Is the repentance of a deliberate murderer accepted, and what are the views of the Salaf and the Sunni scholars on that?

Scholars have differed on the acceptance of repentance for one who has deliberately and unjustly killed a soul.

- The majority of jurists hold that a deliberate and unjust killer can repent, like other perpetrators of major sins, citing general and specific texts that accept the repentance of all people. For example, the Almighty says: "And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden them to kill, except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever does that will meet a penalty. The punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in humiliation – Except for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds; for them Allah will change their sins into good deeds. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful." (25:68-70). As for the verse, "And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally..." (4:93), its absolute meaning is interpreted as being qualified by the verse in Surah Al-Furqan, meaning "except for one who repents." Moreover, the repentance of a disbeliever is accepted by consensus, making the killer's repentance all the more worthy of acceptance.

- Hanafis: The killer's repentance is not valid merely by seeking forgiveness and remorse; rather, it depends on satisfying the victim's guardians (awliya') and enabling them to exact retribution (qisas). - Malikis: They affirmed the acceptance of the deliberate killer's repentance without qualification, and this is the doctrine of the Sunnis and the correct view. - Shafi'is: Killing unjustly is the greatest major sin after disbelief. Retribution (qisas) or forgiveness absolves the killer of the claim related to the victim's right in the hereafter, but Allah's right remains, which is only waived through sincere repentance with the intention of remorse and determination not to return to the sin. - Hanbalis: The victim's right in the hereafter is not waived merely by repentance. The victim will take from the killer's good deeds proportionate to their injustice. There are two views regarding whether the victim can still demand recompense in the hereafter after qisas or forgiveness.

- Ibn Abbas and Zayd ibn Thabit differed from the majority, holding that the repentance of a deliberate and unjust killer is not accepted, citing the verse: "And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally..." (4:93), considering this verse to be the last revelation on this matter, and nothing abrogates it.

- Ibn Jarir al-Tabari preferred the interpretation that the meaning of the verse, "his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally," is: "his recompense, if Allah were to punish him, is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally. However, He pardons and shows grace to those who believe in Him and His Messenger, so He does not punish them with eternal abode therein. Or, He might admit him therein and then bring him out of it by the abundance of His mercy." - Ibn Kathir stated that the majority of the early and later generations of the Ummah believe that a killer has a chance for repentance between him and his Lord. If he repents, Allah will change his evil deeds into good ones and compensate the victim. - Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen explained Ibn Abbas's statement regarding the non-acceptance of repentance as either ruling out the killer being granted success in repentance, or that Ibn Abbas's intent was the non-acceptance of repentance concerning the victim's right. It has also been reported from Ibn Abbas that a killer can repent unless he seeks Allah's forgiveness.