Chapter I: Repentance
God says: He it is who accepts Tauba from His servants and pardons sins. God says : I am Forgiving, Accepter of repentance.
The Prophet said : God is more satisfied with the repentance of some of you. This satisfaction means acceptance of repentance and this is the proof of acceptance of repentance. The Prophet said : God says : God extends also His hand of forgivenesses towards one who is busy in commission of sins from night till day break and from day break till night. There are many repentance fit for acceptance which are not enquired into and there are many enquirers whose repentance is not accepted. The Prophet said : If you are engaged in the commission of sins which reach even heaven and then repent, God will accept it. He said : A man will enter paradise even after commission of sins. The companions asked : O Messenger of God, how can it be. He said : After commission of sins, he thinks how ne can return from them. Thus he will enter Paradise. Our Prophet said : Tauba expiates sins.
The Prophet said : He who repents after commission of a sin is like one who has not committed it A Negro slave once said to the Prophet : O Messenger of God, I am engaged in obscene deeds.
Have I got any repentance. He said. Yes, you have, Then he returned from the sins and said : O Messenger of God, when I commit sin, does God see me. He said : Yes, Then the slave gave such a loud shriek that cost his life.
It is related that when God cursed the devil, he prayed to God for time and He granted him time till the Resurrection Day. The devil then said : By the honour of your oath, I will not come out of the heart of a man till there is breath in him. God said : By My honour and glory, I will accept his repentance till there is life in his body. The Prophet said: A good deed removes an evil deed as water removes dirt.
Sayings of sages, Sayeed-bin-Mosayyeb said regarding the event of revlation of this verse "He is forgiving to those who ' repent," that a man repented after commission of a sin. Then he again committed that sin and again repented. Then God sent down the above verse. Fazil said: God said : Give good news to the sinners that if they repent, I will accept it. Give warning to the truthful that if I do justice in their case, I will punish them.
Talqe-bin-Habib said : Whatever duties man may do, God is
Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES ' 21
much above that, but he should repent morning and evening.
Abdullah- bin-Omar said : If a man after, commission of sin get afraid in mind, it is effaced from his record of deeds