“Indeed, this is a statement that one of us might say (1) to a member of his household when angry, or to his wife or servant.” He said: “For I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Two men among the Children of Israel loved one another. One of them was diligent in worship, while the other was a sinner. The former would repeatedly say, “Refrain, refrain from what you are doing!” The other would reply, “Leave me alone with my Lord!” Then one day he found him committing a sin which he deemed grave, and said, “Refrain!” He replied, “Leave me alone with my Lord. Have you been sent as a watcher over me?” He then said, “By Allah, Allah will never forgive you, nor will He ever admit you into Paradise.” Allah then sent an angel to them, who took their souls, and they were brought together before Him. He said to the sinner, “Enter Paradise by My mercy.” And He said to the other, “Can you withhold My mercy from My servant?” He replied, “No, my Lord.” He said, “Take him to the Fire.”’” Abu Hurayrah said: “By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, he uttered a word that ruined his life in this world and the Hereafter.” (2)

His words, exalted is He: “Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is truly the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al-Qaffal informed us; Abu Masud Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yunus al-Khatib informed us; Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Asamm narrated to us; Abu Qilabah narrated to us; Abu Asim narrated to us; Zakariyya ibn Ishaq narrated to us from Amr ibn Dinar, from Ata, from Ibn Abbas, concerning the words of Allah Most High, “except for minor lapses” (al-Najm, 32). The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“If You forgive, O Allah, You forgive abundantly …
And which of Your servants has not fallen into sin?” (3)

“Turn to your Lord in repentance and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped. And follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you are unaware.” (54–55)

His words, exalted is He: “Turn to your Lord in repentance”: that is, turn and return to Him through obedience. “And submit to Him”: devote sincere monotheism to Him, “before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped.”

“And follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord”: that is, the Quran—though the entire Quran is good. The meaning of the verse is as al-Hasan said: Adhere to its obedience and avoid disobeying it. The Quran mentions what is vile so that you may avoid it; it mentions what is lesser so that you may not desire it; and it mentions what is best so that you may give it preference. Al-Suddi said: “The best” is that which Allah has commanded in the Book, “before the punishment comes upon you suddenly while you are unaware.”