Repentance Is Only with Allah

إنما التوبة على الله

Repentance Is Only with Allah

Translated by: Reza Ervani bin Asmanu

This article “Repentance Is Only with Allah” is included in the Tadabbur al Quran in English Category

في القرآن الكريم نقرأ في موضوع التوبة آيات عدة، من ذلك قوله تعالى:

In the Holy al Qur’an, we read several verses regarding the theme of taubat (repentance), including the words of Allah the Almighty:

{إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِنْ قَرِيبٍ} [النساء: 17]

“Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance and then repent soon after.” [an Nisaa: 17]

ومنها قوله سبحانه:

And among them are His words, Glory be to Him:

{قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا} [الزمر: 53]

“Say: ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.’” [az Zumar: 53]

ومنها قوله عز من قائل:

And also His words, the Exalted:

{وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَعْفُو عَنِ السَّيِّئَاتِ} [الشورى: 25]

“And it is He who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons misdeeds.” [asy Syuura: 25]

وقوله جلَّ علاه:

And His words, the Majestic and Most High:

{أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ} [التوبة: 104]

“Do they not know that it is Allah who accepts repentance from His servants?” [at Taubah: 104]

قال أهل العلم: واتفقت الأمة على أن التوبة فرض على المؤمنين، لقوله تعالى: {وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ} (النور:31).

The scholars of knowledge said: The Ummah has agreed that taubat is an obligation (fardhu) upon the believers, based on the words of Allah the Almighty: {And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed} (an Nuur: 31).

وأمر التوبة في الإسلام أمر عظيم، فهي نعمة جليلة أنعم الله بها على عباده، إذ منحهم فرصة لمراجعة الحساب، وتدارك ما فات، والأوبة إلى ما فيه نجاتهم من المهلكات. والآيات التي صدرنا بها مقالنا – وموضوعها التوبة – هي وجهتنا في هذا المقال، فنقول: في قوله تعالى: {إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَى اللَّهِ} تأكيد ووعد من الله تعالى بقبول التوبة من عباده، الذين أسرفوا على أنفسهم بالذنوب والمعاصي، كبيرها وصغيرها، حتى جُعلت كالحق على الله سبحانه، ولا شيء عليه واجب إلا ما أوجبه جل وعلا على نفسه.

The matter of taubat in Islam is a grand matter. It is a noble blessing that Allah has bestowed upon His servants, granting them the opportunity to review their accounts, rectify what has passed, and return to that which saves them from destruction. The verses we used to open this article—the theme of which is repentance—are our direction in this piece. We say: In the words of Allah the Almighty: {Repentance with Allah}, there is a confirmation and a promise from Allah the Almighty to accept repentance from His servants who have transgressed against themselves with sins and disobedience, both large and small, to the point that it is made as if it were a right upon Allah Subhaanahu, even though nothing is mandatory upon Him except what He, the Majestic and Most High, has mandated upon Himself.

ثم إن الجهالة الواردة في الآية {يَعْمَلُونَ السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ} تطلق على سوء المعاملة، وعلى الإقدام على العمل دون رويِّة؛ يقال: أتاه بجهالة، بمعنى أنه فَعَلَ فِعْل الجهال به، لا أنه كان جاهلاً؛ بدليل أنه لو عمل أحد معصية وهو غير عالم بأنها معصية لم يكن آثمًا، ولا يجب عليه إلا أن يتعلم ذلك ويتجنبه.

Furthermore, the term al jahaalah (ignorance) mentioned in the verse {do evil in ignorance} is used to refer to bad behavior and taking action without careful consideration. It is said: “He approached it with jahaalah,” meaning he performed the act of the ignorant, not necessarily that he was unaware. The proof is that if someone commits a sin while not knowing it is a sin, he is not considered a sinner, and his only obligation is to learn about it and avoid it.

وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما، قال: {إنما التوبة على الله للذين يعملون السوء بجهالة} قال: من عمل السوء فهو جاهل، من جهالته عمل السوء. ومعنى قوله تعالى: {مِنْ قَرِيبٍ} أن يبادر المذنب والعاصي إلى التوبة بعد فعل المعصية، من غير أن يتمادى في غيه ومعصيته؛ وهو بمعنى قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم:

It is narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas radhiyallaahu ‘anhumaa, regarding {Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance}: “Whoever does evil is ignorant; it is out of his ignorance that he does evil.” And the meaning of His words: {soon after} (min qariib) is that the sinner and the disobedient should hasten to repent after committing a sin, without persisting in his misguidance and disobedience. This is semantically linked to the words of the Prophet shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam:

(وأتبع السيئة الحسنة تمحها)

“And follow a bad deed with a good deed, it will wipe it out.” (Narrated by at Tirmidziy)

أما قوله عز شأنه في الآية التالية: {وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ} (النساء:18) فهو تنبيه منه سبحانه على نفي قبول نوع من التوبة، وهي التي تكون عند حضور الموت واليأس من الحياة {حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ} (النساء:18) إذ المطلوب من العبد حال توبته أن يقرن العمل بالقول، ولا يكفيه في ذلك أن يقول ما لا يفعل، أو يفعل ما لا يقول؛ فإعلان التوبة ليس مجرد كلمات تقال، وألفاظ تردد فحسب، بل لا بد أن يصدق ذلك عمل وفعل، وإلا لم تكن توبة نصوحًا، فإذا وقع اليأس من الحياة ذهبت فائدة التوبة، إذ لم يبق معها مجال للعمل.

As for His words, the Exalted, in the next verse: {But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds} (an Nisaa: 18), it is a warning from Allah Subhaanahu regarding the denial of acceptance for a certain type of repentance—that which occurs at the approach of death and despair of life: {until, when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘Indeed, I have repented now’} (an Nisaa: 18). This is because what is required from a servant during repentance is to accompany words with actions; it is not enough to say what he does not do, or do what he does not say. The declaration of repentance is not merely words spoken or phrases repeated; rather, it must be validated by deeds. Otherwise, it is not taubat nashuuha (sincere repentance). Once despair of life sets in (due to the presence of death), the benefit of repentance vanishes, as there is no longer any room for action.

وقد وردت أحاديث عدة تؤكد هذا المعنى وتوضحه، من ذلك ما جاء عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما: أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال:

Several hadith have confirmed and clarified this meaning, including what was reported from ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Umar radhiyallaahu ‘anhumaa: That the Messenger of Allah shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

(إن الله تبارك وتعالى يقبل توبة العبد ما لم يغرغر)

“Indeed, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, accepts the repentance of a servant as long as the soul has not reached the throat (ghargarah/death rattle).” (Narrated by Ahmad and at Tirmidziy)

وإذا كانت التوبة في آية النساء الأولى {إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَى اللَّهِ} عامة لكل من عمل ذنبًا، فإن الآية الثانية {حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ} قد خصصت هذا العموم حال حضور الموت وعند النزاع، إذ لا تجدي التوبة حينئذ. على أن ما قد يشكل في هذا السياق ما جاء في سورة النساء نفسها، وهو قوله تعالى: {إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ} (النساء:48) فظاهر الآية أن الله سبحانه يغفر الذنوب جميعًا إلا الشرك فإنه لا يغفره، وهذا الإطلاق في الآية مقيد في حال مات العبد وهو مشرك بالله، فإن مغفرة الله لا تناله من قريب ولا من بعيد، لكن إن تاب العبد من إشراكه قبل موته، فإن الله يقبل التوبة من عباده ويعفو عن السيئات.

While repentance in the first verse of surah an Nisaa {Repentance with Allah} is general for anyone who commits a sin, the second verse {until, when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘Indeed, I have repented now’} specifies this generality for the moment death arrives and the agony of death (sakratul maut) begins, as repentance is no longer useful then. What might seem difficult in this context is what appears in surah an Nisaa as well: {Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills} (an Nisaa: 48). The apparent meaning of the verse is that Allah Subhaanahu forgives all sins except syirk (polytheism). However, this absolute statement is restricted to a servant who dies while associating partners with Allah; in that case, Allah’s forgiveness will not reach him at all. But if the servant repents from his syirk before his death, then Allah accepts repentance from His servants and pardons misdeeds.

قال ابن كثير رحمه الله: أخبر تعالى أنه لا يغفر أن يشرك به؛ أي لا يغفر لعبد لقيه وهو مشرك به، ويغفر ما دون ذلك، أي من الذنوب لمن يشاء، أي من عباده. وقد وردت أحاديث متعلقة بهذه الآية الكريمة، من ذلك ما رواه الإمام أحمد عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال:

Ibn Katsiir rahimahullaah said: “Allah the Almighty informs that He does not forgive syirk; meaning He does not forgive a servant who meets Him while associating partners with Him, and He forgives what is less than that—meaning of sins—for whom He wills among His servants.” Hadith related to this noble verse have also been reported, including what was narrated by Imam Ahmad from the Messenger of Allah shallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam:

(إن الله يقول: يا عبدي ما عبدتني ورجوتني، فإني غافر لك على ما كان منك، يا عبدي إنك إن لقيتني بقُراب الأرض خطيئة ما لم تشرك بي، لقيتك بقرابها مغفرة)

“Indeed Allah says: ‘O My servant, as long as you worship Me and place your hope in Me, I will forgive you for what was from you. O My servant, if you were to meet Me with an earthful of sins, as long as you do not associate anything with Me, I would meet you with an earthful of forgiveness.’” (Narrated by Ahmad)

ولهذا كان الإيمان أشرف أنواع التوبة. وبعد: فقد أجمع المسلمون كلهم، على أن التوبة من الكفر، والإقرار بالإيمان، تستوجب المغفرة من الله؛ وأن الموت على الكفر مطلقًا لا يُغفر بلا شك، وأجمعوا كذلك على أن المذنب إذا تاب يغفر ذنبه، إذا استجمع شروط التوبة المقبولة؛ أما إذا مات المذنب على ذنبه – غير الشرك بالله – من غير أن يتب، فآية النساء وغيرها من الأدلة، تدل على أن أمره متروك لمشيئة الله سبحانه، إن شاء عفى عنه برحمته وعفوه، وإن شاء عذبه بعدله وقسطه.

Therefore, imaan (faith) is the most noble type of repentance. In conclusion: All Muslims have agreed that repentance from kufr (disbelief) and the declaration of imaan will bring forgiveness from Allah; and that dying in a state of kufr will absolutely not be forgiven without any doubt. They also agree that if a sinner repents, his sin is forgiven, provided he meets the conditions of accepted repentance. However, if a sinner dies in his sin—other than syirk—without having repented, then the verse from surah an Nisaa and other proofs indicate that his matter is left to the will of Allah Subhaanahu; if He wills, He pardons him with His mercy and forgiveness, and if He wills, He punishes him with His justice and equity.

والله أعلم.

And Allah knows best.

Source: IslamWeb