A servant committed a sin and said: 'O Allah, forgive my sin

Arabic text

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فِيمَا يَحْكِي عَنْ رَبِّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، 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: أَيْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي، فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى: عَبْدِي أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا، فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ، وَيَأْخُذُ بِالذَّنْبِ، ثُمَّ عَادَ فَأَذْنَبَ، فَقَالَ: أَيْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي، فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى: أَذْنَبَ عَبْدِي ذَنْبًا، فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ، وَيَأْخُذُ بِالذَّنْبِ، اعْمَلْ مَا شِئْتَ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكَ».

Translation

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), narrating from his Almighty Lord, said: "A servant committed a sin and said: 'O Allah, forgive my sin,’ and Allah Almighty said: ‘My servant committed a sin and then realized that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for sins.' Then, he committed a sin again and said: ‘My Lord, forgive my sin,’ and Allah Almighty said: ‘My servant committed a sin and then realized that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for sins.’ He again committed a sin and said: ‘My Lord, forgive my sin,’ and Allah Almighty said: ‘My servant committed a sin and then realized that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you.'"

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) narrates from his Lord that if a servant commits a sin and then says, "O Allah, forgive my sin", Allah Almighty says: My servant committed a sin and then realized that he has a Lord Who forgives sins, covers him and pardons him, or punishes for sins. I have forgiven him. Then, the servant again commits a sin and says, "O Allah, forgive my sin", and Allah says: My servant committed a sin and then realized that he has a Lord Who forgives sins, covers him and pardons him, or punishes for sins. I have forgiven My servant. Then, again, the servant commits a sin and says, "O Allah, forgive my sin", and Allah says: My servant committed a sin and then realises that he has a Lord Who forgives sins, covers him and pardons him, or punishes for sins. I have forgiven My servant. Let him do whatever he wishes, as long as he gives it up every time he sins, feels regretful, and determines not to do it again; yet, his self overcomes him, and he falls into the sin again and again. So, as long as he acts like this, sinning and repenting, I will forgive him. Indeed, repentance abolishes what is before it.

Benefits

• The Hadīth shows Allah's vast mercy towards His servants and that no matter how often a person commits sins, if he repents and returns to Allah, He accepts his repentance.
• A believer in Allah Almighty hopes for the forgiveness of his Lord and fears His punishment, so he hastens to repent and does not persist in sin.
• The conditions of valid repentance: giving up the sin, feeling regretful about it, and determining not to do it again. If the repentance is from wrongful acts towards people, in terms of their property, honor, or life, a fourth condition is added, and that is: asking the wronged person for pardon or giving his right back to him.
• The Hadīth highlights the significance of knowing Allah, for such knowledge makes a person aware of the matters of his religion, and so he repents every time he commits a sin, and he does not despair or persist in sins.

Topics

• Virtues and Manners
• Virtues
• Merits of Remembering Allah