A young man committed some sins, then repented to Allah with a sincere repentance. Is there any repentance for him in that?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This is a young man from Egypt who says that he committed some sins, so he repented to Allah with a sincere repentance. He asks, "Is there any repentance for me in that?" May you be rewarded, O honorable Shaykh?
The Shaykh : I am narrating a story that our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated to us about a man who was among those who came before and had killed ninety-nine souls without right. Then he went to a monk, meaning a worshipper among the worshippers, and said to him, "I have killed ninety-nine souls without right. Is there any repentance for me?" The monk said, "There is no repentance for you," because the monk considered the matter too great: that he had killed ninety-nine souls and then repented. He said, "There is no repentance for you." This answer did not please him, so he killed the monk, completing the hundred. He became one who had killed a hundred souls without right. Then he was directed to a scholar, so he asked him and said, "I have killed a hundred souls. Is there any repentance for me?" He said to him, "Who is preventing you from repentance? The door of repentance is open, but you are in a land, meaning a country, whose people are people of evil. But go to such-and-such a village, or he said, such-and-such a town, meaning that there are righteous people in it. So he went. On the way, death came to him. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment descended to him and disputed over who would take his soul. We ask Allah the Exalted to have the angels of mercy take our souls.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : They disputed, so Allah sent to them one to judge between them. He said, "Measure the distance between the two villages. Whichever is closer to it, he is from its people." They measured the distance between them, and it was closer to the village of the righteous people, so the angels of mercy took his soul. This is one of those who were before us, those upon whom were burdens and shackles.
This Ummah, and praise be to Allah, Allah has lifted from it, through His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), the burdens and shackles. And Allah the Exalted said in His Book:[Az-Zumar 39:53] And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Furqan 25:68-70] These are people who associated partners with Allah, killed the soul without right, and committed unlawful sexual intercourse. They violated the right of Allah, which is the greatest of rights, and they violated the blood of the forbidden souls, and they violated the honor of people. And yet, Allah Mighty and Majestic says about them: [Al-Furqan 25:70].
Even the hypocrites, if they repent, Allah accepts their repentance, as He the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:145-146].
So we say to this brother the questioner: If you repent to Allah from any sin, then Allah will accept your repentance, no matter how great the sin. And perhaps you will be in a better state after the repentance than you were before it. But if the sin involves a human being, then absolve yourself of it. If it is money, return it to him. If it is an injustice regarding honor, such as if you backbit him in gatherings, then seek his forgiveness for it if he has known that you backbit him, or if you fear that he will know. And if he does not know of the backbiting and you do not fear that he will know, then seek forgiveness for him and speak well of him with the good and praiseworthy qualities he possesses in the places where you used to backbite him. And we ask Allah for repentance for us and for you.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : I am narrating a story that our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated to us about a man who was among those who came before and had killed ninety-nine souls without right. Then he went to a monk, meaning a worshipper among the worshippers, and said to him, "I have killed ninety-nine souls without right. Is there any repentance for me?" The monk said, "There is no repentance for you," because the monk considered the matter too great: that he had killed ninety-nine souls and then repented. He said, "There is no repentance for you." This answer did not please him, so he killed the monk, completing the hundred. He became one who had killed a hundred souls without right. Then he was directed to a scholar, so he asked him and said, "I have killed a hundred souls. Is there any repentance for me?" He said to him, "Who is preventing you from repentance? The door of repentance is open, but you are in a land, meaning a country, whose people are people of evil. But go to such-and-such a village, or he said, such-and-such a town, meaning that there are righteous people in it. So he went. On the way, death came to him. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment descended to him and disputed over who would take his soul. We ask Allah the Exalted to have the angels of mercy take our souls.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : They disputed, so Allah sent to them one to judge between them. He said, "Measure the distance between the two villages. Whichever is closer to it, he is from its people." They measured the distance between them, and it was closer to the village of the righteous people, so the angels of mercy took his soul. This is one of those who were before us, those upon whom were burdens and shackles.
This Ummah, and praise be to Allah, Allah has lifted from it, through His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), the burdens and shackles. And Allah the Exalted said in His Book:
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 رَحيمًاExcept 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.
إِلّا مَن تابَ وَءامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صالِحًا فَأُولئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِم حَسَناتٍ وَكانَ اللَّهُ غَفورًا رَحيمًاEven the hypocrites, if they repent, Allah accepts their repentance, as He the Exalted said:
(145) Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire - and never will you find for them a helper - (146) Except for those who repent, correct themselves, hold fast to Allah, and are sincere in their religion for Allah, for those will be with the believers. And Allah is going to give the believers a great reward.
إِنَّ المُنافِقينَ فِي الدَّركِ الأَسفَلِ مِنَ النّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُم نَصيرًا * إِلَّا الَّذينَ تابوا وَأَصلَحوا وَاعتَصَموا بِاللَّهِ وَأَخلَصوا دينَهُم لِلَّهِ فَأُولئِكَ مَعَ المُؤمِنينَ وَسَوفَ يُؤتِ اللَّهُ المُؤمِنينَ أَجرًا عَظيمًاSo we say to this brother the questioner: If you repent to Allah from any sin, then Allah will accept your repentance, no matter how great the sin. And perhaps you will be in a better state after the repentance than you were before it. But if the sin involves a human being, then absolve yourself of it. If it is money, return it to him. If it is an injustice regarding honor, such as if you backbit him in gatherings, then seek his forgiveness for it if he has known that you backbit him, or if you fear that he will know. And if he does not know of the backbiting and you do not fear that he will know, then seek forgiveness for him and speak well of him with the good and praiseworthy qualities he possesses in the places where you used to backbite him. And we ask Allah for repentance for us and for you.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.