It is established in Sahīh Muslim, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah, that when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the believers offered this supplication, Allah Most High said:

“I have done so.”

Al-Bukhārī narrated in his Sahīh, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“I have been given the Opening of the Book and the concluding verses of Sūrat al-Baqarah from a treasure beneath the Throne,”

and that “he would not recite a single letter of them without being granted it.”

Since the Quran, as explained by the Sunnah, establishes that Allah has pardoned this community for mistakes and forgetfulness, this is a general ruling whose full scope remains intact. Nothing in the scriptural evidence entails that Allah punishes anyone in this community for an error, even if He punishes someone outside this community who errs.

It is also established in the Sahīh, in a hadith narrated by Abū Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“A man who had never done any good told his family that when he died, they should burn him and then scatter half of him on land and half in the sea. He swore by Allah that if Allah had power over him, He would punish him with a punishment He would inflict on no one else in all creation. When the man died, they did as he had instructed them. Allah commanded the land, and it gathered what it contained; He commanded the sea, and it gathered what it contained. There he was, standing before Him. Then He said, ‘Why did you do this?’ He replied, ‘Out of fear of You, my Lord—and You know best.’ So Allah forgave him.”