He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked about two men who disagreed concerning someone who reviled Abū Bakr. One said, “Allah will accept his repentance,” while the other said, “Allah will not accept his repentance.”

He answered:

The correct view, held by the imams of the Muslims, is that Allah accepts the repentance of everyone who repents, as Allah Most High says:

“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.’”

In this verse, He states that He forgives all sins for whoever repents; hence, He leaves forgiveness unqualified and all-inclusive. In the other verse, He says:

“Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives anything less than that for whom He wills.”

This concerns someone who has not repented; hence, He qualifies and limits forgiveness here. Reviling some of the Companions is no graver than reviling the prophets or reviling Allah Most High. The Jews and Christians who revile our Prophet privately among themselves have their repentance and acceptance of Islam accepted when they repent and embrace Islam, by the consensus of the Muslims. The report narrated as a hadith:

“Reviling my Companions is a sin that will not be forgiven”

is a lie falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Even the sin of associating partners with Allah, which Allah does not forgive, He forgives