Is there repentance for the one who kills intentionally?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Finally, the questioner asks about the one who kills a soul intentionally: does he have a path to repentance, given that Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said there is no repentance for the one who kills a soul intentionally?
Answer:
Yes, the majority of the scholars hold that he has a path to repentance, because if a disbeliever repents and a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) repents, Allah accepts his repentance; how much more so for the one who kills a soul, who is a Muslim? Repentance wipes out all sins, including shirk (associating partners with Allah), kufr (disbelief), and killing a soul. The one who repents from a sin is like the one who has no sin. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Anfal 8:38], and if they repent and establish prayer and give zakah, then let them go; they are free.
And in the other verse:[At-Tawbah 9:11]. So if repentance erases disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah Mighty and Majestic, then it erases the intentional killing of a soul a fortiori. This is in terms of the general ruling. In terms of the specific ruling, Allah Exalted and Majestic says: [Al-Furqan 25:68] [Al-Furqan 25:68-69] except for the one who repents [Al-Furqan 25:70].
Allah has informed us that He accepts the repentance of these people, including the slain and those who[Al-Furqan 25:68] Allah has forbidden except by right, so Allah accepts the repentance of the killer.
As for His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He:[An-Nisa 4:93], this is a warning. This is one of the texts of warning that are passed on as they came, but with the knowledge that the killer does not become a disbeliever. And as long as he has not become a disbeliever, his repentance is accepted by Allah the Exalted.
As for His saying "abiding therein," this is a temporary abiding, not an eternal abiding. He did not say "abiding therein forever," but rather "abiding therein." So his abiding is a long duration of his punishment in the Fire, or a long duration of his remaining in the Fire. It is a temporary abiding. The texts are to be reconciled; they are to be reconciled, and one should not take one side and leave the other.
And Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) does not declare the killer a disbeliever, nor does he hold that he is eternally abiding in the Fire. Rather, he holds that he must be punished, but he will come out of the Fire and enter Paradise, like the other sinners among the monotheists. However, the majority say that he may be punished, or that Allah may forgive him and accept his repentance; it is within the will of Allah. As for Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), he holds that he must be punished because of this verse. This does not mean that he is a disbeliever, nor that he is eternally abiding in the Fire forever. This issue should be understood well, and it should not be understood from Ibn 'Abbas that he declares the killer a disbeliever. Yes.
Finally, the questioner asks about the one who kills a soul intentionally: does he have a path to repentance, given that Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said there is no repentance for the one who kills a soul intentionally?
Answer:
Yes, the majority of the scholars hold that he has a path to repentance, because if a disbeliever repents and a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) repents, Allah accepts his repentance; how much more so for the one who kills a soul, who is a Muslim? Repentance wipes out all sins, including shirk (associating partners with Allah), kufr (disbelief), and killing a soul. The one who repents from a sin is like the one who has no sin. Allah the Exalted said:
Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them
قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِن يَنتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُم مَّا قَدْ سَلَفَAnd in the other verse:
But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then they are your brothers in religion
فَإِن تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِAnd those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّand do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. (69) Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated -
وَلَا يَزْنُونَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًاExcept for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًاAllah has informed us that He accepts the repentance of these people, including the slain and those who
another deity or kill the soul which
إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِيAs for His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He:
But whoever kills a believer intentionally - his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.
وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًاAs for His saying "abiding therein," this is a temporary abiding, not an eternal abiding. He did not say "abiding therein forever," but rather "abiding therein." So his abiding is a long duration of his punishment in the Fire, or a long duration of his remaining in the Fire. It is a temporary abiding. The texts are to be reconciled; they are to be reconciled, and one should not take one side and leave the other.
And Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) does not declare the killer a disbeliever, nor does he hold that he is eternally abiding in the Fire. Rather, he holds that he must be punished, but he will come out of the Fire and enter Paradise, like the other sinners among the monotheists. However, the majority say that he may be punished, or that Allah may forgive him and accept his repentance; it is within the will of Allah. As for Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), he holds that he must be punished because of this verse. This does not mean that he is a disbeliever, nor that he is eternally abiding in the Fire forever. This issue should be understood well, and it should not be understood from Ibn 'Abbas that he declares the killer a disbeliever. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 6339- هل للقاتل عمداً توبة؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.