What is the ruling regarding friends who commit major and minor sins under the pretext that God is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful, and who cite His saying, the Almighty: "Not one of you but will pass over it," when they are warned of the Fire; and are they in the right in what they do?

One who commits major sins is unjust to himself, and believers are of different categories: those who wrong themselves, those who are moderate, and those who are foremost in good deeds. They must repent from sins, and it is not permissible to make excuses by saying that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful, for Allah is also swift in punishment and His torment is severe, and He is angry with those who commit His prohibitions. As for the Almighty's saying: (And there is none of you except that he will come to it [Hell]) [Maryam: 71], it does not mean that the pious will touch the fire, rather Allah will save them from it and keep them far away from it.