50. Tawbah (Repentance)
٥٠۔ كتاب التوبة
Committing sins and asking for forgiveness over and over again
The Prophet ﷺ related, narrating from his Lord ﷻ, that a servant committed a sin and said, "O Allah, forgive my sin." Allah said, "My servant committed a sin and knew that he has a Lord who forgives sins and takes to account for the sin." Then the servant returned and sinned again and said, "O Lord, forgive my sin." Allah said, "My servant committed a sin and knew that he has a Lord who forgives sins and takes to account for the sin." Then the servant returned once more and sinned and said, "O Lord, forgive my sin." Allah said, "My servant committed a sin and knew that he has a Lord who forgives sins and takes to account for the sin. Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you." 'Abd al-Ala said, "I do not know whether he said this after the third or the fourth time: 'Do whatever you wish...'"
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِيمَا يَحْكِي عَنْ رَبِّهِ ﷻ قَالَ أَذْنَبَ عَبْدٌ ذَنْبًا فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَذْنَبَ عَبْدِي ذَنْبًا فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِالذَّنْبِ ثُمَّ عَادَ فَأَذْنَبَ فَقَالَ أَىْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى عَبْدِي أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِالذَّنْبِ ثُمَّ عَادَ فَأَذْنَبَ فَقَالَ أَىْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَذْنَبَ عَبْدِي ذَنْبًا فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِالذَّنْبِ وَاعْمَلْ مَا شِئْتَ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكَ قَالَ عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى لاَ أَدْرِي أَقَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ اعْمَلْ مَا شِئْتَ
The hadlth has been narrated on the authority of 'Abd al-A'la b. Hammad with the same chain of transmitters.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ النَّرْسِيُّ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ
Abu Huraira reported lie heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying that a servant committed a sin. The rest of the hadith is the same, but there is a slight variation of wording.
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ عَبْدًا أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ حَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ وَذَكَرَ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي فَلْيَعْمَلْ مَا شَاءَ
Repentance is accepted day and night up until the Last Hour
from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who said, "Allah ﷻ stretches out His Hand during the night to accept the repentance of the sinners of the day, and stretches out His Hand during the day to accept the repentance of the sinners of the night. ˹This will continue˺ until the sun rises from the west.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ يَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ النَّهَارِ، وَيَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِالنَّهَارِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ اللَّيْلِ, حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا۔»