Amr Khaled (عمروخالد), the “Billy Graham” of Islam
Amr Khaled (عمروخالد) is a famous Egyptian Muslim televangelist, activist and preacher; he has been called the Billy Graham of Islam. Amr Khaled is more famous in the Middle East than Oprah Winfrey is in the West. The New York Times Magazine called Amr Khaled “the world’s most famous and influential Muslim television preacher” and Time Magazine chose Amr Khaled as one of the top 100 people in the world whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world (The Time 100).
Amr Khaled (عمروخالد): Names of Allah, Al-‘afuw (The Oft-Pardoning)
The Quran teaches that God is oft-pardoning and oft-forgiving
Amr Khaled has a video with English subtitles on a subject I am especially interested: “The Oft-Pardoning” (Al-‘afuw, also spelled Al-Afou) (Quran 4:43, 4:99, 4:149, 22:20, 58:2).
Amr Khaled also discusses God’s forgiveness and the forgiving God in Islam is known as:
- The forgiving (al-ghāfir, Quran 7:155)
- The oft-forgiver (al-ghafūr, Quran 2:173)
- The all-forgiving (al-ghaffār, Quran 38:66; cf. 20:82)
The Quran teaches that God is utterly just and holy
The Quran teaches that God is “the Utterly Just” (Al-‘Adl), and the Quran says God is:
- “the justest of judges” (ahkam al-hakimeen, Quran 11:45; 95:8).
- “the best of judges” (khayru alhakimeena, Quran 7:87; 10:109; 12:80)
- “The Holy,” “The Pure,” and “The Perfect” (Al-Quddus, Quran 59:23; 62:1).
The reason I am interested in this this particular video is not only because of Amr Khaled’s popularity, but because I would like to see if Amr Khaled addresses one of the central issues of the Bible: How is God both forgiving and just?
- Is God’s forgiveness of great sinners holy?
- Is God’s pardon of great sin just?
- Does God have to ignore some of His Names in order to show mercy to sinners?
- Will the angels of heaven be able to look at forgiven sinners and also see objects of God’s perfect, holy, and just judgment?
God’s mercy and justice are two important themes the Bible brings together, and I am interested to learn how Muslims answer the question: How can God show mercy to sinners while still being perfectly holy and utterly just?
Below is the Amr Khaled (عمروخالد) lecture followed by my notes.
Amr Khaled (عمروخالد) discusses the hadith wherein Muhammad taught his wife Aisha to pray for pardon
1:40-2:02
“God’s Name we are going to study today is ‘Al-Afou’ (The Oft-Pardoning). “Our Lord, You are the Oft-Pardoning. You love pardon, so pardon me!” … Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught it to Aisha, when she asked him what she should say in the Night of Decree.”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) says God’s Name “The Oft-Pardoning” (‘Al-Afou’) is mentioned five times in the Qur’an
2:27-2:56
“God’s Name “The Oft-Pardoning” is mentioned five times in the Qur’an, four times along with God’s Name “The All-Forgiving” and once with God’s Name, “The All-Powerful”. God says: “…God is Oft-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.” This combination of the two Names occurs 4 times in the Qur’an. The 5th time God’s Name ‘Oft-Pardoning’ is cited in the Qur’an is: “…surely God is Oft-Pardoning, All-Powerful.” This Name is cited 4 times with God’s Name ‘All-Forgiving’.”
The four points Amr Khaled’s lecture on God’s Name “The Oft-Pardoning’ (‘Al-Afou’)
2:57-4:45
“We will make four points in today’s program. First, we will learn the implications of God’s Name ‘Oft-Pardoning’. Second, we will see the differences between ‘Oft-Pardoning’ and ‘Oft-Forgiving’ and how God’s Name ‘Oft-Pardoning’ and ‘Oft-Relenting’ relate. We will see why ‘the Oft-Pardoning’ is cited in the Qur’ran with ‘All-Forgiving’ and how each of God’s Names has unique implications.”
“Prophet Muhammad said: “God has ninety-nine Names…whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly will enter Paradise.”
“There are differences between God’s Names, Oft-Pardoning & All-Forgiving.”
“Third, we will see the relation between ‘The Oft-Pardoning & Night of Decree. When Aisha asked Muhammad what she should say in the Night of Decree he said: “Our Lord, You are the Oft-Pardoning. You love pardon, so pardon me.” This invocation is based on God’s Name, ‘The Oft-Pardoning.’ Why invoke God with this particular Name in the Night of Decree?! What is the wisdom behind that?”
“The fourth point we are going to discuss today is how we can live by God’s Name ‘Oft-Pardoning’ and how we can make reforms on Earth through this Name. We study God’s Names in this series so we can make reforms on Earth. God’s Names are Sacred and Sublime, but they are related to our current conditions and can reform our lives. This is the goal of our series!
What the Arabic ‘Al-Afou’ (اَلْعَفُوُّ) implies
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) discusses the meaning of the Arabic word ‘Afa’
4:46-7:45
“First, what does God’s Name ‘Al-Afou’ (Oft-Pardoning) imply in Arabic? The Arabic word ‘Afa’ has two meanings. First, it is used when one talks about giving money to others; let me elaborate on this. When one uses this word ‘Afa’ to describe his giving money to others, it implies he gives part of his lawful gains willingly without being asked. This is the definition of the Arabic word, ‘Afou’. ‘Afo’ means willingly giving others lawful money without being asked to and the proof of this is this verse: “They ask you how much they are to spend say, ‘al-Afo.'” Before I understand God’s Name ‘Al-Afou’, (Oft-Pardoning), I did not understand this verse! “They ask you how much they are to spend say, “Al-Afo.'” ‘Al-Afo’ here implies spending part of one’s lawful money willingly and without being asked to do so. If you understand the meaning of this word, ‘Al-Afo’, you will understand the implications of God’s Name ‘Al-Afou’ (Oft-Pardoning). The word ‘Afo’ in Arabic implies one gives to others out of his lawful gains and does so willingly without being asked!”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) goes on to explain, “Also, the word, ‘Al-Afo’ in Arabic dictionaries means removing or erasing something. It implies totally removing or erasing all traces of something. ‘Afat’ (Remove) is sometimes used with wind referring to its blowing and removing footprints or any similar traces! See the implications of the Arabic word ‘Al-Afo’?! Let me stress something amazing here. Before emigrating to Medina, Prophet Muhammad went to Thawr Cave and Asma’ bin Abu Bakr used to take food to him. Abu Bakr ordered his servant to have the sheep walk on Asma’s footprints so the infidels would not follow them to discover Muhammad’s hideout. Prophetic Biographic books say about this incident: “Abu Bakr ordered his serants to ‘Ya’fu’ (remove) Asma’s footprints.”
“‘Ya’fu’ derives from ‘Afo’ which has two implications in Arabic. First, it implies one gives money willingly to others without being asked to. Second, it implies removing all traces of something. So, God’s Name ‘Al-Afou’ (Oft-Pardoning) implies that God removes and erases one’s sins and their traces, then becomes pleased with one, then gives to one without being asked!”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) discusses the implications of God’s Name: ‘Oft-Pardoning’, ‘Al-Afou’
7:46-9:02
“So, God’s Name ‘Oft-Pardoning’ has three implications: He erases one’s sins, becomes pleased with one, then grants him blessings. These are the three implications of God’s Name ‘Al-Afou. So this Name of God implies He removes and erases the traces of His servants’ sins, then God becomes pleased with them and then He grants them blessings and He does so willingly even without being asked to! These are just the implications of God’s Name ‘Oft-Pardoning’.”
“Perhaps you understand this Name, but do you feel it inside? You may intellectualize the implications of this Name, but our series’ goal is for you not to only undertsand God’s Names, but also to love and live by God’s Names. We want you not just to know God’s Names in words but also to feel them so we can reach the rank of ‘Ihsan’ (Perfection of Faith) which implies worshipping God as if seeing Him.”
“God’s Name ‘Oft-Pardoning implies He removes the traces of one’s sins then becomes pleased with one & gives one blessings without being asked. ‘Afat’ derives from ‘Afo’ and it implies ‘Remove’.
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) discusses the difference between ‘Oft-Pardoning’ and ‘Oft-Forgiving’
9:03-13:05
“In order to make you sense God’s Name ‘Oft-Pardoning’ more, let’s look at the difference between this Name and ‘All-Forgiving.'” … “Pardon is greater than forgiveness. “Oft-Pardoning’ and ‘All-Forgiving’ are 2 of God’s Beautiful Names, but pardon is greater than forgiveness: God may forgive some people and He may pardon other people, given pardon is greater than forgiveness. Some deserve God’s Pardon, others deserve His Forgiveness, for God is both Oft-Pardoning and All-Forgiving.”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) says pardon is greater than forgiveness
Amr Khaled asks, “Why is pardon greater than forgiveness? ‘Forgiving sins’ implies one will not be punished for them on Doomsday. We said before, forgiveness implies concealing one’s sins. ‘Forgiveness’ implies God conceals sins in life and on Doomsday and He does not even punish one for his sins, though they are not erased or removed from one’s Deeds Record! Pardoning sins implies one’s sins are totally erased from his Deeds Record as God has removed even their traces! So, pardon is greater than forgiveness.”
“It is as if God says that He gives forgiveness to some people conceals their sins and does not punish them. It is even greater that God also grants pardon to other people whom He will not question, simply because their sins have been removed! One may not be punished for fornicating or committing other cardinal sins if he is pardoned by God.”
“One might commit minor sins and might not draw closer to God or get the blessings of the Night of Decree. In this case, God may just forgive him on Doomsday. But if one committed a major sin, then repented to God in the Night of Decree, the Oft-Pardoning would pardon him, see what I mean?”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) teaches that pardon means there is no record of one’s sins
“Let me give you an example so you can get my point. On Doomsday, one may find his Deeds Record full of sins and the punishment for each sin is listed next to it. Then, one may find written at the end of that Deeds Record he is forgiven and he will not be punished, but the Deeds Record still exists! If one’s Record of evil deeds is torn to pieces or the sins in it are totally removed, this is a pardon!”
“I’m sure now you can see the differences between pardon and forgiveness. One’s boss could find that one has made some mistake at work and perhaps that mistake has been documented in writing! God is beyond compare; the boss might forgive one for the mistake, but still, one would be worried, since the mistake is documented! What if the boss summons one after discovering the mistake and burns the documentation, leaving no trace of the mistake? One would be happy and relieved then for his mistakes have been removed and there is no trace of them! See the greatness of God’s Name ‘the Oft-Pardoning’?!”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) says God forgives sins by willing that we and the angels forget them
16:35-18:00
Oft-Forgiving is one of the 99 Names of Allah
“How would God removed one’s sins and pardon one? God would will you to forget your sins, and will the angels to forget them. He would remove the sins from your Deeds Record and will the Left-Shoulder Angel (who records sins) to forget them; then on Doomsday, God would not remind you of the sins you committed and would not question you about them. He would will the angels to forget them! “Every soul will be accompanied (by an angel)…and another as a witness.” Even the Left-Shoulder Angel would forget the sins you commit, though they might seem unpardonable and disgraceful to you! So, that Angel (who records sins) would forget your sins, only if God pardoned you, which might happen on the Night of Decree! The Angel recording sins would forget your sins and also the other angels would forget your sins. If on Doomsday, that Angel was reminded of your sins, he would not remember them, as God would will him to do so!”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) discusses how does the Oft-Pardoning God pardon sins with no reproach
24:23-27:19
“Also God being the Oft-Pardoning, pardons with no reproach! How? If someone pardoned you, he might sometimes remind you of your mistake, but God could pardon your sins and never mention them again. There is one more implication related to God’s Name, the Oft-Pardoning: God would be pleased with you even more after erasing your sins!”
“We have mentioned that God’s Name, ‘the Oft-Pardoning’ implies that God grants His Pardon willingly and becomes pleased with one. In the Night of Decree, God may grant His pardon to one of His servants, then He may be pleased with him. God may pardon you and be pleased with you so He won’t reproach you! How Generous and Merciful God, the Oft-Pardoning is! You should spend the night invoking God to grant you His Pardon: “O God. You are the Oft-Pardoning. You love to pardon, so pardon me.”
“Let’s have an example about God’s Name, the Oft-Pardoning, and see how His Pardon differs from Forgiveness. Remember the Saying about servants’ secret talk to God on Doomsday: “God will bring a believer near Him and shelter him with His Screen.” So he would not be exposed then. “God will…ask him: ‘Did you commit such-and-such sins?” He will say: “Yes, my Lord.” God will keep on asking him till he confesses all his sins and thinks he is ruined. God will say: “I did screen your sins in the world and I forgive them for you today.” This Saying is about God’s Forgiveness. “The Oft-Pardoning” implies that on Doomsday, God will tell you He is pleased with you, then pardon you, and let you enter His Paradise! See the difference between His Forgiveness and Pardon! Which of them should you seek? “The Oft-Pardoning” implies that on Doomsday, God would tell you to wish for whatever you want, for He pardoned you so He would fulfill whatever wish you might have then, on Doomsday!”
“On Doomsday, God might tell you that He is pleased with you as He granted you His Pardon on a certain night in life, and would tell you to take whatever you wish from Paradise, as He is pleased with you. God, the Oft-Pardoning would not remind you of your sins, but the All-Forgiving might remind you of your sins without punishing you! The All-Forgiving may forgive you, but may not be pleased with you, yet the Oft-Pardoning may pardon you and be pleased with you.”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) says God’s Oft-Pardoning implies that He purifies sins and lets us taste the sweetness of His blessings
28:05-29:37
“God’s Name, ‘The Oft-Pardoning’ involves two implications: God purifies you of sins, then lets you taste the sweetnesss of His blessings! God, the Oft-Pardoning, may purify you of sins, then become pleased with you and grant you blessings! He cleanses you of sins and lets you taste the sweetness of His pleasure.”
“Let’s further clarify this point: if there was a dirty, bad-smelling cup, you would first make sure to wash it very well, then you could fill it with honey or any sweet drink you like! God purifies you of sins and makes you taste the sweetness of His Pleasure as He loves you dearly and you are His most honored creature, so He endears Himself to you, has Mercy on you and created Paradise for you as you are the dearest to Him!”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) goes on to say, “God says about you: “I am creating a viceregent (Man) on the earth…” God is Generous and loves you, so you should be ashamed of disobeying Him. God hates punishing you, yet you do not hate disobeying Him! God is willing to forgive you, but you do not turn to Him! God endears Himself to you by pardoning you, erasing your sins, rewarding you and being pleased with you! We should now say from the bottom of our hearts: “O God, You are the Oft-Pardoning. You love to pardon, so pardon me!”
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) discusses the relationship between “the Oft-Pardoning” and “the Oft-Relenting”
33:33-35:15
“There is a difference between “the Oft-Pardoning” and “the Oft-Relenting”. A man may sin, as all do, then repent to God and God may accept him. After a while, he may commit the same sin again and repent again. He may continue to commit the same sin, repenting each time. After committing the same sin many times, this man may feel unable to repent again having lost self-confidence and being ashamed of his inability to give up that sin, despite repenting! The result is that this man might go on committing that sin as if there were a barrier between him and God and he might feel he is unable to repent. But God desires that His servant returns to Him despite the gap between him and God; one might persist in sinning until he loses all hope and forgets about repentance! Thinking about repentance is painful to him, it reminds him of his sins and thus, there might be a barrier or a gap between him and God! However, God loves His servants and so He desires that they return to Him. He likes to bridge this gap that impedes His serant’s repentance and does so through granting him extraordinary support!”
“In other words, God gives one a great gift to endear Himself to that man and destroy that barrier impeding his repentance. This great gift is the Night of Decree…”
35:32-35:56
“This is the link between God’s Names, the Oft-Pardoning and Oft-Relenting: The Oft-Pardoning bridges the gap between His servant and Him through the Night of Decree which is one of Pardon! So, one should increase his acts of worship and repent in it. The Night of Decree is the time to repent; God’s Pardon destroys the barriers between Him and sinners.”
Pardon comes in the Qur’an along with grave sins
37:33-38:50
“To convince you further, let me tell you “the Oft-Pardoning occurs in the Qur’an whenever cardinal sins are mentioned! It is not mentioned along with forgiving minor sins, but with cardinal sins as is the case of the Children of Israel who worshipped the calf; God says: “And when We appointed forty nights for Moses, you worshipped the calf in his absence, and you were evildoers.” This sin of worshipping a calf could not be easily forgiven; nothing but God’s Pardon could save the Children of Israel then! “Then after that We pardoned you so that you may be grateful.””
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) goes on to say, “Pardon comes in the Qur’an along with grave sins: “Surely those who turned away on the day the two armies met…” In Uhud Battle, some Muslims fled and left Prophet Muhammad! Imagine a Muslim abandoning God’s Messenger in a battle! “…those who turned away on the day the two armies met. Satan exploited them and led them to fail for some of what they have earned, but God pardoned them…” Cardinal sins and major sins that may cause a wide gap between one & God would not have been forgiven had God not been the Oft-Pardoning.”
Amr Khaled (عمروخالد) discusses the relation between God’s Name: “The Oft-Pardoning” and the Night of Decree
The Night of decree is when God wills angels to know people’s fates for the year
39:42-41:23
Muslims believe the Night of Decree is better than a thousand months
“The Oft-Pardoning” is related to the Night of Decree; remember why it is called the Night of Decree? It is called so because God decrees sustenance for everyone in this Night. All the events that will take place in the next year are decreed in this Night. You may say these events are predestined before creation; God wills angels to know people’s fates this Night to be put to action. “The Night of Decree” is the night when people’s affairs are determined.”
“It is wonderful that God, the Oft-Pardoning, ordains your affairs for the next year on a Night of Pardon so that people may start the new year fresh and enthusiastic. God, the Generous, helps us populate the Earth, this requires fresh and active people. It is not only out of God’s love for people, but God pardons our sins to encourage us to make reforms on Earth. People who feel guilty for their sins are depressed and dejected; they are unable to come up to their potential to succeed and be productive. This night is a chance for us to start anew and rejuvenate ourselves; it is a time for Muslims to rejuvenate and renew their efforts and energy and get rid of the depressing sins and start anew in this great Night.”
“The fates are determined, both for individuals and the entire Muslim nation. I hope all Muhammad’s followers will start a new phase in history, acting on God’s Name, Oft-Pardoning, hoping the next year will be better.”
Amr Khaled goes on to relate at length how Muhammad’s intercession will free people from hell and how God will free people from hell who have been burned by its fires.
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) explains that the theme this particular program is, “O God, You are the Oft-Pardoning. You love to Pardon so pardon me!”
50:33-51:00
“Ready to work hard so as to deserve the blessings of the Night of Decree? Are you going to do your best on the Night of Decree? See the value of the short prayer I keep repeating? It is the theme of today’s program! Today’s Name of God is a very great one; it is very noble and makes one feel ahsamed of himself as a sinner! When asked by God about our sins, we would ask for His Pardon!”
Amr Khaled (عمروخالد) discusses how one is to live by God’s Name: ‘Oft-Pardoning’.
51:22-52:41
“There is only one thing to do in this concern: Pardon others so that God may pardon you! Forgive and pardon others; it is that simple! Be tolerant and generous! If somebody oppresses you, be you a man or woman, pardon them so that God, the Oft-Pardoning, would pardon you! Pardon others to please God, the Oft-Pardoning even if anyone oppresses you: Your business partner, your husband or ex-husband or anyone else!”
“Those who are oppressed or wronged should pardon those who wrong them! Forgive to please the Oft-Pardoning Oft-Forgiving and Generous! God would pardon your sins if you pardoned others! Pardon others to be pardoned by God the Oft-Pardoning! I will do that myself and I want everybody to bear witness to this: I pardon everyone who has ever wronged me! The Night of Decree is worth all that! If you are wronged, remember your sins and those you wronged! So pardon in order for God to pardon you!”
Amr Khaled (عمروخالد), Christianity, and God’s Forgiveness
Amr Khaled is a dynamic speaker, and it is easy to understand his popularity.
Amr Khaled did not discuss God’s justice in relationship to His pardon and forgiveness. This is problematic because you don’t understand God’s forgiveness and pardon if you do not understand His justice. For years, this is one of the issues almost every Muslim has avoided in discussion: How can God forgive and pardon sinners and be utterly just at the same time?
It would be unjust and unholy for God to allow that which is impure, and unholy into heaven. It would be contradictory for God to forgive someone when they deserved His judgment.
- God is holy.
- You and I have sinned and have not perfectly kept God’s Law (Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) mentioned above how Allah pardons the greatest of sins).
- God is just and impartial.
How can God forgive and pardon sin while still maintaining His perfect justice?
Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد) does not answer this question other than to say “God wills” a person to be forgiven and pardoned. Amr Khaled said God wills that we and the angels forget our sins. However, willing forgiveness and causing others to forget sin is not justice. 1This also raises the question of whether God will be known in Paradise as ‘the Oft-Forgiving’ and “the Oft-Pardoning’. What will these names mean if the angels and pardoned have no memory of previous sins?
Furthermore, Amr Khaled has a deficient view of sin. Sin is not only a violation of God’s commands (commission) but it is also a failure to do what God commands (omission). If there is no memory of sin for the pardoned, then what will be left for them to remember of their previous life on earth? Do Muslims think they have actively kept the requirements of the Law which Jesus summarized as a perfect love for God and a perfect love for our neighbor (Matthew 22:35-40)?
The Quran asks, “who is fairer in judgment than God” (wa-man ahsanu mina llahi hukman, Quran 5:50). Answer: the God of Christianity is fairer and more just in judgment than the God of the Quran. The God of the Bible does not sacrifice or ignore His perfect justice in order to forgive and pardon the worst of sinners. The God of the Bible does not deny Who He is or any of His Names when He shows mercy to sinners. It it ungodly for Muslims to think otherwise.
The justice of God and His mercy meet perfectly in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born so that He could keep the Law. Jesus never sinned in any of His thoughts, words or deeds. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of His people. Jesus took upon Himself the wrath and penalty for the sins of those who trust in Him. Jesus is the Lamb of God.
The death of Jesus on the cross highlights God’s perfect mercy (forgiveness and pardon for those who believe in Jesus [see Psalm 103:1-14]) without compromising or contradicting His perfect justice and holiness. 2“There can be no gospel unless there is such a thing as a righteousness of God for the ungodly. But just as little can there be any gospel unless the integrity of God’s character be maintained. The problem of a sinful world, the problem of all religion, the problem of God dealing with a sinful race, is how to unite these two things. The Christian answer to the problem is given by Paul in the words: “Jesus Christ, whom God set forth a propitiation (or, in propitiatory power) in his blood” (James Denny, “The Death of Christ” edited by R.V.G. Tasker [London: Tyndale, 1951] 98; quoted in Douglas Moo, The Epistle to the Romans [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996], 219). The Christian teacher, R.C. Sproul, put it this way: “The cross was a glorious outworking of the grace of God, by which the Father commissioned the Son to make full satisfaction so that sinners might be saved with no sacrifice of God’s justice.”
If you desire to be forgiven and pardoned by God, then I encourage you to read the Gospels and contact me to talk further.
Recommended:
The Day of Alastu (Verse of the Covenant)
References
