Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Al-Azhar Grand Imam & MCE Chairman, clarified that Allah’s name Al-Ghaffar has three derivates, which are “Ghafir”, “Ghafur”, and “Ghaffar”. Each of them has a specific meaning. Ghafir is a verbal noun that denotes the doer of the action (Forgiver). Ghafur is a hyperbolic form that indicates the recurrence of the verb, and among its established forms are Shakur and Sabur. Ghaffar is another hyperbolic form that indicates the continuity and perpetuity of the action.

 

 

During the12th episode of his Ramadan TV program, Imam Al-Tayyeb Talk, the Grand Imam added that Allah’s name Ghafir means that Allah Almighty forgives sins, the stronger form Ghafur focuses on the frequency; and the strongest of the three forms is Ghaffar, which means that His forgiveness is infinite. 

 

 

The three forms denote covering up or forgiving sins. They also mean condoning and pardoning. Allah drops the sins in this life and erases them and does not punish the servant on Judgement Day. His Eminence turned our attention to the fact that Allah also covers what is inside man, be it matter in the body or ills in the heart.

 

His Eminence explained that the attributes related to Allah alone are known as Self attributes such as the attribute of existing, which is the primary attribute that is related to Allah’s existence. They are so called because they are related the Allah’s Self. As for the attribute Ghafir, it is an attribute of action because it is related to His servants’ acts, so He forgives their sins.

 

Speaking about the attributes of the worshipper entitled to earn the Almighty’s forgiveness, His Eminence indicated that the Mutazilites, a school that does not have many followers, claim that Almighty Allah is bound to accept the repentance of a penitent sinner, in case he repents. However, Ahlu-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah who represent the majority of Muslims, constituting no less than 90% of them, past and present, said that acceptance of the penitent sinner is not binding on Allah. Rather, repentance is a fruit of Allah’s mercy and bounty. So if the sinner repents, Allah Almighty accepts their repentance. But what if they do not repent? The Mutazilites claim that such a sinner shall be tormented and that tormenting them is binding on Almighty Allah since they kept committing sins until their death. On the other hand, the Sunnis maintain that the fate of such sinners is up to Almighty Allah. For them, it is not obligatory for Allah, exalted be He, to torture that sinner or to reward the devout. Rather, the Almighty is the Doer of whatever He wills.