Posted on: 04 Jan 2021
[Śrī Anil asked: A Muslim says that bad Muslims will get help from pious Muslims on the day of judgment. He states the following: Shafāh is a special help given to the bad Muslims from the pious Muslims on the Day of Judgment. Shafāh happens by the pious asking Allāh to help those bad Muslims by relieving them of their punishment. Allāh answers the prayers of the pious and lessens or completely relieves the bad Muslims of their punishments. Shafāh displays the great honor given to the pious, and is not granted to the kuffar (atheists). Prophet Muhammad is the first to give shafāh by Allāh’s Will, and the One who will benefit the most with His shafāh shows His great rank. Other Prophets, pious scholars, martyrs, and angels also give shafāh by Allāh’s Will. The prophet told us that whoever visits His grave will be granted shafāh by Him.
How can one get relief from punishment by the help from pious people? As per Your preaching, punishment is canceled by God only upon realisation, repentance and the non-repetition of sin.]
Swami replied: Atheists following ethics also are not punished by God. God’s minimum and maximum expectation is only that all souls should live peacefully in His creation following justice. God does not yearn for the devotion of devotees. The path of devotion to God was discovered by devotees on their own. Of course, since devotion is true and pure love for God, God indeed likes it very much. But God never initiates devotion from His side. Once devotion is shown by devotees, He certainly likes it and takes full care of real devotees. Hence, even an atheist who does not commit any sin will not be punished by God, just because the atheist did not believe in God. But generally, atheists get punished since they commit sins very easily. They do not believe that there is punishment for sin since they do not even believe that God exists. So, there is a higher tendency among atheists to commit sin. But the grounds for punishment are only the sinful deeds performed by the soul and not atheism.
God can help bad devotees provided they get reformed through spiritual knowledge. A bad devotee is not an atheist. But even that bad devotee will be punished for his sins, if he does not get reformed. Rāvaṇa was very strong devotee. Yet he was punished because he was a sinner. God only helps the devotee who has reformed and who does not repeat the sin. For such a soul, God may even cancel all the pending punishments for the previously committed sins. This is the policy of God, whatever may be the religion. Religions may change, but God is only one. Shafāh also requires the reformation of the bad soul, if it is to be properly understood without any misunderstanding.