Repenting in the battlefield

Repenting in the battlefield

Nasr bin Muzahim mentions in his book Waq’at (battle of) Siffeen that Hashim al-Mirqal has gone with a group of the Qur'an reciters to support Ameerul Mo’mineen (Imam Ali) (s) in the battle of Siffeen when he saw a young man from the army of Mo’awiya reciting some verses of poetry and challenging that someone might fight him. He abused Imam Ali (s), cursed him and dispraised him too much. Hashim al-Mirqal said to him, ‘After this speech there is enmity and after this fighting there is punishment. Fear Allah because you will return to Him and He will ask you about this situation and what you have intended to do.’ The young man said, ‘I will fight you because your man (Imam Ali) does not offer prayers as I have been told…

Hashim said that he had showed him the truth and proved to him the deception of Mo’awiya. When he knew the truth, he apologized, repented, turned to Allah and joined the army of Imam Ali (s).

The repentance of the Jew young man

Imam al-Baqir (s) said, ‘There was a Jew young man who often came to the Prophet (s) until the Prophet (s) became familiar with him. The Prophet (s) might send him to do something for him or might send with him a book to his people. The Prophet (s) missed him for some days and he asked about him. It was said to him that the Jew had been in the last day of his life. The Prophet (s) with some of his companions visited him. The Prophet (s) had a charisma that whomsoever he talked to answered him. He called out the name of the Jew and the Jew opened his eyes and said, ‘O Abul Qassim,[1] here I am!’ The Prophet (s) said, ‘Say: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.’ The young man looked at his father and he did not say anything to him. The Prophet (s) asked him again and he looked at his father who he did not say anything to him. Then the Prophet (s) asked him for the third time to say the shahada. The young man looked at his father and his father said to him, ‘If you want, say the shahada and if you do not want, do not do.’ The young man said to the Prophet (s), ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and you are the messenger of Allah.’ After a moment the young man died. The Prophet (s) asked the young man’s father to leave them alone and then he said to his companions, ‘Wash him (do ghusl to the dead), enshroud him and then bring him to me to offer the prayer for him.’ Then the Prophet (s) went out saying, ‘Praise be to Allah who has saved by me a person from the Hell today.’[2]

A nomad repenting of disbelief and polytheism

Imam as-Sadiq (s) said that the Prophet (s) had said to his companions during one of his battles, ‘A man will come to you from one of these mountain passes. He has desisted from following Iblis since three days.’ It was not long until a Bedouin appeared. His skin had stuck to his bones, his eyes had disappeared in his head and his lips had become green because of eating legumes. He asked about the Prophet (s) until he met him. He said to the Prophet (s), ‘Offer Islam to me!’ The Prophet (s) said to him, ‘Say: I witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.’ The man said, ‘I witness.’ The Prophet (s) said to him, ‘You are to pray five times and to fast in Ramadan.’ He said, ‘I acknowledge.’ The Prophet (s) said to him, ‘You are to perform the hajj to the Kaaba, to pay the zakat and to do ghusl of janaba.’[3] He said, ‘I acknowledge.’ After that, the Bedouin with his camel had fallen behind. The Prophet (s) stopped and asked about him. Some people went back looking for him. They found that the hoof of the camel had fallen into a hole of the rats and so the camel had fallen to the ground. The neck of the Bedouin and the neck of his camel had broken and they both were dead. The Prophet (s) ordered his companions to erect a tent in which he washed the dead Bedouin and enshroud him. The people heard that the Prophet (s) was moving here and there inside the tent. When the Prophet (s) went out of the tent, his forehead was sweating. He said, ‘This Bedouin died while he was hungry. He had believed (in Allah) and his faith was not mixed with injustice. The Houris[4] hurried to him with the fruits of Paradise filling his mouth. This one (Houri) said, ‘O messenger of Allah, make me one of his wives’ and that one said, ‘O messenger of Allah, make me one of his wives!’[5]

The repentance of Shaqeeq al-Balkhi

Shaqeeq was one of the wealthy people’s children. Once he went on trade to the land of the Turks while he was a young boy yet. He entered into a house of idols. He saw there an employee who had shaved his head and beard and put on purple cloths. Shaqeeq said to the employee, ‘You have a live and knowing Maker. Worship Him and do not worship these idols which neither harm nor benefit!’

The employee said to Shaqeeq, ‘If it is as you say, then He (the Maker) is able to provide you with the means of subsistence in your country but why you have toiled all the way for trading here?’

Shaqeeq considered too much and followed the way of asceticism.

Shaqeeq said, ‘I have asked seven hundred scholars about five things and all of them have given the same answers. I asked, ‘Who is rational?’ They said, ‘A rational person is one who does not love the worldly life.’ I asked, ‘Who is good?’ They said, ‘A good person is one who is not deceived by the worldly life.’ I asked, ‘Who is rich?’ They said, ‘A rich person is one who is satisfied with what Allah has given to him.’ I asked, ‘Who is poor?’ They said, ‘A poor person is one who wishes to have more and more.’ I asked, ‘Who is stingy?’ They said, ‘A stingy person is one who does not give the right of Allah from his properties.’[6]

The angels and the sins of the repentant

It has been mentioned that the angels ascend to the Heaven with the sins of a person and when they submit them to the Guarded Tablet, they find good deeds (written) instead of these sins and then they prostrate themselves and say, ‘O our Lord, You know that we have written against him (the sinful one) just what he has done.’ Then Allah will say, ‘You said the truth but my servant repented of his sin and interceded with me by his tears and so I forgave his sin and granted him generously and I am the Most Bounteous.[7]

A sinful one and the time-limit of repentance

It has been mentioned that when Allah had cursed Iblis, Iblis asked Allah to respite him and Allah respited him until the Day of Resurrection. Allah said to him, ‘What will you do?’ He said, ‘I swear by Your loftiness that I will not go out of Your servant’s chest until he dies.’ The Lord said, ‘By My glory and loftiness, I will not prevent my servant from repentance until he dies.’[8]

The sinful and the hope of repentance

It has been mentioned that Yazeed bin Marthad always cried and his tears did not stop. When he was asked about that, he said, ‘If Allah has threatened me if I committed a sin, He would imprison me in the bathroom, it would make my tears not stop so how would it be where Allah has threatened to imprison me in a fire which He has kindled for three thousand years? He has kindled the fire for one thousand years until it has become red and then for one thousand years until it has become white and then for one thousand years until it has become black. It is black like the dark night.’[9]