Yet the remedy for all that is to turn back to Allah. For that reason he said, “and Allah accepts the repentance of whoever repents.” Therefore, whoever repents of his sins—even sins that involve wrongful gains—Allah will accept his repentance.

As for the second hadith, it is narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “Allah smiles at two men…,” and so on.

Allah smiles at these two because, while they were in the world, complete enmity existed between them—indeed, one of them had killed the other. Then Allah turned that enmity in both their hearts into its very opposite and removed whatever spite remained in their souls, for the inhabitants of Paradise are purified of rancor and hatred. Allah, exalted is He, describes them: “We shall remove whatever rancor is in their breasts; like brothers, they will be on couches facing one another” (Al-Ḥijr 15:47).

This is the aspect of wonder that Allah—glorified and exalted be He—finds in these two men: there had been utter hostility between them, yet Allah bestowed His favor upon the killer, who had been a disbeliever; he repented, and Allah accepted his repentance.

The hadith therefore proves that if a disbeliever repents of his disbelief—even though he may previously have slain a Muslim—Allah, exalted is He, will accept his repentance, for Islam wipes away whatever came before it.