The Ruling on Repentance from Sin, and an Explanation of the Conditions of Repentance
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Question:
A person spent most of his life in amusement and committing all kinds of sins, then he repented and turned back to Allah. Will Allah forgive him all his sins? Or are there sins that are preserved for the Day of Reckoning?
Answer:
Whoever repents to Allah with a sincere and pure repentance, Allah turns to him in mercy and forgives him all his sins, shirk (associating partners with Allah) and whatever is less than it. Allah the Exalted said in His great Book: [Surah Az-Zumar: 53]. Thus, the Exalted informed that He forgives all sins, and this, according to the scholars, means: for those who repent. Whoever repents to Allah, Allah forgives all his sins, shirk and whatever is less than it from the other sins, such as singing and the like. However, he is obligated to fulfill the rights owed to people. If there are rights owed to people, he is obligated to fulfill them. This is the fourth condition, because the conditions of repentance are three: regret for the past, abandoning the sin, and the sincere resolve not to return to it.
These three are necessary in repentance, along with sincerity to Allah and intending His noble Face with this repentance. One repents out of fear of Allah and desire for what is with Him. And he adds to that returning the rights to their owners. If he has injustices, thefts, or looting of wealth, he returns them to their owners, or seeks their pardon if they permit it and forgive him; then there is no harm. And Allah forgives all sins, disbelief and whatever is less than it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about that, and he informed the questioner that repentance erases what came before it, and that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) forgives him all his sins with his sincere repentance. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. The best way to return what was usurped from people's rights: if he informs them, he exposes himself, and it may cause problems he was spared from. How do you advise him, if you please?
The Shaykh : He must deliver the money to its owners by the means that enable him to do so. It is not necessary that he inform them. He must deliver the money to its owners by the method that enables him, through someone who conveys it to them and says: "A person who believes he has rights owed to you has sent this to you and ordered me to deliver it to you," or by mail, or something similar, or by check, transferring it to them by check and saying: "This is a right you have over a person who fears Allah, so it will reach you," or something similar. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
A person spent most of his life in amusement and committing all kinds of sins, then he repented and turned back to Allah. Will Allah forgive him all his sins? Or are there sins that are preserved for the Day of Reckoning?
Answer:
Whoever repents to Allah with a sincere and pure repentance, Allah turns to him in mercy and forgives him all his sins, shirk (associating partners with Allah) and whatever is less than it. Allah the Exalted said in His great 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."
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُThese three are necessary in repentance, along with sincerity to Allah and intending His noble Face with this repentance. One repents out of fear of Allah and desire for what is with Him. And he adds to that returning the rights to their owners. If he has injustices, thefts, or looting of wealth, he returns them to their owners, or seeks their pardon if they permit it and forgive him; then there is no harm. And Allah forgives all sins, disbelief and whatever is less than it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about that, and he informed the questioner that repentance erases what came before it, and that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) forgives him all his sins with his sincere repentance. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good. The best way to return what was usurped from people's rights: if he informs them, he exposes himself, and it may cause problems he was spared from. How do you advise him, if you please?
The Shaykh : He must deliver the money to its owners by the means that enable him to do so. It is not necessary that he inform them. He must deliver the money to its owners by the method that enables him, through someone who conveys it to them and says: "A person who believes he has rights owed to you has sent this to you and ordered me to deliver it to you," or by mail, or something similar, or by check, transferring it to them by check and saying: "This is a right you have over a person who fears Allah, so it will reach you," or something similar. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.