بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful The Bestower of Mercy

Allah, The Most High, said:

إِن تُبْدُوا۟ خَيْرًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ أَوْ تَعْفُوا۟ عَن سُوٓءٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًا

Whether you (mankind) disclose (by good words of thanks) a good deed (done to you in the form of a favour by someone), or conceal it, or pardon an evil, verily, Allah is [عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًا – Ever Oft­-Pardoning, All-Powerful.] [An-Nisa 149]

Al-Afuww: The One Who pardons again and again. The One Who continues to pardon the sins of His servants, and leaves off punishment for them. The One Who pardons His slaves so that they do not suffer the consequences of their sins if they repent. [1]

Imam Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said to Allāh’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: If I happen to know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say therein (or during it)?” He said: Say:

اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني

O Allah, You are Pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.”

“Al-ʿAfuw” is the One who overlooks and forgives the sins of His servants. He, Glorified be He and The Most High, is Ever Oft-Pardoning, All-Powerful, meaning: He pardons while having the power to punish. He is not like a human being who when unable to do something, he says, “I pardon you”, whereas Allah forgives despite having full power, and this is the perfection of pardon. So on Laylat al-Qadr you say the best supplication you can make which is:

اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني

“O Allah, You are Pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.” [2]

The Virtue of Repentance

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَـٰحِشَةً أَوۡ ظَلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَہُمۡ ذَكَرُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمۡ وَمَن يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَلَمۡ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ

And those who, when they have committed an immoral act or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; – and none can forgive sins but Allah – and do not persist in what they have done, while they know. [Aal Imran. 135]

وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَـٰحِشَةً أَوۡ ظَلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَہُمۡ ذَكَرُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمۡ

“And those who, when they have committed an immoral act or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins”.

Meaning: When they commit sins, they return to Allah in repentance and seek His protection from the evil consequences that might reach them in future due to their evil deeds, and seek forgiveness for the evil deeds which they have already committed.

وَلَمۡ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ

“And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know”.

Meaning: They repent from their sin, turn to Allah in repentance soon afterwards, refrain from persisting upon disobedience and they know that Allah forgives whoever repents.

أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ جَزَآؤُهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَجَنَّـٰتٌ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡہَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا‌ۚ وَنِعۡمَ أَجۡرُ ٱلۡعَـٰمِلِينَ

For such, the reward is Forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath (Paradise), wherein they shall abide forever. How excellent is this reward for the doers (who do righteous deeds according to Allah’s Orders). [3] And they know that persisting upon sin is harmful and abandoning it is a foremost obligation. [4]

When they commit evil deeds -be it major or minor- they hasten towards repentance, seek forgiveness, remember their Lord, the promise given to the disobedient ones and the promise given to those who fear Him, thus, they ask for forgiveness, ask Allah to hide their faults, stop committing the sins and are regretful. And due to this, Allah said about them:

أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ جَزَآؤُهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَجَنَّـٰتٌ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡہَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا‌ۚ وَنِعۡمَ أَجۡرُ ٱلۡعَـٰمِلِينَ

For such, the reward is Forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath (Paradise), wherein they shall abide forever. How excellent is this reward for the doers (who do righteous deeds according to Allah’s Orders)]. [5]

Allah, The Most High, said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوۡبَةً۬ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمۡ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَڪُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ يَوۡمَ لَا يُخۡزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ ۥ‌ۖ نُورُهُمۡ يَسۡعَىٰ بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ وَبِأَيۡمَـٰنِہِمۡ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتۡمِمۡ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَآ‌ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ۬

O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will remit from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow [Paradise] the Day that Allah will not disgrace the Prophet [Muhammad] and those who believe with him, their Light will run forward before them and with [their Records Books of deeds] in their right hands they will say: ‘’Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the Siraat (a slippery bridge over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things.’’

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوۡبَةً۬ نَّصُوحًا

“O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance”.

Umar Ibn Khattab said:

Sincere repentance is that a person repents from sins and reminds himself not to return to sinning. Al-Hasan Al-Basri was asked about sincere repentance, he said: “It is regret (felt in) the heart, asking for forgiveness with the tongue, the limbs refrain from sinning and being cautious of returning to sin”. Ibn Mas’ud said: ‘’Sincere repentance expiates every evil deed”, then he recited the Ayah ah [i.e. Ayah 8 Surah At-Tahreem] [6]

Shaqeeq Al-Balkhi said:

“The signs of repentance are: Weeping over what has preceded, fear of falling into sin (again), keeping away from evil companions and accompanying the good people”. [7]

[1] The Names and Attributes of Allah – By Shaikh Abu Talhah (may Allah have mercy upon him and his wife)

[2] Excerpt from this link: https://alathar.net/home/esound/index.php?op=codevi&coid=214530

[3] An Excerpt from ‘Al-Misbaah Al-Muneer Fee Tahdheeb Tafseer Ibn Katheer’.

[4] An Excerpt from Zad Al-Maseer Fee Ilm at- Tafseer’.

[5] An Excerpt from ‘Tayseer al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan’.

[6] An Excerpt from Zad Al-Maseer Fee Ilm at-Tafseer’.

[7] Nazha Al-Fudalaa 711.