Concealment of Sins Series: Part One

The One who Truly Repents has Freed himself from that Sin

Allaah Ta’ala said:

إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds, for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.》[Furqan: 70]

From Abdullah bin Mas’ood -radiAllaahu anhu- that the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:

( التائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب له )

‘The one who repents from the sin is like the one who has no sin.’

[Collected by Ibn Majah, Tabrani, Abu Na’eem. It was declared Hasan by Ibn Hajr & Albaani in Saheeh al-Jama no. 3008 and Ibn Baz authenticated it in Majmoo al-Fatawa 10/314]

In another narration:

(الندم توبة ، والتائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب له )

‘Regret and remorse is Repentance, the one who repents from the sin is like the one who has no sin.’

[Collected in Saheeh al-Jama no. 6803]

Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah -rahimullaah – said:

‘The one who repents from the sin is like the one who has no sin.

Therefore, he is included among those who fear Allaah and is deserving that Allaah gives him delight and makes a way out for him from his sin.

Indeed our Prophet Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- is the Prophet of mercy and the Prophet of brotherhood, so everyone who repents then he has a way out from sin in the Sharia.

This is in contrast to the Sharia of those before us since someone who repented from them was punished with different punishments: like taking their own lives among other punishments.’

[Collected in Majmoo al-Fatawa 33/35]

Ibn al-Qayyim -Rahimullaah- said:

‘Allaah made it such that the one who repents from a sin is like the one who has no sin upon him.

So whoever meets Allaah having sincerely repented then he will not be punished for what he had repented from.

Likewise for the rulings of the Duniya, if a person sincerely repents before the matter is reported to the Muslim leader then the punishment is dropped and this is the strongest of the two opinions of the scholars.

However, if the matter was reported to the leader then his repentance does not prevent the punishment being implemented, this is so that it is not taken as a means to invalidate the punishments of Allaah.’

[Taken from ‘I’laam al-Muwaqaeen 3/115]

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

‘Indeed Allaah Subhanahu guaranteed for the one who repented from Shirk, murder, adultery that He will convert / change a person’s evil deeds into good deeds, this is a general ruling for everyone who repents from a sin.

Allaah Ta’ala said:

( قُلْ يَاعِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ) الزُّمَر/ 53 .

Say: “O ‘Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 》[Zumar:53]

So from this general principle no sin is exempted from being cancelled out, however, this is specific for those who repent.’

[Al-Jawab al-Kaafi p.165]

Ali al-Qari said:

‘Know that if repentance occurs with its respective conditions then there is no doubt in the acceptance of repentance and the consequence of forgiveness due to the repentance.

This is because of the statement of Allaah Ta’ala:

( وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ )

And He it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves》[Shura:25]

It is not allowed to oppose Allaah in what He informed and what He Promised.’

[Murqaat al-Mafaateeh 4/1637]

Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya for Miraathpubs.net