Repentance

We used to narrate: Whoever faults his brother for a sin he has repented to Allāh from, Allāh will try him with that very sin.

Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, Al-Zuhd p342 (Al-ʿIlmīyah ed., 1983).

Everyone should have times when they sit alone, remember their sins, and thus seek [Allāh’s] forgiveness for them.

Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, Al-Zuhd article 2038.

If you see a man amongst you having committed a sin, do not supplicate Allāh against him and do not revile him; instead, pray to Allāh to cure him and accept his repentance, for when we used to see a man die upon something good, we would have hope for him, and when we used to see a man die upon wrongdoing, we would fear for him.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Kitāb Al-Tawbah article 112.

Son of Ādam, you will never find the reality of īmān as long as you fault people for doing what you yourself are guilty of, until you clear yourself of that fault and correct it. Then, you will not correct a fault in yourself except that you will notice another, so your occupation will become correcting yourself, and this is the most beloved thing to Allāh, when you are like this.

Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baġdādī, Al-Muntakhab min Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqāʾiq, article 41.

A man once came to Ibn ʿAbbās and said, “I proposed to a woman and she refused to marry me, then someone else proposed to her and she wanted to marry him; so I became jealous and killed her. Can I repent from this?” [Ibn ʿAbbās] asked, “Is your mother alive?” He replied, “No.” So he said, “Repent (tawbah) to Allāh the mighty and majestic, and worship him as much as you can.” ʿAṭāʾ said, “So I went and asked Ibn ʿAbbās, ‘Why did you ask him if his mother was alive?’ He replied, ‘I do not know of any action that brings one closer to Allāh than dutifulness to the mother.'”

Al-Bukhārī, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad ḥadīth 4. Graded ṣaḥīḥ by Al-Albānī. See Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Chapter on Dutifulness to the Mother; Al-Ṣaḥīḥah 6:711 ḥadīth 2799.

Verily the Qurān guides you to your disease and your treatment: as for your disease, it is your sins; and as for your treatment, it is to seek the forgiveness of Allāh.

Al-Bayhaqī, Shuʿab Al-Īmān 9:347 no. 6745.

A brother who, whenever you meet him, points out to you one of your faults (for you to correct yourself) is better for you than a brother who, whenever you meet him, puts a dīnār (money) in your hand.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm no. 1428.

Do not be hasty in praising people or blaming them, for perhaps what pleases you from a person today will displease you tomorrow, and perhaps what displeases you today, will please you tomorrow. Indeed, people change. It is Allāh who forgives the sins. And Allāh is more merciful to his servant the day he meets him than a mother who lays out a bed for her child in an empty patch of land and feels [the ground]: if there is a risk of being stung, it will be her instead of him (her child), and if there is a risk of being pricked by a thorn, it will be her instead of him.

Al-Bayhaqī, Shuʿab Al-Īmān article 6177, and others.

It is reported that a man came to ʿAlī – Allāh be pleased with him – and asked, What do you think about a man who committed a sin? He replied, He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him. [The man] said, He did that, but then sinned again? [ʿAlī] said, He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him. The man again said, He did that, but returned to sin. [ʿAlī] said, He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him. The man said for the fourth time, He did, but then sinned again. ʿAlī then said, Until when? Then he said, He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him; and not give up until it is Shayṭān who is defeated [overcome].

Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 910

“How many kabā`ir (major, deadly sins) are there? Seven?” He replied, “They are closer to seven hundred than seven; except a major sin does not remain so if one (truly) seeks forgiveness [from Allāh], and a lesser sin does not remain so if one insists on continuously doing it (i.e. it becomes a major sin).”

Al-Tabarī, Al-Tafsīr article 9207, et al.

Goodness is not in your wealth and offspring being plentiful; true goodness is when your [good] deeds are plenty and you have great understanding and forbearance, and when you compete to worship your Lord. If you do good you praise Allāh and thank Him, and if you sin you beg Allāh’s forgiveness. There is no good in this life except with two types of men: A man who sins but then corrects himself through repentance, and a man who strives and hastens to get [the good] of the hereafter. Ibn ‘Asākir, Al-Tawbah article 13.

Ibn ‘Asākir, Al-Tawbah article 13.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-Tawbah article 57.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-Tawbah article 70.

Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-Tawbah article 62.

Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 2645.

Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyah Al-Awliyā` Vol. 2 p344. It is reported that ‘Awn b. ʿAbdillāh, the ascetic and jurist, said, “Sit with the repentant, for they have the softest hearts.” Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyah Al-Awliyā` Vol. 2 p192.

Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyah Al-Awliyā` Vol. 2 p192.

Al-Ḥāfidh Ibn Ḥajr, Fatḥ Al-Bārī, references this narration to Asad b. Mūsā’s Al-Zuhd. A slightly different wording is reported by Ibn Al-Mubārak in Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq Vol.1 p170.

In explanation of this verse, Al-Ṭabarī reports the following narrations in his Tafsīr: He reports that ʿUmar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with him – was asked about true repentance. He replied, “It is that a man repents from an evil deed, and never does it again.” He also reports that ʿUmar said, “It is that you repent from the sin and never do it again, or never intend to do it again.” Similarly, he reports from ʿAbdullāh (Ibn ‘Abbās) – Allāh be pleased with him – that he said, “A person repents, and then never goes back to the sin.”, and “It means that a person never returns to the sin from which he repented.” Mujāhid is quoted as saying, “They seek Allāh’s forgiveness and then never go back to sin.” Qatādah is quoted as saying, “It is the true and sincere repentance.” Al-Ṭabarī, Tafsīr Al-Ṭabarī, in the commentary on Sūrah Al-Taḥrīm.

Al-Ṭabarī, Tafsīr Al-Ṭabarī, in the commentary on Sūrah Al-Taḥrīm.

He was one of the major scholars, he was born during the life of the Prophet – Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him…he was a reliable and truthful reporter…he reported numerous ahādīth. The following are some of the Companions he reported from: Here is the story of how he repented. He narrates: I was a boy with a nice voice and I was good at playing drums. I was once with a friend and we had nabīdh (a date infusion drink that can turn alcoholic) and I was singing for my friends. Ibn Mas’ūd was passing by and entered upon us; he struck the drink container we had and broke the drum. Then he said, “O boy! If your nice voice was to be heard reciting Qur`ān instead you would be the man!” And then he went on his way. I asked my friends, “Who was that?” They told me it was Ibn Mas’ūd. At that point tawbah was cast into my soul, and so I ran after him crying, I grabbed his garment and he turned to me and embraced me and cried. He said, “Welcome to him who Allah loves. Sit down.” He then went inside and brought out some dates for me. Thereafter, Zādhān became pious; Al-Dhahabī also reports that he was seen praying and it was as if he was a piece of wood or a tree in his stillness and humility in prayer. He died in 82H, Allah have mercy on him. Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of Zādhān.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of Zādhān.