What is the way to have the sin of adultery with a neighbour's wife forgiven, after a previous answer on this website led some who had repented to go astray and abandon prayer?
Whoever commits a sin and then repents with sincere repentance, Allah accepts his repentance, for Allah Almighty says: {O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds} [Quran 66:8], and His saying: {Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by committing sins], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."} [Quran 39:53].
If the sin is related to the rights of people, then injustices must be returned to their owners, such as returning money or enabling the wronged person to take retribution. However, if it was a violation of honor, such as backbiting or adultery with someone else's wife, then the right-holder should be asked for forgiveness without explicitly stating the sin, in order to avoid publicizing it, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "All of my Ummah will be forgiven except those who publicize their sins."
The sinner should increase in acts of obedience, for good deeds erase bad deeds, as Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, good deeds do away with evil deeds} [Quran 11:114], and His saying: {But indeed, I am the Forgiver of whoever repents, believes, and does righteousness, and then is rightly guided} [Quran 20:82]. He is not obliged to seek forgiveness from the right-holder if doing so would cause embarrassment, and Allah forgives all sins for whoever repents with sincere repentance.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/56889
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- Original fatwa ID
- 56889
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy