A discussion on the meanings of the verse: “Indeed, repentance is only with Allah for those who do evil out of ignorance...”
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The questioner : We have previously mentioned that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has committed Himself to accept repentance. So, for whom has Allah committed to accept repentance?
The Shaykh : For those who did evil out of ignorance and then repent promptly.
We mentioned that repentance is of two types, did we not?
The student: Repentance before repentance, meaning the facilitation of repentance, and the second is the acceptance of repentance.
The Shaykh : What is the evidence?
The student: His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:71].
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of His saying:?
The student: It means without knowledge.
The Shaykh : Out of foolishness. Why do we interpret it as foolishness rather than ignorance, which is the opposite of knowledge?
The student: Because if one does evil out of ignorance, he has no sin at all.
The Shaykh : Do you have evidence or a witness from the speech of the Arabs that ignorance comes to mean foolishness? What is the evidence from the speech of the Arabs?
The saying of the poet:
“Let no one be ignorant toward us, lest we be ignorant beyond the ignorance of the ignorant.”
The Shaykh : Yes, you have done well.
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of His saying:?
The student: It means before death.
The Shaykh : Allah closed the verse with His saying:, even though one would expect Him to say “the Accepter of Repentance, the Merciful”. What is the wisdom behind this? The student: Because He is All-Knowing of everything that has occurred.
The Shaykh : But does knowledge and wisdom suit repentance? We said that repentance is perhaps[At-Tawbah 9:118]? He is the Accepter of Repentance, the Merciful in what has passed before. And what about? “If they repent and reform?” “Indeed, Allah is the Accepter of Repentance, the Merciful.” Because Allah, Mighty and Majestic, knows the people of repentance from what, meaning a state will come in which repentance is not accepted, so it was fitting to clarify that the repentance of these people is based on knowledge and wisdom.
The Shaykh : We are always speaking of “the Wise” and saying that it is derived from judgment and wisdom. So how many types of Allah’s judgments are there? The student: Cosmic judgment and legislative judgment.
The Shaykh : Give an example of cosmic judgment?
The student: Cosmic judgment is the heavens and the earth.
The Shaykh : No, a verse in which the word “judgment” is intended to mean cosmic judgment?
The student: The saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:[Yusuf 12:80]
The Shaykh : Yes, this is cosmic judgment. And we want an example of legislative judgment?
The student: The saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:[Al-Mumtahanah 60:10]
The Shaykh : When He mentioned judgments regarding believing women who come from the disbelievers, in Surat al-Mumtahanah.
The Shaykh : And we also mentioned that it is derived from wisdom or from judgments, which is the perfection of a thing. And from wisdom, there are two types, are there not?
The student: Teleological and formal.
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of the first?
The student: That the thing is as it is, and
The Shaykh : that its purpose is such and such. This is also another wisdom.
The Shaykh : For those who did evil out of ignorance and then repent promptly.
We mentioned that repentance is of two types, did we not?
The student: Repentance before repentance, meaning the facilitation of repentance, and the second is the acceptance of repentance.
The Shaykh : What is the evidence?
The student: His saying, the Exalted:
Then Allah turned to them in forgiveness
ثم تاب الله عليهم ليتوبواThe Shaykh : What is the meaning of His saying:
evil out of ignorance
السوء بجهالةThe student: It means without knowledge.
The Shaykh : Out of foolishness. Why do we interpret it as foolishness rather than ignorance, which is the opposite of knowledge?
The student: Because if one does evil out of ignorance, he has no sin at all.
The Shaykh : Do you have evidence or a witness from the speech of the Arabs that ignorance comes to mean foolishness? What is the evidence from the speech of the Arabs?
The saying of the poet:
“Let no one be ignorant toward us, lest we be ignorant beyond the ignorance of the ignorant.”
The Shaykh : Yes, you have done well.
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of His saying:
promptly
من قريبThe student: It means before death.
The Shaykh : Allah closed the verse with His saying:
All-Knowing, Wise
عليما حكيماThe Shaykh : But does knowledge and wisdom suit repentance? We said that repentance is perhaps
Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.
ثم تاب الله عليهم ليتوبوا إن الله هو التواب الرحيمThe Shaykh : We are always speaking of “the Wise” and saying that it is derived from judgment and wisdom. So how many types of Allah’s judgments are there? The student: Cosmic judgment and legislative judgment.
The Shaykh : Give an example of cosmic judgment?
The student: Cosmic judgment is the heavens and the earth.
The Shaykh : No, a verse in which the word “judgment” is intended to mean cosmic judgment?
The student: The saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:
So I will never leave [this] land until my father permits me or Allah decides for me, and He is the best of judges.
فلن أبرح الأرض حتى يأذن لي أو يحكم الله لي وهو خير الحاكمينThe Shaykh : Yes, this is cosmic judgment. And we want an example of legislative judgment?
The student: The saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:
That is the judgement of Allah; He judges between you. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.
ذلكم حكم الله يحكم بينكم والله عليم حكيمThe Shaykh : When He mentioned judgments regarding believing women who come from the disbelievers, in Surat al-Mumtahanah.
The Shaykh : And we also mentioned that it is derived from wisdom or from judgments, which is the perfection of a thing. And from wisdom, there are two types, are there not?
The student: Teleological and formal.
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of the first?
The student: That the thing is as it is, and
The Shaykh : that its purpose is such and such. This is also another wisdom.