How does God’s forgiveness already work in this world?

God’s forgiveness does not begin only after death. It has carried life on earth from the very beginning, because without it the mistakes of living beings would long ago have destroyed life. Even our body is built to absorb many of our mistakes.

Many people think of forgiveness only in connection with the hereafter. But the Holy Qur’an turns our attention to this world. If God were to punish every folly of man immediately, even the smallest, no living creature would remain on earth. The very existence of life is therefore already a sign of His forgiveness.

This is true of the whole history of life. Every form of life has made mistakes, including those that existed before us. Yet life has not perished. The system God created is so generously designed that life could continue despite error and ignorance.

This can be seen particularly well in the human body. Here forgiveness works not as a religious act but as a law of nature. The body regulates sugar, for example, with the help of insulin. Someone who eats too much and overloads the system does not fall ill at once, because the body has large reserves. Even if part of the cells that produce insulin is damaged, the healthy remainder is often enough.

It is similar with the kidneys. We have two. If one fails through neglect, a person can live on well with the other, often without noticing anything. Even part of a kidney can still be enough. Wherever we look closely, life is cushioned against our mistakes so that they do not destroy it.

If God has been so forgiving since life began, how could we expect Him to forgive less after death? What we experience in this world points to how great His forgiveness will be in the hereafter as well.