How does Imam al-Nawawi—and similarly those who say that accepting a believer's repentance is presumptive—interpret the hadiths that speak of accepting repentance, such as: "Indeed, Allah extends His hand at night to accept the repentance of the day's transgressor," and "The repentance of a servant is accepted as long as he does not gurgle [i.e., is not on his deathbed]," and "Indeed, before the West, there is a gate seventy years wide for repentance that will not be closed"? And do they interpret these as including the repentance of a non-believer, or is it otherwise?
Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
The jurists differed on the acceptance of the repentance of a disobedient believer. Some held that it is presumptive (ẓannīyah) and not definitive (qaṭʿīyah), citing verses such as: "And Allah turns in forgiveness to whom He wills." Others held that it is definitive, citing that Allah accepts the repentance of the sincere. The hadiths on repentance indicate the vastness of Allah's mercy and His acceptance of repentance, and that it is accepted even if the sin is repeated many times.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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