عن أبي هريرةَ رضيَ اللهُ عنهُ عنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم فِيمَا يَحكِي عَن ربِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى قال: «أَذنَبَ عبْدٌ ذَنبًا، فقالَ: اللهُمَّ اغفِرْ لي ذَنبي، فقالَ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعالى: أَذَنَبَ عبدِي ذنبًا، فَعلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ ربًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ، وَيَأْخُذُ بِالذَّنبِ، ثُمَّ عَادَ فَأَذَنَبَ، فقال: أَيْ ربِّ اغفِرْ لي ذَنبي، فقال تبارك وتعالى: أَذنبَ عبدِي ذَنبًا، فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغفِرُ الذَّنبَ، وَيَأخُذُ بِالذنْبِ، ثُمَّ عَادَ فَأَذنَبَ، فقال: أَي رَبِّ اغفِرْ لي ذَنبي، فقال تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى: أَذنَبَ عَبدِي ذَنبًا، فعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنبَ، وَيأْخُذُ بِالذَّنبِ، قدَ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِي فَلْيَفعَلْ ما شَاءَ» متفقٌ عليه.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), relating from his Lord, blessed and exalted, said: "A servant committed a sin and said: 'O Allah, forgive me my sin.' Allah, blessed and exalted, said: 'My servant has committed a sin and knows that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds accountable for sins.' Then he returned and sinned again and said: 'My Lord, forgive me my sin.' He, blessed and exalted, said: 'My servant has committed a sin and knows that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds accountable for sins.' Then he returned and sinned again and said: 'My Lord, forgive me my sin.' He, blessed and exalted, said: 'My servant has committed a sin and knows that he has a Lord who forgives sins and holds accountable for sins. I have forgiven My servant, so let him do as he wishes.'" Agreed upon.
الشرح · explanation
يأخذ بالذنب: يُعاقب عليه إن شاء. فَلْيَفْعلْ ما شَاءَ: أَي مَا دَامَ يَفْعَلُ هَكَذا، يُذْنِبُ وَيتُوبُ أَغْفِرُ لَهُ، فإِنَّ التَّوبَةَ تَهِدِمُ ما قَبْلَهَا.
"Holds accountable for sins": punishes for them if He wills. "Let him do as he wishes": that is, as long as he acts in this way—sinning and then repenting—I forgive him, for repentance demolishes what came before it.
الدروس · lessons
عظيم فضل الله ورحمته على عباده ما داموا يعتقدون أن ربهم بيده مقاليدهم إن شاء غفر وإن شاء عاقب، وله المشيئة المطلقة. أن التوبة الصحيحة تكفّر الذنب ولو رجع العبد إلى الذنب مرة أخرى لم تبطل توبته الأولى، لكنه يحتاج إلى توبة من الذنب الجديد. لا صغيرة مع الإصرار، ولا كبيرة مع الاستغفار. المؤمن بالله تعالى يصفو قلبه بالتوبة ويأمل بعفو ربه، فيبادر إلى الصلاح وعمل الخير، وإن وقع منه ذنب استدرك على نفسه بالتوبة ولم يصر على المعصية. عظيم فائدة الاستغفار وعظيم فضل الله وسعة رحمته وحلمه وكرمه. الاستغفار الصحيح هو الذي يثبت معناه في القلب مقارنًا باللسان لينحل من عقد الإصرار ويحصل معه الندم فهو ترجمة للتوبة، أما النطق باللسان مع عدم الندم فلا يسمى توبة ولا استغفارا.
The immense bounty and mercy of Allah toward His servants, so long as they believe that their Lord holds their reins in His hand: if He wills He forgives, and if He wills He punishes, and to Him belongs the absolute will. Sound repentance expiates the sin, and even if the servant returns to the sin once more, his first repentance is not nullified; but he needs to repent from the new sin. There is no minor sin with persistence, and no major sin with seeking forgiveness. The one who believes in Allah the Exalted has his heart purified through repentance and hopes for his Lord's pardon, so he hastens to righteousness and good works; and if a sin befalls him, he sets himself right through repentance and does not persist in disobedience. The immense benefit of seeking forgiveness and the immense bounty of Allah, the vastness of His mercy, His forbearance, and His generosity. Sound seeking of forgiveness is that whose meaning is established in the heart together with the tongue, so that the knot of persistence is loosened and regret accompanies it, for it is the expression of repentance; but pronouncing it with the tongue without regret is called neither repentance nor seeking forgiveness.