Book 9: Supplications

Anas reported God’s messenger as stating that God has said, “Son of Adam, as long as you supplicate me and hope in me I will pardon you in spite of what you have done, and I do not care. Son of Adam, if your sins were so numerous as to reach the lofty regions of the sky, then you asked my forgiveness, I would forgive you, and I do not care. Son of Adam, if you were to meet me with enough sins to fill the earth, then met me not associating anything with me, I would bring you as much pardon as would fill the earth.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ahmad and Darimi transmitted it from Abu Dharr. Tirmidhi said this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as stating that God has said, “If anyone knows that I have power to forgive sins I will pardon him and not care, so long as he associatesi nothing with me.” It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone continually asks pardon, God will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide for him from where he did not reckon.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq reported God's messenger as saying, “He who asks pardon is not a confirmed sinner, even if he returns to his sin seventy times a day.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, "All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who are given to repentance." Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a believer sins there is black spot in his heart, and if he repents and asks pardon his heart is polished; but if he does more it increases till it gains the ascendancy over his heart. That is the rust mentioned by God most high, 'Nay, but what they were committing has spread like rust over their hearts'.” 1 1. Qur’an, lxxxiii, 14. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “God accepts a servant’s repentance till he gives up his spirit in death.”* *The Arabic is ma lam yugharghir, which might, be translated literally "as long as he has not died with the death rattle in his throat." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God’s messenger as saying that the devil said, “By Thy might, my Lord, I shall continue to lead Thy servants astray as long as their spirits are in their bodies” The Lord who is great and glorious replied, “By my might, glory and exalted station, I shall con­ tinue to pardon them as long as they ask my forgiveness.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Safwan b. ‘Assal reported God’s messenger as saying, “God most high has placed in the west for repentance a gate with a breadth of seventy years’ journey, and it will not be locked as long the sun does not rise in its direction. That agrees with God’s words, ‘On the day that certain of the signs of your Lord come, a soul which has not believed before will not be benefited by believing in them ’.”* *Qur’an, vi, 158 Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Mu'awiya reported God’s messenger as saying, "Emigration will not come to an end* till repentance comes to an end and repentance will not come to an end till the sun rises in-the place where it sets.” *This probably means that people will continue to leave districts in which it is difficult for them to observe their religion. Ahmad Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “There were two men among the B. Israil who loved one another, 'one of whom engaged ardently in worship while the other called himself a sinner. The former began to say, "Refrain from what you are doing," and the other would reply, “Let me alone with my Lord.” One day he found him committing a sin which he considered serious and said, “Refrain;" to which he replied, “Let me alone with my Lord. Were you sent to watch over me?” He then said, "I swear by God that God will never pardon you, nor will He bring you into paradise." God then sent to them an angel who took their spirits, and they came together into His presence To the sinner He said, “Enter paradise by my mercy;” and to the other He said, “Can you forbid my mercy to my servant?” He replied, “No, my Lord.” Then He said, “Take him away to hell.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Asma’ daughter of Yazid said she heard God’s messenger reciting, “My servants who have transgressed against their souls, do not despair of God’s mercy, for God pardons all sins,”* “and He does not care.” *Qur’an, xxxix, 53. Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, the latter saying this is a hasan gharib tradition. Sharh as-sunna has “saying” instead of “reciting.”

With reference to God’s words, “Except for slight faults ”* Ibn ‘Abbas reported God's messenger as saying, “If Thou forgivest, O God, Thou wilt forgive much sin, for which of Thy servants has not committed slight faults?” *Qur'an, liii, 32. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih gharib tradition.

Abu Dharr reported God’s messenger as stating that God most high says, “My servants, all of you are astray except him whom I have guided, but if you ask me for guidance I will guide you; all of you are poor except him whom I have enriched, but if you ask of me I will give you provision; all of you are sinners except him whom I have preserved [from sin], but if any of you knows that I have power to pardon and ask my pardon I will pardon him, and I do not care; if the first and the last of you, the living and the dead among you, those of you who are fresh and those of you who are withered, 3 had all hearts as pious as the heart of the most pious of my servants, that would not add as much as a gnat’s wing to my dominion; if the first and last of you, the living and the dead among you, those of you who are fresh and those of you who are withered, had all hearts as wretched as the heart of the most wretched of my servants, that would not diminish as much as a gnat’s wing from my dominion; if the first and last of you, the living and the dead among you, those of you who are fresh and those of you who are withered, were gathered in one plain, each one of you asking all he could hope for, and I were to grant the request of each of you who asked, that would cause no more diminution in my dominion than if one of you passed by the sea and, after dipping a needle in it, took it out, that being because I am generous and glorious, doing what I wish. My giving is speech and my punishment is speech. My command to a thing when I want it is just to say to it ‘Be’ and it comes into being.” [cf. Qur’an, xvi, 40; xxxvi, 82.] 3. i.e., young and old. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Anas reported that after the Prophet (ﷺ) had recited, “He is entitled to be feared and He is entitled to grant pardon,” 2 he stated that their Lord has said, “I am entitled to be feared, and to him who fears me I am entitled to grant pardon.” 2. Qur’an, lxxiv, 56. Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said: We counted that God’s messenger would say a hundred times during a meeting, “My Lord, forgive me and pardon me; Thou art the Pardoning and Forgiving One.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Bilal b. Yasar b. Zaid, the Prophet’s client,1 told on his father’s authority that his grandfather said he had heard God's messenger state that if anyone says, “I ask pardon of God than whom there is no god, the Living, the Eternal, and I turn to Him in repentance,” he will be pardoned, even if he has fled in time of battle. 1. The client was Zaid, Bilal’s grandfather. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it; but Abu Dawud has Hilal b. Yasar, and Tirmidhi calls this a gharib tradition.