he has acquired in wealth, to give up the intimate relationships he cherishes, and so forth, repentance becomes a torment for him. Disbelief would then be dearer to him than the Islam he had been practising, since repentance from disbelief would be a mercy to him, whereas repentance as a Muslim would be a torment.

I know some righteous people who wish they had been disbelievers so that they could embrace Islam and have their past forgiven. They consider repentance impossible or exceedingly difficult because of what they have been told, and have come to believe, about its requirements. Moreover, this deters most sinful people from repentance and is akin to making people despair of Allah’s mercy. It places heavy burdens and mighty shackles upon those who repent, whom Allah loves. For Allah loves those who constantly repent and those who purify themselves. Allah rejoices more at His servant’s repentance than someone who recovers the wealth on which his livelihood depends after having despaired of recovering it.

This issue therefore needs careful examination. A disbeliever is not absolved of the obligations he neglected and the forbidden acts he committed on the grounds that he was excused in his disbelief, like a scholar exercising independent judgment; for there is no disagreement that he is not excused. Rather, he is forgiven because embracing Islam is repentance, and repentance wipes away what came before it. Repentance is repentance from neglecting belief and affirmation, as well as from neglecting deeds and actions. It would therefore seem appropriate—and Allah knows best—to treat these people’s condition during their time of ignorance like that of others.