Is the one who repents from sins not held accountable for his past sins if he repents with a sincere repentance, and is the repentance of those who commit major sins accepted from them?
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The questioner : Is the one who repents from sins not...
The Shaykh : Is it? Is it?
The questioner : Is the one who repents from sins not held accountable for his past sins if he repents with a sincere repentance, and is the repentance of those who commit major sins accepted from them?
The Shaykh : Yes, if a person repents with a sincere repentance, then Allah the Exalted accepts it from him, no matter how great the sin is. The evidence for this is His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Az-Zumar 39:53] This is general and contains no specification; it means that whoever repents from any sin, Allah will accept his repentance. And He said, the Exalted, in specifying: [Al-Furqan 25:68-70] So whatever the sin, no matter how great, if a person repents from it with a sincere repentance, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, forgives it. Here you find that Allah the Exalted mentioned shirk (associating partners with Allah), killing the soul without right, and zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), all of which are great acts of aggression. The first is aggression against the rights of the Creator, Mighty and Majestic; the second is aggression against the self in the rights of the created; and the third is aggression against honor in the rights of the created. And yet, if a person repents, believes, and does a righteous deed, Allah will replace his evil deeds with good ones. Have you not seen the people who were mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah) and opposed the call of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), but Allah guided them, they repented, and they became leaders of the Islamic community? However, if the sin is against the rights of a created being, it is necessary to deliver the right to its owner. If a person steals someone's money and repents from the theft, Allah will accept his repentance, but he must return the money to its owner, because repentance in matters concerning the rights of a created being is not complete unless the right is returned to its owner. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Is it? Is it?
The questioner : Is the one who repents from sins not held accountable for his past sins if he repents with a sincere repentance, and is the repentance of those who commit major sins accepted from them?
The Shaykh : Yes, if a person repents with a sincere repentance, then Allah the Exalted accepts it from him, no matter how great the sin is. The evidence for this is His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He:
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
قُل يا عِبادِيَ الَّذينَ أَسرَفوا عَلى أَنفُسِهِم لا تَقنَطوا مِن رَحمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغفِرُ الذُّنوبَ جَميعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفورُ الرَّحيمُ(68) And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and 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 - (70) Except 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.
وَالَّذينَ لا يَدعونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلهًا ءاخَرَ وَلا يَقتُلونَ النَّفسَ الَّتي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلّا بِالحَقِّ وَلا يَزنونَ وَمَن يَفعَل ذلِكَ يَلقَ أَثامًا * يُضاعَف لَهُ العَذابُ يَومَ القِيامَةِ وَيَخلُد فيهِ مُهانًا * إِلّا مَن تابَ وَءامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صالِحًا فَأُولئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِم حَسَناتٍ وَكانَ اللَّهُ غَفورًا رَحيمًاThe questioner : May Allah reward you.