does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills." (Sūrah al-Nisāʾ, verse 48). This is understood through four principles that Allāh, the Exalted, mentioned in His Book:
لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ﴾. وذلك بمعرفة أربع قواعد ذكرها الله تعالى في كتابه:
The First Principle:
القاعدة الأولى:
You should know that the disbelievers whom the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) fought acknowledged that Allāh, the Exalted, is the Creator and the Manager, yet this did not enter them into Islam. The evidence is His saying, the Exalted: "Say, 'Who provides for you from the sky and the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight? And who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living? And who arranges [every] matter?' They will say, 'Allāh.' So say, 'Then will you not fear Him?'" (Sūrah Yūnus, verse 31).
أن تعلم أن الكفار الذين قاتلهم رسول الله ﷺ مُقِرُّون بأن الله تعالى هو الخالق المدبر، وأن ذلك لم يدخلهم في الإسلام. والدليل قوله تعالى: ﴿قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَمَنْ يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَمَنْ يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ فَقُلْ أَفَلا تَتَّقُونَ﴾.
The Second Principle:
القاعدة الثانية:
They say: We did not call upon them and turn to them except to seek nearness and intercession. The evidence for seeking nearness is His saying, the Exalted: "And those who take protectors besides Him [say], 'We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allāh in position.' Indeed, Allāh will judge between them concerning that over which they differ. Indeed, Allāh does not guide he who is a liar and disbeliever." (Sūrah al-Zumar, verse 3). The evidence for intercession is His saying, the Exalted: "And they worship besides Allāh that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, 'These are our intercessors with Allāh.'" (Sūrah Yūnus, verse 18). Intercession is of two types: a negated intercession and an affirmed intercession. The negated intercession is that which is sought from other than Allāh in matters that only Allāh has power over. The evidence is His saying, the Exalted: "O you who have believed, spend from what We have provided for you before..
أنهم يقولون: ما دعوناهم وتوجهنا إليهم إلا لطلب القربة والشفاعة. فدليل القربة قوله تعالى: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلاَّ لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ﴾. ودليل الشفاعة قوله تعالى: ﴿وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلا يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَؤُلاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ﴾. والشفاعة شفاعتان: شفاعة منفية، وشفاعة مثبتة. فالشفاعة المنفية ما كانت تطلب من غير الله فيما لا يقدر عليه إلا الله. والدليل قوله تعالى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْفِقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ