Mishkat al-Masabih

Among the B. Isra’il there was a man who killed ninety-nine people and then went out to make enquiry. He went to a monk and asked him whether repentance would be accepted for what he had done, and when he replied that it would not, he killed him. He then began to make enquiry, and a man told him to go to such and such a village. When he was upon the point of death he arose to go towards it, and the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him. God then told the one village to come near and the other to remove to a distance, and told the angels to measure the distance between them. He was found to be the distance of a span nearer to the one towards which he was going, and so he was forgiven. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, if you had not sinned God would have removed you and brought a people who sin, then ask God’s pardon and are forgiven." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Musa reported God’s messenger as saying, "God stretches out His hand at night that those who have done evil during the day may repent and stretches out His hand in the day-time that those who have done evil during the night may repent, until the sun rises in the west." Muslim transmitted it.

'A’isha reported God’s messenger as saying, "When a servant acknowledges his sin and repents, God forgives him.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "If anyone repents before the sun rises in the west, God will forgive him." Muslim transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, "God is more pleased with the repentance of His servant when he turns penitently towards Him than one of you would be if his riding-beast which was carrying his food and drink escaped from him in a waterless desert and he, despairing of recovering it, went and lay down in the shade of a tree, then suddenly saw it standing beside him and, seizing its halter, said from excess of joy, ‘O God, Thou art my servant and I am Thy lord’, making a mistake from excess of joy.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger told of a man who committed a sin and said, "My Lord, I have sinned, so forgive me.” His Lord replied, “Does my servant know that he has a Lord who pardons sin and punishes for it? I have pardoned my servant." After remaining such time as God willed he committed a sin and said, “My Lord, I have committed another sin, so forgive me.” He replied, “Does my servant know that he has a Lord who pardons sin and punishes for it? I have pardoned my servant, so let him do what he likes.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jundub said that God’s messenger told of a man saying, “I swear by God that God will not forgive so and so,” whereupon God most high said, “Who is this who swears that I will not forgive so and so? For I have forgiven so and so and have made your deeds to come to nothing”, or words to that effect. Muslim transmitted it.

Shaddad b. Aus reported God’s messenger as saying that the best manner of asking pardon is to say, “O God, Thou art my Lord. There is no god but Thee. Thou hast created me, and I am Thy servant and hold to Thy covenant and promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Thy favour to me, and I acknowledge my sin. Pardon me, for none but Thee pardons sins.” He said that if anyone says it during the day-time with firm belief in it and dies that day before evening, he will be one of those who go to paradise; and if anyone says it during the night with firm belief in it and dies before morning, he will be one of those who go to paradise. Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s messenger as stating that God has said, “Son of Adam, as long as you supplicate me and hope in me I will pardon you in spite of what you have done, and I do not care. Son of Adam, if your sins were so numerous as to reach the lofty regions of the sky, then you asked my forgiveness, I would forgive you, and I do not care. Son of Adam, if you were to meet me with enough sins to fill the earth, then met me not associating anything with me, I would bring you as much pardon as would fill the earth.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ahmad and Darimi transmitted it from Abu Dharr. Tirmidhi said this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as stating that God has said, “If anyone knows that I have power to forgive sins I will pardon him and not care, so long as he associatesi nothing with me.” It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone continually asks pardon, God will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide for him from where he did not reckon.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq reported God's messenger as saying, “He who asks pardon is not a confirmed sinner, even if he returns to his sin seventy times a day.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, "All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who are given to repentance." Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a believer sins there is black spot in his heart, and if he repents and asks pardon his heart is polished; but if he does more it increases till it gains the ascendancy over his heart. That is the rust mentioned by God most high, 'Nay, but what they were committing has spread like rust over their hearts'.” 1 1. Qur’an, lxxxiii, 14. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “God accepts a servant’s repentance till he gives up his spirit in death.”* *The Arabic is ma lam yugharghir, which might, be translated literally "as long as he has not died with the death rattle in his throat." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God’s messenger as saying that the devil said, “By Thy might, my Lord, I shall continue to lead Thy servants astray as long as their spirits are in their bodies” The Lord who is great and glorious replied, “By my might, glory and exalted station, I shall con­ tinue to pardon them as long as they ask my forgiveness.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Safwan b. ‘Assal reported God’s messenger as saying, “God most high has placed in the west for repentance a gate with a breadth of seventy years’ journey, and it will not be locked as long the sun does not rise in its direction. That agrees with God’s words, ‘On the day that certain of the signs of your Lord come, a soul which has not believed before will not be benefited by believing in them ’.”* *Qur’an, vi, 158 Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Mu'awiya reported God’s messenger as saying, "Emigration will not come to an end* till repentance comes to an end and repentance will not come to an end till the sun rises in-the place where it sets.” *This probably means that people will continue to leave districts in which it is difficult for them to observe their religion. Ahmad Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “There were two men among the B. Israil who loved one another, 'one of whom engaged ardently in worship while the other called himself a sinner. The former began to say, "Refrain from what you are doing," and the other would reply, “Let me alone with my Lord.” One day he found him committing a sin which he considered serious and said, “Refrain;" to which he replied, “Let me alone with my Lord. Were you sent to watch over me?” He then said, "I swear by God that God will never pardon you, nor will He bring you into paradise." God then sent to them an angel who took their spirits, and they came together into His presence To the sinner He said, “Enter paradise by my mercy;” and to the other He said, “Can you forbid my mercy to my servant?” He replied, “No, my Lord.” Then He said, “Take him away to hell.” Ahmad transmitted it.