… Continued
This repentance is a great gain and a blessed gift from the One who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. It is attained only by the one whom Allah The Almighty guides. Has He not said, in connection with those left behind in the Battle of Tabook (what means): {And [He also forgave] the three who were left behind [and regretted their error] to the point that the earth closed in on them in spite of its vastness and their souls confined them and they were certain that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.} [Quran 9:118]
In his comment, Imam As-Sa‘di said that the verse {Then He turned to them} means that He permitted them to repent, and guided them to repentance, so that He would accept their repentance. {Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance} i.e. He turns in repentance, pardons more and more, and forgives slips and acts of disobedience, {the Merciful} i.e. His great mercy continues to descend upon the servants at all times, to help them perform their religious and worldly obligations. These Quranic verses indicate that the acceptance of one's repentance by Allah The Almighty is the most glorious and the highest rank. Allah The Almighty made it the end for the select among His servants, and conferred it upon them when they did the deeds which He likes and is pleased with. Furthermore, Allah The Almighty turns in repentance to His servant as much as he shows sincere regret and sorrow. Whoever is careless about their sin, and does not feel disconcerted for doing it, then, his repentance is rejected even though he claims it to be accepted. [Tafseer As-Sa‘di]
The greatest reward a repentant person receives is that his misdeeds are replaced with good deeds. How many are the sins and mistakes he committed, and how many are the slips in which he fell! Allah The Almighty Says, in reference to some of the major sins (what means): {And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated -Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 25:68-70]
According to Sayyid Qutb
"Then, the door of repentance is opened for the one who likes to be saved from this bad destiny, with the help of repentance, the correct faith, and the righteous deed, {Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work.} The believing repentant person who does good deeds is promised to have the misdeeds he committed before repentance replaced with good deeds, to be added to his new good deeds, {For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good.} It is out of Allah's bounty with no return on the part of the servant, except that he has been guided aright, retracted from error, returned to the protection of Allah, and given refuge with Him after vagrancy and loss: {And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.} The door of repentance is always open so that anyone who achieves realization and likes to return may enter. No one should be kept off it, nor would it be closed in the face of any person seeking refuge whatsoever, and whatever the sins he has committed might be." [Fi Thilaal Al-Quran]
It is narrated on the authority of Abi Taweel that he came to the Messenger of Allah and said,
"What do you think of a man who has committed all kinds of sins, and left nothing thereof, and left no desire nor lust but that he has fulfilled (or neither a minor nor a major sin but that he has committed)? Is there repentance for him?" He said: "Have you embraced Islam?" He said, "As for me, I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One and Only, who has no partner with Him, and that you are the Messenger of Allah." He said: "Do good deeds, and leave misdeeds, perchance Allah The Almighty will replace all of them with good deeds." He said, "And even my breach of conduct and wicked behavior?" He said: "Yes." On that he said, "Glorified be Allah." He continued to glorify Allah The Almighty until he left. [At-Tabaraani] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
Thus, let us move on to the shade of Allah The Almighty, to the harbor of safety, mercy and pardon, to true repentance in the month of repentance and showing sincere regret in front of the Lord of the heavens and earth, and to the replacement of misdeeds with good deeds.