Commentary on the Ahadith of Repentance

Praise be to Allah,

1. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent until the sun rises from the west”.
[Muslim].

Commentary:

This Hadith confirms an essential Attribute of Allah, i.e., the Hand which He stretches out anytime He wishes without drawing similarity to it, nor interpretation. Such was the attitude of the pious predecessors with regards to all of the essential Attributes of Allah. It is deduced from this Hadith that if one commits a sin during any hour of day or night, he should immediately seek the forgiveness of Allah as a result.

2.Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,

“He who repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will forgive him”.
[Muslim].

 

For detailed commentary on the hadith of Ka’b ibn Malik and more evidence on repentance, click here

Commentary:

Taubah means returning to Allah from sins. When a person commits a sin, he goes away from Allah. When he repents, he returns to Allah and desires for being pardoned by Him and getting near Him. This returning towards Him is Taubah. When it is said that `Allah turns towards him, it means that Allah accepts his repentance.

3.Abdullah bin `Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) reported that: The Prophet (PBUH) said,

“Allah accepts a slave’s repentance as long as the latter is not on his death bed (that is, before the soul of the dying person reaches the throat)”.

[At-Tirmidhi, who categorized it as Hadith Hasan].

Commentary:

The word Ghargharah means the stage when the soul is about to leave the body and reaches the throat. In other words, the time when one suffers the agony of death.

Shaykh Uthaymeen”s says,

The action of accepting the repentance of an individual, even if it be belated is indicative of the magnanimous Nature of Allah the Exalted, the Majestic. Hence, if an individual commits a misdeed during the day, certainly Allah the Most High shall accept his penitence even if he should seek it during the night. Similarly, if he transgresses during the night and seeks penitence during the day, verily Allah shall accept his repentance. Rather, Allah shall extend His Hand until He receives the penitence which is quested for by His believing servant.

As for, [The sun will orbit the earth] in an inverse manner, for [the sun] shall rise in the West. All the people shall then become believers when they observe this inversion, including the atheists, the Jews, the Christians, those who ascribe to the teachings of the buddha, the Communists, in addition to others. Nevertheless, their belief shall avail them not, if they were amongst those who did not believe before the [event] of the sun rising from the West.

In relation to the tradition of Ibn ‘Umar: Indeed Allah the Exalted, the Majestic shall accept the penitence of the slave [up to the point] that his soul does not reach the throat.
Meaning: Before the arrival of death – because there shall be no repentance at the time of death.
In addition, other evidence clarify the principle which dictates that al-Tawbah shall be nullified upon the death of an individual. This is in accordance with His statement, the Most High,

“Of no consequence is the repentance of those who perform evil actions, until death arrives upon one of them, he says: Now I repent”. [Surah al-Nisa’a: Ayah 18]

Source:

1.RYADUSSALIHEEN, Compiled by Imam Abu Zakaruya Yahya Bin Sharaf An-Nawawi with commentary on Ahadith Sheikh Safiur Rahman Mubarpuri. Chapter 2,  Repentance.

2.An Explanation of Riyadh al-Saliheen. from the words of the Master of the Messengers ‘Part 1
Explanation and Completion of His Eminence Shaykh Muhammad bn Salih Uthaymeen.

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