Perhaps the best point to start answering this question is to quote the Qur'anic verse which states:

"Indeed, Allah does not forgive that divinity should be ascribed to anyone other than Him, but He forgives anything lesser than this to whom He wills." (4;116).

This verse is very specific on what may not be forgiven by Allah. When a person associates partners with Allah, whether he claims for them a higher or lower status than His, and whether he makes them Allah's children or companions, he commits the gravest sin of all. It is this sin which cannot be forgiven.

The verse quoted above is also clear on the point that all other sins may be forgiven, if Allah is pleased to forgive them. Forgiveness is one of Allah's attributes. It should be remembered that for this attribute to take effect sins need to be committed by human beings. As things stand in human life, there is no shortage of sins being committed everyday, everywhere. What we have to remember with regard to divine attributes is that they are limitless in scope. When we speak, for example, of divine mercy, we know that it is far greater than the mercy and compassion shown by human beings to one another, regardless of their mutual relationships. The Prophet gives us a guide to try to imagine how great Allah's mercy is. He says that Allah created mercy and divided it into one hundred parts. He kept 99 parts to himself and put the remaining one part in the world. It is by their shares of that one part that Allah's creations show mercy to one another. This includes, in the Prophet's own words, "Even an animal lifting her leg off the ground so that her offspring may not come to any harm." This Hadith gives us a feeling of the greatness of Allah's mercy. The same standard of greatness applies to His forgiveness. We must not forget that Allah describes Himself as the One who forgives in a variety of ways, mostly using the forms which indicate total, great and often repeated forgiveness.

Having said that, I should add that it is the actions of any person which earn him reward from Allah by admission into heaven or earn him Allah's punishment in hell. The notion of "original sin" is totally alien to Islam. Moreover, a person is accountable only for his or her deeds. No one takes responsibility for the deeds of anyone else. Sins are not the same. There are some grave ones and light ones. Moreover, sins are divided into crimes against the rights of Allah and crimes against the rights of people. Certain sins have the dual aspect of being crimes against Allah and people.

When Allah is pleased to forgive a certain person some or all of his sins, He forgives him the sins of the first type, i.e. those which are crimes against His own rights. Sins of the second type, i.e. against the rights of other people, can only be forgiven if the aggrieved person forgoes his or her rights. If, however, Allah wishes to bestow His grace on a particular person who has committed sins of the second type, He takes it upon Himself to compensate the aggrieved person for what was done against him by adding to his good deeds until he is satisfied and willingly forgoes his own rights.

What happens on the day of judgment is that our actions are weighed against us. Our good deeds are put to one side. Our bad deeds are also put together. The two lots are balanced against each other. If the good deeds prove to be heavier or of greater value, then our bad deeds are erased and we are admitted into heaven. If the two are equal, Allah's mercy ensures that we are also forgiven. A person whose bad deeds are predominant will be condemned by his own deeds to suffer the punishment in hell, unless Allah decides to forgive him.

Islam adopts a very realistic view of man. It deals with man as he is, with all his susceptibilities, motives, intentions and liability to be influenced by temptation. It recognizes that even the most pious and God-fearing may slip and yield to temptation. Allah states in the Qur'an:

"The God-fearing are those who, when they experience a thought of Satan they remember and they can see things as they are."

This is a recognition of what even the most God-fearing of us may experience.

We also have the Hadith which states: "He who says with sincerity there is no deity save Allah will be admitted into heaven." The Hadith does not merely refer to a verbal statement; it refers to an honest and most sincere acceptance of the Oneness of Allah. It is needless to say that such acceptance will inevitably have a strong bearing on that person's actions throughout his life.

Taken together, these principles prove that even good believers may commit mistakes and sins. On the day of judgment, these sins may be counted against them or may be forgiven. The fact remains, however, that a person who has sincerely believed in the Oneness of Allah during his life may have committed more sins than he did good deeds. Even when we take into consideration the fact that a good deed is rewarded by ten times its value, while a bad deed is punished only at its own value, a person may be still burdened with heavy sins for which he will be punished in hell. Will he stay there forever even when he actually believed in the Oneness of Allah and in the message of Muhammad? Peace be upon him.

The answer to this question is: No. We know that the Prophet will be granted the right to intercede on behalf of his followers whose sins outweigh their good deeds. Allah will grant his request by forgiving some of them what remains outstanding of their sins. With regard to the others, Allah will grant the Prophet's request by not condemning them to everlasting punishment. In other words, they will stay in hell for the purpose of compensating for their outstanding sins. Afterwards, He will forgive them and send them to heaven. In the Hadith which speaks of the Prophet's intercession with Allah on behalf of his followers we are told that there will come a time when Allah asks: "Is there still in hell anyone who said 'there is no deity save Allah'?" It is needless to say that Allah does not ask this question in order to know the answer.

He knows it, but He asks this question as a reminder to his angels. The Hadith goes on to say that Allah orders that all those people are brought out of hell. The water of life is poured on them and they are restored to their original shapes. They are then sent to heaven.

The question here arises about the perpetrators of such sins which we are told in the Qur'an that they earn everlasting hell. These include, for example, the deliberate murder of a believer. Scholars agree that the term "everlasting" or similar terms used in respect of these sins do not mean perpetual punishment. It means a very long stay in hell.

Having said that, we should remember that it is a case with all of us that we commit more sins than good deeds. We should strive as hard as we can to stay away form sin, but our good deeds are normally of lesser value than our bad ones. For this reason, we should maintain an attitude of hope in Allah's forgiveness equal to our fear of His punishment. It is this equilibrium of hope and fear which should motivate us to do more good. When death approaches, we should trust Allah's forgiveness.

There is a Hadith which is fascinating in its direct and precise import. It defines what is sinful in a way which makes the whole idea of prohibition very clear, but we only need to reflect and determine how it should apply to situations that we may encounter in real life. The Hadith describes sin as "That which causes one to feel uneasy deep inside, and which one hates that other people should know about." These are two important elements to identify what is sinful: It troubles a clear conscience, and one does not like it to be known publicly. The reader may take the preceding as an answer without having to read the rest of what I am going to say, because it only serves as an explanation. Both are present in this case.

Consider first of all how the person concerned feels it necessary to have some justification for accepting the money. He knows that he does not deserve it and nobody would give him even a fraction of the amount he is offered if it was something honest and public. The temptation is too strong, but he seems to be able to resist it when it is a clear case of personal benefit. Therefore, Satan tries to get through to him by persuading him that he could take the money to benefit his community and that there is an immense amount of good work which could be achieved by a proper utilization of the $10m he stands to receive. This is a trick Satan always plays on good human beings. He tells them to deny their personal benefit and to put the proceeds of their unlawful actions to the benefit of the Muslim community. But once they are in possession of the illegal money, Satan finds it easier to trick them into making it their personal property, thus leading them to commit what they know to be unlawful.

If this man takes the money and begins to think how to utilize it for the benefit of the poor Muslim community, the first thing Satan would try to persuade him to do is to ensure that he and his family are well provided for, so that he can devote all his time and energy to his welfare initiative. So, a portion of the money should be his own. He should also ensure the future of his children, so another portion is kept in their names in order to guard against any misfortune that may befall him. The line is endless. The other element of hiding the whole affair from all people is so clear that it does not merit any discussion.

Another method of temptation may be that of this person trying to persuade himself that this group will inevitably find someone to do what they want. Why not him, when he may be in need of it or when he can use it for common good? The important thing for him to be able to resist the temptation is not to try to take on any grand responsibility, because the less responsibility he assumes, the better he is able to stick to what is lawful.

Now let us consider the aspects of the particular case we have here. This surplus of the loan is going to line the pockets of corrupt officials and those who may facilitate that for them. The whole population of the country will have to pay back that loan and its interest for a long time to come. So, it is going to burden the entire population. How can this be justified? The fraud is enormous and its effects are so heavy for a whole community. Anyone who takes part in this will have to answer very serious questions by God Himself.

Besides, if there was any good aspect in the whole matter, efforts would have been made to ensure that the people of the country will benefit by the surplus. There are two positive ways to do that. Either the World Bank could be persuaded to transfer the surplus to finance to some additional development projects in the country, or the money is returned so that the burden of debt of the country is reduced.

If I may start where you have finished, I can give you a short answer to say: Yes, Allah will forgive such sins, or indeed those of them which constitutes a sin. But I suppose you need further reassurance and I will, therefore, try to dispel your doubts.

The concept of sin in Islam is different from that in most, if not all other religions. According to Islam, a sin is an action which constitute the violation of Islamic teachings. The action may not be more than the utterance of certain words, as in the case of backbiting or perjury. Therefore, any action or word which involves disobedience to Allah and His messenger is a sin. Anyone of us who, at the end of any particular day in his life, examines what he may have said or done is bound to come to the conclusion that he has committed several sins. If the feeling of guilt lingers with us for a long while, and increases day after day, then life will acquire a very gloomy aspect. We will feel that we have no hope of salvation. Our sins can only increase and they will inevitably do away with our good deeds.

But this is not how Islam views the whole issue of disobedience and sin. Its outlook always holds the prospect of forgiveness and reward. To start with, any good action or kind word which we may do or say will be credited to us. It will earn us a reward and the cumulative effect of our reward will erase at least a commensurate number of our sins. Moreover, a good is given a reward which is equivalent to at least ten times its value. A sin or an act of disobedience is recorded at its simple value. Therefore, a small act of kindness erases a sin which is ten times more serious.

Secondly, sins are classified into two groups: minor and cardinal sins. The first type are readily forgiven when we pray Allah for forgiveness. Cardinal sins are also forgivable with the exception of the most serious of them, namely, associating partners with Allah. However, for a cardinal sin to be forgiven, a resolve is needed not to indulge in it again. Cardinal sins include such offenses as murder, adultery, theft, drinking intoxicants, gambling, perjury, slandering others, withholding zakah, neglecting prayers, etc.

Thirdly, Allah has left the door always open for repentance of one's sins. He has also committed Himself to turn with forgiveness to anyone who genuinely turns to Him in repentance. Therefore, when we wrong ourselves by committing a sin, we should turn to Allah and declare our repentance and pray for forgiveness. If we are sincere and genuine, then Allah will undoubtedly forgive us. The mark of genuine repentance is the resolve not to repeat the offense. Even if one yields to temptation again and does the same offense another time, his first repentance is accepted as well as his second, if on both occasions he is honest and sincere and has really regretted committing the offense. What Islam wants from its followers is to be always on the alert. It recognizes that human beings, being as they are, may yield to temptation and commit sins. As long as they are not so hardened in sin that they do not bother about the offense at all, forgiveness is possible. Indeed, it is likely, provided that the offense is followed by genuine regret and a clear intention to refrain from doing it again.

That concept allows Muslims to have the reassurance that forgiveness is always possible. Islam does not like its followers to go about with the specter of Divine punishment always hanging over their heads. Indeed, it prefers that they always have the prospect of being forgiven. There is another element which ensures forgiveness. Allah describes His servants with certain qualities including refraining from cardinal sins. He threatens those who indulge in them with punishment, except one who turns to Allah in repentance, believes and does something good. Allah will change the evil deeds of such people into good ones. Allah is indeed much forgiving, merciful. That Qur'anic verse shows us the way to forgiveness. It is easily achieved if we follow our bad deeds with good ones.

Let us now look briefly at the examples you have mentioned and which have given you much worry. With regard to meat of animals slaughtered by Christians and Jews, most Muslim scholars are of the opinion that it is eatable. A Muslim need not go into the details of the method of slaughter. As long as he does not have confirmed information that the slaughter is done in a way which Islam forbids, he may partake of the food of Christians and Jews. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was once offered a lamb slaughtered and prepared by a Jewish woman. He and one of his companions ate from it. That Jewish woman had poisoned the lamb. The Prophet's companion died of poisoning. The Prophet, peace be upon him, did not ask how the woman slaughtered her lamb. You may continue with your practice of mentioning the name of Allah before you eat at your relatives' houses.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, says: "The whole earth has been assigned to me as a place of worship and a source of purification." We may pray anywhere. There is simply no basis for your friend's argument that you should not offer your prayers in your Christian sister's home. Indeed, we may pray in a church if the need arises.

It is certainly forbidden for women to try to appear in the guise of men, as it is forbidden for men to appear in the guise of women. But that is what the prohibition involves: To try to give a false impression. A woman may wear her hair short without giving any hint of a manly appearance. The same applies to wearing trousers. What is important is where she wears the trousers and how tight they are. If they are loose, and an appropriate top dress is worn over them, such as long blouse or a coat, then there is nothing wrong with wearing them in public. Indeed, they may be a highly appropriate dress for both men and women. The prohibition on smoking is based on the fact that we have now established with certainty that smoking is highly injurious to health. It causes cardiovascular diseases as well as many types of cancer.

I do not see anything wrong with using a razor blade or hanging a picture in one's home if the picture is not pornographic. As for using statues for decorations, Islam views that with certain dislike. This is due to the fact that statutes have been considered to represent gods. They smack of the worship of idols. [However, some scholars have ruled that decorative figurines may be used provided that they do not represent the image of any of the gods that non-Muslims follow.]