Repentance, Seeking Forgiveness, Regret, and Admission (of Guilt)

‘I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, “There is no believing servant who commits a sin but that Allah delays for him [the recording of that sin] for seven hours of the day. If he repents [in that time], nothing is recorded…

“Abū ʿJaʿfar (a) said, ‘It used to be said: verily among the most beloved of the servants of Allah to Allah is the doer of good who repents often.’”

“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) say, ‘There is no servant who commits a sin but that he is given respite from that morning until nightfall, so if he repents to Allah [within that time], it is not written against him.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, ‘Whoever repents in the year of his death, Allah forgives him.’ Then he said, ‘Verily a year is too long. Whoever repents in the month of his death, Allah forgives him.’ Then he said,…

“I heard Abā Jaʿfar (a) say, ‘When the soul reaches this place (meaning the throat), there is no repentance for the knowledgeable, but there is [a possibility of] repentance for the ignorant.’”

“Whoever does an evil deed is given a respite of seven hours of the day. If he says, ‘I seek repentance from Allah, besides Whom there is no god, [He is] the Living, the Eternal’ three times, it (the sin) will not be…

“I asked Abū ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘What is the meaning of the verse wherein Allah, the Almighty, says: O you who believe, turn to Allah in sincere repentance (Q66:8)?’ He said, ‘It is the sin which he never repeats again.’ I…

“When a servant intends to do an evil deed, it is not recorded against him, but if he intends to do a good deed, it is recorded for him.”

By Allah, no one can be saved from sin except the one who admits [and confesses] it.”

“I heard Abā Jaʿfar (a) say, ‘Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant when he repents than the man whose mount, that was carrying [all] his food and drink, gets lost in the wilderness. Then, as he is in…

“Verily Allah loves the one who admits [his sins] and repents often.” He [then] said, “The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) used to turn to Allah in repentance seventy times a day without having committed any sin.” The narrator…

“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh say, ‘Verily we sin and we forget, then we turn back penitently to Allah.’” Al-Ḥasan ibn Saʿīd said, “There is no difference of opinion among our scholars that they (the Imams) are infallible and…

he heard saying, “There is no believer who commits a sin but that he is given respite for seven hours, so if he seeks forgiveness from Allah [during that time], he is forgiven. Indeed, he may recall his sin after twenty…

“Abū Jaʿfar (a) said to me, ‘There is no servant who performs an action that Allah is not pleased with but that Allah initially conceals it [from the people]. If he repeats it a second time, Allah hides it [again], but…

15.Ibrāhīm ibn Abī al-Bilād said, “Abū al-Ḥasan [al-Kāẓim] (a) said, ‘Verily I seek forgiveness from Allah five thousand times every day.’ Then he said to me, ‘Five thousand is a lot.’”

“Verily Allah, the Almighty, revealed to Dāwūd (a), ‘Go to My servant Dānyāl and say to him: [My Lord says] you have disobeyed Me yet I forgave you, and you disobeyed Me [again] yet I forgave you, and you disobeyed Me…

“Verily Ādam (a) said, ‘O Lord, You allowed Shayṭān to prevail over me and You made him flow in me like blood [flowing in my veins], so grant me something [to counter him].’ So He said, ‘O Ādam, I have [hereby] granted…

“Whoever says three times, ‘Glory be to my Lord, the Great, and praise be to Him. I seek forgiveness from my Lord and turn penitently to Him,’ the Throne [of Allah] makes a sound like the sound of chains striking a…

“One who does not hold himself to account every day is not from us. [Every believer should take account of his actions daily and] if he has done a good deed, he should seek more of it from Allah and praise Allah for it,…