The Book of Belief and Disbelief
Pleading for Forgiveness
3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَأَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ الْعَبْدُ الْمُؤْمِنُ إِذَا أَذْنَبَ ذَنْباً أَجَّلَهُ الله سَبْعَ سَاعَاتٍ فَإِنِ اسْتَغْفَرَ الله لَمْ يُكْتَبْ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ وَإِنْ مَضَتِ السَّاعَاتُ وَلَمْ يَسْتَغْفِرْ كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْهِ سَيِّئَةٌ وَإِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيُذَكَّرُ ذَنْبَهُ بَعْدَ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً حَتَّى يَسْتَغْفِرَ رَبَّهُ فَيَغْفِرَ لَهُ وَإِنَّ الْكَافِرَ لَيَنْسَاهُ مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ.
3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Abu Ali al-Ash’ari and Muhammad ibn Yahya all from al-Husayn ibn Ishaq from Ali ibn Mahziyar from Fadalah ibn Ayyub from ‘Abd al-Samad ibn Bashir from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “When a believing servant (of Allah) commits a sin Allah gives him seven hours respite. If he pleads for forgiveness from Allah within such time nothing will be written against him. If the hours pass and he did not plead for forgiveness one sin will be written against him. A believer remembers his sin even after twenty years so that he may plead to his Lord for forgiveness and He forgives him. An unbeliever forgets his sin within the same hour.”’
4ـ حُمَيْدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنْ زَيْدٍ الشَّحَّامِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) يَتُوبُ إِلَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَقُلْتُ أَ كَانَ يَقُولُ أَسْتَغْفِرُ الله وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ لا وَلَكِنْ كَانَ يَقُولُ أَتُوبُ إِلَى الله قُلْتُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) كَانَ يَتُوبُ وَلا يَعُودُ وَنَحْنُ نَتُوبُ وَنَعُودُ فَقَالَ الله الْمُسْتَعَانُ.
4. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad from more than one narrator from Aban from Zayd al-Shahham from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah would plead before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, seventy times every day.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘Would he say, ‘I ask Allah to forgive me and I turn to Him in repentance?’ The Imam said, ‘He, however, would say, ‘I return to Allah.’ I then said, ‘The Messenger of Allah would yatub (repent) and would not repeat, we repent and repeat.’ The Imam said, ‘Allah is the source of help.’”
5ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ عَمِلَ سَيِّئَةً أُجِّلَ فِيهَا سَبْعَ سَاعَاتٍ مِنَ النَّهَارِ فَإِنْ قَالَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ الله الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ لَمْ تُكْتَبْ عَلَيْهِ.
5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from abu Ayyub from abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “If one commits a sin he is given seven hours time during the day. If he says, ‘I plead before Allah, besides whom no one deserves to be worshipped, the living, the controlling power (over creation) and turn to Him in repentance - three times - nothing will be written against him.’”
6ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ بَيَّاعِ الأكْسِيَةِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لَيُذْنِبُ الذَّنْبَ فَيُذَكَّرُ بَعْدَ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً فَيَسْتَغْفِرُ الله مِنْهُ فَيَغْفِرُ لَهُ وَإِنَّمَا يُذَكِّرُهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُ وَإِنَّ الْكَافِرَ لَيُذْنِبُ الذَّنْبَ فَيَنْسَاهُ مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ.
6. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from Ali ibn ‘Uqbah Bayya’ al-Aksiyah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “A believer commits a sin and remembers it after twenty years, then he pleads before Allah for forgiveness, He still forgives him. He is made to remember so He may forgive him. An unbeliever commits a sin and forgets it within the same hour.’”
7ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ يُقَارِفُ فِي يَوْمِهِ وَلَيْلَتِهِ أَرْبَعِينَ كَبِيرَةً فَيَقُولُ وَهُوَ نَادِمٌ أَسْتَغْفِرُ الله الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ ذُو الْجَلالِ وَالإكْرَامِ وَأَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَنْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيَّ إِلا غَفَرَهَا الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ وَلا خَيْرَ فِيمَنْ يُقَارِفُ فِي يَوْمٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَرْبَعِينَ كَبِيرَةً.
7. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from those whom has mentioned (in his book) from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “If a believer commits forty major sins within one day and night and then regretfully says, ‘I plead before Allah, besides Whom no one deserves to be worshipped, the living, the controlling power (over creation) the inventor of the heavens and earth, possessor of glory, and honor. I ask Him to grant favors upon Muhammad and his family and to forgive me and accept my repentance. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will forgive all of them, however, there is no good in one who commits more than forty major sins in a day.’”
8ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا رَفَعُوهُ قَالُوا قَالَ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ دَوَاءٌ وَدَوَاءُ الذُّنُوبِ الإسْتِغْفَارُ.
8. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from a number of our people in a marfu’ manner from him (a.s.) who has said the following: “For everything there is a medicine and the medicine for sins is pleading (before Allah) for forgiveness.”
9ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَمِيعاً عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ حَفْصٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ يُذْنِبُ ذَنْباً إِلا أَجَّلَهُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ سَبْعَ سَاعَاتٍ مِنَ النَّهَارِ فَإِنْ هُوَ تَابَ لَمْ يُكْتَبْ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ وَإِنْ هُوَ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ كَتَبَ الله عَلَيْهِ سَيِّئَةً فَأَتَاهُ عَبَّادٌ الْبَصْرِيُّ فَقَالَ لَهُ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يُذْنِبُ ذَنْباً إِلا أَجَّلَهُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ سَبْعَ سَاعَاتٍ مِنَ النَّهَارِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ هَكَذَا قُلْتُ وَلَكِنِّي قُلْتُ مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ وَكَذَلِكَ كَانَ قَوْلِي.
9. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari and Muhammad ibn Yahya all has narrated from al-Husayn ibn Ishaq and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father all from Ali ibn Mahziyar from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan from Hafs who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘If any believer commits a sin Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, gives him seven hours of a day’s respite; if he repents, nothing will be written against him but if he did not repent Allah will write only one sin against him.’ Thereafter ‘Abbad al-Basri came to him (abu ‘Abd Allah) and said, ‘We have heard that you have said, ‘If a servant (of Allah) commits a sin, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, gives him seven hours of a day’s respite.’ The Imam said, ‘I have not said as such. What I have said is ‘If any believer . . .’ and the rest of my words.’”
10ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) مَنْ قَالَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ الله مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ غَفَرَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ سَبْعَمِائَةِ ذَنْبٍ وَلا خَيْرَ فِي عَبْدٍ يُذْنِبُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ سَبْعَمِائَةِ ذَنْبٍ.
10. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ‘Ammar ibn Marwan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘If one says, “I plead for forgiveness before Allah” one hundred times every day, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will forgive his seven hundred sins, but there is nothing good in a servant (of Allah) who commits seven hundred sins a day.’”
The Book of Belief and Disbelief
Things that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, gave Adam at the Time of Repentance
1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله أَوْ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ آدَمَ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ يَا رَبِّ سَلَّطْتَ عَلَيَّ الشَّيْطَانَ وَأَجْرَيْتَهُ مِنِّي مَجْرَى الدَّمِ فَاجْعَلْ لِي شَيْئاً فَقَالَ يَا آدَمُ جَعَلْتُ لَكَ أَنَّ مَنْ هَمَّ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ بِسَيِّئَةٍ لَمْ تُكْتَبْ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْهِ سَيِّئَةٌ وَمَنْ هَمَّ مِنْهُمْ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كُتِبَتْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ فَإِنْ هُوَ عَمِلَهَا كُتِبَتْ لَهُ عَشْراً قَالَ يَا رَبِّ زِدْنِي قَالَ جَعَلْتُ لَكَ أَنَّ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْهُمْ سَيِّئَةً ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُ غَفَرْتُ لَهُ قَالَ يَا رَبِّ زِدْنِي قَالَ جَعَلْتُ لَهُمُ التَّوْبَةَ أَوْ قَالَ بَسَطْتُ لَهُمُ التَّوْبَةَ حَتَّى تَبْلُغَ النَّفْسُ هَذِهِ قَالَ يَا رَبِّ حَسْبِي.
1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamil ibn Darraj from ibn Bukayr from abu ‘Abd Allah or abu la’ far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Adam said, ‘O Lord, you have made Satan dominate me and made him flow in me like blood, so make something for me also.’ The Lord said, ‘O Adam, for your benefit I have given your offspring the advantage of not writing down against them any sin if they only intend to commit an evil deed. If they actually commit an evil deed only one evil deed is written against them. If anyone of them intends to perform a good deed one good deed is written down for him even if he did not perform it. If, however, he actually performs it ten good deeds are written for him.’ Adam said, ‘O Lord, increase favors upon me.’ The Lord said, ‘I have also assigned for your benefit that if anyone of your offspring commits a sin and then pleads before Me for forgiveness I forgive him.’ Adam said, ‘Lord, grant me more favors.’ The Lord said, ‘I, for their advantage, have made repentance available to them’ or he (the Imam) said that the Lord said, ‘I have extended the time for repentance in their favor up to the time the soul reaches this (throat).’ Adam then said, ‘Lord, this is sufficient for me.’”
2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) مَنْ تَابَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ بِسَنَةٍ قَبِلَ الله تَوْبَتَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ السَّنَةَ لَكَثِيرَةٌ مَنْ تَابَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ بِشَهْرٍ قَبِلَ الله تَوْبَتَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الشَّهْرَ لَكَثِيرٌ مَنْ تَابَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ بِجُمْعَةٍ قَبِلَ الله تَوْبَتَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الْجُمْعَةَ لَكَثِيرٌ مَنْ تَابَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ بِيَوْمٍ قَبِلَ الله تَوْبَتَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ يَوْماً لَكَثِيرٌ مَنْ تَابَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُعَايِنَ قَبِلَ الله تَوْبَتَهُ.
2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from those whom he has mentioned (in his book) from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘If one repents one year before his death, Allah accepts his repentance.’ Then he said, ‘One year is a long time. Whoever repents one month before his death Allah accepts his repentance.’ Then he said, ‘One month is a long time. Whoever repents one week before his death, Allah accepts his repentance.’ Then he said, ‘One week is a long time. Whoever repents one day before his death, Allah accepts his repentance.’ Then he said, ‘One day is a long time. Whoever repents before he sees (the consequences), Allah accepts his repentance.’”