The gift of Allah to the real repentant

One of the infallible imams (s) says, ‘Allah the Almighty has given the repentant three advantages. If He has given one of them to all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, they will be saved by it. Allah has said,

“Surely Allah loves those who turn much (to Him), and He loves those who purify themselves.” Qur'an, 2:222

He, whom Allah loves, will never be tortured. Allah has said too:

“Those who bear the power and those around Him celebrate the praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask protection for those who believe: Our Lord! Thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge, therefore grant protection to those who turn (to Thee) and follow Thy way, and save them from the punishment of the hell. Our Lord! and make them enter the gardens of perpetuity which Thou hast promised to them and those who do good of their fathers and their wives and their offspring, surely Thou are the Mighty, the Wise. And keep them from evil deeds, and whom Thou keepest from evil deeds this day, indeed Thou hast mercy on him, and that is the mighty achievement.” Qur'an, 40:7-9

Allah has also said,

“And they who do not call upon another god with Allah and do not slay the soul, which Allah has forbidden except in the requirements of justice, and (who) do not commit fornication and he who does this shall find a requital of sin. The punishment shall be doubled to him on the day of resurrection, and he shall abide therein in abasement. Except him who repents and believes and does a good deed; so these are they of whom Allah changes the evil deeds to good ones; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” Qur'an, 25:68-70

The Holy Qur'an and repentance

The word “repentance” and its derivatives have been mentioned in the Qur'an about eighty-seven times. It has been mentioned so much and this shows the greatness of this fact near Allah the Almighty.

We can classify what has been mentioned in the Qur'an concerning the matter of “repentance” into five parts:

1. The command of repentance
2. The way of the real repentance
3. Accepting repentance (by Allah)
4. Turning away from repentance
5. The reason of not accepting repentance

1. The command of repentance

Allah has said,

“…and ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him.” Qur'an, 11:3

“…and turn to Allah all of you, O believers, so that you may be successful.” Qur'an, 24:31

Ar-Raghib al-Isfahani says in his book Mufradat al-Qur’an,

‘Success on the Day of Resurrection is life without death, honor with no ignominy, knowledge with no ignorance and wealth with no poverty.’

Allah has also said,

“O you who believe! turn to Allah a sincere turning.” Qur'an, 66:8

From these Qur’anic verses it is understood that Allah the Almighty has ordered the believers and other than believers of repentance. It is well-known that obeying Allah is something obligatory and it leads man to the way of forgiveness and mercy and on the contrary that disobeying the order of Allah is impermissible and it leads to Allah’s wrath and torment and brings disgrace in this life and in the afterlife and causes eternal perishment.

2. The way of the real repentance

Repentance is not an easy matter. It is not achieved except by certain and practical conditions.

Among the elements that form the basic adobes in building the real repentance are regretting, determining to give up sin forever, changing one’s bad morals into good ones, repairing one’s deeds and past and relying on believing in Allah and the Day of Resurrection in following the straight path and the way of perfection.

Allah has said,

“Except those who repent and amend and make manifest (the truth), these it is to whom I turn (mercifully); and I am the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful.” Qur'an, 2:160

“Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance, then turn (to Allah) soon, so these it is to whom Allah turns (mercifully), and Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.” Qur'an, 4:17

“But whoever repents after his iniquity and reforms (himself), then surely Allah will turn to him (mercifully); surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” Qur'an, 5:39

“And (as to) those who do evil deeds, then repent after that and believe, your Lord after that is most surely Forgiving, Merciful.” Qur'an, 7:153

“But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith.” Qur'an, 9:11

According to these verses we notice that the conditions of the real repentance are: believing in Allah and the Day of Resurrection, reforming one’s faith, morals and doings, prompt turning (to Allah) without any delay, cutting one’s relation with injustice and sin, offering prayers, paying zakat and giving the rights of people back to them. Whoever repents in this way his repentance no doubt is a real repentance and then it will definitely be accepted by Allah.

3. Accepting repentance

When a sinful one obeys the order of Allah concerning the matter of repentance, tries to act according to the conditions of repentance and to follow the way that the Holy Qur'an has determined for the repentant, definitely his repentance will be accepted by Allah for Allah has promised sinful people who repent to accept their repentances. Such one is fit so that Allah purifies him from the consequences of sin and changes the darkness of his inners into light and brightness.

Allah has said,

“Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His servants…” Qur'an, 9:104

“And He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons the evil deeds.” Qur'an, 42:25

“The Forgiver of the faults and the Acceptor of repentance.” Qur'an, 40:3

4. Turning away from repentance

If turning away from repentance is due to despair of the mercy of Allah, then such a person should know that despairing of the mercy of Allah is one of the aspects of disbelief and the disbelievers.[1]

If a sinful turns away from repentance thinking that Allah is unable to accept his repentance and forgive him, he should know that this matter is from the morals of the stubborn Jews.[2]

If a sinful turns away from repentance out of pride, defiance and impudence before his generous Lord, he should know that Allah is mighty and powerful and He does not like such pride and impudent persons to be in His sacred yard. A person, who lives outside the circle of the love of Allah, lives a dry spirituality and is stuffed inside his dark soul besides that he is saved neither in this life nor in the afterlife.[3]

A sinful one has to know that his turning away from repentance-in spite of that the door of repentance is always open and one is able to repent with the previous mentioned conditions and that Allah accepts repentance from His people-is the very injustice against oneself and distorting and destroying the high Divine facts. Allah has said,

“…and whoever does not turn, these it is that are the unjust.” Qur'an, 49:11

“Surely (as for) those who persecute the believing men and the believing women, then do not repent, they shall have the chastisement of hell, and they shall have the chastisement of burning.” Qur'an, 85:10

5. The reason of not accepting repentance

When a sinful one finds the opportunity of repentance and he repents of his sins following all the conditions of repentance, definitely his repentance will be accepted by Allah the Almighty but if he wastes the opportunity of repentance and procrastinates it until the signs of his death come and then he announces repentance of his previous sins or his repentance is not according to the actual conditions or he disbelieves after his believing, his repentance will not be accepted. Allah has said,

“And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds, until when death comes to one of them, he says: Surely now I repent; nor (for) those who die while they are unbelievers. These are they for whom We have prepared a painful chastisement.” Qur'an, 4:18

“Surely, those who disbelieve after their believing, then increase in unbelief, their repentance shall not be accepted, and these are they that go astray.” Qur'an, 3:90

The Traditions and the matter of Repentance

Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad al-Baqir (s) has said,

‘Adam has said, ‘O my Lord, You have empowered the Satan over me and made him as the flow of the blood in me. O my Lord, do me something!’ Allah said, ‘O Adam, I have granted you that whoever of your progeny intends to do an evil, it will not be written against him but if he commits it, it will be written as one evil and whoever intends to do a good deed without doing it, it will be written for him as one good deed and if he does it, it will be written for him as ten good deeds.’ Adam said, ‘O my Lord, grant me more!’ Allah said, ‘I have granted you that whoever of your progeny does an evil and then asks for forgiveness, his evil will be forgiven.’ Adam said, ‘O my Lord, grant me more!’ Allah said, ‘I have granted your progeny repentance until the moment of death.’ Adam said, ‘O my Lord, this suffices me.’[4]

Imam as-Sadiq (s) narrates that the Prophet (s) has said, ‘Whoever repents a year before his death Allah accepts his repentance.’ Then he said, ‘A year is too much. Whoever repents a month before his death Allah accepts his repentance.’ Then he said, ‘A month is too much. Whoever repents a week before his death Allah accepts his repentance.’ Then he said, ‘A week is too much. Whoever repents a day before his death Allah accepts his repentance.’ Then he said, ‘A day is too much. Whoever repents before (the moment) he sees the angel of death Allah accepts his repentance.’[5]

The Prophet (s) has said, ‘Allah accepts the repentance of His servant even before he breathes his last. Turn to your Lord before you die and hasten to do good deeds before you become busy (with other things) and keep what is between you and your Lord by mentioning Him too much.’[6]

It is narrated that Imam Ali (s) has said, ‘There is no intercessor more successful than repentance.’[7]

And the Prophet (s) has said, ‘Repentance cancels all what is (committed) before it.’[8]

Imam Ali (s) has said, ‘Repentance calls down mercy.’[9]

He has also said, ‘Turn to Allah and enter into His love because Allah loves those who turn much (to Him), and He loves those who purify themselves. The believers turn much to Allah.’[10]

Imam ar-Redha (s) has narrated from his fathers that the Prophet (s) had said, ‘A believer near Allah is like a close angel. A believer near Allah is greater than this and nothing is more beloved to Allah than a repentant believing man or a repentant believing woman.’[11]

Imam are-Redha (s) has also narrated from his fathers that the Prophet (s) had said, ‘A repentant of sin is like one who has not committed a sin.’[12]

It is narrated that Imam as-Sadiq (s) has said, ‘Sincere repentance is that one repents of a sin and determines not to come back to it again.’[13]

The Prophet (s) has said, ‘Allah is happier with the repentance of His servant than a sterile man when begetting a child, than a lost one when finding his destination and than a thirsty one when reaching a drinking fountain.’[14]

He has also said, ‘A repentant, if the effect of repentance does not appear on him, is not repentant. He should satisfy his litigants, offer his wasted prayers, be humble among people, keep himself away from lusts and emaciate his neck by fasting in the days.’[15]

Ameerul Mo’mineen (Imam Ali) (s) has said, ‘Repentance is regretting in the heart, asking (Allah) for forgiveness by the tongue, giving up (sins) by the organs and intending not to come back (to sins) again.’[16]

He has also said, ‘Whoever turns to Allah, Allah turns to him and his organs are ordered to cover his sins, the lands to conceal his sins and the guardians (angels) are made forget what they have written against him.’[17]

Imam as-Sadiq (s) has said, ‘Allah the Almighty has revealed to His prophet Dawood (David): if My faithful servant commits a sin and then turns and repents of that sin and becomes shy of Me when mentioning Me, I will forgive him and make the guardians (angels) forget (what they have written against him) and I change his evils into good deeds…and I am the most Merciful of the merciful ones.’[18]

In an important tradition the Prophet (s) has said, ‘Do you know who a repentant is?’ His companions said, ‘By Allah, no, we do not.’ He said, ‘If one repents without satisfying his litigants, he is not repentant. Whoever repents without increasing his worship is not repentant. Whoever repents without changing his cloths (conducts) is not repentant. Whoever repents without changing his companions is not repentant. Whoever repents without changing his meetings is not repentant. Whoever repents without changing his bed and pillow is not repentant. Whoever repents without changing his morals and intent is not repentant. Whoever repent without opening his heart and giving with his hand generously is not repentant. Whoever repents without repressing his wishes and controlling his tongue is not repentant. Whoever repents without gifting the further power of his body is not repentant. If he does these things, he will be repentant.’[19]

What has been mentioned in this important tradition concerning the state of changing is something very important especially the things that one gains from unlawful sources or through unlawful relations.

The advantages of repentance

Repentance has very important advantages in the worldly life and the in afterlife mentioned in the Qur’anic verses especially the verses concerning repenting of sins and also the honorable traditions narrated from Ahlul Bayt (s). Here we mention some of these advantages:

Allah has said,

“…Ask forgiveness of your Lord, surely He is the most Forgiving. He will send down upon you the cloud, pouring down abundance of rain and help you with wealth and sons, and make for you gardens, and make for you rivers.” Qur'an, 71:10-12

“O you who believe, turn to Allah a sincere turning; maybe your Lord will remove from you your evil and cause you to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow.” Qur'an, 66:8

Most of the verses concerning repentance end with the two attributes “Forgiver” and “Merciful”. It means that Allah grants a true repentant with His forgiveness and mercy.[20]

“And if the people of the towns had believed and guarded (against evil) We would certainly have opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth.” Qur'an, 7:96

In Tafseer Majma’ul Bayan an important and attractive tradition has been mentioned that once a man has come to Imam al-Hasan (s) complaining to him of barrenness. Imam al-Hasan (s) said to him, ‘Ask Allah to forgive you!’ Another one came to him complaining of poverty. Imam al-Hasan (s) said to him, ‘Ask Allah to forgive you!’ A third one came to him saying, ‘Pray Allah to grant me a son!’ Imam al-Hasan said to him, ‘Ask Allah to forgive you!’ The people there said to Imam al-Hasan (s), ‘Some men came to you complaining and asking for different things but you ordered them all to ask Allah for forgiveness.’ He said, ‘I have not said that out of myself but I followed the saying of Allah when mentioning the story of Prophet Noah (s) where he said to his people,

“…Ask forgiveness of your Lord, surely He is the most Forgiving. He will send down upon you the cloud, pouring down abundance of rain and help you with wealth and sons, and make for you gardens, and make for you rivers.” Qur'an, 71:10-12[21]

Anyhow what is understood from the Holy Qur'an and the noble traditions is that the advantages of repentance are: omitting sins, the Divine pardoning and forgiving, the Divine mercy, being safe from the torment of the hereafter, deserving to enter Paradise, safety of the soul, purity of the heart and the organs, being away from scandal, falling of rains, abundance of wealth and children, growing of gardens and flowing of rivers, disappearance of barrenness and poverty