Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother Burhan,

Assalamu-Alaikum,

First of all, I would like to congragulate you for the noble work you are doing.

My question is that I had read in your emails that acceptance of Islam wipes off all past sins, it means that if a non-muslim accept islam just few days before his death than all his past sins will be converted to good deeds, than what about the past sins of a muslim (by-birth). Whether his past sins will remain same, whereas past sins of a converted muslim will be wiped off.

Hope you understand my question.

Thanks & best regards,

Allah-Hafiz

Your brother

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Past sins forgive taubah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: My question is that I had read in your emails that acceptance of Islam wipes off all past sins

Amr ibn al-'As says: "When Allah guided me to Islam, I went to the Prophet (saws) and said to him: 'O Prophet of Allah (saws)! Stretch out your hand so that I may pledge my allegiance to you.' The Prophet (saws) stretched out his hand to me, but I withdrew my hand. The Prophet (saws) asked: 'O 'Amr! What is the matter with you?' I said: 'I would like to stipulate a condition!' The Prophet (saws) asked: 'What is it?' I said: 'That all my past sins be forgiven!' The Prophet (saws) said: 'O 'Amr! Do you not know that (acceptance of) Islam wipes off all past sins, and ‘Hijrah’ (migration for Allah's Cause) wipes off all sins, and Hajj (Mabrur) wipes off all past sins!"'

Related by Muslim.

Dear and beloved brother, the one thing or act which ‘wipes out every single past sin’ is ‘taubah’ and sincere repentance unto the Lord Most Merciful. Allah Subhanah, in His Infinite Mercy towards His slaves, has left this door or avenue of ‘taubah’ unto Him open to every man (and every Jinn) until one is faced with their appointment of death.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge (death) overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

Your Question: ….it means that if a non-muslim accept islam just few days before his death than all his past sins will be converted to good deeds

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:

The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord, save us from the torment of Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly, but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone, nor kill a soul unjustly, which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; except the one who may have repented, believed and did righteous deeds thereafter; for then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!

Indeed brother, if indeed a non-muslim were to accept Islam even a moment before he was faced with his appointment of death, the Lord Most Merciful has Promised and Guaranteed that not only will each and every sin of such a person would be forgiven, but all his past sins will be converted into good deeds!

Beloved brother, the ‘acceptance of Islam’ is nothing more than an act of sincere ‘taubah’ and repentance….for at the time of his acceptance to Islam, the former disbeliever turns back unto his Lord Creator in ‘taubah’, and makes a solemn covenant that henceforth he will leave behind every ‘god’ he may have worshipped and turn to the One and Only Lord Creator Who Alone deserves worship. In truth, it is this sincere ‘taubah’ and repentance which forgives the person all his past sins.

Your Question: …..than what about the past sins of a muslim (by-birth). Whether his past sins will remain same,

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance (taubah) till he gives up his spirit in death."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

Beloved brother, if the ‘muslim’ person were to seek sincere ‘taubah’ and repentance for his past sins even unto a moment before he was faced with his appointment of death…..the same exact law which applies to the ‘non-muslim’ who accepts Islam would be applicable to the ‘muslim’; and all his past sins would be completely wiped out from his ‘book of records’ by the Lord Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Sincere ‘taubah’ and repentance wipes out each and every past sin; the sins one will be held accountable for in the Court and Presence of the Lord Most Majestic are those sins for which one did not seek sincere repentance from their Lord before one’s death.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan