How do Muslims believe in getting forgiveness?

Question

I know they believe Ibrahim was asked to sacrifice Ismael. And I know that on certain holidays they sacrifice animals. Is animal sacrifice necessary for forgiveness, or is it just done to show respect?
Do they believe in atonement for sin, or do they simply apologize and that's that?

I didn't mean anything rude by referring to Muslims as "them". It's just that, nine times out of ten, when I ask a question about Islam, I don't get any Muslims who answer. Thanks for answering me.

Answer 1

What Islam teaches regarding forgiveness:
There is a well-known story in Islamic history about the death of Muhammad's uncle Abu Talib, who had protected Mohammad from his enemies in Mecca for many years. As his uncle lay dying, Mohammed begged him to confess Islam, but his uncle did not. Afterward Mohammad reportede a revelation from ALLAH, which said:
"Whether you (O Mohammad) ask for forgiveness for them (hypocrites) or ask forgiveness for them - (and even) if you ask seventy times for their forgiveness- ALLAH will not forgive them, because they have disbelieved ALLAH and his messenger (Muhammad). And ALLAH guides not those people who are Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to ALLAH)." -Surah 9:80
All offenses are NOT equal in Islamic theology. there are great sins and little sins. Examples of great sins are: worshipping another god besides ALLAH, denying the basic beliefs of Islam, especially the five pillars; insulting Mohammad; killing other people outside Islamic Law; and slandering another Muslim when he is not present. The offender must repent to ALLAH but ALLAH decides whether or not to forgive him. Only on Judgement Day will he discover whether or not ALLAH has forgiven him.
On the other hand, little sins could be forgiven by doing good deeds like extra prayer, extra fasting, or extra charity. Examples of small sins are: missing prayer for a day, lying, eating during Ramadan fasting, or refusing to help a neighbor in need.
In short, ALLAH alone decides whether or not a person is forgiven. If he comits a big sin, he is at ALLAH'S mercy. If he commmits a little sin, he can earn forgivness through good works or going on hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
After Mohammad began sending out military expeditions from Medina, he recieved special revelations about a special way Muslims could earn forgiveness from ALLAH- by fighting and dying for the cause of Islam. One revelation described fighting for ALLAH a "trade." If you give Allah "your wealth adn your lives" he will forgive your sins, admit you into paradise, and help you win your battle. Here is the passage from the Quran:
"O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from painful torment? that you believe in ALLAH and his messenger (Muhammad), and that you will strive hard and fight for the cause of ALLAH with your wealth and your lives: that will be better for you, if you but know! (If you do so) He will forgive you your sins and admit you into the Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant in 'Adn (Eden) Paradise, that is indeed the great success. ANd also (he will give you) another (blessing) which you love,- help from ALLAH (against your enemies) and a near victory. - Surah 61:10-13 (emphasis added)
What Christianity teches regarding forgiveness (just to show the difference between the faiths)
While Mohammad said he had no ability to forgive sin, Jesus openly proclaimed that he had complete authority to forgive sin.
" Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw he had faith, he said to the paralytic "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." At this time some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Which is easier: to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say 'get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'"- then he turned and said to the paralytic, " Arise, take up your bed, and then go to your house." And he arose and departed to his house."
- Matthew 9:2-7
When John the Baptist saw Jesus walking toward him, he exclaimed, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29) When Jesus spoke of his death by crusifixion, he said, "This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:28)
In other words, Jesus no only claimed the ability to forgive sins on behalf of God while he was on earth, but he also claimed that his death would function as a substitute sacrafice, securing humanity for all time.
I hope this made sense and answered your question lol The differences between the Muslim faith and the Christian faith really interest me :)

Answer 2

Sacrificing animals and giving a share of its meat to the poor is recommended since you can afford it. It is one of the good deeds like prayer, charity, etc.
I am not sure what you mean by 'atonement for sin' but when you sin you need to repent. Repentence is not only feeling sorry for what you did. In Islam, repentence is:
1. feeling sorry for what you did
2. asking for forgiveness for what iy did
3. making up your mind never to do it again
4. returing any right to people (if the sin involves other people so for example if I stole some money from a friend, my repentence is not complete unless I return the money back to her)

Peace

PS, when you ask a question about Islam, you can direct it to muslims rather than 'them' :)

Answer 3

No animal sacrifice isn't done for forgiveness it is done to get closer to God by doing good deeds...
We believe that each sin has some kind of punishment, it depends on the sin that the punishment that we are supposed to get. We believe to get forgiveness we have to fully realize what we have done, then we do Tawba which is literally asking for forgiveness from Allah, we have to do a lot of good deeds and always ask for his forgivness while so. We have to believe that we will never go back to whatever sin that we have comitted and we have to struggle from our desires to please Allah...

Answer 4

there is thousand of ways to ask the god's forgiveness and he is the MOST merciful, MOST forgiving.
some of these way is the animal sacrifice for the one and the only one god BUT the main purpose of it to make you closer to the god .
also give money for the poor can take off some of your sins .
praying erase the sins that happened between every pray time .

you can apologize for the God and Allah forgives All the sins and if you still alive that's mean you have the chance .

these days some of Muslims are go for hajj , and in'sha'allah they came back to their home free of all sins as same as when their mothers born them :)

many ways to do so , and the doors of forgiveness always opened. :)

may allah forgive us.
peace.

Answer 5

In Islam you repent by praying for forgiveness and deciding that you wont do it again.
The sacrificeof the goat isn't for forgiveness. a portion of the meat is given to the poor by every family every year on Eid.

Answer 6

There is no forgiveness in islam. That is apparent enough when you look at Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, etc. This is why they chop off hands and feet, and kill people without a fair trial, etc. This is why they are so intent upon destroying Israel at any cost. They worship "allah" which is characterized as a tyranical and merciless god, that is to be feared because he has no character of forgiveness or mercy. The life of a muslim is lived in fear. To enter their equivolent of "heaven" one must tip the "scales." That is, they must have done more good than bad in their lifetime. It is a completely works-driven religion, because there is no Savior. There is no grace made available to them by their god, because he is in their minds looking for an opportunity to smash them.

This is why islam means, "submission." This is why they feel compelled to pray five times a day, and to keep certain fasts throughout the year, and to go on a 'haj' to Mecca. This is why many of them have become suicide bombers, because they believe that "wiping out the infidel" as an act martyrdom, as an act of 'jihad' is the great deed that will outweigh all of their bad deeds and assure them a good place in the afterlife.

There are many muslims in the west that are not what we would call "radicals," and their views may not line up with everything that I've described here, but the purest form of islam does. islam in its purest form is what our media describes as "radical islam."

Answer 7

We believe in repenting to ALLAH and trying real hard not to go back to the bad thing. And no we don't believe in blood atonement. That's a Christian belief.

Answer 8

Sacrifice is an obligatory component of Eid ul Azha. It is not for forgiveness. Forgiveness is asked for by praying to God , saying that one is sorry and will not do it again. Animal sacrifice is Sadqa, to please God or to give thanks for some mercy. This is given to the poor, and it is one way that the poor can eat meat, which they cannot otherwise afford.

Answer 9

"Even if My slave has sins as big as mountains, I will still forgive him, because My mercy overcomes My wrath" (Divine Hadith - Hadith Qudsi)

"And seek the forgiveness of Allah. Certainly, Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'' (4:106)

"For the pious there are Gardens (Paradise) with their God, underneath which rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal (home) and purified mates or wives. And Allah will be pleased with them. And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) slaves. Those who say: `Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire. (They are) those who are patient, those who are true (in Faith, words, and deeds), and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend (give the Zakat and alms in the way of Allah) and those who pray and beg Allah's Pardon in the last hours of the night.'' (3:15-17)

"And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'' (4:110)


"And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad (PBUH)) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.'' (8:33)

"And those who, when they have committed illegal sexual intercourse or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allah - and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.'' (3:135)

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "I swear by Allah that I seek Allah's Pardon and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.''
[Al-Bukhari].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you do not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah will certainly forgive them.''[Muslim].

Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said: We counted Messenger's saying a hundred times during one single sitting: (My Lord! Forgive me and pardon me. Indeed, You are the Oft-Returning with compassion and Ever Merciful.''
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.''[Abu Dawud].

Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who says: 'I seek the forgiveness of Allah, there is no true god except Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I turn to Him in repentance,' his sins will be forgiven even if he should have run away from the battlefield (while he was engaged in fighting for the Cause of Allah).''[Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Al-Hakim (on conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim for accepting Hadith)].

Shaddad bin Aus (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The best supplication for seeking forgiveness is to say: 'O Allah! You are my Lord. There is no true god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge the favours that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon.' He who supplicates in these terms during the day with firm belief in it and dies on the same day (before the evening), he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah (Paradise); and if anyone supplicates in these terms during the night with firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah.''[Al-Bukhari].

Regarding the sacrifice of animal, it is not compulsory but it is preferred and encouraged, in remembrance of Abraham and Ismael (peace be upon them).

And unlike Christians, Muslims do not believe in the doctrine of original sin. Muslims also do not believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) died for our sins, although we do acknowledge and believe that he is the promised Messiah, but not son of God. And generally, one will be held accountable for one's sins, not for the sins of others.

If you have any question, you can just e-mail them to me. Be more than glad to help you the best I can.

God knows best.

Peace and Love

=)