Deeds & Accountability - I
Abstract
DRAFT
Full Text
...رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ...
Surah al-Baqarah, which is a guidance for لِّلْمُتَّقِين [Q2:2], concludes with two prayers for forgiveness. The beginning phrase of the second prayer seeks pardon in case of forgetfulness and خْطَأْ.
Pickthal, Shabbir Ahmed, Hamid Aziz and Ahmed Raza Khan have translated the word خْطَأْ as 'miss the mark', while most other translations employ the words: err, error, mistake, ... in translating this term.
...
Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام)'s invocation in Surah ash-Shuara includes the phrase:
وَالَّذِىۡۤ اَطۡمَعُ اَنۡ يَّغۡفِرَ لِىۡ خَطِٓیْــَٔـتِىۡ يَوۡمَ الدِّيۡنِ ؕ
the One Who I expect will forgive me my mistakes on the Day for Repayment.
[Al-Quran 26:82, Translation: T. B. Irving]
Across The Quran
Searching in corpus.quran.com, we find that
The triliteral root khā ṭā hamza (خ ط أ) occurs 22 times in the Quran, in seven derived forms:
- twice as the form IV verb akhṭa (أَخْطَأْ)
- twice as the noun khaṭīāt (خَطِيٓـَٰٔت)
- eight times as the noun khaṭīat (خَطِيٓـَٔة)
- once as the noun khiṭ' (خِطْـٔ)
- twice as the noun khaṭa (خَطَـٔ)
- twice as the active participle khāṭi-at (خَاطِئَة)
- five times as the active participle khāṭiīn (خَٰطِـِٔين)
The following is a list of the ayaat that use this root to learn which acts are خْطَأْ, and which of them are small, and which are big errors.
Killing a believer by mistake (khata) needs to be atoned for:
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤۡمِنٍ اَنۡ يَّقۡتُلَ مُؤۡمِنًا اِلَّا خَطَـــًٔا ۚ وَمَنۡ قَتَلَ مُؤۡمِنًا خَطَـــًٔا فَتَحۡرِيۡرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤۡمِنَةٍ وَّدِيَةٌ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ اِلٰٓى اَهۡلِهٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ يَّصَّدَّقُوۡا ؕ فَاِنۡ كَانَ مِنۡ قَوۡمٍ عَدُوٍّ لَّـكُمۡ وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٌ فَتَحۡرِيۡرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤۡمِنَةٍ ؕ وَاِنۡ كَانَ مِنۡ قَوۡمٍۢ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ مِّيۡثَاقٌ فَدِيَةٌ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ اِلٰٓى اَهۡلِهٖ وَ تَحۡرِيۡرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤۡمِنَةٍ ۚ فَمَنۡ لَّمۡ يَجِدۡ فَصِيَامُ شَهۡرَيۡنِ مُتَتَابِعَيۡنِ تَوۡبَةً مِّنَ اللّٰهِ ؕ وَكَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلِيۡمًا حَكِيۡمًا
It is not for a believer to kill a believer unless (it be) by mistake. He who hath killed a believer by mistake must set free a believing slave, and pay the blood-money to the family of the slain, unless they remit it as a charity. If he (the victim) be of a people hostile unto you, and he is a believer, then (the penance is) to set free a believing slave. And if he cometh of a folk between whom and you there is a covenant, then the blood-money must be paid unto his folk and (also) a believing slave must be set free. And whoso hath not the wherewithal must fast two consecutive months. A penance from Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.
[Al-Quran 4:92, Translation: Pickthall]
To the Bani Israel it was said:
وَاِذۡ قِيۡلَ لَهُمُ اسۡكُنُوۡا هٰذِهِ الۡقَرۡيَةَ وَكُلُوۡا مِنۡهَا حَيۡثُ شِئۡتُمۡ وَقُوۡلُوۡا حِطَّةٌ وَّادۡخُلُوا الۡبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَّـغۡفِرۡ لَـكُمۡ خَطِيْٓــٰٔــتِكُمۡ ؕ سَنَزِيۡدُ الۡمُحۡسِنِيۡنَ
فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا مِنۡهُمۡ قَوۡلًا غَيۡرَ الَّذِىۡ قِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ فَاَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ رِجۡزًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوۡا يَظۡلِمُوۡنَ ١٦٢
And as it was said to them, "Dwell (serenely) in this town and eat of it where you decide, and say, "Unburdening, " (Unburdening of their sins, i.e, forgiveness) and enter the gate constantly prostrating. (Then) We shall forgive you your offences. We will soon increase the fair-doers.".
Then the ones who did injustice among them substituted a saying other than what had been said to them; so We sent (down) upon them a chastisement from the heaven for their doing injustice..
[Al-Quran 7:161-162, Translation: Ghali]
وَاِذۡ قُلۡنَا ادۡخُلُوۡا هٰذِهِ الۡقَرۡيَةَ فَکُلُوۡا مِنۡهَا حَيۡثُ شِئۡتُمۡ رَغَدًا وَّادۡخُلُوا الۡبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَّقُوۡلُوۡا حِطَّةٌ نَّغۡفِرۡ لَـكُمۡ خَطٰيٰكُمۡؕ وَسَنَزِيۡدُ الۡمُحۡسِنِيۡنَ
فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا قَوۡلاً غَيۡرَ الَّذِىۡ قِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ فَاَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَى الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا رِجۡزًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوۡا يَفۡسُقُوۡنَ ٥٩
And (remember) as We said, "Enter this town, so eat opulently of it where you decide, and enter (in at) the gate, constantly prostrating and say, (Unburdening)" (Literally: these "killings") (Then) We forgive you your sins and We will soon increase the fair-doers.
Then the ones who did injustice exchanged a saying other than that which had been said to them. So We sent down upon the ones who did injustice chastisement from the heaven for that they used to commit immorality.
[Al-Quran 2:58-59, Translation: Ghali]
When the magicians in Pharaoh's court lost the duel with Moses (), and immediately submitted to the Lord of the worlds, Pharaoh threatened them with crucifixion. To that threat, they responded:
قَالُوۡا لَا ضَيۡرَ اِنَّاۤ اِلٰى رَبِّنَا مُنۡقَلِبُوۡنَۚ
اِنَّا نَطۡمَعُ اَنۡ يَّغۡفِرَ لَـنَا رَبُّنَا خَطٰيٰـنَاۤ اَنۡ كُنَّاۤ اَوَّلَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ
They said: 'It won’t hurt! We will be sent home to our Lord;
we long for our Lord to forgive us our mistakes so we may be the first among believers."
[Al-Quran 26:50-52, Translation: T. B. Irving]
اِنَّاۤ اٰمَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَـغۡفِرَ لَـنَا خَطٰيٰنَا وَمَاۤ اَكۡرَهۡتَـنَا عَلَيۡهِ مِنَ السِّحۡرِؕ وَاللّٰهُ خَيۡرٌ وَّاَبۡقٰى
We believe in our Lord, so He may forgive us our mistakes as well as for any magic you have compelled us to perform. Allah (God) is Better and more Enduring."
Killing of progeny is a khita`an kabira (big mistake / hugely missing the mark):
وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوۡۤا اَوۡلَادَكُمۡ خَشۡيَةَ اِمۡلَاقٍؕ نَحۡنُ نَرۡزُقُهُمۡ وَاِيَّاكُمۡؕ اِنَّ قَتۡلَهُمۡ كَانَ خِطۡاً كَبِيۡرًا
Do not kill your children in dread of poverty; We shall provide for both them and you. Killing them is a serious blunder!
[Al-Quran 17:31, Translation: T. B. Irving]
To call people by surnames other than their fathers:
اُدۡعُوۡهُمۡ لِاٰبَآٮِٕهِمۡ هُوَ اَقۡسَطُ عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ ۚ فَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡۤا اٰبَآءَهُمۡ فَاِخۡوَانُكُمۡ فِى الدِّيۡنِ وَمَوَالِيۡكُمۡؕ وَ لَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ فِيۡمَاۤ اَخۡطَاۡ تُمۡ بِهٖۙ وَلٰكِنۡ مَّا تَعَمَّدَتۡ قُلُوۡبُكُمۡ ؕ وَكَانَ اللّٰهُ غَفُوۡرًا رَّحِيۡمًا ٥
Call them after their own fathers; it is fairer so far as Allah (God) is concerned. If you do not know who their fathers were, then [call them] your brothers in religion and your associates. What you may have slipped up on already will not be held against you, but only something your hearts have done intentionally. Yet Allah (God) is Forgiving, Merciful.
[Al-Quran 33:5, Translation: T. B. Irving]
Noah preached several centuries, inviting to faith, asking them to worship Allah, keep their duty, and seek forgiveness. Then, the punishment came:
مِّمَّا خَطِٓيْئٰتِهِمۡ اُغۡرِقُوۡا فَاُدۡخِلُوۡا نَارًا ۙ فَلَمۡ يَجِدُوۡا لَهُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ اَنۡصَارًا
Because of their mistakes, they were drowned and dispatched into the Fire. They did not find they had any supporters apart from Allah (God).
[Al-Quran 71:25, Translation: T. B. Irving]
inna seena au akhtana
https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=xTA#(2:286:19)
khita
Last updated on: March 19, 2023
