such sins, then his case depends on his balance of good and bad deeds and Allah’s will: he may be forgiven, delayed among the people of al-A‘raaf, or punished temporarily before being brought out of Hell by Allah’s mercy and intercession. Major sins do not expel a person from Islam unless they reach the level of shirk or kufr.

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2. How can trials in this world relate to requital in the Hereafter?

  • They may expiate sins in this world so the same requital is not repeated in the Hereafter. (correct answer)
  • They have no connection to the Hereafter at all.
  • They only punish the body and never affect sins.
  • They always prove that Allah is angry with the believer.

Why

Worldly trials and Hereafter requital are not completely separate. A calamity may come because of sin, and if the believer responds with patience, gratitude, and repentance, Allah may forgive the sin, raise him in status, and give him the reward of the patient. The source explains that when a worldly trial serves as requital and expiation, the same requital is not repeated in the Hereafter. Still, a person cannot claim certainty about the exact reason for a specific calamity; the practical response is patience, repentance, seeking reward, and thinking positively of Allah.

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3. What is the difference between Allah’s general mercy and His specific mercy?

  • General mercy reaches all creation in this world, while specific mercy in the Hereafter is for believers. (correct answer)
  • General mercy is only for people who worship Allah.
  • Specific mercy is for believers and disbelievers equally in the Hereafter.
  • Allah’s mercy contradicts His justice.

Why

Allah’s general mercy in this world reaches believers and disbelievers, obedient people and sinners. He gives provision, food, drink, health, recovery, and countless blessings to all kinds of people. His specific mercy in the Hereafter, however, is only for the believers. This does not contradict His mercy, because Allah is also perfectly just and wise; He does not treat those who worship and obey Him the same as those who reject Him and persist in disbelief.

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4. What is the relationship between Allah’s decree and human actions?

  • Allah knows, writes, wills, and creates people’s actions, but He does not force them to choose those actions. (correct answer)
  • People’s choices are entirely independent of Allah’s will.
  • Allah compels people to sin and then punishes them unjustly.
  • Allah cannot will anything that He does not love in itself.

Why

Some matters, such as one’s birth, appearance, and death, are outside human choice. Other matters, such as belief, disbelief, obedience, disobedience, and many worldly decisions, involve human choice. Nothing is outside Allah’s knowledge, will, and decree, and He knew and wrote all deeds before they occur. But this does not mean people are forced. People have freedom of choice in their deeds, and Allah does not compel His slaves to do what they do. Allah may will something He dislikes in itself because of wisdom and outcomes that He loves.

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5. What are the two types of Allah’s guidance mentioned in the source?

  • General guidance that shows the truth, and specific guidance that helps believers follow it. (correct answer)
  • Guidance by culture and guidance by wealth.
  • Guidance for angels and guidance for animals only.
  • Guidance that removes all human responsibility.

Why

Allah’s guidance is of two types. General guidance means showing the way, making the truth clear, and giving people the ability to know right from wrong. Specific guidance is for Allah’s believing slaves: He helps them find and adhere to the path of guidance. People still have free will and are accountable for their choices, but Allah’s support and help are by His grace, while His leaving someone to himself is by His justice.

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6. According to Islamic teachings, what is the source of guidance?

  • Guidance is from Allah, while people must still take the means that lead to it. (correct answer)
  • Human effort alone creates guidance.
  • Guidance is based only on cultural background.
  • A person should avoid striving because guidance is decreed.

Why

Success and guidance are in Allah’s hand. He guides whom He wills and leaves astray whom He wills, in accordance with His wisdom and justice. At the same time, people are commanded to take the means that lead to guidance, such as seeking truth, obeying Allah, being patient and steadfast, making du‘a, and striving for the Hereafter. Just as a person takes means to earn worldly provision, he must take means for guidance and salvation.

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A note on these answers

These questions are for learning and self-testing. Explanations are drawn from the sources linked on each question and are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your own circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar.

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