سورة النساء

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Whoever is given four things is not deprived of four: whoever is given the ability to supplicate is not deprived of being answered and having his prayer accepted; whoever is given the ability to repent is not deprived of having his repentance accepted; whoever is given istighfar (seeking forgiveness) is not denied maghfirah (pardon); and whoever is given thankfulness is not deprived of an increase in provision. The confirmation of all these matters is in the Book of Allah. Concerning supplication He said: ادْعُونِی أَسْتَجِبْ لَکُمْ [Call upon Me, I will answer you]. (Ghafir/60). And concerning istighfar He said: Whoever does an evil deed or wrongs himself, then seeks forgiveness from Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful. (Nisa/110). And concerning thankfulness He said: لَئِنْ شَکَرْتُمْ لَأَزِیدَنَّکُمْ [If you are thankful, I will surely increase you (in favour)]. (Ibrahim/7). And concerning repentance He said: إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَی اللهِ لِلَّذِینَ یَعْمَلُونَ السُّوءَ بِجَهالَةٍ ثُمَّ یَتُوبُونَ مِنْ قَرِیبٍ فَأُولئِکَ یَتُوبُ اللهُ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ کانَ اللهُ عَلِیماً حَکِیماً [Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance, then turn to Allah soon; so these are they to whom Allah turns mercifully, and Allah is ever Knowing, Wise].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ علَی اللهِ لِلَّذِینَ یَعمَلُونَ السُّوَءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ [Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance] — meaning every sin that the servant commits, even if he knows about it, he is [nevertheless] ignorant, because disobedience of his Lord passed through his soul. As Allah, Blessed and Exalted, has related the words of Yusuf addressing his brothers thus: "Do you know what you did with Yusuf and his brother when you were ignorant?" (Yusuf/89). Here, because disobedience to Allah passed through their souls, Allah attributed ignorance to them [even though they were aware of the ugliness of their own act].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): In the world there are two safeguards from Allah's punishment, one of which has gone beyond your reach. You must hold fast to the second one and take recourse to it. The safeguard that was within reach and has ascended to the heavens is the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and the safeguard that remains is istighfar (seeking forgiveness). Allah the Exalted has said: وَ ما کانَ اللهُ لِیُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَ أَنْتَ فِیهِمْ وَ ما کانَ اللهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَ هُمْ یَسْتَغْفِرُونَ [And so long as you are among them, Allah will not punish them, and so long as they seek forgiveness, Allah will not punish them]. (Anfal/33). And there is no good in the world except for two persons: first, one who, if he commits a sin, makes up for it and compensates with repentance; and one who hastens to good deeds. Whoever is granted the felicity of repentance is not deprived of its acceptance, and whoever is granted the felicity of istighfar is not deprived of forgiveness. This matter is stated in this verse: Whoever does an evil deed or wrongs himself, then seeks forgiveness from Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful. (Nisa/110). And He has said: إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَی اللهِ لِلَّذِینَ یَعْمَلُونَ السُّوءَ بِجَهالَةٍ ثُمَّ یَتُوبُونَ مِنْ قَرِیبٍ فَأُولئِکَ یَتُوبُ اللهُ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ کانَ اللهُ عَلِیماً حَکِیما [Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance, then turn to Allah soon; so these are they to whom Allah turns mercifully, and Allah is ever Knowing, Wise].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Muslim narrates: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "O Muhammad ibn Muslim! If Allah accepts the repentance of a believer, his sins are forgiven, and then, after repentance and forgiveness, the believer must begin his deeds anew. But by Allah, this is something only the people of faith are capable of." I said: "What if, after repentance and asking forgiveness, he sins again and once more seeks to repent? [Will Allah still forgive him]?" He said: "O Muhammad ibn Muslim! Have you ever seen a believing servant regret his sin, seek forgiveness and repent, and Allah not accept his repentance?" I said: "What if this is repeated continually — he sins, then repents?" He said: "Whenever the believer returns through seeking forgiveness and repentance from his sin, Allah too turns to him with His forgiveness, for indeed Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful; He accepts repentance and pardons sins. Beware lest [with such words] you cause any believer to despair of Allah's mercy!"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Jamil ibn Darraj said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) saying: "When the soul reaches here — the Imam pointed with his hand to his throat — the repentance of one who was knowing [that the act was a sin] is not accepted." Then he recited this verse: إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَی اللهِ لِلَّذِینَ یَعمَلُونَ السُّوَءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ [Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance].

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), at the end of a sermon he was delivering, said: "Whoever repents one year before his death, Allah accepts his repentance." Then he continued: "A year is much; whoever repents one month before his death, Allah accepts his repentance." Then he said: "A month is much; whoever repents one week before his death, Allah accepts his repentance." Then he said: "A week is much; whoever repents one hour before his death, Allah accepts his repentance." Then he continued: "An hour is much; whoever repents before his death and before the time when the soul reaches here — he pointed to his throat — Allah accepts his repentance."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): If a believing person performs a good deed out of faith and then goes astray and becomes a disbeliever, that good deed of his is still recorded, and all the righteous deeds he performed out of faith are counted; and if after his disbelief he repents, his disbelief does not nullify his good deed.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Any believing person who performs Hajj and does righteous deeds out of faith, then falls into misguidance and becomes a disbeliever, but afterwards repents and returns to faith — all the righteous deeds he performed during the time of his faith are counted for him, and nothing of them is lost.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Imam (peace be upon him) was asked: "If a sinful person returns to his sin many times and then repents again, what does Allah do?" He said: "Until the time when Satan becomes grieved and despaired, [Allah accepts his repentance]."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): When Iblis came down [along with Adam (peace be upon him), from Paradise] to the earth, he said: "By Your might and majesty, I will not part from the son of Adam until the soul parts from his body." Allah the Glorified said: "By My might and majesty, I will not deprive him of the acceptance of his repentance for as long as he falls into your deception; فَأُولئِکَ یَتُوبُ اللهُ عَلَیْهِمْ [so these it is to whom Allah turns (mercifully)]."