REPENTANCE IN THE HEREAFTER

[Taqavi]

Is there an opportunity for repentance and return in the hereafter?

 

Repentance and return to Allah is one of the most beautiful and profound concepts in Islam; this concept is mentioned with great emphasis in the Holy Quran and the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). Repentance is abandoning current sins and resolving to abandon them in the future and making amends for past shortcomings;[1] which shows a firm decision to return to the divine path and correct wrongdoings.

The word repentance and its derivatives are used 87 times in the Holy Quran. [2] In many verses of the Quran, Allah calls upon people to repent in this world, [3] such as:

“Say: O My servants who have transgressed against their souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah: surely Allah forgives all sins; for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” [4]

This verse shows the vast mercy of Allah and the call to repentance.

In Surah Tahrim, Allah also says: “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance: it may be that your Lord will expiate your sins for you, and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow.” [5]

In the narrations, the importance of repentance and return to Allah in this world is also mentioned; [6] the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) says: If anyone repents a year before his death, Allah will accept his repentance; then he said that a year is a long time; if someone repents a month before his death, Allah will accept his repentance; then he added that a month is also long; if someone repents a week before his death, his repentance will be accepted by Allah; then he added that a week is also long; if someone repents a day before his death, Allah will accept his repentance; then he said that a day is also long; if someone repents an hour before his death, Allah will accept his repentance; then he added that even an hour is long; if someone repents before his soul reaches his throat (i.e., in the last moments of life and while he still has free will), Allah will accept his repentance. [7]

This narration emphasizes that repentance at any moment of worldly life will have an effect, except after death.

In another narration, Imam Sadiq (AS) said: In a conversation between Adam (AS) and Allah Almighty, Allah said to him: I have given them (the offspring of Adam) the opportunity to repent until the breath ends. [8] This narration also shows the mercy and forgiveness of Allah for those who return to Him with sincere repentance but introduces the property of repentance before death.

However, regarding repentance after death, Allah Almighty explicitly states in some verses of the Quran that repentance after death is fruitless:

"And repentance is not for those who do evil deeds until, when death comes to one of them, he says, 'Now I repent,' nor for those who die while they are disbelievers; for them We have prepared a painful punishment." [9]

This verse explicitly states that repentance must take place before death, and there is no opportunity for repentance after death.

In the blessed Surah Al-Mu'minun, it is mentioned: "Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, 'My Lord, send me back, so that I may do good in what I have left behind.' Never! It is only a word that he speaks, and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected." [10]

This blessed verse also shows that after death, there is no time for repentance and doing good deeds, and there will be no opportunity to return to the world.

Also, in a narration from the precious existence of Imam Reza (AS), [11] it is stated: Ibrahim ibn Muhammad Hamadani says: I said to Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (AS): For what reason did Allah Almighty drown Pharaoh, while he had believed in Allah and confessed to His oneness? The Imam said: Because he believed at the moment he saw the wrath and punishment, and believing at the moment of punishment is not acceptable; this is the judgment of Allah Almighty in the past and present; Allah Almighty said in the Quran: "So when they saw Our punishment, they said that we believe in the one God and we disbelieve in what we associated with Him, but their belief at the moment of seeing Our punishment was of no use".[12] Also, Allah Almighty said: "On the day when some of the signs of your Lord appear, the belief of someone who has not believed before or has not done a worthy deed in the state of his belief will not be of any use".[13]

 

Conclusion:

From studying and reviewing the verses of the Holy Quran and the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), it appears that repentance and return to Allah must be done in this worldly life, and after death there is no opportunity for repentance and correcting wrong behaviors; this reminds us that we must always think about correcting ourselves and gaining Allah's pleasure and use every opportunity to repent and return to Allah; sincere repentance not only forgives past sins but also causes the servant to be dear and beloved to Allah; it is hoped that by using religious teachings and relying on Allah's mercy and forgiveness, we will always walk in the correct path of Allah and benefit from the valuable opportunities of life.

 

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[1] . Jami’ al-Sa’adat: Naraqi, al-Mawla Muhammad Mahdi, vol. 3, page: 50.

[2] . Al-Mu'jam al-Ihsai'i: Mahmoud Rouhani, vol. 1, page: 389.

[3] . Hud: 3 / Al-Imran: 135 / Nisa': 110 / Ma'idah: 9 / Nur: 31 / Nisa': 17-18 / Baqarah: 160 / Furqan: 70 / Al-Imran: 89 and so on....

[4] . Zumar: 53. «قُلْ یَا عِبَادِیَ الَّذِینَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ یَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِیعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِیمُ»

[5] . Tahrim: 8. «یَا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّکُمْ أَن یُکَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَیِّئَاتِکُمْ وَیُدْخِلَکُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِی مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ»

[6] . Al-Kafi: Al-Shaykh al-Kulayni, vol. 4, page: 226, Book of Faith and Disbelief, Chapter on Repentance.

[7] . Mustadrak al-Wasa'il: Al-Muhaddith al-Nuri, vol. 12, page: 145.

[8] . Al-Kafi: Al-Shaykh al-Kulayni, vol. 4, page: 241.

[9] . Nisa': 18. «وَلَیْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِینَ یَعْمَلُونَ السَّیِّئَاتِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّی تُبْتُ الآنَ وَلَا الَّذِینَ یَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ کُفَّارٌ أُوْلَٰئِکَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِیمًا»

[10] . Mu'minun: 99-100.  «حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ لَعَلِّی أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِیمَا تَرَکْتُ ۚ كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ یَوْمِ یُبْعَثُونَ»

[11] . Wasa'il al-Shi'a: Al-Shaykh Hurr al-Amili, vol. 11, page 372.

[12] . Ghafir: 84-85 "فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ* فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا ۖ سُنَّتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ فِي عِبَادِهِ ۖ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَافِرُونَ"

[13] . An'am: 158 "هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ رَبُّكَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ ۗ يَوْمَ يَأْتِي بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ لَا يَنْفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًا ۗ قُلِ انْتَظِرُوا إِنَّا مُنْتَظِرُونَ