Appearance
Verses 17–18
These two verses are not without a certain connection with the preceding two which had ended on the theme of repentance, possibly all four might have been revealed together. Nevertheless, these two independently throw light on a theme which is among the most sublime Islamic realities and highest Qur’anic teachings, and that is the reality of repentance and its significance as well as the rules governing it.
إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِنْ قَرِيبٍ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ١٧
(4:17) Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance, then turn (to Allah) soon, so these it is to whom Allah turns (mercifully), and Allah is All-knowing, Wise.
al-Tawbah means to return. It signifies returning of a servant to God with remorse for his misdeeds and a firm intention to leave the way that was distancing him from the path of servitude. When ascribed to God, it means that God turns towards His servant with mercy, (first) forgiving his sin. We have repeatedly said that, according to the Qur’an, a servant’s single repentance is flanked by two turnings from God. The fact is that repentance is a good deed, a virtuous act which requires strength and will-power; and all virtues emanate from God, and all power and strength belongs to Him. It is God who manages the affairs in a way that the servant becomes able to repent, gets strength to cut himself off from the factors which were taking him away from God, and thus he returns to his Lord. After being helped in this way to repent from his sins and to return to God, he again needs a second ‘turning’ by God in order that he could be cleansed from those impurities, purified from those pollutions, so that he may reach and be settled near his Lord—this second turning again shows divine mercy and compassion as well as His forgiveness and pardon.
These two divine turnings are the two ‘repentances’ which surround a servant’s repentance and returning. God says: then He turned to them (mercifully) that they might turn (to Him) ... (). This refers to the first turning. Again He says: these it is to whom I turn (mercifully) ... (); and this is the second turning; between these two divine turnings comes the servant’s returning, his repentance.
The starting clause, ‘‘Repentance with God is only for those’’ literally means: Repentance on God is only for those ... ʿalā (on) and li (for) denote harm and benefit, respectively; as we say: ‘Adversities came on ʿAmr (ʿalā ʿAmr) to the benefit of Zayd. Or as we say: The race was for (li) X on (‘alā) Y, that is, X won the race against Y. It is because ʿalā (on) implies height and domination; and li (for) denotes possession and right. Consequently, in the matters involving two parties (like war, fighting and dispute, in which one party gets some benefits and the other is harmed, one overpowers and the other is overpowered), the victor acquires some rights over the vanquished, and the latter is prevailed upon, ruled over. The same is the case in similar situations. Look, for example, at the effect between an influencing factor and the influenced, or at the link a promise creates between the giver of promise and the one to whom it was given, and so on. It is now clear that the two prepositions (ʿalā and li) have acquired the connotations, of harm and benefit, respectively, because of contexts in which they are frequently used—not because it is their original meaning.
Now, let us see, how repentance succeeds and why it benefits the servants of God. It is because of a promise which God has given to the servants; in this way He Himself has made it obligatory for Himself to accept their repentance. He has said in this verse: Repentance with (on) God is only for those who do evil in ignorance. In this way it becomes obligatory for God to accept His servant’s repentance. It does not mean that anyone else can obligate God to do something, or can prescribe a duty for Him—it makes no difference whether you call that one the reason, the nature of the affair, the reality, or the truth; or give it any other name, God is Greater and Holier than such ascriptions. Rather this matter is based on the fact that God has promised His servants that He would accept the repentance of those who would repent; and He does not break His promise. This is the implication of the statement that it is obligatory for God to accept and grant the repentance in relevant situations. And it is the connotation of every declaration where we say that a certain action is al-wājib (obligatory) for God.
Obviously, the verse is focussed not on a servant’s repentance, but on God’s turning with mercy towards that servant, although in this process it inevitably throws light on matters related to the servant’s repentance. God’s turning (with all its conditions) cannot remain separate from the servant’s repentance (with all its conditions fulfilled). This topic, that the verse is meant to describe God’s returning, does not require further explanation.
Secondly, it covers all types of repentance, whether the servant repents from polytheism and disbelief and returns to the true faith, or from sin and disobedience and returns to obedience (if he is already a believer). The Qur’an calls both aspects as repentance. God says: Those who bear the throne and those around it celebrate the praise of their Lord and believe: ‘‘Our Lord! Thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge, therefore grant forgiveness to those who turn (to Thee) and follow Thy way ... (). Here, the words, ‘those who turn (to Thee)’, mean, those who believe, because previously it has been said: and ask forgiveness for those who believe. Thus belief has been called al-tawbah (repentance), In another verse, God says (referring to some believers): then He turned to them (mercifully) that they might turn (to Him), ().
The generality found in the next verse, And repentance is not for those ..., proves that repentance, as envisaged in these verses, covers repentance from polytheism and disbelief as well as from sin and disobedience, because the verse comments on situations of disbelievers and believers both. Accordingly, the clause, ‘‘those who do evil in ignorance’’, encompasses both the believers and the disbelievers; a disbeliever is included, like a disobeying believer among ‘‘those who do evil in ignorance’’. How? It is because disbelief is an action of heart and ‘doing evil’ covers deeds of heart too like those of other organs; or because disbelief always brings evil actions in its wake. Therefore, ‘‘those who do evil in ignorance’’, refers to a disbeliever as well as to a disobeying believer—provided they are not wilfully obstinate in their disbelief or sin.
As for the words, ‘‘in ignorance’’, obviously ignorance, per se, is opposite of knowledge. People are conscious of the fact that they do all their deeds with knowledge and will; and that the will emanates from a certain love or longing. It makes no difference whether that action is likeable in the eyes of the society’s sages or not; but it is believed that a man of discriminating intelligence will not commit an evil censured by the sages. Based on this assumption they believe that anyone who, being overcome by psychological bent, or motives of desire or anger, commits any blameworthy evil deed, does so only because he becomes oblivious of knowledge, and consequently loses his sagacity which distinguishes between good and bad, between praiseworthy and blameworthy: in this manner, he is overpowered by desire and commits evil. That is why they call it ignorance, although in reality it could not be done without a degree of knowledge and will. But as his knowledge of the indecency and evil of that action did not prevent him from falling into that trap, that knowledge was discounted as non knowledge, and he was called ‘ignorant’. That is why they call a young inexperienced person ‘ignorant’ as his actions are governed by desire, and raw sentiments and emotions dominate his life. Also it is for the same reason that they do not call an unrepentant sinner (who feels no remorse for his sins and does not turn away from desires and sentimentalities) ‘ignorant’; his condition is rather called obstinacy and willfulness, etc.
It is now clear that ignorance in this context means doing an evil deed under the influence of desire or anger—without being obstinate in face of truth. It is an intrinsic nature of such deeds (done in ignorance) that when the storm subsides and the inflamed desire or anger is extinguished be it because of doing that evil, or because of some hindrance, or because of passage of time, or weakening of powers, or through ill health the man returns to the knowledge and that ignorance goes away; then he feels remorse for what he had done.
But this process does not take place in the evil which is done because of obstinacy and willfulness, etc. Such evil is not done because of some agitation of a power or inflammation of desire or sentiments; its root cause is what they call malevolence of nature, wickedness of heart. There is no hope that one day it will go away after the inflamed passion has subsided. It would rather continue throughout the life without his feeling any remorse in near future—except that God wills it.
Of course, it happens sometimes that an obstinate stubborn person turns away from his obstinacy and stubbornness; and instead of confronting the truth he now submits to it and enters into the fold of servitude. This change proves that even his obstinacy was based on ignorance. And why not? In actuality every disobedience emanates from man’s ignorance. From this point of view, no one could be called an obstinate and stubborn sinner except the one who never turns away from his evil deeds to the last moment of his life and health.
The above discourse shows the significance of the divine words, ‘‘then turn (to God) soon’’. The man who does evil because of ignorance, would not remain busily engaged in his misdeed, addicted to it all his life; he would not do as obstinate stubborn ones do who never show any sign of returning to piety and submission. He would rather turn away from that misdeed and return to God soon. The adverb. ‘soon’, refers to nearness of time; and it means, ‘before death comes to him and before the signs of the other world appear before his eyes’.
Of course, every obstinate and stubborn person becomes contrite when he is faced with unpleasant consequences and chastisement of his evil deeds; he then disavows his deeds, shows repulsion towards them. But actually he is not repentant in his heart; his remorse does not emanate from any reform of character. It is merely a device, his wicked soul has adopted for saving himself from the consequences of his evil activities. Proof? As soon as that particular punishment is averted, he returns to the same evil-doing. God says: and if they were sent back, they would certainly go back to that which they are forbidden, and most surely they are liars ().
Why do we say that the word, ‘soon’, here means: before the signs of death appear before him? It is because God says in the second verse: And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds, until when death comes to one of them, he says: ‘‘Surely now I repent.’’
Accordingly, the clause, ‘‘then turn (to God) soon’’, is an adverse indirect allusion to those who go on postponing repentance until its chances are lost for ever.
The above discourse shows that the two clauses, ‘‘in ignorance’’ and ‘‘then turn (to God) soon’’, are exclusive conditions. The former means that the servant does not do evil in arrogance and obstinacy; the latter, that he does not delay his repentance until the death-time—showing his indifference, negligence and procrastination. Repentance, after all, is man’s returning to God with firm intention of serving Him. God’s turning then means that He accepts that servant’s return to Him. But service and worship of God has no meaning if there is no time left in this world; because it is this worldly life which is the arena of the free choice and the place of obedience and disobedience. When the signs of death appear, the free will and choice—the basis of obedience and disobedience—ceases to exist. God says: On the day when some of the signs of your Lord shall come, its faith shall not profit a soul which did not believe before, or earn good through its faith (); But when they saw Our punishment, they said: ‘‘We believe in Allah alone and we deny what we used to associate with Him.’’But their belief was not going to profit them when they had seen Our punishment; (this is) Allah’s law, which has indeed obtained in the matter of His servants, and there the unbelievers are lost ().
In short, the verse says that God accepts the repentance of a disobedient and sinner servant, provided the sin was not committed in haughtiness, showing arrogance towards God (because it would then kill the spirit of repentance and submission to God) and provided the man does not display indifference and tardiness in repentance, neglecting it until death arrives and the chance is lost for ever.
Also, it is possible to treat the clause, ‘‘in ignorance’’, as an explanatory description. The meaning then would be as follows: ‘... those who do evil; and evil is always done in ignorance, as with it man puts himself in danger of painful chastisement’, or, ‘... evil is always done in ignorance, because the evil-doer does not know the reality of disobedience nor the resulting dangers’.
If we adopt this explanation, then the clause, ‘‘then turn (to God) soon’’, would signify their repenting before appearance of signs of death; it would not be an allusion to tardiness in repentance. Why? Because, according to this explanation, those who commit evil deeds because of arrogance, and because they do not submit to their Lord, would be excluded, not by the words, ‘‘in ignorance’’ but by the clause, ‘‘then turn (to God) soon’’; and in that case, this latter clause cannot be an allusion to indifference and negligence. Ponder on it.
But probably the first explanation is more in conformity with the apparent meanings of the verse.
Someone has reportedly said: The words, ‘‘then turn (to God) soon’’, signify that repentance should occur nearer to the time of disobedience, that is, immediately after committing a sin or soon enough to be thought as connected to it. One should not neglect it until the time of death.
Reply: This explanation is wrong, because it undermines the second verse’s meaning. The two verses aim at giving the basic comprehensive principle concerning God’s turning, that is, how and when God accepts a servant's repentance. It may clearly be understood from the particle of exclusion and restriction in the first verse, Repentance with God is only for those ... The second verse describes the situations when repentance is not accepted; and it mentions only two situations: i) Repentance of that sinner who goes on neglecting and delaying it until the death arrives; ii) Repentance of an unbeliever who dies in his disbelief. Now, if only that repentance were acceptable which would follow the sin without delay—that which could be thought connected to the sin—then it would give us a third situation where repentance was unacceptable. But the verse mentions only two.
... so these it is to whom Allah turns (mercifully); and Allah is All-knowing, Wise: The demonstrative pronoun ulāʾika (translated here as ‘these’) actually means, ‘those’, and points to distant objects. Its use might be a symbolic expression of the honor and dignity which God wants to bestow on them. The same is the implication of the singular, ‘evil’, as it indicates an indulgence in reckoning of their sins. Compare it with the plural in the next verse: And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds ...
The verse ends on the clause: and God is All-knowing, Wise; it does not say, God is Forgiving, Merciful. The two divine attributes show why God has opened the door of repentance. It is because He knows His servants’ condition, and the effects of their weaknesses and ignorance; and because He, in His wisdom, found it necessary to open some ways to strengthen the system and put the things in good shape. Also, the attributes remind the repenting servant that God is not deceived by appearance, He examines the hearts; deceit and cunning cannot deceive Him; therefore, one who repents must repent in a proper and sincere way, so that God should answer him with mercy and forgiveness.
وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ وَلَا الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا ١٨
(4:18) And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds, until when death comes to one of them, he says: ‘‘Surely, now I repent’’; nor (for) those who die while they are unbelievers. These are they for whom We have prepared a painful chastisement.
Note that the words, with Allah, have not been repeated here, although the connotation is the same. This omission gives a clear hint that they have been cut off from the especial divine mercy and care. Also the use of plural, ‘‘evil deeds’’, shows that all their misdeeds will be counted and recorded for the final reckoning, as we have mentioned earlier.
The clause, ‘‘who go on doing evil deeds’’, as qualified by the following clause, that is, ‘‘until when death comes to one of them’’ indicates continuation of action. It is either because carelessness in repentance, postponing it day after day, is in itself a continuously repeated sin; or because it is as though he was going on committing sins incessantly; or because indifference towards repentance generally makes one commit the same or similar sins again and again.
The verse says: ‘‘until when death comes to one of them’’, instead of saying, until when death comes to them. It points to the disdain and indifference with which they treat this matter. Its connotation: Repentance, in their eyes, is such an unimportant matter, such an easy thing, that they go on doing what they desire, going the way they wish, without any care. Then when death comes to one of them he says: ‘Surely, now I repent.’ And he thinks that merely by uttering these words, or by just thinking of them in the last moment of his life, the consequences of sins, the perils of disobeying divine commands, will be everted.
This explanation makes it clearer why the words, ‘I repent’, have been qualified by ‘now’. It shows that the speaker is only repenting—in words or thought—because death has overtaken him and now he sees the next world’s overwhelming power before his eyes. In effect it means: I repent as I have now seen the inescapable death and inescapable recompense. God describes a similar plea to be made by the guilty ones on the Day of Resurrection: And could you but see when the guilty shall hang down their heads before their Lord: ‘‘Our Lord! we have seen and we have heard, therefore send us back, so that we do good; surely (now) we are certain.’’ ().
So, that is a repentance that is not acceptable at all: because it is his losing hope of worldly life and the fright of the newly seen horizon that have forced him to feel remorse for his misdeeds and to resolve to return to his Lord. But where is there any chance of returning, when there is no worldly life left and no practical choice available?
... nor (for) those who die while they are unbelievers: This is the other case where repentance is not accepted. It concerns a man who continues in his disbelief and dies in disbelief. God does not accept his returning, because on that day his repentance, i.e., his belief, will not benefit him at all. The Qur’an repeatedly says that there is no deliverance after death if one dies in disbelief, and that they will not get any reply even if they asked and prayed. God says: Except those who repent and amend and make manifest (the truth), these it is to whom I turn (mercifully); and I am the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. Surely those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers, these it is on whom is the curse of Allah and the angels and men all; abiding in it; their chastisement shall not be lightened nor shall they be given respite (2:160–62). Also He says: Surely, those who disbelieve and die while they are unbelievers, the earth full of gold shall not be accepted from one of them, though he should offer to ransom himself with it; these it is who shall have a painful chastisement, and they shall have no helpers (). As explained in the third volume under this verse, the negation of helpers means that they shall have no intercessors.
The qualifying phrase, ‘‘while they are unbelievers’’, indicates that there is a possibility of ‘return’ for a disobedient believer if he dies in disobedience—but without arrogance or negligence. Of course, death will make the idea of the servant’s repentance (his return to the fold of servitude by his own choice) irrelevant, as described above. But God’s return to the servant with forgiveness and mercy may still happen because of the intercessors’ intercession. This in itself is a proof that the two verses primarily aim at describing God’s return to His servant; if they throw some light on the servants’ repentance, on their return to God, it is only incidentally and in passing.
... These are they for whom We have prepared a painful chastisement: Again the demonstrative pronoun for distant objects has been used. (The pronoun translated as ‘these’ literally means, ‘those’.) This word, in this context, points to their distance from the courtyard of proximity and honor. al-Iʿtād (to prepare; to promise).
Discourse
The discussion “A Discourse on Repentance” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.
Examining Narrations
- The Messenger of God said, inter alia, in his last sermon: ‘‘Whoever repents one year before his death, God will turn (mercifully) to him.’’ Then he said: ‘‘Surely, a year is too long; whoever repents one month before his death, God will turn (mercifully) to him.’’ Then he said: ‘‘Surely a month is too long; whoever repents one day before his death, God will turn (mercifully) to him.’’ Then he said: ‘‘Surely a day is too long; whoever repents one hour before his death, God will turn (mercifully) to him.’’ Then he said: ‘‘Surely an hour is too long; whoever repents while his soul has reached here’’—and he pointed with his hand to his throat—‘‘God will turn (mercifully) to him.’’ (Man lā yahduruh al-faqīh)
- al-Sādiq said when he was asked about the word of God, And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds, until when death comes to one of them, he says: ‘‘Surely now I repent’’: ‘‘That is, when he looks at the affairs of the next world.’’
Author’s comments: al-Kulaynī has narrated the first tradition in al-Kāfī through his chain from al-Sādiq; it is also narrated through the Sunnī chains, and there are other traditions too of the same import.
The second tradition gives the explanation of the verse; also it explains those traditions which say that repentance in presence of death is not accepted. Accordingly ‘‘in presence of death’’ means ‘when man knows that the process of death has begun, and sees the signs of the hereafter’; it is at that point that the door of repentance is closed against him. But if a man is unaware of his impending death, then there is no snag in acceptance of his repentance. Some of the following traditions have similar meaning.
- Zurārah has narrated from Abū Jaʿfar that he said: ‘‘When the soul reaches here’’, pointing to his larynx, ‘‘then there is no repentance for the knower; but there is repentance for the ignorant.’’ (al-Tafsīr, al-ʿAyyāshī)
- It is reported in al-Durr al-manthūr that Ahmad, al-Bukhārī (in his al-Tafsīr), al-Hākim and Ibn Marduwayh have narrated from Abū Dharr, that he said: ‘‘Surely the Messenger of God said: ‘Surely God accepts repentance of His servant, or forgives His servant, until the curtain comes down.’ It was asked: ‘And what is the coming down of curtain?’ He said: ‘The soul goes out while a polytheist.’ ’’
- Ibn Jarīr has narrated from al-Hasan that he said: ‘‘[A report] has come to me that the Messenger of God said: ‘Verily Iblīs said when he found that Adam had cavity [in his body]: ‘‘By Thy honor! I will not leave his cavity as long as there was soul inside him.’’ Then God, the Blessed, the High, said: ‘‘By My honor! I will not come between him and repentance as long as there was soul inside him.’’ ’ ’’ (al-Durr al-manthūr)
- ʿAlī al-Ahmasī has narrated from Abū Jaʿfar that he said: ‘‘By God! None gets deliverance from sins except he who confesses them.’’ Also he has narrated from the same Imām: ‘‘Enough is remorse for repentance.’’ (al-Kāfī)
- It is narrated in al-Kāfī through two chains from Ibn Wahb that he said: ‘‘I heard Abū ʿAbdillāh saying: ‘When the servant repents, a sincere repenting, God loves him and covers him.’ I said: ‘And how does He cover him?’ He said: ‘He makes his two angels forget what they had written against him; then He inspires his limbs and the areas of the earth to conceal his sins. Thus he meets God—when he meets Him—and there is nothing to give evidence against him concerning his sins.’ ’’
- Muḥammad b. Muslim has narrated from Abū Jaʿfar that he said: ‘‘O Muḥammad b. Muslim! sins of the believer are forgiven to him when he repents from them. Therefore, the believer should perform his deeds afresh after repentance and forgiveness. But, by God! it is not but for the people of faith.’’ ‘‘I said: ‘But what if he relapses into sins after repentance and forgiveness, and then repents again?’ He said: ‘O Muḥammad b. Muslim! do you think that a believer servant feels remorse for his sin and asks forgiveness from God for it and repents and then God will not accept his repentance?’ I said: ‘Then if he does so repeatedly; commits sin and repents and asks forgiveness?’ Then he said: ‘Whenever the believer returns asking for forgiveness and repenting, God the High, returns to him with forgiveness; and surely God is Forgiving, Merciful; He accepts repentance and pardons the evils.
- Therefore, be careful, lest you make the believers lose hope of God’s mercy.’ ’’ (al-Kāfī)
- Abū ʿAmr al-Zubayrī narrates from Abū ʿAbdillāh about the words of God, And most surely lam most forgiving to him who repents and believes and does good, then continues to follow the right direction [], that he said: ‘‘This verse has an explanation, which explanation is proved [by the fact] that God does not accept any deed from any servant except from him who meets Him with fulfilment of that explanation, and with that condition which God has imposed on the believers.’’ And he said: ‘‘Repentance with God is only for those who do evil in ignorance; God means that every sin which the servant does although he may be aware of it—he is ignorant when he thinks in his heart to disobey his Lord; and God has spoken about it quoting the talk of Joseph to his brothers: Do you know how you treated Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant? []. So he charged them with ignorance because they planned in their hearts to commit sin against God.’’ (al-Tafsīr, al-ʿAyyāshī)
Author’s comments: The text of the narration is not free from confusion and disarray. Apparently the earlier portion is meant to show that good deed is accepted when the servant fulfils its condition and does not destroy it. After all, repentance is acceptable only when it restrains and prevents the one who repents from sin—even for a limited time.
And probably the text, ‘‘And he said: Repentance with Allah is only for those’’, is a new topic, to show that the word, in ignorance, in this verse is an explanatory clause, and that sin in general is ignorance—it has already been given as an alternative explanation in the commentary. This latter part is narrated also in Majmaʿ al-Bayān from the same Imām.
See the Eng. transl. vol. 6. [Trans.] ↩︎