48 Preface إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغفِرُ أَن يُشرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغفِرُ ما دونَ ذٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشرِك بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افتَرىٰ إِثمًا عَظيمًاYusuf AliGod forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with God is to devise a sin1 Most heinous indeed.Just as in an earthly kingdom the worst crime is that of treason, as it cuts at the very existence of the State, so in the spiritual kingdom, the unforgivable sin is that of contumacious treason against God by putting up God’s creatures in rivalry against Him. This is rebellion against the essence and source of spiritual Life. It is what Plato would call the “lie in the soul.” But even here, if the rebellion is through ignorance, and is followed by sincere repentance and amendment, God’s Mercy is always open (4:17).