Allah Almighty, through His grace and generosity, has commanded repentance while keeping its door open. Even if sins become numerous and large, He has promised to accept repentance, as stated in the Quran:
“وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ” (Zumar/54)
Translation: “Turn to your Lord in repentance and submit to Him before the punishment comes to you, after which you will not be helped.”
And He also said:
“وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَعْفُو عَنِ السَّيِّئَاتِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ” (Shura/25)
Translation: “And He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons sins, and He knows what you do.”
He accepts the repentance of His servants, forgives sins, and knows everything you do.
And Allah’s statement:
“وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا” (Nisa/110)
Translation: “And whoever does evil or wrongs himself and then seeks forgiveness from Allah, he will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful.”
Whoever commits evil or wrongs himself and then seeks forgiveness from Allah, will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
Regarding the Christians, He said:
“لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِن لَّمْ يَنتَهُوا عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ” (Maidah/73)
Translation: “Certainly, they have disbelieved who say: ‘Allah is the third of three.’ And there is no god but One God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, those who disbelieve among them will be afflicted with a painful punishment.”
Those people have certainly disbelieved who say that Allah is the third of three, while there is no deity except the One God. If these people do not desist from their statement, a painful punishment will surely afflict those who disbelieve among them. Then Allah Almighty urged them toward repentance.
“أَفَلَا يَتُوبُونَ إِلَى اللَّـهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَهُ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ” (المائدة/74)
Translation: “Will they not then repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Why don’t they turn toward Allah and seek His forgiveness? Allah is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful.
And Allah Almighty said regarding the People of the Ditch (Ashab al-Ukhdud) who persecuted Muslims and threw them into fire pits:
“إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ” (البروج/10)
Translation: “Indeed, those who persecuted the believing men and believing women and then did not repent, for them is the punishment of Hell, and for them is the punishment of the Burning Fire.”
Certainly, those who persecuted believing men and women and then did not repent, for them is the punishment of Hell and the punishment of burning.
Hassan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Look at Allah’s generosity and forgiveness! They killed His friends (believers), yet despite this, He invites them to repentance and forgiveness. He has not closed the door on them, rather He has forbidden despair from His mercy.” As He said:
“قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّـهِ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ” (الزمر/53)
Translation: “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.'”
Say: “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”
Ibn Abbas says that after the revelation of this verse, whoever made Allah’s servants despair of repentance has rejected the Book of Allah.
