302 - مَتى‏ تُقبَلُ التَّوبَةُ ؟

302. When Is Repentance Accepted?

(وَلَيْسَتِ التّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتّى‏ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ وَلَا الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفّارٌ) .¹

"But [acceptance of] repentance is not for those who go on committing misdeeds: when death approaches any of them, he says, 'I repent now.' Nor is it for those who die while they are faithless." ²

984.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : مَن تابَ قَبْلَ أنْ يُعايِنَ قَبِلَ‏اللَّهُ تَوبَتَهُ .³

984.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'A man who repents before he sees [the angel of death], Allah will accept his repentance.' ⁴

985.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : إذا بَلَغتِ النّفسُ هذهِ وأهْوى‏ بيَدِهِ إلى‏ حَلْقِهِ - لَم يَكُن للعالِمِ تَوبَةٌ ، وكانتْ للجاهلِ تَوبَةٌ .⁵

985.Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'When the soul reaches this - and pointed to his throat - there will not remain a chance to repent for the knowledgeable man, but there will remain a chance for the ignorant one.' ⁶

986.الإمامُ الرِّضا عليه السلام - وقد سُئلَ عن عِلّةِ إغْراقِ اللَّهِ فِرْعَونَ وقد آمَنَ بهِ وأقَرَّ بتَوحيدِهِ - : لأنَّهُ آمنَ عندَ رُؤيةِ البَأْسِ ، والإيمانُ عندَ رُؤيَةِ البَأْسِ غيرُ مَقبولٍ .⁷

986. Imam al-Rida (AS), when he was asked about the reason for Allah's drowning the Pharaoh after he believed in Him and attested to His oneness, replied, 'Because he believed after he saw the wrath [of Allah], and belief at such a time is not accepted.' ⁸